Relic of the Future
by Coeur Al'Aran
Summary: Victory can prove bitter, especially when you're the only one alive to see it. With the world in chaos and everyone he ever loved dead, Jaune Arc makes a deal with the devil for one last chance to go back and change it all. But devils don't play by the same rules as humans, and Salem never did say how far back he'd go. Or how much deeper the war between her and Ozpin really went.
1. Chapter 1

**Well, here is the new fic which will be updated every other Saturday. I wanted to keep this one secret until it came out but here it is at last. As you can see from the summary it's a time travel fic, but rest assured it will be markedly different from Not this Time, Fate, which was more of a looper fic based on a single loop. This won't be much like it, either in Jaune's character (closer to canon and not quite as broken or jaded), or tone. NTF Jaune saw his life as a curse. This Jaune, well, you'll see.**

 **College Fool has helped a little with this in terms of looking at some of my chapter plans and threads and offering thoughts and suggestions at least for the first 20 chapters or so, but won't be beta because CF is finally releasing some stuff of their own. On that note, I won't be taking any beta for this, I'm afraid, my update schedule just makes it too difficult to have content written in advance for someone to read through. As such, this fic has no beta and won't have one.**

 **All in all I hope you enjoy and no, I won't be revealing the pairing. There is one, but I've learned that revealing it early just leads to people either judging a work on that solely or review and PM-ing to ask you to change it or include more people. Even at the best of times it just acts as a spoiler.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

Jaune came to slowly, eyes struggling to open to a world of black stone and blacker smoke. The moon's rays pierced through the broken obsidian of the tower's walls, splashing across strewn rubble and hard tiles. Motes of dust floated in the air, dancing between the shafts of illumination; the only movement that existed in a world that seemed lost to time itself. Below the wall, half-stuck through it, an airship lightly smouldered away. With a crackle of fire a large piece of the Bullhead's hull gave way, tumbling down to the ground with a mighty crash. Despite the noise, no one moved or called out.

Confusion tugged at his mind and he searched for an answer. His throat felt dry, his head heavy. One hand reached out to grasp Crocea Mors and draw it to him. He pushed the tip down into the stone floor, using it as a lever to help stand. Even then his legs nearly buckled, threatening to topple him once more. His eyes, blue and filled with fatigue, scanned the world about him.

Was it finally over? Had they won?

If so, where were the cheers?

One foot slid forward, his weight following. The wounded huntsman's gait was slow, punctuated by the scrape and tap of an ancestral sword used as nothing more than a walking stick. The smoke from the fire, and the battle itself, obscured much of his vision. He coughed and pushed through it, pausing as his eyes caught a familiar shock of green, white and orange.

"Ren?" he gasped, and for a moment he didn't recognise his own voice. It was scratchy and broken. He shook his head, pushing on when they didn't answer. "Nora? Are you okay?"

His own breathing was the only response. He staggered toward them, letting Crocea Mors clatter to the ground as he did the same, falling onto his knees and reaching for them. His hands touched Ren's shoulder and he knew what he would find even before he turned him over. His friend's body was cold, too cold. Those pink eyes, so unusual at first sight, now looked dull and empty. There was no light in them, no spark of intelligence or dry humour. Blood stained Ren's mouth and chin, smudged away and faded. There was a blade lodged in his chest, between his ribs. It was one of Tyrian's.

"No… please, no." Jaune's eyes shot to Nora, seeing much the same. The bubbly girl didn't move, didn't breathe, and despite the open eyes she didn't perceive the world around her. Tears filled his vision and he pressed his forehead against Ren's. "No, no, no. Please. Not like this."

A pulse! There had to be a pulse. His Semblance could help them. He just needed them to still be alive. His hands rushed to his teammate's throat, fingers prodding and poking. When that failed he tore Ren's shirt open, ignored the blood and pressed his ear against the man's chest. His own heart beat in his eyes but he struggled to hear another. His eyes scrunched shut as he tried to shut out all else. _Anything,_ he begged. _There has to be something. Don't leave me, you two. I can't lose you like I lost Pyrrha._

There was nothing. He moved to Nora, desperate, issuing an apology as he pulled her top open, exposing her pink bra, and pressed his ear above her bosom. She would wake up to see him like that, he was sure. She'd scream and hit him and they'd both laugh about it later...

Except that they wouldn't, because there was no heartbeat. Nora would never wake again. A broken sob escaped him. Just another person he wasn't fast enough to save. Just another teammate he was too weak to protect. He'd thought he'd run dry of tears after Pyrrha. He hadn't. More flowed and he wept over them, drawing both bodies against his. This... was this what they'd fought and bled for? After so long together training and fighting, growing stronger. How could it end like this?

The sound of breathing ahead broke him from his grief.

It didn't come from Nora or Ren, but it was unmistakable – even if it was weak. There was someone still alive. He picked up his weapon again and used it as a crutch, already feeling just a little stronger. "I'll come back for you two," he promised, looking one last time to his friends. "You'll get a proper burial. I promise."

But for now he had to see if someone else could be saved. He'd already lost too much and there couldn't be yet more. It just wouldn't be fair.

More bodies revealed themselves as Jaune Arc dragged himself through the ruins and wreckage. Some of them he realised, others he did not. Some wore Atlas uniforms, although old and ragged, torn beyond repair and lacking the snowflake that had set the Kingdom ablaze. Others were huntsmen from Vale and Vacuo, the survivors who had come with them. More were unknown to him, brave and loyal all and here at the end to try and kill their enemy once and for all.

And worse, some he knew. Some he cared for. Sun stared at the ceiling blankly with his chest carved out. Blake lay atop him, dying in a fruitless attempt to protect the man she might have come to love. Neptune sat crumpled by a wall next to them. He'd likely given his to try and buy them time. Before them, with myriad weapons lodged inside his body, Tyrian Callows lay. They'd killed their enemy, even if they'd succumbed soon after. There was nothing he could do for them.

"I'll bury you, too," he promised them. His voice choked at the last.

There had to be someone he could save.

Yang had not survived. She had been killed by Hazel, whom she – with Weiss' aid – had killed in turn. There had been Grimm too, in numbers never seen before. Weiss had survived and moved on, but now lay broken within a ring of white-armoured soldiers. She was so clearly dead that there was no point looking for a pulse. "I'll…" his voice cracked. "I'll come back for you…"

There were going to be so many graves. Was he going to have to dig them all? No. He could hear someone ahead. There was still someone with him.

It wasn't Oscar that drew breath, if Oscar had even existed toward the end. The body of the boy was pinned to the wall with several strange spikes, but the smile he wore on his face was nothing short of victorious. It was also nothing short of inhumane. No child could accept death with such calm pleasure. Then again, at the end, he'd ceased to be Oscar at all. Only Ozpin remained.

"Was it worth it?" Jaune rasped, anger slipping into his voice. "First Pyrrha, then Qrow and Oscar, and now it's Ren, Nora, Yang, Blake and Weiss. How many more, Ozpin? How many need to die for you to get what you want?"

The bastard didn't answer. He'd already won.

Jaune moved on, hunting the laboured breathing, even as he stepped over Cinder's dead body and moved ever onward. The maidens were gods only knew where now, perhaps gone, perhaps sent to some random girls across Remnant. He didn't care. He never had. That power took Pyrrha away and if he never saw it again it would be too soon.

Victory under Ozpin had never tasted so bitter. He'd promised them a better world. They'd been given ashes. Maybe people in the future would reap the benefits of their actions, but that was decades away. There was a good chance the people would destroy one another before that, and maybe humanity would die out as a result. It was hard to say. It was even harder to imagine living in alone.

His feet carried him on across the stone floor, through a beam of moonlight, and towards a tiny figure crumpled at the steps leading up to a raised dais. The red of the cloak seemed to melt into the blood that pooled around her, soaked and laying lank across her body.

"Not you, too," Jaune cried, dropping his sword and rushing forward. "Ruby, please! Not you!"

She lay on her side, one arm beneath her and the other limp at her side. Her face was tilted to the side, her silver eyes closed, but her lips formed into a tiny smile. To her it wouldn't matter if she died so long as she did so being the hero. She was selfless like that, or perhaps selfish. She never thought of what others might feel. His tears splashed on her pale cheek to run down it, almost like it was she who wept.

His hands flew over her, searching for the rise and fall of her chest or the rhythmic beat of a heart, no matter how weak. Jaune's breath hitched. His mouth opened and he tried to speak but nothing came forth. Words were useless anyway. She couldn't hear them. She was gone. His knees splashed into her blood as he gripped his head between both hands. This wasn't possible. This just wasn't possible.

"You can't leave me here," he begged, pouring his aura into her body. It did nothing but drain him. There was nothing left for his Semblance to bolster. He tried again regardless, forcing aura out of him as tears poured down his face. "Please wake up. Please. Someone... anyone..."

"Hrgh-…"

Blue eyes snapped open. "Ruby?"

"Hah… krk…"

It wasn't Ruby. She hadn't moved. Jaune's eyes trailed up and over her, toward the dais itself and the seat that stood at the top, against the back wall. There, slumped atop her throne, sat the monster which had caused all of this. She was breathing raggedly. The sight of her was enough to make his blood boil. _She_ was the cause of all of this. It was _her_ fault. He snatched up his sword and stood, eyes lidded. He made his way toward her, desperate to rend her limb from limb.

"Hah…" Salem glared at him. "Hrgh… ha ha. Don't waste your breath. Ugh. She… is gone."

The woman, if she could be called that, fixed her crimson eyes upon him. Her skin had always been the colour of paper but now it was dotted with blood. The veins about her eyes and face were fainter, faded, and though she watched him approach she made no effort to kill him. The scythe lodged in her chest might have had something to do with that. It had pierced between her breasts and pinned her to the seat. Though her chest rose and fell, it was with a dry rattle and a bubble of crimson fluid that spilled about the blade of Crescent Rose.

"Is this… what you wanted…?" she whispered. Her voice was slow, faltering, and she had to pause between the words to take rattling breaths. "This… is what… Ozpin gave you. Is it -hrk- everything… you thought it would be…?"

Jaune gritted his teeth together. Grief gave way to rage, as it often did. "No."

"No?" The dying monster laughed. "Victory rarely is, boy. This… all of this…" She gestured to the tower, and all the bodies. "This is merely the culmination of our eternal game. You were, all of you, just his tools. Ever his chess pieces… just like… all the others… throughout time. Don't be so arrogant as to think you were the first."

Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao-Long. The list went on and his eyes burned at each name added to it. Penny Polendina, James Ironwood, Winter Schnee, Ghira Belladonna, Oscar Pine. There were many he knew, but doubtless thousands more he did not. Families torn apart, teams scattered, or just men and women used and tossed aside after they had served their purpose.

"You're dead now. Their sacrifices have killed you. We won, not you."

Salem frowned and made to move, but after a second or two trying to push herself up she sagged back down with a tired sigh. Crescent Rose did not move, buried not only into her but through and into the throne behind her. "I suppose that you have. After a thousand tries and ten times as many sent to their deaths, it was perhaps inevitable that the fool would one day succeed." She scowled at Oscar's body. "An eternal huntsman chasing the immortal monster across Remnant. Odd, I always thought the tales involved the huntsman slaying the beast, not sending waves of children to do the job for him."

His sword rattled as he gripped the haft tighter, his knuckles cracking. That would have been the best outcome. Instead, the huntsman had found allies – foolish allies – and had them fight and die for him. And Ruby, his first friend, was among those sent to their doom. She'd followed Ozpin happily, eagerly, and thrown her life away without a second's hesitation. To her, any price was worth the possibility of a world without Grimm.

She'd died for Ozpin's plans.

Just like Pyrrha had…

"Kill me now," Salem hissed. "Finish me. I will allow it. There is no greater pain I could inflict on you than to live the rest of your life knowing you will _never_ have them back. Your loved ones died to buy you this chance so don't squander it now."

Fury bubbled up behind his eyes but he held it back, unwilling to be baited. She was already dead and they both knew it. She just wanted him to end it faster, or maybe to get one last chance in to kill him as well before she died. He stood several feet away instead, watching as her smugness faded and she slumped angrily back onto her throne, bleeding out. She was as good as dead.

Of course, so was everyone else.

"This isn't how it was supposed to end…"

"Then how was it?" Salem asked, surprising him that she even cared to listen in the first place. "You would come here and slay the monster, only to run off with the girl into the sunset. Was that your plan?"

No. It had been to join Beacon, make friends, become a huntsman, and find a lovely girl to settle down with. It could have been Pyrrha, had he not been so blind. It might even have been Ruby had she not been so self-sacrificing.

"You know, boy. It still could be different…"

"Don't toy with me," he snapped. Crocea Mors swung up to rest against her sternum, his weight leaning against the pommel as he prepared to thrust it through with his own body weight. "I'm not an idiot. My friends are dead. Everything I care about is gone. The Walls of Vale have fallen and the people live in terror. Haven's huntsman population has been eradicated and bandits run wild. Ironwood is dead and Atlas is in the hands of Jacques and the SDC, while Vacuo has been wiped off the map, swallowed by the desert and the Grimm! Beacon, Haven, Shade and Atlas Academies - all gone! And all of that is because of you," he roared. "It's your fault!"

"My fault… or Ozpin's? He is the one who chose to hide the relics where he did. He was the one tasked with protecting them, and yet instead of doing so he hunted them down himself to craft them into a weapon to use against me." She gestured to the scythe trapped within her. "Blame me if you will but do not dare to ignore your own actions, child. I would have never found them but for you and Ozpin leading me to each in turn. Ozpin knew that. He considered it worth the risk, and the lives of all those who fell. I may be guilty, but you and yours had a hand in all that happened."

His breathing became ragged. Whether she was right or wrong didn't matter, not anymore. He'd long since lost faith in Ozpin but no one else had listened. Yang, perhaps, but she'd still sided with her Uncle Qrow and Ruby when push came to shove. Those two would do anything the headmaster said. And maybe... maybe Ren and Nora would have sided with him if he'd spoken out. No, he was sure they would have. But he hadn't. He'd been cowed, angry, grieving and desperate to leave the decision making to someone else. Anyone.

So many chances for him to have done something different. It was funny, except not at all, that he could only see those chances now - when it was too late to take any of them.

"Of course," Salem whispered, "there is still a chance for you to save your friends."

Jaune's eyes snapped back to the present. He leaned further on his sword, digging the tip into her. "You lie!"

"What would lies serve me now?"

"You want to live. You want me to spare you."

"Fool." Salem laughed bitterly. "I am already dead. Not even your pretty Semblance can prevent this."

"Then you want to trick and kill me," he countered.

"You are already dead; if not on the outside then on the inside. There would be no pleasure. I expect you'll kill yourself within a year or two anyway, or live a life of misery and pain. If I wanted you to suffer, I'd rather you live in despair and regret than die painlessly here."

What a monster. Even her dying words were filled with malice. He should kill her, though. Ruby had already done enough but she'd want him to finish Salem off once and for all. It was the proper thing for a huntsman to do.

But he didn't.

"What do you mean they can be saved?"

"Interested?" Salem's smile threatened to return but cut off when his sword dug a little deeper. "I'm telling you there is a way to save them. But to do so you must prevent _this_ from happening."

"Explain."

"It is their presence here which led to their deaths. It is Ozpin's little plan which saw them sacrificed to bring about my end. Prevent this from happening in the first place and your friends would still be alive today. All you need is a chance to go back and change it. I can give you that."

"A chance to change what's already happened?" he spat. "You're talking about time-travel. You're saying you can send me to the past?"

When she didn't deny it, his temper roared back to life. She was mocking him! She'd gotten his hopes up and then _pissed_ on them, bringing all his pain back to the fore. He prepared himself to kill her once more, drawing his sword back for the final blow. His eyes flashed with pure rage.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Salem breathed heavily, waiting for death. But he had paused, against his better judgment. When she saw that she quickly explained. "I do mean time-travel in a sense. Did you not think it strange that Ozpin could never die, that he was untouched by time and able to live from one host to another?"

"He told us he was cursed by the Gods."

"The Gods abandoned Remnant long ago. Did he not tell you that?"

Jaune's brow creased. "Qrow did. What of it?"

"The Gods vanished long before I existed and long before Ozpin walked Remnant. In that case, what Gods would there have been to curse him?"

None…

"He didn't lie, not really. His curse came about as a result of my actions, and at the time I was considered akin to a God, so the moniker might have been good enough for him. It was not intentional on my part. I slew him but in my haste did so in a manner that bound his soul to my fate." She chuckled at the irony. "As you see, while he was a powerful Wizard in his time, I was the stronger. In truth, it was _I_ who granted him his immortality, no matter how much an accident that was."

"What does that have to do with time-travel?" he asked.

"With the relic of creation I can form for you a body in the past. With the relic of choice I can send your mind back to make your own. It is that relic which put Ozpin in the situation he is in, and I can replicate that with you. You would die here, but your soul – your memories – would travel back into a new body. You would exist outside the flow of time, and thus be capable of making changes. You could stop _this_ ," she gestured to the bodies and the wreckage, "from ever happening."

His hands were shaking. A part of him, a large part, refused to believe the creature before him, if only to save himself the pain of being wrong. If this were some cruel trick then it would break him. _Don't get your hopes up,_ he thought. _She's just trying to trick you. She's trying to hurt you._

Nothing hurt as much as hope, especially when it was crushed. He knew that well enough by now.

"You'll just kill me," he said. "Why should I trust you?"

"Look at you, boy. You're a walking corpse already. What are you going to do once you kill me? You'll bury them, perhaps, but then you'll walk out into the wastelands to die. I may kill you, yes. But I could have killed you already had I wished it. This may or may not be a trap. Nothing I say will convince you otherwise. It is up to you to decide if the risk is worth it."

The tip of his sword wavered.

It was fantastical and foolish to consider her offer. He would be signing his life away – and for what – a chance to go back and do the same thing? A chance to change things so that people didn't have to die. What if he could save Ruby, Ren and Nora? What if he could save Yang, Blake and Weiss?

What if… what if he could save Pyrrha…?

His eyes watered as the memories assailed him, the grief and the pain and so much more. Salem was right, damn her. He was a dead man standing right now. He had no reason to live or any plans on what he was supposed to do. Everyone he cared about was dead. Everyone!

Even if it was madness to consider it, Salem had a point. She was dead either way and whether she killed him or he died to exposure trying to drag his injured self to Vale, the result would be the same. In that case why not go out on a limb? He didn't have anything to lose. The world was in turmoil anyway. After they'd arrived at Atlas, drawing Salem and her allies along with them, the city had been through hell. Ironwood had tried to help them, but he'd been betrayed, killed, and Jacques Schnee had seen his chance for more power, stepping into the power vacuum and taking control of the entire kingdom. Jaune would be killed the second he returned to civilisation. Jacques would string him up as a scapegoat, if angry and grieving families didn't do it first. Even his family was dead, hunted down and killed by Tyrian in a sick attempt to draw him into a trap. This wasn't the world Ozpin had promised them. It was hell.

Salem saw his conflict and smiled. "You could change things. You could keep them all alive. You could change the way the world is now and make it better."

"Why?" he had to ask. "Why would you want to send me back? What could you possibly gain?"

"Is that not obvious? If you return and meddle then _this_ may not happen. It is a chance that I will survive."

"I'm not on your side, though. I'll still kill you."

"You will certainly try... but you might fail. Ozpin's gambit here was successful due in no small part to the willingness of you pawns to throw your lives away. Your victory here is pyrrhic, and if you go back and seek a more fulfilling one, there is a chance it will fail. It is that which I seek. That chance is all I have left now, seeing as my life ebbs away before my eyes."

It made a twisted sort of sense from her point of view, and even if the honesty surprised him he supposed she knew it wouldn't change his answer. If he wanted to see his friends alive again he'd need to accept it, and while that meant Salem would live, it also meant he would have another chance to kill her.

 _A chance to do it properly, with us preparing for a battle and not rushing off after Ozpin like lambs to the slaughter._ Salem wasn't wrong; Ozpin had sacrificed them all for this. It wasn't just their teams but all four Kingdoms as well. Humanity would survive but there was no telling how much carnage would occur. Another faunus war, for sure. The White Fang had done too much. It might even be a Great War if the SDC saw the weakness of others as opportunity. No one had the strength to oppose them.

Of course, none of that had mattered to Ozpin. So long as his eternal enemy died, the world could be in any state. He'd died smiling, even as they all fell one by one to Salem and her forces. And he hadn't even been sure it would work. If it hadn't, the man would have simply taken over another body and started the process all over again.

"There isn't much time," Salem warned. "Make your decision."

There was no hesitation. There should have been, he knew that, but there wasn't. Perhaps he was too spent, too emotionally drained, or just tired of everything. If she killed him, fine. He didn't have anything to live for anyway.

"I'll do it. Send me back."

Salem smiled, or tried. Blood bubbled from her lips and she coughed, her body shaking. "There is no time," she rasped. "Come here. I shall return you to another time and what you do there is your choice. You will exist outside of time as my avatar, which means any changes you make will not snap back and remove _you_ from existence. It would do little good for me if by preventing this you stopped me sending you back and caused a paradox. You needn't worry about it."

"I won't," he said, feeling a strange tingling sensation overtake him. She took hold of his left hand and a strange burning sensation ran through it, making him hiss. He tried to pull away but she wouldn't let go.

"It is my mark," she said once she was done, finally releasing him. There, on the back of his hand, a strange symbol was burned into his flesh. It was a vertical eye that seemed to be trapped in a net, with a ring around the outside marking the four points of a compass. He turned his hand over, marvelling at how it was reflected on the palm of his hand as well. "It was necessary to tie your soul here and your new container together. It would not do for either of us for me to miss and send your soul spiralling into oblivion. This mark will connect the two and act as a bridge for your soul. My survival now depends on yours. Do not die before you can fix this."

Salem reached out and touched one of the relics that had been placed into Ruby's weapon. It shimmered and twisted, and light poured from it – down Crescent Rose and into Salem's body. She cringed and tossed her head to the side as the energy destroying her from the inside. Even so, she drew on it.

"What are the relics, anyway?" he asked.

"They are relics," she hissed, as if that explained it all. "They are all that remains of a time long past, as you will soon be a relic of a future that must never happen. They are power." Bright white lines spread out across the dais, underneath and around him. Salem's eyes glowed and blood dribbled from her lips. "Go now. Change the past and seek your foolish friends. Prevent this travesty and restore me to power."

"I will," he promised. "But once I do, I'll come and kill you. I'll come with an army bigger than this one, and this time we'll be prepared. You won't stand a chance, and without the knowledge of my coming you won't even know about it until it's too late."

"We shall see, boy." Salem sneered. It was a chance he knew she'd take. Better a poor chance than a slow death.

The world turned to black a moment later. The ground beneath him seemed to give way and he fell to the side, only to be suspended as a strange sensation – like water rushing across his skin – washed over his body. He felt his body, his bones and his organs, squeezed together and pushed through a narrow tube. And then, with a crash, sunlight washed over him.

His face hit rock a second later.

/-/

"Ugh, my head…"

Something pounded through his skull, even as a sharp object seemed to be cracking against the back of it. It felt like his head was trapped in a vice with some terrible surgeon performing live surgery on his brain. The confusion rattled him for a moment, before memory flooded back – memories of that dark tower and the bodies of his friends.

Of the mad deal he'd made with the devil herself.

"Did it work?" he gasped, sitting up. Pain flared through him a second later and he pushed a hand around to the back of his head. "Damn it. What hit me?"

Something sharp bit into his hand. "OW!"

" _CAW_!" The juvenile Nevermore squawked angrily, shocked or perhaps just mindlessly angry that its prey was now awake. It pecked at the back of his head again, or tried to. Jaune's hand snapped out and caught its neck. He looked briefly for his sword before he decided just to slam the little thing against the ground below him instead, killing it on impact.

He staggered up a moment later, dusting his hands of the hateful thing as it dissolved into nothingness. His head felt clearer, completely fine, even. There had been no headache, just a stupid Nevermore trying to kill him while he was unconscious. He rubbed his sore scalp and winced against the bright sunlight.

Wait, sunlight? It had been night time when they'd orchestrated their attack.

Panic, fear and excitement tore through him and he threw himself from the rock he was sat on, landing unsteadily on two feet and looking around. He was in the Grimmlands, made pretty obvious by the terrain no one could mistake – blistering rock in various shades of purple and black. Still, the sun was in the sky, and more, he'd been attacked by a Grimm.

If Salem was dead then those shouldn't exist anymore. _Unless it's just the last vestiges of them,_ he realised. There was still a chance this was a terrible dream or that she'd tricked him. He scanned the horizon for what he knew would answer it once and for all. Considering the flat and blasted terrain it wasn't hard to spot the tall, conical structure of Salem's dark tower.

It was still standing.

He was in the past.

"It worked… it actually worked. I'm…" He checked himself before he continued. Two arms, two legs, a face that felt like his own, and he even had his scroll on him, which was obviously out of signal. He snapped a picture of his face and checked it – just to make sure he hadn't been turned into some kind of disfigured mutant or Grimm.

He was himself. His skin was a little smudged and worn, his cheeks sallow and eyes filled with fatigue, but he was undeniably in his own body. Or a new construct of it if Salem's words were to be trusted. He held up his left hand, inspecting the mark she'd given him. It just looked like burned skin on both sides of his hand, although the symbol itself was in crystal clear detail. He'd have to hide that if he really had gone back. Ozpin wouldn't like the look of it.

Jaune's body froze in the task of pulling on one of his brown gloves. Ozpin was still alive. And if Ozpin was still alive, then that meant…

Tears filled his vision.

"Don't lose it now," he whispered. He had to fight back both a smile and tears, both threatening to burst forth. If the tower was standing then there'd been no attack. No attack meant no deaths, yet, which meant everyone was still alive and well.

He actually had a chance to fix things. For the first time he allowed himself to actually _feel_ the hope that had been teetering on the edge of his mind. It was a heady thing that exhausted him almost immediately. It threatened to overwhelm him entirely, though whether that would leave him sobbing in relief or screaming out his joy was still to be seen.

"Or not to be," he hissed, fighting for control. "I may be back but that doesn't fix anything yet. Ozpin will already have the plan in mind. I need to stop it, but how? Ruby and Qrow are all for it and everyone defaults to trusting Ruby."

He had too, and he regretted that. Ruby was a great leader, but that was the point – she was a good _leader_ and she hadn't led them. Ozpin had, and he either wasn't as good or had changed over time and no longer cared for the consequences of his decisions. No risk too great for a chance to end Salem once and for all, at least to him.

"I can't let that happen. Even if it means Salem lives a little longer there has to be a way that actually wins a future worth having - one where Vale, Vacuo and Atlas don't end up in ruins." That was assuming he'd been sent back far enough to actually _change_ their minds. What if he'd only gone a week or two back?

Or… what if he'd been sent back further? What if Salem had gone above and beyond and sent him back to _before_ he joined Beacon? What if he had a chance to work from the start up; save not only Ruby and his team, but Pyrrha as well?

The tears came back. This time they couldn't all be stopped and a few trailed down his cheeks. The potential for disappointment if he was wrong was going to crush him but he shook his head regardless. Whatever the case his first step was clear, he had to find out how far back he'd gone. The best way to do that would be to head to Beacon, or Vale if Beacon was already destroyed.

If he was in the Grimmlands now, then that would be a bit of a trek. The continent Salem was hidden on was closest to Vacuo, which, if it was still standing, would have transport he could take to reach Patch, and then Vale. Even if it didn't the act of discovering whether Vacuo stood or not would give him a good idea _when_ he was, and if it stood then so too would its CCT. It was an obvious first location, though naturally there weren't many ferries running between Vacuo and Grimmtopia.

The only choice was to try and make the swim himself – which was stupid – or to reach the shore and try to fashion a raft, which was still pretty optimistic but a damn sight better than trying to swim the whole thing.

Through exhaustion and pain, Jaune stood from the rock he'd been transported to, stooped to pick up Crocea Mors – which had been replicated alongside him – and marched through the Grimmlands towards the south.

There was no time to lose.

/-/

If the tower, her words, and the change in daylight hadn't convinced him that he was in the past, then the amount of Grimm roaming about would have. The attack on Salem's tower had been no small thing, combining what remained of Atlas' loyalists and troops who had followed Winter and Weiss into exile, and also huntsmen and huntresses from Vale, Vacuo, and even Menagerie. Many of those had died on the approach fighting Grimm, but no such wreckage dotted the landscape now. In fact, only Grimm did – and he had to cut his way through several on his journey to the shoreline.

Maybe it was his cynicism acting up, or maybe his mind was just trying to protect him from having his hopes shattered once again. Even so, for every hour that passed his gait became stronger. His eyes shone just a little brighter.

The plans he ran through in his head helped to distract him from it, plans on how to approach certain people, what to say – what information he could give. Ozpin was an out, obviously. If he knew Salem could be killed then he would want the same thing to happen again. Ruby and Qrow might not believe him without proof, but there were some he could offer proof to.

Winter was a good example, since depending on how far back he'd gone he could warn her about what her father planned to do against Ironwood. Hell, if he could get Ironwood on board with him and save his life, then even better. The General could reclaim Atlas and bring all of its might to bear against Salem.

So many possibilities – all of them made possible because he was here again, but this time with knowledge of what would and couldn't happen. Of course, those plans always came down to _when_ or _how far_ he'd been sent back, becoming unravelled on the specifics. Things would become easier once he reached Vacuo.

The shoreline of the Grimmlands was devoid of trees or plant life, as was most of the island itself, but it was still a shore and that meant there was plenty of driftwood and wreckage littered about, swept up onto the surf by tides and currents. It was while he was collecting wood that might be good enough for a raft that he caught a flash of grey off to one side, a grey too light to be natural and piled between seaweed swept up onto the beach. He hurried over to sweep that aside, revealing a smooth panel encrusted with barnacles, with some faded writing beneath, now lost to time and wear.

It was a little fishing boat, though. Small and ramshackle, more like one someone might use in a lake than on the open ocean. But it had a motor on the back, and a quick glance revealed that there was actually a small amount of fuel inside. Someone must have been swept overboard or killed by Grimm, and the thing had naturally made its way over here, crashing up onto the beach.

"One man's misfortune is another's luck," he mused, working to tear more of the dried and dead algae off it. It was in decent enough shape, a little rotted but it had a coat of something which had prevented that leading to any holes. It would float and that was all that mattered. He dragged the vessel by its keel down to the surf, struggling against the soft sand and the sharp barnacles that threatened to drain his aura at the slightest touch. There were two oars in side, partially rotted but probably still usable.

The dinky little boat would be worth all the hassle, especially if it got him off the island before all the Grimm started to notice the lone human in their midst. He was lucky this second chance had blown his mind out of the water, otherwise all the misery he'd been feeling before would have drawn them to him like moths to a candle. As it was, he was too excited to feel down. Despite the grim situation, no pun intended, he couldn't help but smile.

His friends weren't dead. Not here. They were still alive - and probably wondering where he was.

He clapped his hands together once he had the boat bobbing on the edge of the shallows."Right, I need to trek to the city, reach the CCT, and find out how far back I've been sent."

And then, whatever the case, it was off to Beacon to try and save his friends and the future of Remnant. With one final shove he pushed the boat out into the shallows, leapt in and cranked the motor. To his delight it rattled weakly, and on the third try actually spluttered. The engine, like his newfound hope, came to life.

"Wait for me, everyone. I'm on my way."

* * *

 **So, there we go. It's a prologue of sorts but I called it chapter one because I know I'll make a mistake somewhere if I always have to label my chapters as one less than what they actually are. As you can hopefully see this is based on a scenario of what could theoretically happen in the rest of the RWBY season. What's hinted at here is that Jacques uses the SDC to take over Atlas, Ironwood is killed, and in the crew's quests to find the relics, Vacuo is even destroyed in a climactic battle for the relic. The loss of the huntsmen in Mistral is just referencing Lionheart's work.**

 **A lot of that is still misty at the moment, but you can rest assured more will be revealed as the story goes on. Suffice to say, Jaune isn't "dooming mankind" quite so much as one might think with his choice to go back. He is giving Salem a second chance as well, but there's more to it than simple selfishness. I tried to have Jaune hint at as much of that as he could, which is some of what is written in the above note. None of that should come as spoilers if you read the chapter. Would Ozpin do any of this? Maybe not intentionally, but there's no denying his action - or lack thereof - has screwed people over in the show. Mistral is already practically doomed the next time some Grimm show up, and Pyrrha was told to "defend the tower" despite that Ozpin later revealed the relic wasn't hidden at Beacon. So, why again was Pyrrha sent off to fight a foe she couldn't face? To unlock Ruby's eyes? To inspire all her friends to hunt down Cinder, and thus Salem, in revenge?**

 **By the way, you may have seen that section at the start where Jaune is using his sword as a walking cane. This fic once started – ages ago before Season 3 – in my head as a "Jaune goes back and actually IS Ozpin", which was based on the fact that Jaune and Ozpin's hair styles are practically identical apart from colour. Alas, Ozpin turned out to be an immortal wizard parasite which is probably more bizarre than being a time travelling Jaune, to be honest.**

 **The plan for this is very different to NTF, and I hope you can see a little of that in Jaune here. Obviously, he's super stressed at the moment since, you know, everyone dying, but unlike NTF Jaune who had become inured to it all and broken inside, this one still has his hope, and quickly latches onto the chance to make a difference.**

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 **Next Chapter: 24** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	2. Chapter 2

**You know, sometimes reviews amaze me. I've had so many asking me not to make Jaune Yang's dad, and also to not have any incest. I'm just… what? What in the introduction to this story gave off that kind of vibe? I'm not even angry. I'm more bemused. I know I did a Writer's Game prompt once about that, but that was just a prompt from CF. Some of the reviews really did make me laugh. xD**

 **This chapter is huge, by the way. It was supposed to be two separate chapters but, well, I changed my mind. Consider it a freebie.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

Jaune woke to unfamiliar surroundings.

Instincts born from years of living in danger made awakening an unpleasant experience. His eyes didn't open as they might once have, but instead remained shut as he took in his surroundings. He was on a bed; soft and warm with a blanket thrown over him. There was a pillow under his head, and a brief check revealed that his hands were free and not bound. His nose twitched. There was no discernible scent in the air, but he thought he smelled pine resin and candlewax.

Eventually, once he was certain the situation wasn't a dangerous one, Jaune opened his eyes. He was alone, Crocea Mors was within reach, and his armour rested against the side of a wooden cabinet.

Hadn't he been on a boat? He could recall the ocean and the Grimmlands, him using the motor to drift out into the sea towards Vacuo. There had been a storm, he recalled. The rest was hazy. Too hazy. It didn't take a genius to fill in the empty spaces, especially since his body felt like it had been put through a washing machine.

"I guess that thing wasn't really the right kind of vessel for the open ocean. At least I'm still breathing."

Someone must have found and rescued him; made rather obvious from the care and attention he'd been given. He had to remind himself this wasn't the future where trust was in short supply and everyone considered everyone else a possible threat. The past had been a kinder place where it was humans against the Grimm and little else. Most people would help a person out if they could.

With his paranoia satisfied and the means to fight located he allowed himself a better look around the rather small room he was laid within. It was wooden in nature and unusually narrow, with a curved roof that sloped upwards and several shelves, drawers, and hidden cabinets built into the walls. Everything seemed designed in such a way as to fit as much as possible into a small space, and rolls of brightly-colour carpets stacked at the end of the bed concealed several beautiful pieces of pottery, each tied with thin cordage and stacked carefully in place.

Voices from outside alerted him to the fact he wasn't alone, if the fact he was cared for and rested hadn't already. He took a deep breath and let his panic go. Had this been a dangerous situation he'd have woken up in a far worse situation. Even so, he couldn't quite trust his generous benefactors just yet. It was past time for an introduction.

He rose from the bed and looked himself over. His ripped and torn hoodie had been replaced by a tan tunic that was several sizes too large and made from very thin and airy material. His trousers were the same, and his old ones nowhere to be seen. He picked up his sword but left the armour behind, moved to a small door at the end of the narrow room, and stepped through it.

It was dark outside and unbearably cold. The room he'd been in was several feet higher than expected, and some wooden steps leading down to the sand below revealed it to be a caravan or wagon-home. His appeared to be one of many, each brightly painted and arranged in a vague circle around a campfire that burned in the centre. There were tents as well, around six in number, and men and women covered in shawls, hoods and armed with spears moved about between them.

It looked like he'd found some kind of tribe or caravan, and judging from the dress – and the sand beneath him – he was in Vacuo. The weapons the people carried didn't immediately frighten him since this was Grimm territory and only an idiot travelled without a weapon. That was likely why they'd left him with his. One of the tribesmen noticed him, stood on the steps before the sand, and whispered some words to another. The second bowed, and Jaune watched warily as the first man approached. Though he didn't show it he was prepared to fight, and so too was this man, his eyes friendly but his fingers tight about the haft of his spear.

"By the moon and stars, you have awoken, stranger," the man said. He held his spear wide, making it clear he had no intention of attacking. There was little of the man's face that could be seen beneath the cloth wrapped about his head and over his mouth. His brown eyes were set in a dark-skinned face, however, and his outfit – and his mannerisms – made it clear he was used to living in the desert.

"I take it I'm in Vacuo?" Jaune asked.

"You are in the Grand Desert." The man gestured with his spear to the vast dunes that spread in every direction. "The wetlanders might call this desert their own but who can hope to claim dominion over such a place? I might as well call it mine for all the truth it would bring."

A riddle of an answer but an answer nonetheless, and the man at least sounded friendly. Jaune nodded his head in greeting. "Who are you? My name is Jaune. Jaune Arc."

" _Kyrie_!" The man spat it like a curse, and Jaune had the feeling it wasn't a name. "I have shamed myself for not giving you a name, forgive me. I am Asol, son of Amon, and leader of the Del'Ashari, the tribe you see before you." He linked his hands before himself, the spear held vertically, and bowed from the waist. "I welcome you to our caravan, stranger. May your thirst be quenched and your burdens lessened."

"I-" Jaune mimicked the bow as best he could. "Thank you? I'm sorry, I'm not really sure what the proper response is."

"Your gratitude is enough. Come…" Asol gestured for him to follow and Jaune hopped down, staying close to the man as they walked towards the bonfire in the centre where some small children played in the sand and threw sticks at a target. It almost looked like a game designed to train or test accuracy. Some of the women, and more than a few men, were busy preparing and cooking food, while others busied about their own tasks, stepping into and out of their caravans, or even repairing broken wheels and axles. The chatter was loud and natural, relaxing him somewhat, and as Asol led him through he found his hand straying away from the hilt of his weapon.

Some of the men, warriors for the most part, nodded in respect to Asol, and to him surprisingly. It might have been the fact he wore a weapon too, or that he had the body of a huntsman. Eventually Asol led him to a tent with the front pulled open and back. Several cushions had been arranged and Asol sat down on one, motioning for Jaune to take another. He did so, shifting his weight awkwardly and laying his sword down beside him, still within reach should he need it.

"You have the moon's own luck for surviving this far, Jaune of Arc. My own wife found you broken and half-drowned, washed up on the shore at least a hundred miles from any village." Asol paused to pour some sweet-smelling water into two goblets. He handed one to Jaune and sipped at his own. "My sweet brought you here and mended your body as best she could. It will make her heart sing to hear you have survived the day."

So, he'd washed up on the shore after all. There was his luck helping him out again, he supposed. Even more so that some passing people would pick him up. He'd definitely reached Vacuo, as if the desert didn't give that away. He'd never visited it himself, but he'd heard a few things from Sun, especially how many of the people who lived here still followed the old ways.

"Thank you, Asol. And your wife has my thanks as well. Is there any way I can repay you?"

"Good deeds in one life are rewarded with joy in the next," the man said, shaking his head. "My Inessa would be deeply offended if you tried to repay her. It is enough that you live."

"You're very generous people."

"It is the way of the desert, my friend. Those who do not band together do not survive long. Our warriors will guard the weak and the infirm through the night, and those who cannot fight will help produce goods to trade. In the light of the morning I shall pick up the spear with more and guard the caravans through the day."

"This is a trading tribe?"

"The Del'Ashari have been many things, but we are warriors first and foremost. We do not attack the weak, however. We guard villages and kill Grimm and are rewarded with trinkets that we trade in Vacuo and the Academy of Shade." He smirked and thumped a fist against his chest. "It is a good life for good people. We also pick up strangers like you and others who succumb to the desert and do our best to nurture them to life."

"Will you be going to Vacuo any time soon?" he asked. "I need to get there so I can reach the CCT Tower and contact some friends of mine. They'll be wondering where I am."

"I am afraid our path will not cross Vacuo for several weeks, and your journey sounds an urgent one."

"It is. I need to get back to Vale."

"I see in you the spirit of a warrior. Is this so?"

"I'm a huntsman." Though that was debatable. He'd spent more time fighting humans recently; they could be just as cruel as any monster.

"Hm." Asol nodded once and looked him up and down. "A huntsman is one who hunts for something. Tell me then, Jaune of Arc. What is it you hunt for?"

The question seemed innocent but felt like it was more. He paused to think on it, and the answer didn't take long to come. Images of his friends flashed before his eyes; Ruby, Ren, Nora, but also Pyrrha. "I'm looking for a better future. That's what I'm hunting."

"Good. Good!" Asol slapped a hand against his knee and laughed. "I like your answer, my friend. All too often I ask this of your kind and they say the Grimm. I point my spear out into the desert and say `well there they are` and the huntsman goes silent." He gestured with his spear as such. "This life is too short to hunt an early death, and there is no honour to be had in wasting a life against the Grimm. Dying in defence of family, loved ones, or those who cannot defend themselves – this is a good death! Do not rush to yours hunting that which hunts you. Live, instead." He laid a solid punch on Jaune's arm and smiled. "But you, my friend. You understand this. My heart sings."

The man's laughter was infectious and Jaune joined in with it, relaxing and drinking of the sweet and scented water, which had a faint hint of peach and orange to it. Port might have had something to say about Asol's wisdom, but he personally saw no wrong in it. He wasn't trying to eradicate all the Grimm on Remnant, though he would if he had the chance. It was better to focus on what was truly important, saving his friends, and to kill any Grimm who stood in his path.

"I have my path, Asol, and although it features the Grimm fairly heavily, I can promise you now that it's not my goal. I have friends in Vale, in Beacon, and they need my help." Of course, he had no idea how far back he'd been sent. It was possible he was only a few weeks, but also possible that he'd gone back a year or more. "Asol, do you have any news from Vale? Does Beacon still stand?"

"Does it stand? My friend, I do not know the answer, but I have not heard of it falling and such would send reverberations about the world. Alas, for we have been away from Vacuo for some time. It is possible my news is outdated."

That made sense, but it didn't ease his fears. "And what of Vacuo?" It had fallen in his time and been fallen for quite some time. "You said you went there a while back. How long ago was that? Is it still in one piece?"

"Vacuo?" Asol laughed. "My friend, the City of the Sands has stood for hundreds of years and will no doubt stand for many more. I walked its streets not a month back, and I know full well it remains still for I passed a tribe not two nights ago and they had come from the city."

Jaune's relief was palpable. His smile split his face. That was great news, no, it was wonderful news. If he'd gone back to when Vacuo still stood then that meant he was at least six months prior to their fateful mission. Heck, it meant he was back before they'd even secured the fourth relic. Far enough that he could still save Pyrrha, however? He didn't dare hope. Not yet. "That's good to hear, Asol. I still need to reach Beacon, though."

"The CCT stands proud in Vacuo. With that you would be able to reach your friends in Vale, and I am sure news travels quicker to the city. You will find the answers you seek there, or the means to find them."

"I understand. I'll need to make my way to Vacuo and find out. Would you be able to give me a map?"

"I will have one drawn for you. It will be done by the morrow. You will rest with us this night." The tribe leader made it an order, and when Jaune opened his mouth to complain, Asol cut him off. "I will hear no argument, my friend. Though your body has recovered you have not eaten. Do not belittle my Inessa so by taking the gift of life she has given you and dashing it into the sand."

The truth of the man's words became apparent when his stomach rumbled, reminding him that not only had he not eaten the day before, but that his last meal was ironically sometime in the future – weeks or months away, possibly. Either way, he wasn't in a state to be moving around, much less trekking to Vacuo. _I don't need to rush things so much,_ he thought. _I came back to change things, not to get myself killed being reckless._ That kind of thinking was what had gotten all his friends killed the first time through.

"You're right, Asol. I'd be honoured to stay the night."

The man's face lightened. He barked out some orders to those around the tent. Food was provided for them soon after, and for the rest of the tribe, many of whom sat on colourful carpets and chatted loudly between themselves as they ate. Despite being stuck in the middle of the desert the people of the Del'Ashari were vocal and optimistic, waving hands and punctuating laughter by slapping their palms against skin, sand, or pottery. The warmth from the fire was a welcome relief for all, as the desert had turned deathly cold in the dead of the night, and the thin fabrics he'd been afforded did little to ward it off.

The meat dish did more, thankfully. It was heavily spiced – almost too much so – but that only helped him feel fuller and he soon realised that was the point, for while the food was expertly cooked it was not generous in portion. It was amazing to think that even then they would share it with him, a complete stranger. There were many better off in Vale who would have turned their noses up at someone like him, especially with how ragged he looked.

It was as he finished his food and put the plate down that he noticed the blood that seeped from under Asol's sleeve and down his wrist. "You're wounded."

Asol followed his eyes and sighed. "Kyrie, your eyes are as sharp as an eagle's, my friend. To my shame it is so. One of our warriors, a new blood by the name of Hansus, joined the elder warriors last night. He was excited but inattentive, and I took a blow that would have slain him. The Beowolf's claws struck true." He peeled back his sleeve and revealed a bandage wrapped around what appeared to be a nasty gash. He pulled the bandage off and reached for more.

"Is it serious?" Jaune asked.

"The wound will heal. Worry not. I do not wish Hansus to know of it, however. Mistakes are common, especially among the newly blooded, and he celebrates his rite of honour tonight. To taint that with the knowledge of but a single lapse in judgment is not fair. I shall take him aside tomorrow and drill him hard, and through that he shall learn." Asol's laughter made it clear he held no grudge. "In time he will save my life and we shall call it even."

That was all well and good, but it wouldn't serve Asol now, and he had to man the guard tomorrow. If there was even a small way he could repay the tribesmen who had saved his life he had to take it. He reached out and took the man's hand. "May I look at it?"

"If it will comfort you, my friend."

"It won't me, but it might you." Jaune brought the arm close to his body and placed his fingers on either side of the wound to pinch it shut. His aura flickered, and he took hold of it, drawing it forth as he'd learned to and pushing it into the man sat before him.

He'd discovered his Semblance later in life than most, and only after Weiss nearly died before him. It had always pained him to wonder if Pyrrha couldn't have been saved as well, but Ruby had eventually cornered and convinced him otherwise. Pyrrha had fallen all but instantly, shot through the chest and then killed before her eyes – with no room for someone like him to heal her. Even had he been able to, Cinder would have just killed them both.

Here, however, when he was freshly rested, and it was but a simple cut? His aura flowed into the man before him, augmenting his own – what little of it the tribesman had. The man's eyes widened and did so even further as the wound began to seal.

"By the stars," Asol said, astounded as he held up his arm before his face and marvelled at the unblemished skin. "This is… you…"

"My Semblance," Jaune said.

"The stars have blessed you with such a gift, Jaune of Arc. No, Jaune of Arc and of the Del'Ashari. I name you brother here and now, and you shall ever have a place in our tribe." Asol gripped his hand before he could say otherwise and hoisted it high. He yelled out at the top of his lungs. "I name this man my brother, and Del'Ashari in all but blood. Let the stars and moon witness this."

Those around the fire stared for a moment, before they began to whoop happily. To his embarrassment some even began to sing strange songs he'd never heard of, and the atmosphere became more akin to a party. He'd never done well as the centre of attention and that was with his team as back up. Here, he could only sit there as his face went red and Asol continued to laugh.

"I-It's really nothing special," he said.

"My brother, your gift is one of the stars. You have given me back my strength and that may save a life on the morrow. You have also protected Hansus' dignity, whether he knows it or not." The humour faded from Asol's face, replaced with a contemplative frown. "How far does your gift go? Can it heal those who are mortally wounded?"

"I… well, it has in the past," he said. He was wary to say yes in case something went wrong, and there was no bigger fear in him than that he'd fail to heal someone and crush Asol's hope. His Semblance wasn't even healing, at least not really. It was just one of the benefits it provided. "I can't promise anything but if someone is wounded then I can give it a go."

Asol nodded and rose from his cushions, motioning for Jaune to follow. They left the tent, and the security of the fire and celebrating tribespeople. They made their ways instead around the back of the caravans, to one which was slightly larger than the others and was painted a pristine white.

"It is not someone of my tribe but a stranger such as yourself," Asol explained. "We found her several days ago in the ruins and her wounds were dire. They are still dire. My Inessa has done her best to ease the pain but that is all we can do. Though my light does not share it with me I feel her sorrow every night and know that this stranger has little time remaining." Asol's brown eyes bore a pain not his own. "I know you can make no promises and I would demand none of you, but if you can even help a little…"

Jaune nodded. "I'll do my best." He owed them that much, even if they'd feel offended to know it. Even if they hadn't he would have tried, but after all they'd done he owed them more than just an attempt.

Asol ascended the steps first and knocked three times on the wooden door before pushing in, and Jaune followed closely behind him. The interior was far more spartan than the other caravans, with four soft beds covered in white silk and one long surface, meticulously cleaned. A woman stood in the middle of the beds dressed in robes of purest white. Her hair was brown but had streaks of grey in it, and though she was old enough to have wrinkles, she was undeniably attractive. Before her, beneath a white sheet, a pale-faced woman fitfully slept.

"Inessa," Asol said, bowing to his wife. "It is not my intent to interfere, but your other patient has awakened at last."

"Yours is no interference, my shade." Inessa moved forward to cup her husband's cheeks. She kissed the air before him but did no more, and soon turned to face Jaune. "You are well, stranger. It does my heart good to see this with my own eyes."

"You have my thanks, madam," Jaune said, bowing as he'd seen the other tribespeople do. "I'll not forget your kindness."

"He is stranger no longer, my light. He is Jaune of Arc and the Del'Ashari. I have named him brother."

"Oh my," Inessa sighed. "Do not tell me you have become a young boy again and blooded yourself of Grimm in the desert? Is that why you are here, to seek healing for your own folly? My love or not I have half a mind to bid you suffer for your idiocy."

"You cut me, my light," Asol said, chuckling quietly. "But no, we are not here to burden you more but perhaps to lessen it." He brought forth his wrist and held it up before her. "My brother was gifted with the power to heal. He has proven this to me, and kindly offered to see if there is ought he can do for the wounded warrior-woman."

Inessa gasped. "Is this true?"

"It is," Jaune said, stepping forward. "I can't promise anything, but my Semblance _does_ allow me to heal." Among other things. "I can try to help her."

She couldn't have gotten out of his way any quicker, and all but threw Asol aside as she pushed him closer to the woman. "Please, yes, any aid that you can offer, brother of my love and life."

The injured woman on the bed didn't react to any of the noise and it was obvious she'd been unconscious since they found her. The skin about her face was pallid and sunken, the veins visible in places. She might have been beautiful, but it was impossible to tell for how sickly she looked. Her hair was dark, perhaps black, or a very dark brown judging by the colour on the tips. It was short enough to reach her shoulders. Beside her bed was an odd weapon, some kind of sword but obviously mecha-shift. She was a huntress.

"Where did you find her?" he asked.

"Asol was the one to find her. She was collapsed and abandoned in a ruin in the desert." Inessa drew back the blanket, revealing a similar tan outfit to what Jaune wore. The woman's body was bandaged in numerous places. "She had been attacked, and the injuries spoke of Grimm – but also those inflicted by humans. What kind of man or woman would strike down a sister as she fights the Grimm I do not know."

"One with no shame," Asol grunted. "Would that we could find these monsters and avenge her. My spear would like to speak with such people."

"Her infection I have healed," Inessa said, ignoring her husband. "Her ails I have tended and illness I have kept from her, but the wounds she bears are deep. It is not any one ailment which drags her to the ocean's depths, but a lack of strength."

Simply put, she was weak from blood loss, or just didn't have enough aura to survive. Jaune nodded and moved forward. His hands hesitated above the woman's body, and he whispered a silent apology as he touched her without her permission. One hand he placed on her stomach, where a large wound was, the other above her breasts, as close to her heart as he could. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

One couldn't really _sense_ aura, at least not in the traditional sense. That was why people needed their aura hooked up their scrolls, so that they could see when they were running low. It was the same with him when he was pushing his aura into other people; he couldn't tell how much or how little they had, but he'd learned how to gauge it, mostly from how it interacted with his. A healthy body filled with aura pushed back – not viciously – but more in the sense that the body was full of its own aura and didn't have the capacity for more. It was like trying to compress water.

There was none of that here. What little aura the woman had was fitful and weak, needy as it latched onto his and drew him in, desperately trying to use what was offered with no regard for where it came from. There was a giant void inside of her. It made sense, since her aura must have been drained in whatever fight she'd witnessed, and what little had recovered would have desperately tried to heal her wounds. It would never have been enough, however. Not with the damage she'd taken.

 _Luckily, I have aura to spare,_ he thought and he pushed more into her. How long ago had it been since Pyrrha told him he had an unusually large aura? It felt like a lifetime. In this world, it might only have been a week or two. Or maybe it wasn't going to happen for another week. Salem might have sent him back _before_ he joined Beacon, in which case he'd have to do it all again. His attention wavered, and he bit his lip, dispelling such thoughts and focusing on the task at hand.

The woman's eyes snapped open with a gasp. They were wild and black, the pupils dilated so much they practically swallowed all else. She lurched up – or tried to – but was too weak and fell back. Her hands grasped at his wrists, but they were weak, so weak. Her nails tickled his skin and she couldn't keep it up. Her hands fell of their own accord, but he caught one and cradled it firmly. It was clear she still believed herself in danger. The last thing she had seen was someone trying to kill her and she thought he was going to finish the job.

She wanted to live. Good. That desire to keep on fighting meant more than anything else. Even so, he couldn't have her fighting against him so he held her hands in his. "It's okay," he said, and her eyes searched frantically for him. It looked like she couldn't see, but he doubted she was blind. Just exhausted and winded after however many days unconscious. "Can you hear me?" he asked.

"Y-Yes…?" Her voice was timid, or just so brittle it sounded that way. "W-Where…" she faltered, unable to finish the rest.

"You're safe," he said. "I've got you."

"I can… I can feel your aura… it's… warm…" Her eyes became lidded, heavy, and she fell back with a contented sigh. He nodded and smiled gently down at her, hoping that if she could see him she'd understand his intentions.

"I'm using my Semblance to heal you," he explained, hoping the knowledge would calm her. "You're safe now. You can rest. I'll handle everything else."

"H-Heal…?"

"Yes. You're going to live. Sleep. You need your strength."

Sleep was the last thing she wanted, he could tell, but her body needed it and she couldn't fight against it no matter how hard she tried. Her eyelids became heavy and despite trying to blink them. "You promise?" she slurred, and it took him a second to realise what she meant.

"I promise you'll wake up again. You're past the worst of it now."

The woman nodded and slipped off less than five seconds later. This time, however, her chest rose and fell evenly, and her skin had regained some colour, even if it was still pale. He felt her aura push back against his and stepped back to admire his handiwork.

She would live. He was sure of it. A rush of fatigue struck him, but it was nothing compared to the elation. She was going to live because of him. It was a wonderful feeling, a heady feeling, and Qrow had warned him about it once, saying that although his Semblance could save lives he should never become addicted to the feeling lest he take pleasure in others being hurt. He'd taken that to heart and remembered it, but there was still a certain satisfaction at a job well done. Some people had Semblances that let them kill Grimm better. His had no such application but he loved it nonetheless.

"She should be fine now," he said, dusting his hands. "She'll need rest – maybe for a day or two – and she'll be hungry when she wakes up. I don't know all that much about healing, but her body will repair itself now. All you need to do is care for her when she wakes up." There was no answer from the two tribesmen. "Asol? Inessa?"

The two were staring at him.

"Incredible," Inessa whispered. "You are touched by the sun and moon."

"Did I not tell you, my love? He is the man I have named brother."

"It's nothing really," Jaune said, a little embarrassed with the sudden attention.

"Saving this woman's life is nothing, dear brother?" Inessa asked, now referring to him with the same title. "Do you feel so little for her survival? She has dreams, I am sure. Dreams she will now be allowed to pursue because of something you consider so little."

"N-No, it's not that. It's just… it doesn't feel like I deserve so much praise. You did more for her, not just helping her but in healing her, too. You're the one who looked after her and the one who actually knows how to heal. Me… this is just a Semblance. It's…"

"Cheating?" Asol guessed.

Jaune nodded glumly.

Inessa was less sympathetic. "Ah, young men and their egos, may the desert take them all! Why should it matter that your knowledge does not match my own? All that matters here is that this woman will survive. Do not question good fortune, for I am sure she will not."

"I… well…"

"Yours is a gift. I wish I could have it, yes, and perhaps you feel you do not _deserve_ it, but it is a gift that has been given and you would do the world good by using it. Do not cower behind what is deserved or not, young man. Such is for children!"

He felt a little heat creep up into his cheeks. It had been a while since he'd felt chastened so, and that was probably a sign of how long it was since he'd been around anyone even remotely similar to an authority figure. Ozpin hardly counted, not in Oscar's body, and Qrow was a drunk and a joker at best, a mean taskmaster and harsh mentor at worst.

She was right, though. Whether he deserved such a Semblance or not he had it and dwelling on that just made him seem egotistical. Semblances didn't have to make sense; they simply were. If Qrow had been around to hear those thoughts the man would have slapped him around the back of the head.

" _Stop dwelling on shit you can't change, kid. Just suck it up and move on."_

"You're right, Inessa," he said, bowing. "Thank you for your wisdom. Asol, is there anyone else who needs healing in the tribe? I know you said I don't need to pay you back but if I'm a part of your family then the whole tribe is mine as well, right?"

Asol's smile was like the sun rising. "There are some, my brother. Come, let us see how many others will claim you as their own this night."

It was quite a few, as it turned out. Few were as hurt as the woman from earlier and most of the injuries were small, inconsequential things. They might have slowed a warrior down in the night, however, and healing those might have saved lives in the future. The people of the Del'Ashari certainly thought so, for they lavished him with praise and thanks, and as Asol had suggested he ended up with many more brothers and sisters before the night was over.

"You are a man with a large family now, brother," Asol laughed. The bastard hadn't tried to stop anyone, and his laughter had only grown louder as the list grew. "I wish you could stay."

"That would be nice, but you know I can't."

"I do. I see in your eyes the look of a man yearning for more. I recognise it, but not as the wanderlust some of our young experience. It is the look of a man with people to protect." Asol smiled. "These people are precious to you, no?"

"They are. They mean the world to me."

"Then I will not grieve when you leave us. Come, eat, drink, and rest with Inessa and I. We shall tell tales, and perhaps you will tell me of these people who you cherish so. That way on long nights I shall think of you and know that you have found them. Perhaps one day you shall bring them here, and then I shall celebrate all the harder."

Pyrrha, Ren and Nora would have loved that, albeit for different reasons. Nora would have loved the tribe's energy and kindness, Ren their culture – and Pyrrha might simply have appreciated their honesty and the fact that none would judge her for ought but her actions. Team RWBY would come, too, he was sure.

"Maybe I will, Asol. Maybe I will."

Even though they'd said there would be no sorrow in the morning there inevitably was. Asol and he traded firm hugs, and Jaune was a little surprised himself at how easily he'd come to like the man. He wasn't normally so trusting. It was a combination of the warm atmosphere and his own hope, he felt. Back in the past and with the potential of saving everyone ahead of him, it was hard to feel down. Inessa gave him a hug too, and a kiss on both cheeks.

"You will take these maps," Asol said, pushing them into Jaune's hands. The tribe had already outfitted him as one of their own, in light and airy cloth that hung loose on his body. He had a turban wrapped about the top of his head as well, with a thin cloth that could be pulled up to cover the lower half of his face. For sandstorms, he'd been told.

All in all, he looked like a real desert-dweller now. He'd need it to reach Vacuo, especially considering the harsh extreme between burning day and freezing night. They'd also outfitted him with dried and cured food, along with two canteens of water, the most they could spare. Out of kindness they had even traded for his battered breastplate; the metal being too heavy to carry through the desert. He knew they'd given him a good deal on that, trading him spices that he could sell in any city. It was lighter than armour, anyway.

"Remember to follow the stars," Asol told him. "They will guide you to the city of sand and stone. We will travel on to Shade Academy, and if the stars wish it we will cross again one day. I will pray every night that it is so."

"Myself as well, Asol. I'm lucky to have met you and Inessa both."

"We as well. Go now, go and find those whose light shines in your eyes. I am sure you will find them, and if I have seen anything of the strength of your spirit, I know you will protect them."

It was as good a cue as any. With the tribespeople waving him on he turned to leave, sparing one last nod for Asol and Inessa as he did. The desert before him was vast and unforgiving; an ocean of sand whose waves crested up toward the horizon as far as the eye could see. With the pale blue sky above and the sun beating down on him it should have been a terrifying prospect.

Instead, he bathed in it – a truly honest smile slipping across his face. This was a world in which his friends still lived. It was a world where things hadn't gone to shit. Not yet. With all of that in mind, how could he do anything _but_ smile? Jaune's first step took him from the camp and into the desert.

"Next step, Vacuo."

/-/

The sun that beat down on Vacuo seared into both his eyes and mouth, leaving his throat parched and painfully dry. Pulling down the cloth drawn over his face he stared at the city before him and wondered if it were yet another heat-induced mirage. His breath caught as he fumbled for the water canteen and brought it up, drinking a little and splashing some across his face. The image held. It was real.

Jaune Arc let out a long sigh and pushed forwards with renewed vigour, "Finally."

Never let it be said that he wasn't a determined person. Pyrrha had recognised that first, bless her, and everyone else had come to realise it in time. When he put his mind to something, like getting into a school he had no right to be in, he'd find a way no matter what, and stick with it through thick and thin. Sometimes those methods weren't entirely honourable, such as when he forged his transcripts, but Qrow had once told him that just showed a different kind of thinking, a flexible kind.

It was the same here with his decision to contact Beacon. He had no idea how far back he'd been sent, after all. A few months before the fateful mission, or maybe even as far back as the start of the school year – there was simply no way to tell. Beacon was the first point of call, but he couldn't afford to rush into it unprepared.

Asol had said the CCT in Vacuo still stood. If the one in Vale didn't then the school would surely have been destroyed already, and that would be proof enough of the date. He could make his way to Mistral and catch his friends there. If the CCT _did_ stand, then it meant he was back before Pyrrha had fallen, in which case all bets were off. He was getting to Vale and he was stopping that tragedy.

But getting from the Del'Ashari to Vacuo?

Not easy, it turned out.

The Vacuan desert was a sight to behold; one best appreciated from the outskirts, preferably under an umbrella in a resort with a cool drink in the hand and a moment to say "Ah, I'm glad I don't have to walk across that!" Sadly, he'd gotten a first-hand experience. In the week's travel he'd undertaken it was all just a big mass of sand. There was sand beneath you, sand above, sand whipped into your face and sand in every possible crevice and crease in skin and clothing. For that he was thankful Asol had saw fit to better equip him for it all. He'd have almost certainly died if he wore his hoodie and armour.

But here he was, after a week or more on the road (or the sand). He'd finally reached Vacuo. He ran a finger over the light stubble that had grown across his chin, the bristles stiff and firm but still an annoying shade of pale yellow. Rough it might have been but rugged it was not and Ruby often laughed about how cute it looked, while Nora would rub her hands on it and coo at the prickly feeling against her palm. It wasn't exactly as much a winner with the ladies as Qrow's.

What they'd think of him now, not only with the beard but also clear signs of wear, tear and exhaustion, he didn't know. Maybe he'd ask them. He looked older than his twenty years. Salem had said he'd retain his self and such when he came back, which meant he'd be older than everyone else – an awkward but not uncomfortable situation. _At least I'm not thirty or more. I can still pass for seventeen if I clean up. It's not like anyone can tell the difference in three years._

Or was he twenty-one now? It was hard to remember sometimes. Birthdays had come and gone on their journey, with only a few celebrated by drinks and simple gifts when they had the chance. They rarely did. Kind words and hugs had become their own currency. He'd loved them nonetheless.

"I'll figure out how old I am when I reach Beacon," he mumbled, nodding to himself.

Such plans had kept his spirits up as he made the arduous journey, and against all odds they'd been enough. More than enough, even. He felt more alive than he had for months and even when sand Grimm had attacked, he'd smiled as he fought them back and claimed his prize at a chance to refill his canteen at an oasis. He was in the middle of the desert a thousand miles or more away from home and he couldn't stop smiling.

How could he when everyone was still alive?

"I've got to hold it together," he mumbled. His own voice had been his only company for a week now. "No good breaking down when I'm right here."

Two men stood on either side of a small gate beside the larger one, which was firmly shut. Pedestrians trailed in and out of the other entrance, however, and he joined the queue, waiting for someone to question him. No one did, and he was waved inside with the rest, asked for not so much as a single piece of identification.

 _I'd always heard Vacuo was lax, but this is a bit much,_ he thought. _Still, it works to my advantage._ He'd never been to Vacuo, but Sun had told him a few things about it on their trips together and that was enough to get a vague, if biased, idea. It looked like the faunus hadn't pulled any punches. Vacuo was a hot place with a lot of sand and little else, he'd said.

The gate led into a large courtyard with a fountain in the centre that lazily spat water into a pool that several young children crowded around, dashing it across their faces. People in loose robes and light clothing moved to and fro, some with parasols to cover themselves not from the rain but from the burning sun. Down one street he could see numerous stalls set up with richly coloured cloth overhanging their wares, and the crowds there were thick. Even from such a distance he could hear the hum of conversation, haggling, and arguing. It was a busy day with not a shred of horror or fear to be seen. That was another point in favour of Beacon still being in one piece and Jaune felt his excitement mount.

But before he could really find out, let alone book a flight there, he had to deal with the issue of lien. His resources were pretty meagre, and while Asol had been generous in spirit and food there hadn't been much lien, especially not to give to a stranger. He had his sword and shield-sheathe, but other than that only his scroll and a small amount of lien he'd had on him before his trip to the past.

He didn't have enough to book transport back to Vale, which meant he'd either have to walk, work for his money, or sneak his way on board.

The first two were out of the question, of course. He didn't have time to waste. Sneaking on might be difficult as well. "I guess I'll see if I can't sell something." He looked down to Crocea Mors and dismissed that idea. He did have the gifts from Asol, however, some of which were for the express purpose of trading, like the spices in his pouch. On top of that, he had his scroll.

 _Come to think of it this is a Beacon scroll,_ he thought, looking down at the thing. _If I show up with this, it'll tell Ozpin I was in Vacuo. Hell, it might even show I was in the Grimmlands._ That was a conversation he didn't need. In fact, since it had been sent back with him there was a chance it might contain messages that couldn't possibly have been sent, or ones dated from the future.

Plus, if he'd gone back to _before_ Beacon started, he'd only look suspicious for owning one. It would be better to wipe the whole thing and sell it. If anyone asked, he could just say it had broken or something. It paid to have a reputation, deserved or not, as a bit of a clutz.

"But first," he said, looking up to the distinctive tower that poked its way over the city. It was covered in aerials and antennae, many of which were rusted, but a bright green light flickered on and off atop it, signalling its use.

He'd best tell the others he was okay.

/-/

" _You have reached Beacon Academy, Vale. We regret to inform you that no one is available to take your call. The Academy will re-open and resume its regular hours on the eighth of-"_

The automated message was cut off as he ended the call. The screen he was using flickered back onto its ready mode, inviting him to type in a new number and also providing a list of other options like popular tourist locations and a taxi service. Two partitions on either side of his booth prevented others from seeing what he was doing, but the CCT was mostly empty and those people that were already there were deep in their own international calls. Cameras watched it all and a few guards loitered near the door, but no one was particularly on guard; not in the middle of the day.

Still, the call had revealed more than it might have seemed. Beacon was closed – but not destroyed, otherwise that was a little pedantic of Miss Goodwitch to leave such a recording. That meant he'd been sent back before the year started, probably before he'd even been accepted into Beacon.

He wasn't sure if that should have upset him or not, but it didn't. Sure, it meant a lot of the things they'd all been through together wouldn't have happened, but it also gave him more time to make a difference. He could always make new memories with his friends.

And best of all it meant Pyrrha was still alive.

The thought made his fingers tingle and his eyes itch. _Should I try and call them?_ His finger hovered over the dial. He could call Nora, Ren or Pyrrha – but they wouldn't know him. It might just confuse them, not to mention it might make Pyrrha think he was some kind of stalker. But it would let him see her face again, if only for a second. Every instinct in his body told him it was a bad idea, every single one. But he couldn't stop himself. He _needed_ to see her. He needed to make sure for himself that she was okay.

Hungrily, before he could think better of it, he dialled her number. His pace became quicker and more frantic as he did. He'd just make a call, see her, and then claim it was a wrong number. She'd never know the truth. She never had to. It was just so he knew; so that he could finally put it to rest and focus on the future.

" _The number you have called is not in operation."_

His throat caught. His heart skipped a beat.

"Wait, she's not at Beacon yet…"

An explosive sigh escaped him, followed by a relieved and slightly strained laugh. Gods, he'd been close to having a full-blown panic attack, and when the answer to the problem was so damn obvious. Pyrrha's number, the one he'd called, didn't exist yet. Pyrrha had thrown away her old scroll when she'd reached Beacon, as they all had. Since she didn't have her new scroll he didn't know her number and this one wouldn't work until the school year began. _I'm such an idiot,_ he thought, shaking his head.

He couldn't help it. He was too excited, too eager. He'd need to be careful about that since his getting on a team with Pyrrha depended on him _not_ coming across like he knew her. It would be hard, ridiculously hard, but he needed to find her, ignore her, and flirt with Weiss. After that he could open up and make her the friend she'd always been, but not before. He couldn't afford to mess up and lose her as a partner. Not over something so stupid.

 _That would be some serious irony,_ he thought. _Wanting to be on Pyrrha's team but messing it up because I ended up looking like the exact thing she wants to avoid._ The irony would only be thicker if it was Weiss who he got partnered with. He laughed at it, even as he made a mental note not to let it happen.

"I guess I'll just have to head to Vale and carry on from there," he said, pushing the metallic stool back. The earlier frustration he'd felt had vanished, replaced with joy at the knowledge that all his friends – all of them – were not only alive, but that he could go back through Beacon and spend time with each of them. "Maybe I won't need to trick my way in this time. That might make things easier. I'm not sure if Cardin blackmailing me is something I really want to repeat." It had helped him grow a pair and open up to Pyrrha but that was kind of a non-issue now. "Heh, maybe I can even return Pyrrha's feelings a little earlier this time."

There were so many opportunities open to him. Fixing the future was just one of those. Spending more time with all his friends was another.

The terminal reminded him he had credit left from the lien he'd entered but there was no one to call. His family lived in Ansel, far away from a CCT, so he let it be. Someone else could enjoy the windfall. His best bet was to sell his scroll, find an airship to Vale, then hunker down and apply to join Beacon when the term started. From there he could let things run on as normal but influence events away from the future that awaited them. Maybe Cinder could be stopped. Pyrrha would definitely be saved, at the very least, but if Beacon didn't fall then they'd have longer to prepare for Salem.

 _I'll figure out the specifics later,_ he thought. One step at a time and the first step was to reach Vale and get accepted into Beacon. The rest could be worked out from there.

/-/

"This model is so unique…" the man behind the counter stared at the device in something akin to awe. He was an overweight man dressed in bright colours, stripes of yellow and crimson. "I have never seen anything of the like before. Where did you say you bought this?"

"Vale," Jaune said, frowning just a little. The man's reaction was a little out of place, especially his awe. While he was used to people like this trying to trick you into a bad deal they normally did it by acting like the thing you were trying to sell _wasn't_ worth much.

"It must be a prototype model," the man replied, practically salivating. "Some of these features, and the design, ah, it is so lightweight! Vale, you say? Who gave you this?"

He couldn't say Ozpin or Beacon. "Someone I know."

"Your friend must have connections with all the right people. This is incredible. I'd expect something like this, well, not even the major manufacturers have released something so advanced."

"Well, he _did_ have a lot of connections." More than any one man ought to have had, but then there'd always been something other-worldly about Ozpin, even before he took over the body of a child and revealed himself as some kind of ancient spirit-parasite.

He'd always acted like a man who knew too much; someone who could figure out your every secret just by looking at you. It wouldn't have surprised him in the slightest if Ozpin had given them advanced scrolls. Maybe this was just a sign and the scrolls wouldn't officially be released for a few months, when Beacon started.

"Is it worth anything, then?" Jaune asked.

"Is it-? Young sir, this is worth _good_ money indeed. I may be able to reverse engineer this and steal the technology, bringing it to market before the original company can ever hope to!" The man cackled, and Jaune had a moment to wonder if this might be one of those time paradoxes the old movies had mention. If so it would only change the profit lines of a few companies, though.

"How much are you willing to offer for it?"

"How much do you want?"

Oh Gods, not this game. He knew it well enough from being asked to buy supplies for Ruby, Qrow, and the others on their journey. The shopkeeper would leave the bargaining in your hands, and you'd pretty much always mess up and state a figure too low. A year or two ago he might have started to sweat and given in but frugal funds and Qrow's incessant badgering had beaten that out of him.

"Well, I could always go and see the guy down the road…" he began.

"No, no, no! Do not be hasty!" The man caved instantly, waving one hand. The other clutched the scroll, as if prepared to give his life for it. "I am not a man who would see you cheated, I promise. I am a man of honour and integrity."

So said every merchant ever. "I'm not hearing a value…"

"Fifteen thousand lien!"

Jaune almost fainted then and there. Fifteen thousand? One of those scrolls cost – or would cost – maybe nine hundred in the shops, though even then most people bought it on some kind of package where they normally paid a little bit each month and a larger deposit. Fifteen thousand for _one_ was ridiculous. It was _far_ more than what he needed.

But he hadn't been crash-course trained by Qrow Branwen for nothing. "Twenty-thousand."

"Seventeen, and that is all the lien I have in Vacuo. I promise you this now."

"Deal." Jaune held out a hand.

To his shock, the man actually shook it.

"You will not regret this, and I shall not forget it," he said, lifting up a tray and began to stack out lien upon the table, all of it in hard cash. "One day you shall hear the name `Rashem` and remember that you helped him to greatness. Come to me then and I shall give you our greatest scroll!"

"Y-Yeah sure." He took the money, counted it out, and was again surprised to find it was right on the money. He doubted Rashem, if that was his name, would have any hope of manufacturing this before the original company in Vale did, but that wasn't really his business.

Hopefully the man wouldn't be in too much financial difficulty over this. _Sorry, Rashem, but the fate of all of Remnant is kind of running on me getting to Vale._

It took a few minutes for the lien to be collected. Jaune stashed it safely under his robes, then collected a little separate and put it on a pouch on the outside, aware of the vast amount of lien that had just exchanged hands and the all-too-interested expressions of those nearby. Some of the burlier men shifted a little, revealing the hilts of weapons.

Jaune met their stares head on, blue eyes hard as ice. They backed down. They'd find easier prey to hassle, or they might not, in which case they'd learn the errors of their ways. He wasn't the strongest huntsman around, not even close, but he could hold his own. More than anything he'd developed a strong tolerance for pain, almost inevitable when everyone you knew could – and regularly did – kick your ass in training. Some thugs used to dealing with harmless civilians wouldn't find him so easy.

The deal made, and the lien transferred Jaune stepped back into the crowds, mindful of those around him and all too aware of the one that followed behind. It was not Rashem and he honestly doubted the man had sent anyone after him. He didn't look like a crooked merchant. Honestly, he looked too excited about his purchase to care for the cost.

This felt too clumsy to be a proper shakedown. A good mugger could usually read and identify a mark and he surely wasn't one in his desert warrior robes and with a sword at his side. Anyone good enough not to care about those things wouldn't be sensed so easily.

That meant he was dealing with an amateur, or someone so confident as to not care for stealth. Even if it was an amateur, that wasn't necessarily a better thing. Good thieves would just try and rob you. Amateurish thieves might panic and stick a knife in your side. Pyrrha had warned them about that. Not thieves, specifically, but fighters who relied on random attacks and wild swings and how they could be just as dangerous as a professional opponent if you didn't take them seriously.

Right now, with his friends on the line, he wasn't willing to leave anything to chance. He ducked into an alleyway and followed it down to the next bend, ducking around the corner. The pitter-patter of feet followed, picking up pace so as to not lose him. Jaune waited until it was close, until it crested the corner itself, before he lashed out.

His fist struck nothing, soaring much higher above his aggressor than he'd expected. The person yelped in fright but took advantage of the moment to lunge in for the pouch on the outside of his robes.

It was huntsman speed alone that enabled him to recover and catch the thief by the wrist, dragging the thief back against him so he could catch them by the shoulder and spin them around. His aura protected him from the boot that was driven into his shin. Even if it hadn't, he doubted it would have done much. It was just a child. He'd been followed and mugged by someone who was probably seven or eight at most.

Jaune's paranoia slowly ebbed away, the adrenaline fading. He held the young boy out a little further from him, using his longer arms to prevent the boy's feet from reaching him. He was a faunus of some kind judging from the tail, and the hair was the same shade as his own. He was ragged and thin, wearing clothes that barely fit him. They were probably stolen or scavenged. He was no threat at all and probably wasn't observant enough to realise how dangerous robbing a huntsman was.

 _I really need to stop reacting to every little thing like it's a world-ending enemy. I'm going to stab someone at this rate._ Jaune sighed and shook his head. Instincts like these weren't going to let him settle into Beacon easily. He really needed to calm down.

"Let go!" the thief yelled, kicking his feet. "Let go! I stole it fair and square. It's mine now!"

But first he had to deal with this little thing. Jaune sighed and hoisted the figure up, so that they were eye to eye, if a little far apart – safety so that the little thing didn't plant a foot in his face. "I'm really not sure that's how theft works."

The thief stared at him with bright blue eyes. "Well why not? Just give me the lien and I'll go. That way we're both happy. I don't want to have to rough you up, old man."

"Old man?" Even before the time travel he'd hardly been old enough to be called a young adult, let alone elderly. He couldn't help but feel a little pity for the boy, though. He was thin and wiry in a way that didn't look entirely healthy. _So many Grimm around that some kids always end up orphaned. People try to help but what can you do? There's too much cruelty in the world._

He released the boy's wrist and letting him take a step back. He didn't run and in fact eyed Jaune's pouch again. It was obvious he was still looking for a chance to snatch it. Talk about tenacious.

"What would you do with the lien, anyway?"

The boy mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"I'd buy food," the boy repeated, embarrassed. "The orphanage doesn't always have enough and my friends are hungry." His eyes flashed, and he suddenly became defensive. "What's it to you, human? I have to eat too, you know. You don't know what it's like!"

He didn't. Through all the terrible things he'd been through, being homeless had never technically been one of them. Even when he was hungry with Ruby, Ren and Nora, it was a case of them all being hungry and sharing what they had. He might have lost everything, but he was all too aware that someone people never had anything to start with.

The boy was startled when Jaune unhooked the pouch and threw it at him. He was so shocked that it bounced off his little chest and fell to the floor with a clink. "There's a thousand lien in there," he said. "Try to make it last, and don't let anyone know you have it. Someone might try and take it off you."

"I-I don't need you to tell me that," the boy spluttered. He fell to his knees and picked up the pouch. He held it to his chest, obviously afraid the kind stranger might change his mind and demand it back. The pouch was bulging, and in the boy's tiny hands it only made it more obvious how skinny he was. "The big kids won't get it off me, old man. I need this too much. A-And maybe you're not too bad," he admitted. "For a human."

"Yeah, well, maybe you'll consider a different way of getting it in the future. You're not exactly cut out for being a pickpocket."

"What do you mean!?" The kid somehow managed to look offended, puffing his little chest out in a way that might have been intimidating if he was twice as tall and twice as wide. "I'm the best damn thief around!"

It was oddly familiar. Jaune's eyes narrowed but he shook his head against it. "A good thief wouldn't have been caught," he pointed out.

"Erk!"

Jaune smiled and shook his head. A thousand lien wasn't a big deal for him, not at the moment, and if it would help this young boy find a better life, or at least eat for a few months, then it was money well spent.

"What's your name?" Jaune asked.

"Who's asking?"

"Jaune," he said. "You might as well tell me yours. How else am I going to remember the `master thief` of Vacuo?" He went with flattery, knowing all too well the effect it had on him as a kid. True to form this one stood a little taller.

"Damn right, old man. I'm the greatest pickpocket in all of Vacuo." He slapped a fist against his chest and laughed. "You'll remember the day you were robbed by Sun Wukong!"

Jaune's breath caught. "W-What did you say your name was?"

The boy smiled toothily, and that smile was one he would have remembered any day. It was the smile of one of his closest friends. It was now on the face of someone who couldn't have been more than seven years of age.

"The name's Sun. Sun Wukong."

* * *

 **This was actually supposed to be TWO separate chapters cut in the middle at the point where Jaune leaves the tribe, but after looking back through it and reading both I became worried that the slow start would put some readers off. The only solution was to either cut out the desert tribe bit, but I liked that, or make it longer. So, I took two chapters and made them one. Don't expect this kind of length often. Average chapters will be 7k or so.**

 **On the chapter! We see a lot, really, and plenty of things happening and being hinted at, not to mention the big reveal at the end which should answer everyone's questions on when Jaune has come back to. I'm sure it'll lead to all the usual "Aw, but I wanted…" but I'll just ask everyone to read and see where it goes. The exact date, in so far as an exact date can be given, is ten years before Canon begins. Jaune is around 21 here, in this body, while his friends are 7 in most cases, 5 for Ruby. This is part of the reason why I wanted to make this into one chapter; because I felt like three chapters until you found out how far he'd gone back was a little too much. If it bothers anyone, and I don't see why it would, but you can always imagine a more obvious break in the middle. It's easy to see where it would be, too.**

 **And, you know, I shouldn't have to even say this but considering the reviews to last chapter NO, this won't have an adult paired with a child. I hope that's pretty damn obvious. If not, here's a spoiler for you to save the hassle.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 7th April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notice: Why is this being updated today, out of schedule?**

 **My sister has been knocked off a horse and the ambulance is on the way. She is in a BAD way and I need to go to hospital with her. I've done what I can for her, but I think her left leg is broken, and I'm fairly certain there is some damage to the pelvis as well. There isn't going to be an "In the Kingdom's Service" chapter today as a result.**

 **Since I feel terrible about that, and because I had something else written in advance, as sort of commiseration and a tacit apology, I'll update ANOTHER of my fics today instead. This is only because I had the chapter pre-written and want to throw it out as something of a "Sorry guys, here, have this instead" sort of thing.**

 **This chapter was pre-written but hasn't been "gone over" as professionally as I normally would. It may feel a little raw as a result. I'll still update this fic at the normal time next Saturday. This is a freebie because I'll feel terrible if nothing is updated.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

"You sure this is okay?" Sun asked, already having started to stuff food into his mouth. Politeness didn't matter as much as hunger apparently did, and Sun was forcing the food in like it might be taken away at any moment.

"It's fine. Eat."

The boy did just that, not even questioning why a stranger had brought him to a little café and ordered food for him. To be fair Sun probably knew it was a bad idea; he just didn't have much of a choice. Risks were taken when it came to finding something to eat and a chance like this didn't come around all that often.

Luckily for him, Jaune was too shell-shocked to do anything, even if he'd had the inclination. Instead he poked at his own food, some spicy meat and veg, and stared at the little boy opposite him. It _was_ Sun. It had to be. The similarities were too close, even before the name, and any doubt he might have been harbouring evaporated whenever Sun smiled.

The implications of what that meant, though… they were too much.

"How old are you?" Jaune asked.

"Seven," Sun answered, spitting a little food out. "I think." He swallowed. "Dunno, mister. No one counts that when you're an orphan. Tallin – that's my big bro, or a big kid that looks after us - says I'm six to eight." He paused. "Why?"

"No reason. Keep eating."

Sun eyed Jaune's dish. He'd already finished his own. "Can I…?"

Jaune pushed it over. His appetite had died long before.

"Thanks, mister!"

Six to eight years old, or seven – near enough. That meant he really had gone back before Beacon started, but much further back than he'd expected… or hoped. _Damn you, Salem. You did this on purpose!_ She'd known he wouldn't be able to change Ozpin's mind in time to make a difference, so she'd thrown him back into the past to give him more time. Of course, she hadn't _told_ him that.

But he'd known better than to trust Salem anyway, hadn't he?

 _What am I supposed to do now? I can't join my team – they'll be little kids._ His face twisted at the thought of it, realising that he wouldn't even be able to go and see them. Pyrrha would be alive, but she'd also be seven years old. What kind of twenty-year-old man could go near someone like that? He'd be arrested and thrown in prison, especially if he lost control and tried to hug her.

His breath came out in sharp pants. His body was shaking. It took a monumental amount of self-control to make it stop; to lessen his panic to nothing more than a dull look in his eyes. All those plans he'd made, not only on how to help the future but what he'd do with his friends. They were in tatters now. They'd never happen.

It was almost enough to make him weep. Or scream in anger. He wasn't sure which. A hand tugged on his sleeve before he could, and he found himself looking down into a pudgy face with blue eyes. Sun's face, though dirty and now flecked with food, was etched with concern.

"Is something wrong, mister?"

Jaune stared at his old friend. The last time he'd seen him the boy had been a man – and dead. More than that though, Sun had been a good person, mature and funny in equal measure, but with a genuine care for those he considered friends. He'd been good to Blake. He'd been good _for_ Blake. It was jarring to see him as an emaciated and starved orphan stealing from people in the streets of Vacuo. Even if he'd always wondered why someone from Vacuo hadn't studied there.

"Nothing's wrong," he said, slipping into the lie as easily as one might a pair of shoes. "You said you're an orphan."

"Yeah – but it's not so bad, you know."

"Not so bad that you had to resort to stealing?"

"It's not just for me," Sun grumbled. "I've friends who would go hungry. This is for them, too. I'm gonna be a big kid soon and I need to look after them. Sometimes that means getting money for food." His face fell a fraction, but he quickly recovered. "Some of the other big kids used to do it so I could eat. It's just returning the favour."

A crazy idea flickered into Jaune's head. He could take Sun with him. He could spare Sun a life trapped in an orphanage. It would be a good way to repay his friend. The idea lingered, festered, but was eventually dismissed. It wouldn't work out. Even ignoring the fact he had no identification – especially not if he'd gone back, what, ten years before Beacon? No ID and no name of his own, let alone the means or experience required to support a young child. It would be as good as a kidnapping, and that would come back to haunt him.

And besides, Sun would be fine, wouldn't he? The future had as good as proven that. It wasn't like he'd be leaving the boy to an uncertain fate.

"What do you want to do when you're older?" Jaune asked, curious.

"Eh?" Sun looked confused. "I dunno."

"Ever thought of being a huntsman?"

"No." Sun blinked. "Is that what you are, mister?"

"It is. I'm from Vale. Do you know where that is?"

"It's next to Vacuo," Sun said, with the self-assured tone only a child could manage when suggesting a thousand or more miles of deadly desert and Grimm-infested forest could be classed as being `next to` somewhere.

"It is. I have to go back there soon. There are… there are people who are waiting for me."

"Family?" Sun asked.

Jaune's throat caught. "No." Not anymore. His family wouldn't recognise him, even though they were alive once more. _It's for the best,_ he told himself. _They're still alive. All of them are. Even if I've gone back too far to see them, to be with them, I've still gone back. I can still change things._ His eyes hardened, and he took a deep breath.

The game may have changed but the rules were still the same. He'd fix the future and save them. He'd just have to do it knowing he couldn't be a part of that future.

"I have friends in Vale," he said, recovering from the awkward silence. "It's a huntsman's job to protect people and I need to look after them. They're not strong enough to look after themselves right now."

Sun looked shocked. His eyes, wide and blue, trailed up and down Jaune's figure. "T-That's pretty cool," he admitted. "You're pretty cool for an old guy."

"I'm twenty-one at most," Jaune griped.

"That's so old!"

Ugh, kids. Jaune swiped out without thinking and Sun recoiled, only to go still as instead of a stern cuff around the head it was a napkin being brushed against his mouth, wiping off the debris of the little faunus' assault on the food. "Next time make sure the food goes _in_ your mouth, not around it. I didn't give you that lien for you to wear food as make up."

"Y-Yeah." Sun looked down. His legs kicked under the table. "I get it. You're going to Vale, then?"

That was a good question. He wasn't sure. The plan had been to reach Vale so he could see what state Beacon was in, and then decide how to get into his team like he had before. That wasn't an option now, at least not in Team JNPR. Did he go ahead with it anyway and join Beacon under a different team?

There wasn't much point. Even if he hadn't technically graduated he felt like he'd reached a level for it. All that training with Qrow and Ozpin hadn't been for nothing, and Qrow always did say real combat experience trumped anything they'd learn in a classroom. Would spending four years at Beacon really do any good?

 _If I joined now and graduated in four years, Pyrrha and the others would be eleven. Ruby would be nine. That would still give me plenty of time to make changes, but what benefit would I get? I'd be closer to Ozpin._ Jaune glanced down at his hand, still covered. It bore Salem's mark. _Being close to Ozpin might not necessarily be a good thing, though._

It might make him allies in the form of new teammates, and that could be valuable. But who was to say he couldn't make just as many on his own? He was strong enough to be a huntsman and confident enough to hold his own in a fight against the Grimm. There were better allies to be made. Maybe even some he knew of from the future. Qrow and Ironwood were two such examples, though it would depend on how much Ozpin had already converted them to his thinking. Either way, Beacon was out. There just wasn't anything he needed there.

But Vale was still the epicentre of everything important. There was more to Vale than Beacon, and he wanted to be close by when his friends _did_ start. _Even if I'm thirty when that happens, I'll still be able to help them. It's no different from what Qrow did for us._

"I'll be making the journey there soon," he said to Sun. "Very soon. Probably today. I hear it's a long trip."

"You're going through the desert!?"

"Isn't that the only way?" Jaune asked. "I know there are a lot of Grimm around, but I can hold my own. Don't worry about that."

"It's not that," Sun said, shaking his little head. "It's just that most people use the ships."

"Airships?"

"No, the actual ships. No one tries to travel east anymore, not with the Grimm. You take a ship west to Mistral and cross over it, and then take another straight to Vale." The faunus grinned. "No walking and no fighting Grimm. It's safer that way."

West and west? He hadn't considered it. Mistral was fairly well-connected however, so it wouldn't be too hard to travel across it. Easier than the Vale desert at any rate. There would be settlements and other villages along the way to stop and supply at. "Alright, I guess I'm going to Mistral first." He eyed Sun once more. He couldn't take him with him for fear of changing the future and losing Blake later down the line, but there was nothing to say he couldn't help out. "Tell you what; if you help find me a ship going to Mistral I'll give you some more lien. What do you say?"

Sun's smile split his face in two.

/-/

The little faunus proved as good as his word, finding a ship within an hour – dragging Jaune down various alleyways to talk with shady characters he'd have never found on his own. Most looked at him with cunning and mistrustful smiles, but all became co-operative once the glint of lien caught their attention. To be fair, Sun was the only reason they entertained him that far. It hadn't taken him much longer to buy a favour owed by a ship owner to someone who might have been a smuggler once but had now retired. The favour had won a gruff grunt from the ship's captain, who had told him he'd best bring his own food if he didn't want to starve.

A little more lien had changed his mind, and he was soon welcomed onto the crew with open arms. On the other hand, he now understood why the man from before had been so willing to buy his scroll off him. The device was almost thirteen years ahead of release.

There was probably a warning about changing the future hidden there, but he couldn't bring himself to be too bothered. He needed the money. It was going towards saving the world, after all. Well, except for a little bit that was just going toward saving a young man in the making.

"Here," he said, handing over another thousand lien. Sun took it with wide eyes.

"So much? Y-You're sure, mister?" He instantly thought better of the question and stuffed it down his pants. "Too late now! You can't have it back."

He froze when Jaune's hand ruffled his wild hair.

"It's yours, Sun. Use it to look after yourself and your friends."

"Okay…" Sun went oddly quiet. "You'll be leaving. Won't you?"

"I will. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Sun glowered and looked down at his feet. They were bare, Jaune noticed. Maybe the little guy would use some of that money to buy some shoes. He hoped so. He smiled as a thought occurred to him a second later. He didn't have to hope. He knew how Sun would turn out. With that in mind he knelt down and took the boy by the shoulders.

"You'll be okay, Sun. You're going to be a strong huntsman, I can tell. You'll be funny, loyal and brave, and one day you'll meet a girl who will become the most special person in the world to you. She'll be a flighty and stubborn thing, but she'll open up to you in time."

Sun stared at him with wide eyes. "I will…?"

"Yes. You'll have to be patient with her, but she'll be worth it, believe me." Sun had told him as such in one drinking session. Right before Blake overheard and smacked the faunus over the head with her book. She'd been bright red. The memory made him smile, but also feel a little sad that he wouldn't be able to experience that moment again.

Well, that was the thing about memories, wasn't it? Most people didn't get to go through them twice. He'd just have to hold on to the ones that were dear to him.

"How do you know, mister?" Sun asked. "Are you a wizard?"

"Ha, not me. I can just tell. Don't tell anyone, but I can see the future. How do you think I knew you were going to pickpocket me?"

Seventeen-year-old Sun wouldn't have fallen for it, even if it was the truth. Seven-year-old Sun was naïve and trusting, even as an orphan. "Ha! I knew it! I knew there was no way you could have caught me. A good thief _never_ gets caught." The boy's sorrow at seeing the kind old guy go faded and he hopped in place, clearly excited. "Hey mister. What happens to me in the end?"

 _Sun lay slumped over Blake's body, face hidden against her still form. Neither of them moved. Neither of them drew breath. Their weapons lay shattered nearby._

"Mister?" Sun asked, suddenly nervous. "Is it bad…?"

"You live a good life," Jaune said, forcing the words out. "You and the woman you love live happily ever after."

Jaune stood with a final pat on Sun's head and turned towards the ship. He mounted it without a word and stood at the prow, staring out over the ocean towards Mistral, and beyond it, Vale. Sun would get his happy ending this time around.

He'd make sure of it.

/-/

Sun watched as the ship pulled away, taking with it the strange man that had entered and left his life so suddenly. It still felt like a dream, especially the suddenness. Or maybe it was the look in the man's eyes; like he was about to cry, or that maybe he'd seen something that had broken him, and yet something else had given him hope.

The thoughts were too complicated for a seven-year-old to fully grasp. He looked down at the lien instead. It would feed him and his friends for a year or two, and there would even be more left over for him to spend on something of his own.

"A huntsman…" Sun whispered, clenching and unclenching his fist. He'd never considered it before. He stared at his palm a little longer, before a wide grin started to appear. "That sounds pretty cool."

And when he became a huntsman he could travel the world. Maybe he'd even find that girl the old man talked about. Heck, why not find the old man himself and show him how strong he'd gotten when he was older? It would be fun to see his face and show him his lien hadn't been thrown away on some random street urchin.

And luckily, he knew just where to find the guy.

"Vale, huh? I'll have to check that place out when I'm big."

/-/

The journey by ship took a number of days. It shouldn't have bothered him since he effectively had ten years, but it did. He hated to be stuck in one place for so long, especially when there was nothing to do. His motion sickness had been cured years ago, if he'd ever really had it. In the end it had been Ren who pointed out it was likely more nausea caused by nerves and fear. He'd been terrified on his approach to Beacon the first time, after all.

He spent the time on the ship doing the only thing he could, training. The sailors had been a little surprised to see a huntsman fighting topless on the deck each morning, and the Captain had been later put out when some of the men stopped working to watch the spectacle. Eventually they'd all gotten used to it however, and by the third day no one batted an eyelid as he ran up and down the deck, did push-ups, or even helped the sailors pull the rigging and operate the sails, all to build up what muscle he had.

It wasn't that hard, thankfully. Salem had done well when she made the body for him – and she'd said she had constructed it for him with the Relic of Creation, which meant it wasn't even _his_ body to begin with. Maybe that had been another reason for her mark; so that she could know him inside and out. There were plenty of aspects about his physical form Salem _didn't_ know, after all. Things like what lay beneath his clothing. That was all perfectly normal, though. No nasty surprises hiding in his underpants.

Still, the main point was that he'd been sent back, and that entailed him being sent back in his body – or into a body that was identical to his in the future. Either way, he didn't have to relearn anything or grow strong from childhood like he might have had Salem actually reversed time. There was a distinction there and it was probably a strong one. Sending him back was magic that only had to affect him, while reversing time would have required power capable of taking hold of _every living creature on Remnant_ and sending them back.

It was all semantic really. The main point was that he was still strong – and any extra training would just add to that. There was no having to relearn the sword, although there was a consideration for learning something new altogether. As Qrow often said, it was nice to have a few tricks up your sleeves.

The time on the ship also gave him time to plan, and it was that which really tested him. He'd gone back ten years before Beacon, which was about thirteen years from when the battle against Salem had occurred. He was twenty now, or close enough, but his friends were all seven. Changing the future was still a given; it was going to happen if he had anything to say about it. But _how far_ to change the future was a bigger problem. So far he didn't think he'd made any drastic changes and that was probably for the best.

 _If I'd brought Sun with me then he wouldn't go to Vale and he might not have met Blake. That doesn't sound bad at first, but it's only because of him that Blake survives against Roman – and later on in Menagerie._ One small act of kindness from him could have doomed Blake to die, and Team RWBY to shatter in their grief.

Of course, that was unless he took out Roman early – something he could easily do in ten years' time. The thief was slippery, but he'd be young and inexperienced now, and sooner or later Jaune would find him. It might take a year or two, but hey, he had time. It was definitely an option. But, again, it came with complications.

Take out Roman and Cinder would have someone else steal the Paladin and do her dirty work for her, and it wasn't like he could erase _all_ criminality in Vale. Someone would step up into the power vacuum Roman left behind. Killing Cinder would have been the easiest choice, but Cinder Fall was an obviously fake name, and it wasn't like he'd ever had any idea where she came from. He couldn't storm Salem's tower because, obviously, the Salem of this time would kill him with ease. Also, if he killed Roman then Ruby wouldn't get into Beacon.

Was it better to let Roman live so that he'd know exactly who he had to deal with later? It felt like a cop out but better the enemy you knew, and the scenario. The main job should be ending Cinder, and if he knew _exactly_ who Cinder was going to deal with in Vale, then that would be a lot easier.

 _I've got time,_ he told himself, sighing. No decisions had to be made yet and there was nothing to say he couldn't meddle a little. Maybe Roman was best left to his own devices, but that left plenty of other options. He could dip his own fingers into the criminal underworld if he wanted to. It wouldn't hurt to have some friends who could keep an eye on Roman.

Or to become Roman's ally himself… The man wasn't exactly loyal to Cinder's doctrine; he'd just been looking out for his own skin. _Could I make a more attractive offer than Cinder? Do I need to? If I just make a worse threat, he might fold to save himself._

And what about the White Fang? He might be in a position to stop it going violent – but what if in doing so he prevented Blake from ever attending Beacon? He might doom the world in that case.

"Ugh, this is complicated." Jaune gripped his head in one hand and sighed again. As a mental exercise thinking over everything in life you could change was a bottomless pit, but actually living it and knowing those changes might shape the fate of the world was a little more daunting. "I'll leave Roman for now. I can deal with him right up until the last minute if I have to. Roman, Cinder and the White Fang are just small fry, though. Saving Beacon is important but that's a decade away."

Salem and Ozpin were the real Goliaths to deal with. One had to be killed; the other had to be… dealt with, somehow. Not murder or at least he certainly hoped not. Ozpin was a bastard but he was, technically, on their side.

But could he change Ozpin's mind? The man was ancient; quite possibly thousands of years old. There was no way he'd listen to the words of a stranger in the same way Jaune wouldn't listen if anyone told him the right thing to do was work with Salem.

 _Ozpin wants to kill Salem and anything that leads to that is good. Even if I told him I came from the future he'd just try and make it happen the same way. He could even kill me if he thought I was an obstacle._ He did have Salem's mark, after all. Ozpin wouldn't even stop to ask questions before he pulled out his mumbo-jumbo magic.

That was something he should probably look into as well. Ozpin was a wizard of some kind, and the one responsible for giving Qrow and Raven the ability to turn into birds. He'd also created the maidens, both as some kind of anti-Grimm force, but also keys to the locks that hid the Relics from Salem. How far did that kind of power go? Why hadn't he used it against Salem? What the hell was Magic, anyway? Could anyone become a wizard?

Too many questions, and he'd made most of his mistakes in life by being afraid to ask questions. This time would be different, and he had ten years or more to prepare. "I can't ask Ozpin but there has to be some way of finding out about him, either through old legends or more fairy tales. I can't just ignore the fact he's a wizard. That would be ridiculous."

In the end he had to focus on the immediate problems first, and then he could deal with the big ones. The first issue was his identity, since he obviously couldn't be Jaune Arc in this lifetime. There was probably another Jaune Arc out there. Luckily Crocea Mors was different enough now to be unrecognisable - a sign of Pyrrha's sacrifice - but that wasn't the only issue. He needed an identity creating, and he needed a means of earning money. Money for food, living and all the other things that made Remnant turn.

Being a huntsman would be the easiest way of achieving that and since he wanted to influence things later down the line that involved huntsmen and huntresses, it would work in his favour. You didn't actually have to attend an academy to become a huntsman, however. It was just the usual way it was done. You could become one officially by proving yourself capable, usually in the form of tests and a display of your skill.

"That'll require an ID though. No one's going to accept me if I don't have one. I'll need to find someone capable of crafting a good fake." Vale was the obvious choice, either through Junior – if he was even in the business at this point – or someone else. He at least knew Vale well enough to find the criminal underground there.

Once the ID was taken care of he'd need to visit an Academy for the tests and impress a headmaster to become a huntsman officially. Beacon was out of the question for the obvious issue of Ozpin, as was Haven because Lionheart would still be there. He had no idea where Shade was, and he'd just come from Vacuo so that would be a pain. That left Atlas as the obvious choice and, if he was lucky, Ironwood might still be the headmaster there. Or maybe `already be the headmaster` might be the right way to phrase it. At least Ironwood could be trusted to not give anything away to the wrong side, even if he was close to Ozpin.

And if he could win Ironwood's trust, perhaps before even Ozpin did? Well, that would be a thing. Jaune's smile, stressed for so long, took on a more confident edge. Ren had once said he was always strongest when he had a plan, and now that he did he felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

"Okay, reach Vale, get a fake ID and then go to Atlas to become a huntsman," he decided. Focus on the short-term now, and then decide what to do in the long run later. Investigating Ozpin, wizards, Salem and how he could make his own allies could wait. He had to survive in this time first. "And whatever happens, I can't afford to change anything _too_ drastic. Not until I've got a better idea of what's going to happen."

Luckily, he hadn't done much other than toss Sun some lien.

/-/

Bright light and fear shot through her, waking her instantly. Gasping for breath and fighting past the hands that tried to hold her down, she tried to scream, only to find her throat hoarse and her voice weak.

"Calm down. Calm down," a voice urged. "Please calm down. You are having a nightmare. All is well. You are safe, young lady."

The words were alien, the speaker unfamiliar. The bright haze before her eyes began to dim, however, and as it did she began to realise that she was not in immediate danger at all. It was not the sun that burned down on her but a bright dust-powered light. Her breath came out in harsh pants, but she allowed herself to be pushed down onto a soft mattress. "T-The Grimm," she croaked. "I… attack…"

"I know, my dear. You need to remain calm. You're in Shade Academy, receiving the best treatment in all of Vacuo." The motherly woman's voice was firm. "There is no need for fear or struggle here. If you'll stay calm, I'll answer your questions as best I can. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Thank you." As her eyes adjusted to the light she realised there was a nurse at her side, grasping one of her hands between two of hers. The woman was elderly at best, her skin wrinkled, but her smile was caring and soft.

"You're going to be okay, little lass. Your wounds are healing, and you are going to be fine." The woman spoke the words slowly, making sure she understood. "Your body just needs time to recover. Nothing bad is going to happen to you here."

The relief was crushing, painfully so. A broken sob escaped her, followed by more tears that fought past her control to seep from her eyes. She'd been so sure she was going to die. She'd… the wounds she'd taken… and there had been so many Grimm. So many. How had she even survived?

" _You're safe,"_ a warm and gentle voice whispered into her mind _. "I've got you."_

Y-Yes, there had been the man, hadn't there? Her memory was jumbled and faded but his face was one she felt she could remember, even if she'd been so certain at the time it was some creature from the next life. She could remember his eyes, blue like the ocean.

" _You're safe now. Rest."_

The fight left her at that. She slumped back, relaxing at last, and that gave her a moment to take in the world around her, revealing that she was on a bed that was impossibly soft, with white linen drawn up to her breasts. Her clothes were missing, replaced with a pale green medical gown. There was also an IV stuck into her left arm, but she forced her eyes not to dwell on that.

"W-Where am I?"

"Shade Academy, Vacuo."

Oh, yes. She'd said that before. Her head was fuzzy, and she tried to bring a hand up to cup it, only for the woman to gently take it and push it back down again.

"Try not to move, dearie. You were brought here by a small tribe that travels the desert. You owe them your lives, though they asked us not to tell you their names. Apparently, their culture believes true charity should never be rewarded, and as such they would not give you the chance of feeling you owed them." The woman smiled. "Such a beautiful notion, especially in today's world."

"H-Healed me," she breathed. "One… healed… me…"

"They must have cared for you, yes," the woman agreed, missing the point. "Your body had evidence of so many wounds, all thankfully closed. You must have an incredibly strong aura."

No, she didn't. It was okay but that was all. But that man – the one with the ocean eyes. She could remember feeling his aura suffusing her, strengthening her. The memory was blurred still, little more than snippets of words and images. One thing she could remember was the beauty of it, though. The feeling of his soul meshing with hers, if only for a moment.

He'd told her she would be safe. She would never have trusted a stranger with that normally, but for that moment – for one second – it felt like they'd been one. She'd known with all her heart and soul that she could trust him. He only wanted to help her.

"We found your details on your person and contacted your home kingdom," the nurse matron said. "I spoke to Ozpin myself, and he was truly relieved to hear of your survival. He told me to assure you he has spoken to your family directly. They know you're okay."

This time the tears came, great big fat ones that fell from her eyes to run down her cheeks. Her family. She had, at the end, given up hope of ever seeing them again. She'd said her goodbyes inside, knowing they'd never hear them again. To know that wasn't the case wasn't just a relief, it was a feeling that left her a sobbing mess.

"Shush now. There, there," the matron said kindly, dabbing at her cheeks and laying one warm hand against her face. "Everything is going to work out now. You need to rest but you'll be free to leave before the week is out. I'll see about having someone come to write a message for you. It will be delivered to your loved ones."

The smile that came over her face was watery. "T-Thank you. I… I don't know what I'm crying. I'm just so relieved… I thought… I thought I was going to-"

"Not now." The woman silenced her with a finger. "You are safe now, my dear. There is no fear or worry here. All of Shade stands guard. Now, I just need to run through a few quick tests to make sure there is no lasting damage or complications. Can you tell me your name?"

"Summer Rose."

/-/

"You want to take an airship to the west coast?" The man at the gates of Mistral rubbed his chin. "Those don't fly often and not for one man. You might wait until next week; I hear an SDC one will be making the journey. Not sure they'd take you on board, but money speaks."

"A week?" Jaune's face fell. It wasn't much in the face of ten years, but the inaction would frustrate him, and even staying in Mistral without an ID to his name would be risky. "How long is the journey on foot?"

"Four days, maybe five. Depends on your pace. It's dangerous, though."

"I think I'll be alright."

"You're a huntsman, I take it. Aye, it might be okay for you and there are plenty of villages on the way to stop off at. Just don't be sleeping out alone if you can help it. The world doesn't need its huntsmen dropping off in their sleep."

Jaune nodded and laughed along with them as he made his way out of the gates and to the west. The decision to not even spend a day in Mistral hadn't just been motivated by his lack of an ID, but also the inaction he'd been forced into on the ship. There wasn't much he could do here, knowing he couldn't convince Lionheart to side with him, or kill him for fear of landing himself in jail. He didn't even really know if the man had turned traitor yet.

In the end he'd stopped long enough to buy a pack full of food and supplies, along with some maps of Mistral, a compass and a heavy coat more suited to Mistral – the flowing Del'Ashari robes not exactly faring as well in rain and forest as they did in sandy desert.

A couple of days walking wasn't what he'd expected on coming back to the past, but it was nothing new, and considering this was Mistral – where he, Ruby, Ren and Nora had trekked years ago – it was almost familiar. Less damaged, of course, and he meant that in a good way. There were signs of human life and habitation, along with the occasional traveller he passed on the way. Most kept to themselves though each spared a nod at the sight of another person. There had been a faunus who snorted angrily at him, but little else.

As the hours passed by he found himself falling into an easy routine, and the paths he walked were, for the most part, fairly well trod and free of Grimm. As the sun began to descent in the sky, heralding the arrival of the evening, he paused to draw out and consult his map.

"I could have sworn there was a village somewhere around here," he mumbled, using the dwindling light to check the details. He already regretted not buying a scroll in Mistral, or at least a torch. "Hm. It shouldn't be that far away and there should be a place I can stay." Most villages and towns, frontier or not, had inns for travellers. Space was in abundance outside of the cities and was often one of the few commodities these people had.

If he was lucky he might even get a stiff drink and a cooked meal. The memory of sailor's biscuits and street snacks in Mistral gave him strength, and the allure of a steak, stew or some other meaty dish driving him forwards. Qrow was the one for alcohol in their little group and while he'd tried some he'd never really gotten a taste for it. That said, right now he wouldn't say no to anything to take the edge off. Maybe that was why Qrow had loved it so, not for its taste but rather what relief it offered a tired and broken man.

Some twigs crackled to his left, off the main path. Jaune paused almost immediately. So close to civilisation Grimm shouldn't appear but there were more threats for lonely travellers. His hand shifted to the hilt of his sword, prepared for what might come.

It wasn't long in the coming. The Beowolf roared as it charged from the underbrush, red eyes glinting. Its fury was unmatched, all snarling teeth and a wide, open jaw. With the element of surprise on its side it swiped down at him from above, seeking to cut him in two. Its claws caught on the top of his shield instead, on the cross guard of Crocea Mors itself.

"Just the one?" Jaune asked easily. The Beowolf growled its confusion but he punched his shield into its face before it could do anything. Stunned, it staggered back, and he used the motion to step into its guard, grip his still sheathed blade, and draw it in one swift motion.

The Beowolf fell back, slumping to the ground as he cleaned his blade on a pant leg and sheathed it.

"Odd. Grimm shouldn't be out this far, not around villages and such. The militia should have dealt with them by now."

It didn't bode well. He quickened his pace, falling into a jog. The village should have been visible by now, or at least audible. It wasn't so late at night that the gates would be sealed and there should still be travellers out and hunters or farmers working the land.

He saw the smoke before he did the village.

It was burning.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed; know some will be upset he didn't adopt Sun, but don't worry – this isn't going to be a repeat of NTF where he tries not to make any differences. It's just him early on not wanting to take a wild risk like this. Besides, he knows Sun will be fine.**

 **And yes, it was Summer. I know the ages may confuse some, but the show never seemed to give any specific ones, and even though Ruby was allegedly a toddler when she was in that near-death experience, Yang was only two years older and must have been old enough to actually** _ **make**_ **a journey through the woods with a heavy weight. That didn't quite fit in my mind if she was** _ **three**_ **and Ruby was one. Also, Ruby apparently has memories of Summer, so…**

 **Basically, it's vague and I took some creative liberty with it. 7 and 5 seems close enough. It gives Ruby chance to remember her in canon, and also means that Yang would be old enough to actually look after herself if her dad** _ **did**_ **freak out as it's suggested he did. As for the description of the woman, she was on death's door and Jaune didn't even think to look for similarities between her and Ruby. He was distracted, and even if he'd seen anything he would have subconsciously rejected it as impossible.**

 **Hospital time now. Bye!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 7** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey all, so, answers. No, my story about my sister being badly injured was not an April's fool. I'm not sure why anyone would think I'd do that. She is fine now, but is going to need to have rods put into her leg to hold her bone in place. The damage was pretty bad, numerous breaks and fractures. Luckily, the NHS will handle all of that without dumping her with a bill.**

 **On last chapter and Summer, a few people complained that I said her eyes were black, but the chapter before – chapter 2 – actually says "They were wild and black, the pupils dilated so much that they practically swallowed all else." I wasn't saying she didn't have silver eyes; just that he couldn't see they were silver because of her pupils and the general state of her.**

 **So, she didn't have silver eyes. Her hair was crusted with blood and her skin was pallid and white. I think with all that combined there's little reason to say "There's no way he wouldn't recognise her" about a woman he has never even actually met. Looking like Ruby is one thing, but if you've ever seen a badly ill or injured person you'd know they can look _nothing_ like they usually do. **

**Oh, and it was implied, though not clear and some people got confused, but with the nurse and Summer scene, she did already know Summer's name, but when she said "I want to run some tests" and then asked Summer her name, she wasn't asking her name because she needed to know, but asking "Do you remember your name?" I.e. is there any memory damage, can you remember who you are, etc…**

 **I apologise if that wasn't clear.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

Jaune's feet pounded down the dirt path towards the burning village in the distance. He saw the smoke before he did the walls and the buildings soon after that. Many of them were on fire but some still stood, albeit not for long. Grimm ran through the streets and a Nevermore flew by overhead, screeching at something it had seen below.

 _It's the past,_ his mind protested. _This must have happened in my time as well. I can't change the future this drastically. I promised I wouldn't._ The best thing to do, the correct thing, was to let nature take its course.

The Nevermore dove down towards something.

He was already moving to intercept it. To hell with caution and to hell with the future – he'd come back to change it, not to sit back and watch the same tragedies repeat themselves. If he was going to save _his_ friends, then he'd damn well try and save someone else's too.

"Oi!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "Over here you stupid bird. Come and fight someone a tenth your size!"

A Beowolf dared to try and get in his way but slumped down a second later, cut from hip to flank as he dodged aside and let the beast's momentum carry its dying body behind and away. With a reverse and a twist he lopped the arm off another, stepping back into its body and driving Crocea Mors into its stomach down to the hilt. With his free hand he slammed its final claw away, kicking it off and to the ground, drawing his sword free in the process.

"Survivors to me!" he roared. There had to be some survivors, surely. "I'm a huntsman! Come to me!"

There was a startled cry from the left, maybe thirty metres away and a little down – in what looked to be a ditch of some kind. It was too small to be a Grimm, too high-pitched and afraid. He moved towards it instinctively, but he wasn't the only one. Up above, the Nevermore screeched and dove down towards the location.

No. He wouldn't let it happen. His feet hammered quicker, moving from grass to tile and slate as he hurtled to intercept the monster which had seen something below. It landed, and for a moment he thought the survivor lost. Until, to his shock, the Grimm seemed to pause. It was confused, uncertain, glancing below as though it had lost its prey.

Jaune crashed into it a second later. His body bowled the beast off its talons and down into the ditch, where they splashed into water only a foot or so deep. It screeched and clawed at him, buffeting his body with its huge wings. He ignored it, scrabbling for the sword he'd dropped in his fall and bringing it up above his head. "Die!" he roared, thrusting it down into the monster's breast. The blade bit deep, cutting through feathers, skin and muscle. Even then, the Grimm's struggling didn't cease and it bucked him off.

Water splashed around him as he rolled aside, recovering quickly and staggering back after his quarry. The Nevermore had managed to get back onto its feet unsteadily, but the water was weighing it down, preventing it from taking off. He slipped under one of its wings when it flapped and cut at the tendons connecting the limb to its body. Again it screeched and fell, splashing down on one side and spraying him with blood-tinted water.

There was no mercy to his attack; it was more a butcher's work. He hacked and slashed at the thing until it stopped moving, and then hacked some more until it had started to dissolve entirely. After a few seconds he paused, aware of the water that sloshed around his ankles and his own harsh breathing, more fevered pants than anything.

Something whimpered behind him. The survivors, of course, he'd almost forgotten. He knew he didn't cut a comforting sight but there wasn't much that could be done about that. "Are you okay?" he asked, splashing towards them. "I'm here to help you, I'm-"

Jaune froze.

"You're a huntsman," the boy said, in a remarkably calm and polite voice, especially given the horror he'd just witnessed. He was a small thing with black hair and pink eyes.

He would have known the eyes of his best friend anywhere.

"I-I am," he said, recovering. His eyes took in Nora, clinging to Ren's side. His heart broke. Kuroyuri. This was Kuroyuri. "I'm a huntsman and I'm here to help you. Are you safe?"

"We're fine," Ren whispered. He touched Nora and the girl visibly calmed, unnaturally so. "My father helped me escape. He… I don't think he's alive anymore. My mother died as well."

No child should have to say that, let alone with such a calm expression. He noticed that Ren was clutching a knife in one hand, something far too large for him. From the way his fingers gripped it he knew there would be no convincing him to part with it.

"Okay. I'm going to get the two of you out of here. I just-"

A scream cut him off. His head whipped back towards the village. There were still other people alive in the village, though that wouldn't last for long. They'd be massacred without his aid. His eyes flicked back to Nora and Ren, quiet and awaiting his instructions. Indecision tore at him, twisting his insides into tight knots.

Ren and Nora would be fine. They didn't know that, not yet, but he did. Everyone else? They were doomed. Every single person here was going to die a terrible death, and if he walked away with these two now he'd be the one condemning them to it.

"There are others you can help," Ren whispered. "I – we – can escape on our own."

They could, but he didn't want to make them. How could he let his friends walk away after he'd just found them again? How could he let them go when he knew they'd struggle on their own, at least for a few years? Things would improve for them later, but that was later. Right now, they needed him.

But so did the people still alive in Kuroyuri.

Damn it. Damn it all. "Is your Semblance unlocked?" Jaune asked, splashing down to kneel in the water and take Ren's shoulders in his hands.

"What?"

"Your Semblance," he repeated, this time in a hiss. "Is it unlocked? Is it working!?"

Ren appeared confused but knew better than to argue or ask why the strange man seemed to know so much. "Y-Yes, it is. It's how we avoided the Nevermore."

Good. Perfect. That explained why the thing had looked lost for a second. With his Semblance to help him, Nora and Ren would be absolutely fine. They were basically immune to any Grimm, and he knew from the future that there was no danger. Even so, he shrugged off his pack. "Here, take these supplies. There's food, water and camping equipment. Use it to get yourself to safety."

"I, but… what about you?"

"I'll be fine," he said, smiling confidently. "I need to go back and see if anyone is still alive out there. If so, I'll rescue them."

Nora spoke for the first time, leaning shyly out from behind Ren. "W-Will we see you again?"

A wave of nostalgia overcame him. Nora looked so soft and vulnerable in a way she'd never before been. He reached out a hand and she shied away, only to pause when she realised he was holding his pinky finger out to her. "You'll see me again."

She shyly took it with her own. "Promise?"

"I promise." The moment was gone when he released her and stood up. He stared directly into Ren's eyes. "Now go, get to safety. Keep your Semblance up at all times and don't stop until you reach civilisation. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Ren nodded. "We'll look after each other."

"Heh. I know you will." It was the hardest thing in the world to turn and run away, leaving his friends behind, even if it wasn't to an uncertain fate. Still, it would have been worse looking them in the eye ten years later and knowing he hadn't lifted a finger to try and save their village. He took Crocea Mors in hand and cleared the bank of the aqueduct, eyes scanning his surroundings.

Several Grimm noticed and started to surround him, but he saw the two children slip through with a bag held between them. The Grimm paid them no heed, speaking to the power of Ren's Semblance. Those two would be fine. For now, he had to focus on those for whom he could make a difference. That meant the main village square, where the houses still looked to be in one piece.

"Get out of my way," he growled to the Grimm around him.

They howled and brayed back at him. It was always the same. It would have at least been convenient for Salem's mark to actually _do_ something – maybe make him invisible to Grimm like Ren or let him order them away. Instead, he fell back on the usual solution, turning his shield into a scabbard and strapping it back to his hip, taking Crocea Mors in two hands.

The first Beowolf seemed surprised that its prey had attacked before it had. That hesitation cost it and it fell with its head cleaved in two. Following the motion, Jaune twisted past the beast and drew his sword free. He chambered and thrust it into the flank of another, beneath the armpit and directly into its heart.

The others attacked then, moved to action by the sudden violence. A claw swept by over his head and he hamstrung the beast in return. One tried to fall on and crush him but he slid aside and used it to cover his back as he parried the claw of a third aside, caught it on the edge of his sword, and then ran the length of it down its body to slice off the limb at the elbow. It roared but he'd already turned away, swinging wildly behind him at neck height. Neck height for a Grimm, anyway. As expected, one had found itself there and soon found itself a head shorter.

Beowolves really were predictable. It was what made them so easily handled, at least by an experienced huntsman. Ruby had been able to handle six or seven in the blink of an eye at the age of fifteen. He'd struggled with one at seventeen, but been capable of ten or more before he hit eighteen. For him, at least, his greatest strength had been just how fast he'd adapted.

Now, with the added experience of Qrow and Ozpin's intuition, not to mention the constant campaign against Salem, such Grimm were chaff to him. The threat came in their overwhelming numbers, and eight or so just wasn't enough. He slipped under the guard of the last and pushed its arm down, using it as a springboard to leap up and pierce into its chin, up into the brain. It fell with a gurgle, Jaune stepping out of the way and allowing its own weight to drag his sword free.

"Help!" someone screamed. "Help me, please! Someone!"

"Huntsman!" Jaune roared. "Where are you?"

There was a moment of nothingness, a pause in the panic as someone dared to hope. "P-Please," the woman cried, sobbing now. "Please help. T-The bakery! I'm in the bakery!"

He saw it instantly, a shop front with smashed windows and several loaves of bread on display. There was a Beowolf hammering on a door that was being held shut. Another smashed a claw through the window, prompting a terrified scream from within.

He closed the distance instantly, slamming his sword through the back of the one trying to climb through the window and wrenching it back out, spraying himself with blood and toppling the beast backwards. The one at the door slashed at him but missed by a few inches as he stepped back. Open now, he thrust Crocea Mors into its windpipe and sliced sideward, removing its head in one savage blow. It fell like a tree cut through the base and toppled to the side.

"You're safe," Jaune panted. "I'm here."

The door opened a crack, as though the woman within couldn't quite believe her ears. A pair of green eyes met his, red around the edges and stained by tears that fell down her cheeks. She was young, twenty to thirty at most. "Y-Y-I… I…"

"It's fine. I've killed the Grimm. You're going to be okay. We need to get you out of the village – and to find any more survivors we can. Are you able to move?"

The woman nodded, too emotional to get any words out bar a few strained whimpers. Though terrified, she seemed willing – almost desperate – to do anything he told her. The courage required to step out of her store and into this hellhole would have been impossible for some. "Who…?" she asked. Her voice cut off halfway.

"I'm a huntsman, that's all you need to know. Is there anyone else alive in there?"

With tears in her eyes, she shook her head.

"Have you seen anyone else alive?"

Another whimper and another shake of her head. "I-I saw M-Mr Li," she whispered. "H-He tried to fight the monster."

Li Ren, Ren's father. He was dead then. Damn it. In truth he'd already known since Ren's old story involved him only retreating to the aqueduct _after_ both his parents were killed. There wouldn't be any hope for either of them at this point, but there was for this woman. "What's your name?"

"A-Annie…"

"Alright, Annie. I need you to stick close to me and do whatever I say, okay?" Jaune tugged on her hand, drawing her out and close to his body. The girl was shaking like a leaf and took an almost worrying amount of comfort in a blood-stained stranger. "You're going to see some things that will scare you, but it's important you don't run away from me. I can't help you if you run away. I need you to trust me."

Annie nodded and clung onto his hand.

"I'll also need my hand back," he said, wincing at the frightened look on her face. "I need to use it to defend you. Trust me and I'll get you out of here."

"Okay." She let go of him reluctantly, though he made no motion to stop her hovering close by. If the world worked on the concepts of fate or destiny, then hers was to die. This was a woman who wouldn't – couldn't – be alive in the future.

 _But that was the whole point of me coming back, wasn't it? I'm here to stop the same future happening._ And if Annie turned out to be some psycho mass-murderer somewhere down the line? Well, he'd deal with her himself. Right now, she was a young woman who didn't deserve this.

He motioned for her to follow as he cut across the square, listening for the sounds of any other survivors. This was their most dangerous part. He on his own was fine here, but with a survivor things became delicate. His first instinct was to shout for more, but that would only alert the Grimm and he now had someone who couldn't defend herself with him.

Even if the better option was to retreat with but a single survivor, he wanted to look for more. It was possible, though unlikely, that one of Ren's parents might still be alive. Ren had assumed them both slain but if he was here early enough…

"Do you know where you saw Li fighting the Grimm? He might still be alive."

"He isn't," Annie said, sobbing lightly. "I… I saw him die."

Jaune cursed. "Do you know where his wife is, or their house?"

She pointed to a small and neat structure off to one side, not a hundred metres down a cobbled path devoid of Grimm, at least for now. Jaune nodded and motioned for her to follow, sticking close to the buildings so that he could cut off a potential assault from one side. Some of them were burning but the flames had yet to cause the walls to break down.

They reached the building Annie had indicated in short time and he bade her wait outside while he looked in. "If you see anything, shout for me. Don't hesitate." Not waiting for an answer, he pushed his body through the damaged door, the building itself a ruin. "An!" he called. "An Ren, are you there? Can you hear me?"

No response. He ducked in a little further, wary of the roof above that had started to crack and splinter. The hallway was empty but a brief glance into a room off to the left revealed that the roof had already collapsed. And there, under a beam, lay a woman.

Jaune crouched and placed a hand to her neck. He ducked his head a second later. "Damn it."

"H-Huntsman, help!" Annie suddenly cried.

Crocea Mors cleared its sheathe and he was outside in a matter of seconds, drawing the frightened girl back behind him as he looked for a threat. He couldn't see any Grimm approaching, though dark shapes were always on the edge of his vision. "What is it?"

"Over there," she said, pointing. "I heard people shouting – other villagers!"

Survivors? He didn't dare hope but nodded instead and loped off, careful to keep his pace slow enough for her to stagger and bumble after him. The Grimm didn't seem interested in the two of them, and the reason why became apparent as voices and screams became louder. Annie was right, there were still people here. He also caught the distinctive crack of a gun. They were still fighting, but for how long that would last was still a mystery. Ren had no idea if there had been any survivors from Kuroyuri, or at least he hadn't said there was. As Jaune and Annie rounded the corner, he realised why.

They hadn't survived – or wouldn't.

It was a group of people locked within a restaurant of some kind, a little diner with a glass window out of which a faunus was shooting some kind of weapon. Another resident, a human, held the door with what looked to be a frying pan. It might have been comical but for the clear desperation and the sounds of children crying from within. And then he saw it, marching slowly towards the diner with the body of a middle-aged man, Ren's father, attached to its side.

The Nucklelavee.

If it was here then these people were about to die, because otherwise it wouldn't have been around to challenge them in the future. Everyone here – children and all – were about to be killed by it.

"Get into the diner," he hissed.

Annie started. "W-What?"

"Get inside and barricade the door. Try to send a signal out to find help. Call Mistral if you can, or anyone who will listen and send a Bullhead."

"You're going to try and hold that thing off?"

"No," he replied. "I'm going to kill it."

If his charge argued he didn't hear it. He dragged her toward the diner, drawing the attention of those within, and then pushed her towards them. One of the men rushed out to take her and drag her back, shooting him a grateful – if frightened – smile. They were trying but it wouldn't be enough. Not unless he could change their future. He took a stance in front of the building, sword held ready before him and legs bent.

The Nucklelavee saw him but didn't appear bothered by the intrusion. It reared up and stamped its hooves, the horse-like body seeming so much more alive than the rider, who slumped back and forth like a marionette with its strings cut. Worse was Li Ren, who flopped about and crashed into the sidewalk. His body, already dead, was being treated with such casual disregard.

First, he'd kill the Nucklelavee. Then he'd get these people out of here and to safety. And then, when it was over, he would come back and bury Ren's parents. His friend might not realise it at first, but if the future held and Team RNJR _did_ end up coming out here, he'd see that someone had cared enough to give them a grave together. It would mean the world to Ren.

But he had to kill this thing first. That was no small feat given that it had taken a concerted effort before, not to mention Ren's Semblance. Then again, he was stronger than he had been. Qrow's training hadn't been for nothing. Jaune rushed the Grimm before it could him – surprising it for a moment, before it screeched and galloped towards him as well. He had to fight it away from the diner to limit collateral damage while still having space to manoeuvre. His eyes met that of the Grimm, its horse-like ones, and he readied Crocea Mors in one hand.

At the last possible second he ducked and rolled aside, staying low as the monster thundered past. Steel flashed out, clipping its back leg above the hoof and cutting through flesh and muscle more by its own momentum than his strength. The Nucklelavee roared its displeasure and almost stumbled. It held itself at the last and lashed out with its hooves. Jaune leaned back, falling and rolling aside as they passed before his face. It turned and tried to stomp on him with both feet but he rolled again, this time underneath it. Its muscled legs kicked and bucked as it tried to turn. As it did, he thrust his sword up and into its stomach, past the armoured plates and into soft flesh.

His victorious grin froze when he felt something grab his leg. One of the rider's hands, elongated like some kind of gorillas, grasped his ankle. It tugged suddenly and he fell, only to be dragged out from under it and held down a second later. The beast reared and made to stomp on his skull. It struck his shield instead, desperately brought out and deployed over him. The force of the blow crushed him against the concrete below, drawing a pained scream and a more panicked one from the survivors.

Another blow struck like a meteor, driving the wind from him. While the shield held he knew he wouldn't if there was a third. He lashed out with his free hand, bracing his shield against his shoulder and swinging for the hand gripping his left foot. It snapped free with a sickening crunch and the rider groaned in a slower, more belligerent, tone. The horse snorted and raised its head, breathing down on him and releasing a cloud of emerald-coloured gas.

Clutching his nose and mouth, abandoning his shield, Jaune rolled away and staggered onto his feet, hacking for breath. He'd heard stories but never seen that attack. Their plan had killed it too quickly the last time. Still, he'd wounded it and taken several blows himself. A quick glance at his scroll revealed he didn't _have_ a scroll, which meant the best he could do with his aura was guess. It was probably still more than half-full, but those blows had covered him in bruises.

The Nucklelavee was uninterested in the pause and charged him down. Its hooves struck with such fury that it pushed him back with sheer aggression alone, and the rider seemed more alert now, swinging its arms to try and reach him. He fended them off as best he could but the day's long march had already tired him and he could feel his muscles begin to ache. This hadn't been the plan. He was supposed to come back and change things by not being reckless. Rushing in like this could easily get him killed, and before he'd changed a damn thing.

That couldn't happen. Crocea Mors deflected the next attack away, the force of it causing the metal – and his hands – to ring violently. With gritted teeth, he pushed through it, charging in towards the beast and lunging for its breast. The Grimm turned at the last second to protect its heart, though that still caused the blade to cut deep into its flank. Rather than withdraw away as expected, he used his sword as a lever and hauled himself up onto the Grimm's back so that he was sat behind the rider. The Nucklelavee froze in shock – but only for a moment.

It soon went mad.

The Nucklelavee thrashed and whirled, kicking out with both front and hide hooves to dislodge him. Jaune threw his arms around the rider's waist, more than aware of how bad an idea that was. The rider tried to turn to remove him but groaned in pain as he – along with Jaune – were slammed into the side of a building. The horse was crashing into things now and Jaune grit his teeth as his aura flared, preventing any terrible harm but doing little for the pain.

In a moment where the wall supported him, even as it grated his skin, he reached up with both hands to take hold of the rider's neck. Holding on for dear life and with the Nucklelavee now dashing across the central courtyard, he wrenched his arms from side to side, trying to snap its neck. He'd never had to on a human or a Grimm before, and it was a whole lot harder than the movies suggested. It fought against him the entire way, not with its arms but rather its brute strength, tossing its body left and right. At one point the rider did it so much that Jaune was dragged off the side of the mount to dangle next to it. He winced and brought his feet up, planting them on its back and using them as a piston to pull away, twisting all the while.

The rider's neck snapped with a jarring _crack_.

It slumped to the side and hung, but still turned to look at him with burning eyes.

"That's not enough?" he howled. "Die already!" He took its head and twisted again, this time the other way. There was another crack and the rider slumped forward, either dead of paralysed. The mount itself screeched in agony and careened off the main path, down into the aqueduct he'd been in before. The Grimm stumbled on the embankment, toppled over and slid down. Water splashed all around him and the Nucklelavee rolled over, pinning him down and under. In shock and pain, he released his hold on the beast.

It wasn't a conscious move by the enemy, even if it was a good one. The monster looked like it had suffered brain damage, stumbling around like everything wasn't quite working – despite that it was still alive and able to function. It was like it was punch drunk, staggering and stumbling. It managed to get back onto its feet and roar at him, however. And worse, Crocea Mors was still stuck in its side. Jaune tried to move and winced as pain shot up his left thigh. A quick look down revealed a nasty gash running red with blood, staining the water below.

He was stronger than this, he knew, but he was so used to fighting in a group and with a team that he'd never really had to do so solo before. Whether it was his plan, Ruby's or Ren's there would always be someone to watch his back and distract the enemy if he got in too deep. Not here. He was very much on his own and this, for the first time since he'd come back, reinforced that fact. But if he couldn't kill even this thing, then how could he hope to kill all the other things he'd have to face? Tyrian, Watts, Hazel and even Salem herself. They were all out there and they all needed to die if he was going to change anything.

Exhausted and with his muscles cramped, Jaune pushed one foot forward and adopted the stance Ren had taught him, Ozpin helped to perfect, and Qrow turned dirty and brutal. He was no Yang Xiao-Long, but he could hold his own.

He'd have to.

The Nucklelavee wasn't much better and that was evident in the way it laboured for breath and didn't attack him, despite its advantage. The rider was slumped over its neck with an arm on either side of it dragging in the water, and the blade lodged into its side had been driven even deeper by its impromptu fall into the aqueduct. They were both of them the worse for wear, so he'd done a damn sight better than he had against it the first time.

The sounds of gunfire had ceased from above. Were the survivors he'd left in that diner still alive? He had no idea and no way of telling. All he could do was hold this thing off and try to get back to them. With that in mind he sloshed forwards through the water, slowly making his way toward the Grimm. It didn't shy away but neither did it charge at him. Instead, it steadied its hooves and watched him warily.

Their clashing wasn't the stuff of legends, not even close. Jaune lunged in and nearly tripped in the water, which luckily meant that its hooves reared up and struck air. When he went for his sword it shied away, presenting its other flank to him. He rammed into it regardless, hooking his arms around one of its hooves and pushing with his shoulders and body. More noxious gas was blown into his face but he held his breath and struggled on until, with a startled cry, the Nucklelavee fell backwards. It impaled itself on Crocea Mors once more.

Its legs kicked weakly at him and one caught the side of his head, knocking him into the water with a splash. He gasped for air as he came up and quickly looked toward the beast, prepared for an attack that never came. The Grimm spasmed one final time and lay still. Motes of its flesh began to break down and be washed away.

"F-Finally," he croaked. Exhausted, he dragged himself towards its body to free his sword. He didn't have the strength to sheathe it, nor the scabbard he realised on second glance. He'd dropped it back in the courtyard.

The survivors. He had to find them.

Sword in one hand and the other clutching his wounded leg, Jaune dragged himself up the slope towards flat ground, listening desperately for the sounds of any fighting, any Grimm, or even the screams of the dying. All he could hear was a dull buzz in his head like static, that and the rush of water. As he reached the top his hand stretched out and clamped onto something soft and yet firm at the same time. His eyes sought it a moment later, and through the haze of fatigue, poison and aura loss he saw what appeared to be a black boot. His hand was around the ankle, gripping it. It was a _person's_ foot, not a Grimm's.

With that last thought his strength failed him. He collapsed down on the embankment.

/-/

It was the cry of some distant bird that woke him, but his eyes did not open to joyful song or a bright summer's day but rather a white-cream tent and agony searing through his body. He folded up on instinct alone, cupping his head with one hand as he groaned out loud. Was this to be his fate, moving from one battlefield to the next and passing out each and every time? First with the ocean and now Kuroyuri, it felt like waking up in some strange bed had become the norm. Yang might have had something teasing to say about that. Ren would caution him for being so reckless, and with good reason. There wasn't much point coming back if he got himself killed like a moron.

"I fought the Nucklelavee," he recounted, trying to figure out what had happened. A brief surge of pride filled him. "I _killed_ the Nucklelavee." From there he could remember trying to get out of the aqueduct before he'd seen someone and passed out. That had definitely been a person, as if the fact he was alive wasn't enough of a clue. Had the survivors also escaped, then? Had he been picked up by them and brought to safety?

Nothing about his surroundings answered that. He was on a low bed that was somewhat ramshackle and balanced on wooden slats. His quilt was both a linen sheet and also a sheep's fur blanket of some kind thrown over the top. The tent was bare, incredibly so. There was a central pole helping to support it but apart from that there wasn't so much as a wardrobe or a stool. His sword and shield were nowhere to be seen.

It was that realisation that forced him to his feet, even if he almost cried out the second he put some weight on his left leg. The wound from the Nucklelavee was still there, bandaged over but the pain a constant reminder. Gingerly, he tested it again, and found it easier to stand on once he'd gotten used to it. It ached, and he'd be walking with a limp, but he _could_ walk and that was the point. He had to find his sword. It was the last thing he had left of Pyrrha.

The tent flap wasn't secured and flapped open when he pushed through. Early morning sunlight washed down over his thin shirt and equally thin trousers, the remnants of the Del'Ashari tribe, or at least what hadn't been ruined and blood stained beyond repair. His hair hung loose and his chin felt stubbly and unshaven, though he imagined it still looked an annoyingly childlike shade of yellow. He probably looked as haggard as he felt, which was something like a man trapped under a Bullhead.

Even so, he staggered out and onto a worn dirt path that ran between a series of cone-shaped tents and marquees. They came in various colours and were scattered around haphazardly, with little regard for theme, sense or order. It might have reminded him of a carnival were it not for the lack of any song, dance or fun. Someone walking nearby saw him, cursed, and rushed away.

"What have I gotten myself into now?"

A commotion to the left drew his attention, the sound of voices but also wood cracking against wood. He gravitated towards it, recognising it as some kind of sparring as he drew near. There was a gap between two tents and he pushed through, coming out into a rough circle made of logs. Inside, a man was fighting against a young girl not ten or eleven years old. They both used wooden swords, but that concession was all the girl received. The man twisted and disarmed her, then backhanded her across the face.

"Keep hold of your weapon or die!"

"Fuck you!" the girl responded.

"Big talk from someone with a split lip. The day you can back up your threats is the day I take them seriously." The man kicked her sword up towards her, and to the girl's credit she caught it. "Take a break. We'll continue later."

"Why not now?" the girl demanded. "I can still fight!"

"Because, if you used those senses I've been trying to drill into you, you'd realise we have an uninvited guest."

That was the cue for their attention to turn on him, and Jaune bore it without any show of weakness, standing firm even with his injured leg and low reserves. He stepped towards the ring, seeing no sign to trying to hide now. Many of those around and in front of their tents had also noticed him, and some paused with hands on their weapons to watch him. They relaxed when it was clear he was unarmed.

Up close, the man was at least forty or so with grey hair and grizzled skin. He wore a loose chainmail shirt and a leather harness, from which several knives hung. The girl, on the other hand, was tan and short with cropped black hair and icy blue eyes.

Jaune focused on the man and nodded. "I'm looking for my sword, and for what happened to the survivors I found in Kuroyuri. Do you know where I am?"

"Aye, I know," he said. "Not sure you do, though."

"I wouldn't need to ask if I did." Call him short-tempered but he wasn't in the mood for such games – not with Crocea Mors out of hand and the fate of those he'd risked his life for in doubt. "What happened to the survivors?"

"Taken to the nearest village," the man said. "They asked for you, or one lass did, but you were too injured to make the journey."

Relief washed over him. They _had_ survived, and so had Annie by the sound of it. That was… honestly, it was perfect. It was liberating and exciting at the same time because it was proof – definitive proof – that he could change the way things were going. He could make a difference, even if it was just in the lives of a few people.

"Thanks for that," he said, nodding. "But that only answers one of my questions. Where is my sword?"

The girl from before, who had yet to leave the ring, had started shaking the moment he appeared. Now, furious at being ignored so easily, she stomped one foot down and pointed her wooden sword towards him. "Stop ignoring me, you bastard!"

Jaune and the man both paused. "Is there a problem?"

"You heard me! Stop ignoring me. You come out here and interrupt my training, and then you stand there asking stupid questions. Your _sword_ obviously isn't right here so stop wasting my time and fuck off." The language was surprising enough from one so young, but the sheer arrogance – different from Weiss', more primal – surprised him. He heard the trainer mutter something about brats, but the man stepped away, leaving Jaune to handle it.

"I'm sorry if I ignored you," he said, not really sorry at all but knowing that saying so to an angry child wouldn't calm her down any. "I was just trying to find out where my sword is and-"

"Sword, sword, sword, is that all you think about?"

Jaune's eyes narrowed. "It's important to me."

"Yeah? Is it sentimental?" The girl sneered at him. "Boo-hoo, is it your daddy's sword and he gave it to you when he died?"

"My friend's, actually," he said. "And she died for it."

He expected her to back off or gasp. Instead, she laughed. "Just shows you were too weak to stop it."

There was a loud crack. It might have been his patience.

"Excuse me…?"

"You were weak," she repeated, failing to sense the sudden tension in the air. Everyone else did. They shifted away, hands reaching for weapons as they sensed the threat in the air. "I bet your friend died cursing how weak you were, because if you were stronger she would still be alive. I'm right, aren't I?" She laughed. "You're pathetic. Just a pathetic and weak little piece of shit!"

Jaune's breath came out slow and measured. _Stay calm,_ he told himself. _Pyrrha would have your head if you used what she taught you on a child, even if it's in her honour._ His hand, clenched into a tight white fist, loosened. "Maybe I was," he admitted, because really, it was all true. Except for the part where Pyrrha cursed him, of course. He knew she wouldn't have. "But I'm stronger now and I still need my sword. I'll get out of your way. You can go back to being knocked around if you really want to."

A wooden sword stopped him before he could leave. The girl held her sword before him. "No, wait," she said, smiling cruelly. "You want your sword back and I want a spar. How about you show me just how much `stronger` you really are, huh?"

He sighed. "Do we have to do this? I'm injured, not to mention unarmed."

"Then I guess you're fucked, aren't you?" the girl laughed, swinging for his head. It was a good blow, a fast blow – and aimed well.

It cracked loudly against the palm of his hand.

The girl gasped. "What!?"

The hilt, wood and leather, slammed back into her stomach as he rammed the sword back down into her. She fell with a gasp, releasing it as he twisted it to the side and around, hauling her toward him and over one knee. The girl made an impressive somersault before landing on her back in a cloud of dust. She stared at the sky in shock, and then the tip of the practice blade as it rested against her throat.

"Are we done now?" he asked, aware of the laughter of the crowd. She was too if her red cheeks were any indication.

"Fuck you," she snarled, swatting the sword away. She rolled onto her feet and dashed for her trainer, stealing the man's sword as he sighed and shook his head. He'd hand it to her; she had a high pain tolerance. Most kids her age would have been in tears after having the wind blown out of them like that. Guts didn't really cut it though, and he wasn't in the mood to play nice. Bad enough he'd lost his sword but she'd knowingly insulted Pyrrha.

No one got away with that.

She swung in and slashed down towards his face, crying out as she did. His own blade moved to block it and he saw her muscles tense for the impact. At the last second, he pulled back and feinted, stepping aside. The girl, so certain she'd make contact, over extended and stumbled. She managed to keep her balance, or at least did so until he hooked his toes behind her foot and swept it away.

The crowd laughed again as she hit the dust. She slapped a hand down angrily and rolled to the side, standing and charging once more. One, two, three wild slashes were dodged with relative ease, even if he could have deflected them. On the third he slipped around and rapped her knuckles, earning a yelp from her as she dropped her weapon. She caught it on a foot, kicked it back up, and would have caught it if not for him catching it on the blade of his instead. With a casual flick, he sent it back to the trainer from before, who caught it with a gruff laugh.

"We're done now," he said, holding the blade under her chin. He made it a statement and not a question this time. "You're not bad, especially for your age, but you really need to learn to control that temper of yours." She was like Weiss and Yang combined, except without the self-control of either. "Preferably before someone controls it for you. Permanently."

"Fuck you, you piece of shit. I'll tear off your head and-"

"And that mouth," he said, smacking her none-too-gently on the head. She fell onto her knees with a gasp. "Talking like that doesn't make you strong. It makes you sound like an idiot."

"Exactly," a voice from behind called. The girl before him gasped and went white and the crowd watching became silent. "Actions speak louder than words, as I've told you time and time before. If you want to run your mouth, you'd best be prepared to back it up, because I won't be there to help you when you fight someone you can't defeat. And your language does not make you strong. It impresses no one, least of all _me_."

The girl looked to be on the verge of tears. "I-I'm sorry…I..."

"Apologies are for the weak, Vernal. Grow strong or get out of my sight."

Callous, imperious and with a causal disregard for the shamefaced child before him. He'd have recognised the tone anywhere, and the voice, but he still turned just to make sure. She was younger for sure, fresher-faced and without some of the lines he'd seen in the future. She stood a little taller, a little more arrogant - and dare he say it, she looked more like Yang than she ever had before - but her black hair, crimson eyes and the smirk she wore marked her as a very different woman.

Raven Branwen.

* * *

 **Rargh, rargh – Jaune didn't adopt Ren and Nora. Rawr! Yes, I know, he didn't manage to change everything this time. He did change some things and even saved some lives, but that necessitated him to leave Ren and Nora be, knowing they'd escape safely. I can almost feel the frustration from some, but all I can say is don't worry. Jaune** _ **is**_ **going to get involved with people eventually. Right now, he's just on his way to Vale.**

 **And, you know, running into things along the way. I'm obviously aware Vernal didn't speak like that in the show, but we don't know much of her except that she's very loyal and eager to please Raven. I like to imagine that here, at ten or so, she's at the stage of trying to `look strong` to impress her Senpai, but going about it the wrong way. I think we all know that to kids `tough` often means `strong language`, or at least that's what they think.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 21** **st** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	5. Chapter 5

**So, here we are again. I know a lot of people want this to be weekly, and I'll just let you know that I have plans that when my next fic ends (which will likely be IKS), I will place this into that story's slot, making it weekly, and then releasing a new story into this slot. I may do that moving forwards, basically using my two-week slots to work on new stories, giving me more time to plan them out, and then moving them to weekly ones when I am either content with the planning or need to release a new fic.**

 **That will not happen until In the Kingdom's Service ends, however.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

* * *

It was Raven and yet it was not. She was different. With Sun it was easy to see the differences ten years had made on him, but the changes were much subtler with the woman stood before him. She looked younger in a way that was hard to define, with a smoother complexion and eyes that spoke of less cynicism and anger, if that was even possible with someone like her. Her relationship with Yang had always been a complicated one and never really sorted itself out, which meant he didn't know all that much about her personality other than what he'd seen for a very short amount of time. He knew what she was like when the chips were down, but not like this. Unlike anyone else he might have run into and at least had _some_ idea of what they might say or do, Raven was a mystery.

And yet here she was, standing before him in the past and watching him like he was a particularly amusing breed of insect. She'd be what, twenty-eight or so? She had to be the same age as Qrow, and he'd been thirty-eight when Beacon fell. He remembered Ruby calling him forty and the man's rather defensive reaction.

Regardless of age, this was a Raven who had already abandoned Team STRQ and her daughter. She was a bandit, which meant the camp he was in belonged to the Branwen Tribe. A tribe which didn't have the best record of how it treat civilians or those unfortunate enough to fall into their grasp.

What a time to be without his weapon.

She had hers of course, and as his eyes roved down her form he realised she had another strapped to her other waist. Crocea Mors, back in its sheathe once more. Jaune was so shocked at the development that rather than consider the situation he was in, he blurted out the first thing to come to mind.

"You have my sword."

It wasn't his best moment...

"Is that thanks I hear for saving your life?" Raven asked, more amused than offended. She chuckled under her breath and allowed her hand to stroke the hilt of his weapon. "I enjoyed watching you knock Vernal around, though she's nothing but a child. I'd ask if you thought you could do the same to one of my men, but I saw the results of your battle with the Nucklelavee myself." Her eyes watched his and she smiled in what could only be called a predatory manner. "You're strong."

The word would have meant so little from or to anyone else, but given by Raven it meant everything. Her obsession with being strong was something he'd never understood, even at the end. He could appreciate the basic theory of it, especially considering she was the Spring Maiden and had Salem after her, but it had always been something deeper with Raven, something more than just common sense.

Either way, was he strong? It was hard to say. He was stronger than possibly anyone else his age, but even now Raven had six or seven years on him and she'd never been a pushover.

"I'm not strong enough," he said, erring on the side of caution. He neither needed nor wanted Raven's attention, and getting away from here as fast as possible was the best course of action. Of course, he'd need his sword for that. "If I was strong, I wouldn't have needed you to pick me up at the end. I heard you helped the survivors to safety. Is that true?"

"You ask if it's true, rather than if they're safe. Such lack of faith."

"You're the leader of a tribe of bandits."

Raven smiled. "Ah, so you _do_ know who I am. I thought I saw recognition in your eyes for a moment. Interesting, since I'm sure I've never seen you before. How do you know me, huntsman?"

Jaune cursed. He really needed to stop reacting to things so obviously. He'd gotten away with it with Sun because he was an impressionable child and Ren and Nora were in a dangerous situation that didn't leave much time for detail, but Raven was neither and if she could pick up the cues, then someone like Ozpin or Ironwood certainly would.

"I know _of_ you, but I've never had the pleasure of meeting you directly," he clarified.

"Hm, I see." Her smile didn't falter. In fact, it seemed to grow wider. She didn't believe him. "Those civilians are fine," she said, suddenly changing the subject. "We wouldn't normally interfere in something like that, but one of the survivors was distant family to a member of the tribe. She knew our frequencies and when the call to Mistral yielded no help, contacted us instead."

Annie…? There was no telling for sure but it seemed possible. As far as he knew, no one had survived the first time and Raven's tribe hadn't come to Kuroyuri, otherwise the Nucklelavee would have surely been killed. Had his saving Annie provided the means for those survivors to contact Raven and her people? Well, at least that explained why they'd come by.

Then again, Ren and Nora just might not have known if there were any other survivors. For all he knew, this might have happened in the original timeline and he just never found out about it.

"And you took the survivors to safety?"

Raven nodded.

"That seems unusually kind of you…"

"The weak die, the strong live. They managed to survive where few others could and I respect that. I respect it enough to let them go free. Whether they live or die now is entirely in their hands, as it should be."

It was about as callous an answer as he'd expected, yet also much kinder. He wondered at first if that was a fact of the past that Raven was somehow less cruel, but he realised a moment later that this was just her twisted philosophy at work once more. If they were strong, they would survive. If not, she couldn't care less.

"What happened to Kuroyuri?" he asked.

"Destroyed. We helped ourselves to some of what remained, but otherwise left the ruins to be reclaimed by Mistral or the wilderness, whichever wants it most. There were a few other survivors, though not many."

"You looted the town!?"

"The dead have no use for trinkets." She said it simply, like it should have been obvious. "We helped those we could and allowed them to take their own belongings."

Jaune bit down on his instinctive anger. It really shouldn't have bothered him, not with Raven having already gone above and beyond for the survivors already. It wasn't like those saved would have complained, so he had no right to. "Thank you," he said through gritted teeth. "Thank you for responding in time to save them - and me. However, I'm neither dead nor dying, so I'd appreciate it if I could have my weapon returned to me."

"I'm sure you would. One of the survivors said you didn't live at Kuroyuri but introduced yourself as a wandering huntsman." Raven ignored the issue of his sword entirely, waving one hand before her. "Since you had nowhere to be taken, I graciously allowed you to make use of a tent with us, and even provided you with healing."

And all of those things were so uncharacteristically unlike her that having them listed out set him on edge. He had a feeling he knew where she was going even before she spoke.

"I believe all of that deserves some payment. Your sword will do."

"All those things don't count as `gracious` if you demand payment right after."

"Do they not? A shame. I guess that makes me something of a bandit."

Some of the men around the campfire laughed at the quip, despite it being not that much better than what Yang might have come up with. Bad puns came from Raven instead of Taiyang, whoever could have guessed? She wasn't interested in his sword, however. Raven had hers and she'd grown up in Beacon, which meant she'd been around far superior weapons for years now. His, while a good weapon, was frankly pedestrian compared to the likes of Crescent Rose, Myrtenaster and any other huntsman weapon.

She didn't want his weapon, but rather something else. As Raven made to leave, his hand shot out and grasped her elbow. The crowd gasped. He could tell from their silence that this was _not_ something they were used to.

"Thank you for saving my life," Jaune said, realising that some gratitude was necessary whatever he thought about her or her parenting skills. "I'll repay you if I can. But I'm afraid that sword isn't something I can part with. I'm going to have to ask for it back."

Her head turned, just enough to flash him the red of a single eye. "Is that so?"

Any other man might have backed down. He felt afraid too, but hardened himself. Crocea Mors was all he had left of his last life and Pyrrha. It was foolish in the extreme, but he felt like he'd be willing to die before he let someone take it from him. "It is. Please give me my sword back."

The fact that he resisted seemed to please her. She stood a little taller, and dare he say it but her eyes slowly started to take him in more fully. A slow smirk began to spread across her face. "And if I say no?" she asked.

"Then I'll take it back."

Those watching gasped again and some reached for weapons, though none dared draw in front of Raven.

"There are some who might say making demands of me takes courage. Others would say it is stupidity. Which is it for you?"

"Neither. It's necessity."

"Are you challenging me?" she asked.

Not willingly.

"If I must."

Raven turned fully, forcing him to release her arm. "I was right," she said, more to herself than to him. "You are nothing like the ones I've seen before. This sword…" She hoisted it on her hip with one hand. She noticed how he flinched, but thankfully didn't do anything to it. Her grip suggested respect, if only to the weapon and not him. "It's a good blade. It's seen use, and not just petty sparring or weak Grimm. Its design is nothing special and there is less to it than any other huntsman weapon I've ever seen, and yet despite all of that it feels warm to the touch. It is well-used, very well-used. It has slain Grimm and human alike. It is a deadly weapon."

"It is," he admitted, for he'd done all of those things in time. Some of them he felt bad about, but regrets were for those with options. He and the rest had been so lacking in those.

"But a weapon is nothing more than a tool. Anyone can pick it up. It is the wielder that makes the difference. I caught the end of your conversation with Vernal. You said someone died for this."

"Yes, my best friend."

"Was she a fighter?"

"She was a huntress."

"How did she die?"

Jaune's hands clenched into fists. "She was killed by an opponent. She died because I wasn't strong enough to watch her back, and she felt she had to send me away to protect me. She died because I was weak."

Whatever Raven felt of that, her face gave nothing away. "You are not weak now," she said.

"I grew stronger in her memory."

"Hm." She inspected the sword for a moment, testing it. With a nod, she let it fall at her side. "It's a good sword. Very well, I'll give you a chance to reclaim it. But to do that, you'll need to fight me." Raven paused to let the awed whispers around them fade. "How does that sound?"

"Fine," he snapped back, and the whispers returned. "Will you let me fight with my sword, or am I to do this bare handed?"

"Neither, and you're not doing it now either. You are injured and running on fumes. If I wanted to fight a cripple, I'd break one of my men. We'll have our fight in a week or two, once you've recovered enough to actually pose a challenge." She turned away once more. "Until then, I'll keep this safe. Roland, see him fed. He is allowed free reign of the camp and is here as my guest." Her eyes scanned over the rest. "No one is to challenge that lest they wish to face me."

"As you command, Raven," the man from before, the one sparring with Vernal, replied. Once the woman was gone, he sighed and walked up to Jaune. "I've no idea if you've balls of brass or brass where your brain should be, boy. Do you have any idea who that was?"

"Raven Branwen, leader of the Branwen Tribe."

"Aye…" Roland looked surprised at the knowledge but forged on. "If you're going into this thinking she'll be a pushover because she's a woman…"

"I know just how powerful she is."

"And yet you're still willing to do this?"

Jaune turned to the man, finally taking his eyes off the retreating figure of Raven Branwen, or more specifically the sword swaying on her hip. "I need my weapon back. I'll do whatever it takes to get it, even if that means fighting against someone like her."

"You're ballsy, I'll give you that."

"He's a fucking idiot," Vernal snapped. "Talking to Raven like that! Who do you think you are!? I'm going to enjoy watching her cut you a few feet shorter. Won't be a very long fight, but I'll take what I can get."

Roland's fist caught Vernal's jaw with a sickening crack. The suddenness of it surprised even him, but it certainly caught Vernal off guard, knocking her back with a cry and a spray of blood. The girl landed hard and wiped some from her lips, glaring at the man.

"If you've got time to talk shit, you've got time to train. I didn't unlock your aura so you could be blindsided like that. Bring your aura to the fore to block the attack. Don't just stand there like an idiot."

"Y-You surprised me!" Vernal babbled past the blood that pooled in her mouth. She spat some out and glared at them both.

"I punched you in the sodding _face_! How much more obvious can I be!?" The man held out his hand, requesting the wooden sword returned. Jaune hadn't realised he still had it but gave it over after a second's thought. "Take a breather, boy. I'll get to you in a second. First, I need to whip this foul-mouthed little snot into shape. That or kill her trying."

What followed was a crash course – literally, in Vernal's case – of what life was like in the Branwen Tribe. Roland pushed the girl hard, far harder than anyone in Beacon would have. The man was a career soldier, or had been one, that much was obvious from the way he moved, the way he held himself and even from how he adjusted his sword, only moving as much as he had to and conserving his energy.

Vernal was much more raw and untamed, striking with a ferocity that was almost frightening to see in a child. She made wide and aggressive swings, all the while trying to use her natural agility to get past Roland's guard and land a killing blow. Whenever that failed, and it failed every time, he would punish her not with stern words or a lesson, but with a strike of the wooden blade. He was never gentle about it.

The crowd around the campfire dispersed after a while, some staying to watch the entertainment while most found other things to do. There was no real organisation to it, but there was some discipline, for while they laughed, jeered and shouted insults at one another, no one dared to cause any trouble. The sounds of training from further afield spoke of more in Vernal's situation, but there were no brawls or fights among the bandits.

Jaune watched as the training session came to a close when Vernal fell for what felt like the thirtieth time. She tried to rise but couldn't make it, and instead curled into a ball in submission. Roland placed a foot on her hip and Jaune almost rose to stop him. Luckily, the bandit simply rolled the girl over.

"You're spent already? Tch. I guess this is as far as you go. Get up, wash the stink off your body and then report to the kitchens. You can help cook food and then help yourself to some – but only then. If you take some ahead I'll know, and I'll make what happened here seem like mercy. Got it?"

"I-I got it, you bastard…" Her insults were cut off as he rolled her further, dashing her face in the soil. The girl spluttered and coughed, sending both Roland and Jaune a deathly glare. She limped away with one arm held to her side.

"You're hard on her," Jaune noted.

"That a statement or a complaint?" Roland asked, moving over to sit down opposite him.

"A little bit of both."

"Tch. The brat wants to get strong and I'll make her strong. What I am is efficient. Take it or leave it." The man paused to take a swig of water. "What did you think of her?"

"Vernal?"

Roland nodded. "Hm."

"She has potential."

"To hell with potential, boy. I asked what you think. Everyone has potential and it doesn't mean a damn thing when a Grimm or angry huntsman is staring down the end of your sword. Leave that potential nonsense to the weaklings in the Kingdoms. Maybe it'll help coddle a wounded ego. Out here, that kind of crap will get you killed."

Jaune sighed, aware of just how many times Pyrrha had told him he had potential. He had, and he knew he'd realised it now but try as he might he couldn't help but wish he'd had a little less potential and a little more actual skill when she needed him most.

"Fine. She's too emotional when she fights and far too aggressive. That means she exerts all her energy early, which is fine if she can take down her opponent in a blistering attack, but is just going to leave her exhausted against someone better or as good as she is. She's also had no plan I could see against you and just kept wailing away. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"It's a start," Roland said. "She's shit, then."

"She's a child!"

"Like that matters. I'll up her training in the morning but that's nothing for you to worry about. Come on, I'll give you a tour of the camp and the rules here. Wouldn't want you pissing someone off and getting yourself killed before the boss has had the chance to have her way with you." The cruel chuckle from not only him but those nearby made it clear what he meant by the final comment.

Well, if they expected him to roll over and cry when he fought against Raven, they'd be sorely disappointed. Even if it took a week or more to fully recover, he'd still face her down. Even if the past could be changed without his sword, he wouldn't leave it here.

/-/

The wind buffeted her as she cautiously stepped out of the Bullhead, caught halfway by a pair of hands that assisted her down to the floor. "I'm okay," she breathed, though even to her ears her voice sounded weak.

Ozpin didn't remove his hands from her, but rather adjusted them, helping to support her so she could stand as she left the Bullhead. "You are not okay, Summer. You are injured. It is not weakness to accept a hand in help every now and then. I'm sure I taught you that."

Summer grumbled under her breath but allowed herself to lean on him. Ozpin had taught them many things, the importance of co-operation among them, but pride always played its part and it was sometimes hard to be an adult and be seen to lean on someone. Seeing Beacon on the other hand, was a wonderful experience.

"It's so good to see you in one piece," Ozpin said. "When we lost contact I feared the worst, and then to receive that call from Shade." He shook his head. "You almost gave me a heart attack, my dear."

"Did you-"

"I told your family the moment I received the call," he assured, and Summer relaxed. "As I understand it, your husband has chosen not to fully inform your children, other than to assure them you're safe and well. I don't think he wants to broach the topic of mortality with them just yet."

"More like he's waiting for me to come home so we can double-team it," she laughed. "Tai can be surprisingly flimsy like that. He's such a baby."

Ozpin chuckled. "I'm reliably told being a father is not as simple as it sounds."

"Yeah, and Ruby and Yang are a handful, bless them." Summer allowed herself to be eased down onto a bed in the infirmary. Although mostly healed, she still wasn't fully on her feet yet. The doctors in Shade had deemed her fit for travel however, and Ozpin had convinced them more familiar surroundings would help her heal.

It didn't mean she had to like it, though. Hospitals _sucked_.

"You'll have all the time in the world to broach such heavy topics when you return to Patch. For now, be thankful that Taiyang doesn't have to cover it with the added news of your passing."

The prospect was too cruel to imagine. Summer's eyes watered.

"I've upset you, forgive me," Ozpin said, bringing a paper towel for her to wipe her eyes on. "I didn't mean ill, but I suppose you must be sensitive after what happened. Worry not Summer, you are safe now and you'll be back with your daughters before you know it."

"Tomorrow?" she asked hopefully, tearfully.

"Not until you're healed." Ozpin's face was firm. "I've seen that expression before, Miss Rose. It did not work on me when you were a student and it will not work now."

The tears vanished in an instant. "Boo…"

"I don't want to dwell much on what happened to you," he said, taking a seat beside her bed. "But obviously I need to ask how you were injured and what you remember. If you're unwilling to talk about it now, I'll understand."

Summer shook her head. She had been a few days back but the healers in Vacuo had been understanding and kind. Now, with her initial fear dulled somewhat, she felt ready to tell the full story. Ozpin listened as she did, highlighting how she'd responded to a distress signal only to be ambushed by both people and Grimm.

Noticeably, the people had been ignored by the Grimm, almost as though they were working together. "All I can remember is that one of them was heavy set with a black beard and tanned skin, while the other was much narrower with pale skin and black hair. I managed to score a blow here." She indicated her chest. "It was deep and should have put him down, but I'm not sure if he survived or not. I don't remember anymore. I… I guess they left me for dead."

"Most likely to secure help for the one you wounded. You're lucky the Grimm were dispatched first." Ozpin sighed heavily and removed his glasses, setting them down on the bedside table. Although appearing ageless, the wrinkles about his eyes hinted at his stress. "It appears that Salem has begun to move once more. I'd hoped she would not discover you."

"It's not your fault, sir."

"Thank you, Summer, but I believe the fault lies more with me than you realise. I won't send you out again to Vacuo. The risk is too great and-" Ozpin paused, having noticed the sudden look on her face. "What is wrong?"

Summer's stomach rolled and flopped and she couldn't quite meet his gaze. She didn't know how to say what she felt and a part of her thought she was a coward for even thinking it. Still, for her children's sake she forced herself on. "A-Actually, sir. I… I was thinking that I wanted to take a break. Only for a while. I'm not saying I'll stop fighting or ignore all of this like Ray, but-" A finger pressed over her lips.

"You have always had a habit of babbling when you're nervous, Summer."

"M'sorry," she mumbled.

"It is perfectly understandable that you might want to take a reprieve from such dangerous missions, especially after what happened. I would be more concerned if you did not. I will be happy to cut your duties and allow you more time with your family. They should always come first."

Her eyes watered. "Thank you…"

"Should you change your mind, you can feel free to come back. I can give you work close to home and simply, just to ease you back into the swing of things, but don't fret about that for now. Focus on getting better." Ozpin leaned back in his seat, the stress from before melting away as he smiled down at her. "I really am glad you're alive, and not just because it saves me having to deliver terrible news to your family. I suppose we owe this tribe of yours some thanks."

A memory flashed back to her mind. Blue eyes, weary and hurt, yet filled with new hope. A face as haggard, if not more, than Ozpin's would ever be. "Actually, I'm not sure if it was someone from the tribe who saved me. I think I'd have died if it was just them…"

"Oh?"

"There was a man," she explained. "His skin tone and his face were different to theirs. I… I can't remember a lot, but I recall waking up. I was in so much pain and I thought I was still under attack. He was… he was healing me, or he said he was." Her brow creased. "He must have since I survived, but the way he did it. It was like… it was like he was making me heal myself. I could feel his aura."

"A Semblance?" Ozpin guessed.

"It must have been. I can't think of anything else. Either way, he saved my life. I… I don't think I'd still be here if it wasn't for him."

"Hm, interesting." Ozpin expressed no doubt when it came to her story, such was the faith he had in her. "Well, I would very much like to meet this man and thank him."

Summer sighed. "You and me both…" There was so much she wanted to say to him and it seemed almost too cruel that he'd not been there when she woke. The tribe too, but him more than they. Neither of them had stayed to hear her say thank you. Neither of them knew just how much they'd given her.

"I don't think I'll ever forget his face," she said, laughing a little awkwardly. "I thought he was some kind of divine being. It was the gold hair and the white robes," she said, gesturing to herself as her cheeks heated up. What would Tai say about that? Well, he'd probably want to hug the guy, but still! She was a married woman!

Another thought also occurred to her. "Do you think you'd be able to find him?"

"That's quite the task you pose me without as much as a name to go by." Ozpin held firm in the face of her begging look, though he did sigh. "I will have a look at any databases and see what I can find. Such a Semblance would be rare and highly prized, I'm sure. Healing is an incredible gift. In fact, if we could find him I would certainly appreciate the chance to talk to him. Such an ability would be incredibly useful."

Summer chose not to argue, mostly because the idea of a healer on hand if she, Tai or Qrow got hurt was great, but also because she wanted to find the guy too.

"I make no promises, but I shall see what I can do," Ozpin said, slowly standing. "I'll also see about bringing a scroll patched through to the CCT in after you've had a rest so that you can speak with your family."

"Really!?"

"After you have had a rest," he stressed. "Not before and no matter how much you beg. You have just travelled across half of Remnant while injured. You need rest."

"But-"

"And it is two in the morning," he said. "On a weekday, no less. Your girls have a day of school ahead of them."

Ugh, he was right, and she was the one who kept telling them off whenever they tried to stay up late or watch TV with their father. What kind of message would she be sending if she told them off one moment, then broke the rules the next? Argh, Tai would never let her live it down. Summer pouted, crossing her arms and glaring at the headmaster as if it were somehow his fault.

Ozpin, in turn, simply chuckled. "It won't be a long night. The sooner you get some sleep, the sooner morning will come."

"I don't need you to give me the same line I give Ruby," Summer grumbled, feeling very much the five-year-old right now and not liking it. That was the kind of tone she used with Ruby when convincing her she wouldn't grow big and strong unless she drunk lots of milk. "Hey, is Qrow around?"

"No, and if he was I would also ban _him_ from interfering with you when you need rest."

"Aw. Where is he?"

"Qrow is on a very special mission for me. It is something only he can achieve." Ozpin finally moved away from the bed, pausing at the light switch to slowly turn it off. "Goodnight, Summer. It's good to have you back."

She grinned and flashed her silver eyes in the dark.

"It's good to _be_ back."

/-/

"I-I think you've had enough, sir."

"What?" the muscled man belched and rose to his feet, though perhaps staggered might have been a more accurate way to put it. His body swayed and for a moment it seemed he might sit back down again, perhaps horizontally on the floor, but he caught himself on the bar and pushed on. "You got any idea who I am? I'm not done until I say I'm done."

"S-Sir…"

"I am a proud member of the Branwen Tribe. I am-"

"You are drunk," a calm voice spoke from behind, freezing the bandit. "And the lady says you've had enough." Jaune wrinkled his nose at the smell. "I'm inclined to agree."

The bandit, who was easily six and a half feet tall, didn't turn to face him. He didn't need to since he recognised the voice, as most had come to in the two weeks Jaune had spent with the tribe. At first his presence there had been a source of amusement and entertainment, a lamb to the slaughter of Raven's twisted humour or idle curiosity. They'd put up with him, but he'd been a weak and pitiful thing to be mocked.

It hadn't taken long for one of them to push their luck, and for Jaune to show them just how wrong they were on that notion. Strong as they may have been, Raven's tribe were not huntsmen. There was a reason she and Qrow had been sent to Beacon to learn how to deal with huntsmen, after all. They had their auras unlocked, but they stood somewhere between Roman's thugs and a fresh academy student in terms of skill.

News of his strength had spread fast, and the fact he didn't have a weapon meant remarkably little when it came to the difference between he, a veteran of the campaign against Salem, and they, drunken and undisciplined bandits who preyed on civilians.

"I don't want no trouble," the burly man said, backing down. "Maybe the woman is right. Sorry," he added, this time to the women behind the counter. One of the earlier ones had balked at his demand to apologise to a civilian.

No one had since. Jaune nodded and watched as the man took his fellows out, closing the door softly behind them and causing not a single bit of mess. The others in the tavern, bandits and normal folk both, quickly returned to their own conversations.

He didn't stay for any thanks from the woman, paying for his own drink and leaving a moment later, stepping out into the warm midday sun. Two whole weeks with the tribe, and though he'd have balked at the idea initially – and still did – he had to admit that he could _feel_ his body getting stronger. Fighting their way through to Salem, battling her, coming back, being swept away in an ocean, trekking across a desert and then fighting the Nucklelavee. He hadn't realised just how hard he was pushing himself or just how battered and bruised his body was.

Raven had, of course. And with the ironic concern she gave to what might prove an unsatisfying fight, assured that he had ample time to rest and grow strong. He felt like a pig being fatted for the slaughter, but he couldn't help but admit that he'd needed it. The rest, that was. Less so the slaughter.

The actual prospect of facing Raven wasn't a particularly endearing one. There was no telling whether she had the Spring Maiden's powers yet, but he had a feeling it wouldn't matter either way. Qrow had been ridiculously strong, even at the end, and he'd often said Raven was the stronger.

His path took him out of the small village they'd stopped at, which he didn't remember the name of, and to the bandit camp parked on its outskirts. It was odd to consider a bandit camp next to a civilian town without any violence – other than the occasional brawl he'd quickly stepped into – but then again, bandits couldn't live their whole lives in the wilderness. They needed somewhere to come to sell, buy or just spend their free time. This village seemed to be it, and it appeared there was an understanding of some kind, for Raven's tribe had never attacked it.

Many of the bandits nodded as he walked by, acknowledging him, or more likely his strength, but no longer offering the jeers and taunts they had a fortnight before. One or two he knew by name, Roland among them, but most were just faces. It was hard to grow close to people you knew as bandits and criminals, especially given what he knew of the future. Of course, not everyone saw it the same way.

"Oi, fuck-face!"

"Haven't we had this conversation before?" Jaune asked, not really needing to turn to know Vernal was behind him. "I'm fairly sure Raven isn't impressed with your cussing. Neither am I for the record. Also, my name is Jaune, not `fuck-face`."

Vernal's pout was in full force when he finally turned to face her. The girl had been greatly offended by what she saw as him humiliating her in front of Raven, but had for some reason decided that this was all the more reason to hound him for further spars. He'd hoped Raven finding out would put a stop to it, but the damnable woman had simply smirked and said the best sought to grow stronger by challenging those greater than they. She'd then complimented Vernal's drive, which had pretty much sealed his doom.

"Fight me!" Vernal cried, holding her wooden sword out towards his chest.

"Didn't I beat you just this morning?"

"N-No…"

"You tried to ambush me the moment I stepped out of my tent," he recalled, unimpressed. The girl flinched and looked down to her feet. The worst part was she probably didn't even feel bad for having used such a duplicitous tactic so much as the fact it hadn't worked.

"I'll do better next time."

"You're missing the point here."

"No I'm not, now fight me!"

He'd never been good with children. Not in a sociopathic or anti-social manner, but just in the way that he hadn't been around many and really didn't know how to calm them down. Vernal had to be the worst example, too. She was defiant and rebellious for the sake of it.

"I have a meeting with Raven," he said instead, opting to lie through his teeth. "She'd be angry if I was late."

"You do?" That got a reaction, as it often did. "Hngh." She scowled. "Fine, but you have to fight me later. I'm going to kick your ass and prove I'm stronger than you."

Maybe in ten years' time she would be stronger than the him of this time, who was probably busy being a seven-year-old boy about now. Sadly, he doubted Vernal would ever grow strong enough to challenge _him_. He didn't intend to let his skills stagnate in the coming years.

While the excuse got him out of trouble, it didn't free him entirely and Vernal hovered behind him, clearly hoping to get a glimpse of Raven. With no means of escaping and no desire for another sparring session, Jaune sighed and made his way to the centre of the camp.

In the two weeks he'd spent here, it was inevitable that he and Raven would interact. It was impossible not to really, particularly with him getting involved in breaking up a few fights before they could harm the locals. Raven took discipline seriously, though not in a murderous manner. She normally forced those guilty to fight one another until they both collapsed, but if she was feeling vindictive she might fight them herself and really make them regret it.

He wasn't sure if she approved of him disciplining her people or not, but she never stepped in and the one time someone had complained, she'd simply told them to `deal with it` directly. Aka, fight him. They hadn't complained since.

That encounter led to the two of them speaking more often, which wasn't something he'd had planned. The camp was small and no one dared talk to him other than Vernal and Roland, leaving him to either spar until the end of the day or chat with Raven. The latter was by far the easier choice.

The bigger surprise was that Raven humoured him. In fact, she seemed to appreciate it and occasionally hunted him down instead of it being the other way around. He wasn't sure if she was intrigued, curious or merely bored, but with little else to do and his sword on the line, he'd become a somewhat familiar face at the bandit leader's tent.

So it was now, that she looked up from a scroll she was reading a message and chuckled. "Using me as an excuse to escape Vernal again, are we?"

"She's a handful." Vernal had stopped some distance away, too shy to approach.

"Hmph." Raven brushed some of her black hair over one shoulder and smiled cockily at him. It was odd to see, but she really did remind him of Yang sometimes, not just in the looks department, but the way she acted. She was still cruel and callous, but in the two weeks he'd spent here he'd also seen her laugh, tease and fight with her men.

Perhaps it was just that the times were easier now. In ten years things would be so much worse. It was possible the Raven we'd met had been forged by those, or at least stressed by them. Now, ten years younger, she was no less callous and yet somehow more light-hearted.

"If you really want rid of her you should beat her down," she said. "Make her regret challenging you so much that she avoids you."

"I've already beaten her a few times. She's stubborn."

"I meant that you should go further. Break her arm or leg, or maybe drive her until she can no longer move and then go further. Leave her weeping for mercy."

"I know what you meant," he said, frowning at her. "And I'm not doing that. It's cruel and she's only a child, no matter what she says."

Raven shrugged. "Then put up with her constant pestering, I care not. I merely gave you an option which would solve your problem. It is your choice on whether you act on it."

"Can't you say something to her?"

"I could, but why would I? You can either show your strength and disabuse her of approaching you, or harden yourself and put up with her." Both methods involved being strong, of course. Nothing less could be expected from her. "How is your health?"

"Good. I'm getting stronger."

Raven smiled. "Perfect. A little longer and you and I shall have the chance to cross blades. I look forward to it."

The fight was something she often brought up, though oddly enough more in a teasing way than any real lust for battle. Oh she was excited, but there seemed to be something more to it. If he didn't know better he'd have said this was all an attempt to recruit him into the tribe. Maybe it was; she probably didn't come across someone capable of killing a Nucklelavee every day.

But he, in the Branwen Tribe? Not a chance. Even if they'd saved his life, his morals wouldn't stretch far enough to let him become a bandit.

Of course, it was also possible Raven was just bored. As a tribe of bandits, all they did was wander around stealing and occasionally killing. While that might have been an exciting life for some, it didn't have much in the way of direction or meaning. Being Beacon trained and thus much stronger than her own people, there was probably no one in the tribe that could last against her, let alone pose a challenge. For someone as proud as she, that must have been a source of constant frustration. You grew strong by challenging yourself, after all. What possible training could she endure against people so much weaker than she?

"I'm surprised you're patient enough to let me heal at all," Jaune said. "You're always going on about strength and how important it is."

"Strength is important, but there is no fault in being weak due for a short time." Raven said, frowning. "A baby is weak, as is one brought low by injury. You admitted yourself that you were once weak, and yet now you are stronger than any man in my tribe. The weak can grow strong, but while they are weak I will despise them. That said, temporary weakness due to factors outside of your control is hardly something worth disparaging."

Simple logic for a simple woman - or perhaps a complicated one wanting to see the world in black and white. "I'm not sure strength is the be all and end all, though."

"You certainly like to cling to your flawed logic," she said, for what felt like the tenth time. This was a constant discussion between them. "You could only step in at Kuroyuri because you were strong. Your friend fell because you were not strong. I was able to save you because I was strong enough to feel no fear for any Grimm that dared stand in my path. In this world, a world where the Grimm rule, strength is everything. It grants you the freedom to do what you want."

"There are some who would say it's how you _use_ that strength. What's the point in being strong if you hide away and refuse to use it?"

"Discussions on how to use strength still rely on you having it."

Jaune's words trailed off. She'd caught him there. "Maybe…"

"Strength is like wealth," she said, stretching her muscles in the warm air. It was an oddly vulnerable motion, even if she was anything but. Maybe it was just that it was a very human thing to do and she'd never seemed it before. Then again, he'd only ever seen her in live or die situations before this. "There are some who hoard wealth and others who spend it, and while I'll agree wealth not spent is meaningless, that doesn't change the fact that those with more can have the greatest impact, whether good or bad. The richest man on Remnant could ruin a Kingdom, but he could also save it. It is not so different to be strong. The weak cannot change their own destiny, while the strong can decide it for many."

Despite his best efforts he couldn't entirely bring himself to disagree with her. She was still a terrible person, being both a bandit and a mother who had abandoned her family, but then he wasn't being asked to condone her actions, just her philosophy. And if he'd been stronger, so many people might have survived the final battle. Well, he had plenty of time to grow stronger. A lot could happen in ten years. It was just a little galling to realise that Raven Branwen was the one sharing such wisdom with him, and that it was the same wisdom everyone had found so aggravating in the future.

"What do you intend to use all that strength for?" he asked. "If strength is like wealth then like you said, it's pointless if you don't spend it. Where do you mean to cash it all in?"

Her eyes pierced into his and she frowned. "That is a personal question."

Rather than take the hint and back away, Jaune shrugged and held his ground. It was what she tended to prefer and it wasn't like he had anything better to do. He was just counting the days until he could get his sword back and leave. "If you don't want to answer it, don't. But I'll still ask. There are plenty of people who could use skill like yours."

"Use?" She snorted and looked off to the west, eyes narrowed. "There was once someone who sought to use my strength, and I gave it to him willingly. I trusted him with my power, my skill and my loyalty." Her eyes narrowed, as though recalling some distant time. At some unbidden memory her lips peeled back into a snarl. "No longer. I answer to no one." She didn't meet his eyes, too engrossed in staring at something he couldn't see. "What are your plans once you leave here?" she suddenly asked.

"I'm not leaving until I get my sword back."

"So you say, so you say…" She glanced at him, not quite smiling but somewhat amused. It felt like she appreciated the distraction, or at least the change of subject. "Still, humour me. You're huntsman trained but I've never heard of someone like you. You claim you were trained in the deserts of Vacuo, but everything about your appearance and dialect suggests otherwise."

She knew he was lying, even as he knew that she knew, but he'd already said it and couldn't take it back. To do so would be to admit defeat, and it wasn't like he had any other story he could realistically give her.

"So, what do you intend to do from here?"

"I need to get my huntsman license." There wasn't much point in hiding it from her and no real reason to do so. "I'll be headed to Vale first to pick up something and then travelling to Atlas to be tested for it."

"Atlas? Why not be tested here in Mistral?"

His face twisted. "I… have unresolved issues with the headmaster here."

"Oh? And what might those be?"

"We don't see eye to eye on some things," he said. Lionheart was a coward and a monster and someone he'd probably have to deal with in time. Not now, however. He had no evidence and no means to depose the man, and even if he did Salem would likely just influence his replacement.

"Interesting, and I suppose my next question would be why you don't choose to be tested at Beacon, seeing as how you already intend to visit Vale. Or is it that you feel the same way about Beacon's headmaster as you do Haven's?"

Jaune's silence was telling.

So was Raven's delighted grin.

"Hm, now that's interesting. Does it have something to do with this?" Her hand touched his, tracing the back of his left hand before he could stop her. The sigil from Salem was still burned into it and he tore his hand away, hiding it. It as good as confirmed his guilt. "I see."

"I don't think you do, but you're free to believe what you want." He'd realised after only a few days that the best approach to maintaining his lies was to simply refuse to broach the subject. Whatever story she came up with, it would be more believable to her than the truth, and she'd likely feel more connected to it if she was the one to decide.

Perhaps he was a spy, a criminal or some huntsman on the run. It really didn't matter and it wasn't like Raven Branwen was going to turn him in to the authorities or Ozpin.

"I'll be sure to get the full story out of you in time," she said. "I don't much like secrets."

He shrugged. "You're free to try."

He had no idea how much he'd come to regret that comment.

/-/

It was less than four days later when things changed. He started to wake up feeling fresh rather than tired, and his muscles stopped aching at last. Refreshed and healthy, he saw the world in a different way, somehow less muted. Whatever he had to say about Raven stealing his sword, he couldn't deny how much the two and a half weeks had done for him.

He'd kept up his daily visits and chats with Raven, there not being much else to do to entertain himself and most of the people in the tribe being violent, dull or drunk. Sometimes they talked about the Kingdoms, politics or her tribe. But other times they talked about lighter things like entertainment, fighting styles or even places they'd been and sights they'd seen. Roland was at least a friendly face, but since he trained Vernal daily, that meant approaching him was a bad idea.

Of course, Vernal still found and forced him into at least one spar a day.

Most of the time, he spent with Raven however, and it came as something of a surprise to realise just how normal she was, which was kind of stupid in hindsight. She couldn't perpetually exist in a state of fighting against Salem, and at this point might not have even been aware of her. Plus, she was still human, terrible mother or not. As such, like any other human being, Raven had to live life day by day and deal with normal things like laundry, cooking and chatting with the person who wouldn't leave her alone because she'd stolen his sword.

In a way, he felt she enjoyed it too. They weren't close, not at all, but he was `new` and in a tribe where she saw the same people day in, day out, that probably counted for something. More than that, he wasn't afraid of her and thus could hold his own when they disagreed on something. There were times when the discussions got so heated she reached for her weapon, but he pointed it out each time and she would relent, frustrated – and even a little surprised – that someone had pushed her so far.

He had a feeling no one in the tribe did that, whether out of fear or inability.

Raven delighted in it, if only because it broke up the mediocrity of life.

And then, with the coming of the fourth dawn, that all changed. Jaune noticed it upon waking, that there was a buzz in the camp, with people whispering in low voices and many congregating toward the centre where Raven's tent lay. It was almost as though they'd formed a circle around it to watch a fight. That had happened once or twice when she sparred with someone, though it never brought so large a crowd.

Jaune pushed through it, ignoring complaints as he forced his way to the centre and silenced any who tried to stop him with a glare. His reputation among the tribe had grown enough that none challenged him twice. Those who hadn't seen or experienced him first hand knew of him from others, or had watched in awe and a little jealousy at the easy way he interacted with their fearsome leader. As Jaune approached the centre, he heard voices, one of which was Raven's.

"You come here and make demands of me, traitor? You have a lot of nerve. I've half a mind to cut your tongue from your mouth."

"Wouldn't be the first time you've threatened that and I'm still talking," the other taunted. The voice was familiar, almost. It was gruff and yet not, lacking a certain edge. "Besides, I'm not here to fight. I'm here to talk some sense into you and convince you to come back. He wants to talk to you."

"Oh? And here I was under the impression _he_ had moved on. I doubt my reappearance would have the desired effect."

"I'm talking about Ozpin," Qrow said, for it _was_ Qrow – younger and leaner, and actually not sporting the beard he'd become so well-known for. In fact, the streaks of grey in his hair were absent too, leaving it all black. Jaune found himself staring at the man, too shocked for words.

Raven's sword cleared its sheathe in an instant and tickled the underside of Qrow's chin. It took her a second to realise it wasn't her sword at all but rather Crocea Mors. She'd drawn it without thinking. She recovered quickly however, adjusting her weight for the heavier weapon.

"Choose your next words carefully, Qrow. I do not answer to that man anymore. I am no one's slave."

"Heh, you don't answer to anyone as far as you can tell, but that doesn't mean you're not a slave, just that you're a slave to your own fear. Whatever happened to being the strongest?"

The sword moved closer. Raven's tone was arctic. "I. Fear. Nothing. I _am_ the strongest."

"Oh? Then what is there to fear in a quick meeting with Ozpin? He just wants to talk."

Jaune scoffed. The day Ozpin `just wanted to talk` was the day he stopped treating everyone like chess pieces, which meant it wouldn't happen for at least another thirteen years. Unfortunately, he'd chosen to express his disbelief in a moment of tense silence, not only from the crowd but also Raven and Qrow. Their heads swivelled in his direction.

"Another mindless killer?" Qrow asked.

He didn't like the accusation and answered before Raven could. "I'm more of a guest."

Qrow looked him up and down, and since the cat was out of the bag Jaune did the same in return. It was like looking at an incredibly skilled imitation artist. Everything that made Qrow himself was there, from the hair to the outfit and weapon, and yet there were subtle differences; differences that would have made him accuse the imitation of laziness over if he didn't know it was simply a matter of time.

The beard was an obvious one, as was the grey hair, but the other was that Qrow looked remarkably sober. In fact, though he had a hip flask on his belt, it was tightly strapped down, impossible to drink from at a moment's notice and very un-Qrow.

Similarly, the posture wasn't quite there. The Qrow he knew was a man forcing himself to relax. He was tense, like a spring ready to snap, but he'd force his body to slouch, either to make people lower their guards or just to appear more relaxed than he actually was. He was cautious and always prepared.

This Qrow was not. He slouched, but in a way that was perfectly natural and one of the biggest surprises was the cocky grin he wore, one that matched Raven's to a tee. If there was any doubt the two were related, that ended it. Still, his Qrow could be cocky at times, but he was never arrogant. This one was obviously looking down on him.

"A guest, huh?" he asked, shooting Raven a look. "You always did like them with blonde hair and blue eyes. I'm surprised how fast you've moved on, but maybe I shouldn't be. It's just like you to not care."

Raven's eyes flashed. Her hand tensed on the hilt of his weapon, and her shoulders vibrated for a second. The words had affected her, even if she didn't respond to them. Rather than admit that to Qrow however, she smirked and walked up to stand behind Jaune, draping her arms over his shoulders.

"He has things others can't provide. You wouldn't understand."

Jaune stiffened, though not – as one might have thought – from having a voluptuous woman pressing against his back. That was new, novel and nice, but it was the _meaning_ of what was being said that caused him such internal strife. They assumed he had no idea what they were talking about, but he did. Qrow was suggesting _he_ would come between Raven and Taiyang, that he was somehow responsible.

It was just a family spat, a desperate attempt from each to hurt the other, but the accusation still lowered Jaune's opinion of Young Qrow. Yang's family wasn't a joking matter. Not with Summer dead and Raven like this.

"In that case, I think I'd rather not understand." Qrow's eyes flickered to his. "Word of advice, friend. Don't get involved with her. She only uses people. People's feelings and thoughts are meaningless to someone like her."

Raven tensed; he could feel it through his back. However good her poker face, she couldn't hide the tiny changes reactions she had – not when she was flush against him. Jaune wasn't sure if it was some kind of camaraderie with her or not, some level of gratitude for saving him or just that Qrow was pushing _all_ the wrong buttons. Either way, he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Unlike Ozpin, right? He'd _never_ treat people like disposable pawns."

It was the wrong thing to say he realised, even as he said it. Anger towards Ozpin, or at Qrow's hypocrisy or just the state of affairs, but whatever the case he'd let his temper slip away from him, just like he had with Neptune all those years ago at the Beacon dance. Even so, the sarcasm in his voice, thicker than tar, could not be missed. And of course, they didn't miss it at all. Raven's hands tightened on his chest, clutching through the fabric without her really realising it. He also caught a breath of warm air expelled against his neck and a sudden tenseness that radiated through his back. He registered shock and surprise, along with a slow, silent chuckle once she regained control of herself.

From Qrow, he earned instant and unwavering suspicion. The man's eyes narrowed, one hand reached back to his weapon and he regarded Jaune with the sudden attention of someone who'd just noticed a venomous snake. And why not? Most people shouldn't have known much about Ozpin, let alone that Qrow worked for him as some kind of personal agent. With just a few words, he'd burned his bridges with the man who had helped train him in the past.

 _Me and my big mouth. Vernal must be rubbing off on me…_

"I've decided," Raven said from behind him. Her interruption stole Qrow's attention, though Jaune still had a feeling this meeting would be reported back to Ozpin. That wasn't a good thing. "I've made my decision, Qrow. If Ozpin wants to speak with me, I shall speak. I will come to Beacon, listen to him and even allow him to convince me of his intentions."

Qrow faltered, surprised. To be fair, Jaune was, too. "You'll come?" Qrow asked. "That sounds too good to be true. I'm sensing a condition here…"

"But…" Raven said, smiling widely, leaning on Jaune's back with her chin resting on his shoulder. She sounded unusually excited. "I will only do that if you can prove your strength here and now. Show me that time working under _his_ sway has not made you weak."

"Fight you?" Qrow asked. "Tch, if I have to."

"Not I, brother."

Raven placed both hands on Jaune's back and pushed him forwards.

"Fight my champion."

* * *

 **Well, well, well, here we are. We have our first time skip in this story and there will be time skips involved throughout it. They will typically be as simple as this however, with not much missed between them. In this case Jaune spent three weeks or near enough with the tribe, giving time for Summer to be shipped to Vale, Ozpin to react to one of his being attacked, and then to send Qrow to Raven as a result. Oh, and Ozpin now knows of Jaune.**

 **On Raven's character, we only see very brief snippets in the show, and most of those are in what I'd call combat situations, or at least high-stress ones. I've tried to not only strike a balance, but to also make her ten years younger, which as you can tell from Qrow** _ **will**_ **have an effect on people. Ten years is a long time… especially if some terrible things happen in them.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	6. Chapter 6

**Right so, this is early – again.** **It's confusing, but basically College Fool was too busy with work to have anything to do with "Hunter or Something", and since that is CF's fic and not mine, I can't just publish a chapter without it being approved. As such, we've decided to switch around the updates a little. This will still be every two weeks, but the order has just been reversed for now.**

 **As such, the dates for next chapters at the** _ **bottom**_ **of this chapter will be accurate. Not much I can do to change or prepare for this, as CF's job is very important and it's work that cannot and should not be skipped.**

 **Also, on me having Qrow say Raven was stronger than him, remember that he told Jaune this at the end of his life (the words used were; "In the end, Qrow even said...", which means he told Jaune in the future, i.e. when Raven had been confirmed as the Spring Maiden. Whether or not they were of equal strength before that fact, they were not afterwards. And coming back, Jaune has no idea if she is or isn't the maiden yet (which is obviously a question a lot of reviewers had, too). Either way, Jaune decided to err on the side of caution and assume she is, and is thus stronger than Qrow.**

 **It's not me bashing; Jaune just has future knowledge and is applying it. Qrow and Raven are equal with that not included, but with it? Not so much.**

 **Note: New Cover art by Jack Wayne. Check his DA to see it closer and to see more.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 6**

* * *

The bandits surrounding the camp began to cheer and shout, sensing the oncoming combat and pushing to get the best view. The circle crowded in, tents and other items pushed away as a ring was roughly formed, not ten metres in diameter. The walls of it were flesh, muscle and the odd weapon. Had Qrow or Jaune wanted to leave, they wouldn't have been able to. Through it all, Raven smiled, goading her warriors on with a nonchalant air.

"Fight him?" Qrow asked, not at all bothered by the display or at least hiding it well. He looked Jaune up and down in what could only be a dismissive manner. "Alright, shouldn't be too hard." He brought forth his weapon and started to swing it, loosening his muscles. "But if I win, you have to stick to your side of the deal."

"I don't go back on my word."

"Heh, I guess that's at least one thing you're good at sticking with. It's a shame you never managed it with anything else."

The barbs and taunts never ceased and the crowd loved it, lapping up the tension and the promise of a good fight. Jaune was less keen and caught Raven by the elbow, pulling her aside. "What are you doing?" he hissed. "I'm not your champion and this isn't my fight. I don't want to fight him."

"It's a little late for that now."

"No, it's not. Fight him yourself. I've got no reason to do this."

"Oh? And here I thought you wanted your sword back," Raven smirked when he froze. Her hand gently took his, prying it off her arm and pushing it back against his chest. "Fight Qrow on my behalf and I shall give it back, no questions asked. You'll have what you came for and be free to leave."

It was a good offer… or at least a good point. He had to fight Raven to get it back anyway, and Qrow was on the same level as Raven, at least when she wasn't using the Spring Maiden's powers. He had no idea if she actually had those yet, but if he had to pick between fighting her and Qrow, then Qrow _would_ be the easier choice, if only because he knew more about how the man fought.

The bigger problem was that fighting Qrow aligned him with Raven and against Ozpin, and while it was definitely the case on the latter, he didn't exactly want that to be a known fact. His anonymity was supposed to be his biggest advantage, and that wasn't just being thrown out the window - it was being mailed directly to Ozpin with a gift tag. There was _no way_ the headmaster wouldn't be hearing about this the moment Qrow got back to Vale. If he won, it would only be worse!

"Why are you doing this?" he demanded, pulling Raven aside so that Qrow couldn't hear them whisper. "What do you have to gain?"

"That is for me to know and you to find out." Raven shucked off his hands and reversed Crocea Mors, holding it by the blade and pushing the hilt out towards him. "But if you need a little more incentive, I shall give it to you. Your goal is to reach Vale, and as soon as possible, no? The journey would take a week or more, perhaps two. I can have you there tomorrow, or close enough to cut your travel down to just a few hours."

Her Semblance; he'd almost forgotten about it. She could only move to people she had a bond with as far as he understood, but the hint on travel time suggested she had Taiyang in mind, which meant Patch. The small island _was_ close to the city, barely six hours away by ferry. It would cut a lot of time off his trip and save any more distractions like this one. The only reason he hadn't thought of it before was that there was no real way to convince Raven to open one for him, or there hadn't been until now.

Again, she made it sound like such a good offer.

"The alternative is that I fight him," she said. "We're evenly matched, so if he wins I'll need to travel to Vale to see Ozpin. It might take a while for me to have the freedom to face you, which means I shall be keeping hold of your weapon for quite a while longer, and you'll have to accompany me to Vale if you want it back. Of course, even should I win, I might be too injured to fight you – so you would need to wait another week or so for me to heal. Can you afford to waste so much time?"

No, he couldn't. Even assuming she won, he'd end up stuck here. If she lost, then she'd have to go to Vale, and he – needing his sword – would be forced to follow. Meeting Ozpin this early wasn't just a bad idea; it was madness.

With a sigh, Jaune accepted his sword.

Raven's eyes sparkled like gems.

"I'm not doing this for you," he pressed. "I'm doing this because it helps me."

"I would have no respect for you were it the other way around. I'm not a damsel in distress who needs a man to fight her battles for her. This is simply entertainment. That and confirming something."

Well, that was certainly an ominous way to put it, but he shouldn't have expected any less. Jaune held his hand out for his sheathe but hooked it to his belt after a moment's thought. On the one hand, fighting without his shield would be a little harder, but having a surprise weapon against Qrow would be useful, and since this was inevitably going to be reported back to Ozpin, he wasn't sure it was a good idea to show a weapon's ability that would be identical to the one a certain student would have in ten years' time. Crocea Mors' blade looked different enough from the one that would exist in this time, but the shield did not.

Jaune stalked away from Raven and toward Qrow, who stood waiting for him in the centre of the ring. The man, though it felt odd to call him that when he looked so young, watched him with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Finished flirting?" he asked.

"I wasn't flirting with her," Jaune replied. "And I'll thank you to not involve me in your family squabbles. Whatever is between you and her is between the two of you. Leave me out of it."

"Not possible. Not when you stand alongside her."

 _I don't, asshole,_ Jaune felt like saying. Unfortunately, Qrow would never believe him. He had no reason to, and there wasn't much else of a good explanation for why he was here, nor why Raven had chosen to call him her champion.

Losing on purpose wasn't an option, as amusing as it would have been to see the look on Raven's face. If he lost, she'd show her displeasure by keeping his sword all the way to Vale and forcing him to meet Ozpin. Between beating Qrow and earning suspicion or losing and having to meet Ozpin directly, the choice was easy.

Assuming he could beat Qrow at all, that was. Jaune readied his sword, held in two hands before him in a guard stance. _I guess we'll soon find out._

"You shall fight until surrender, injury or death," Raven called, leaping up onto her raised platform where she would have a wonderful view of the fight. To both his and Qrow's annoyance, she made a show of sitting down on a seat, slinging one leg gracefully over the other. "Do try to avoid the last option. I don't need a corpse stinking up my campsite."

"No promises," Qrow said.

Seriously? Jaune wasn't sure if it was to try and get into his head or not, but this Qrow seemed a lot more bloodthirsty than he was used to. Raven's terms were as brutal as he'd expected, though he doubted she had aura meters of combat arenas out here, so she did have an excuse. The lack of a ring-out option was a problem, but he'd just have to fight on and hope for the best.

Luckily, he knew Qrow's combat style, both from watching the man fight and sparring with him numerous times. The moment the bout began, Qrow would bait him in with some taunt, taking a defensive stance and waiting for an opening to—

"Begin!" Raven called.

Qrow rocketed forwards with a roar.

Jaune's eyes had a moment to widen in shock before he backpedalled, catching Qrow's sword on his at the last second and knocking it aside. The huntsman pushed forward and used both hands to force Jaune back, hurling him away. Jaune landed hard, stumbled on one leg, but ignored it as he parried the next attack, Qrow attacking with blistering speed and aggression.

Too much so! Qrow was _faster_ and _stronger_ than he had been before, now in his prime and more than willing to use that to his advantage. Jaune found himself pressed before he could realise it, falling back under a withering hail of blows. It was all he could do to parry and try to put distance between them. Sweat beaded on his brow as he flicked another thrust aside, and took the chance to counter-attack, knocking Qrow back and giving himself some space to think.

This was madness. This wasn't how Qrow fought – not at all. Jaune ducked under a wide swing and slipped under the man's guard, coming up behind him but leaping back when Qrow spun and cut down towards him. The constant assault was so bizarre that he had no idea what to do. Qrow was quick and strong, but had always been something of a strange combatant. He wasn't a strategist by any means, but he fought cautiously, using the terrain and every trick in the book to overwhelm his foe with brutal efficiency.

He was _not_ a male version of Yang Xiao-Long, replete with grunts on every attack, laughter whenever he knocked Jaune back, and a mocking smirk. And yet that was what he found himself facing. This was a Qrow in his prime, though as Jaune quickly realised, it was Qrow's his physical prime, not mental.

"What's the matter?" Qrow taunted. "Is that thing an ornament or are you going to swing it?"

" _There's time for talk in a fight, but only in very specific circumstances,_ " a more grizzled and guarded Qrow had told him. _"If you need to stall, fine, but in all other cases the one who talks the loudest is the one who isn't paying attention. Don't be that idiot."_

They'd all been like that once, not only him but Yang, Ruby and Nora, all. They'd learned better as they grew older, only talking to shout out commands or warnings to one another. Was it possible Qrow hadn't learned that yet?

It looked like Qrow's lesson in the future had been built on personal experience.

"Nothing to say?" Qrow mocked.

There really was nothing, so Jaune leapt in and sent a probing attack for Qrow's left side. The man's blade parried his with ease, knocking it aside with a sharp bark of laughter. He cut inward, aiming for Jaune's throat, but a tilt of his body gave it nothing but air. In turn, he slipped in and drove the pommel of Crocea Mors into the side of Qrow's ribs, and then used his own weight to push the man back.

As much as it irked him to admit it, Qrow had the advantage when it came to a typical fight, even with Jaune knowing the man's fighting style, and Qrow being ten years younger than he had before. Still, there were some small differences and it was one of those Jaune decided to place his faith in. As he rammed the man, and before they parted, Jaune let go of Crocea Mors with one hand and sent it crashing into Qrow's face. It caught him in the jaw and knocked his head back, for once cutting off that smirk as Qrow bit his own tongue.

The bandits cheered wildly, deciding Jaune was the better one to support even though Qrow had once been a part of the tribe.

To Qrow's credit, the blow barely fazed him. He staggered back, warding his sword before him to prevent a follow-up. Once there was a little distance between them, he reached up with one hand to test his jaw, wincing.

"Tch," he said, spitting a little blood to the side. "Cheap shot."

Had it been any other situation, Jaune might have fainted. Cheap shot? _Cheap shot!?_ This was a fight. Not only did anything go, but the one he'd _learned_ that technique from was the person currently insulting it. Hell, he'd only learned it from Qrow because the asshole kept using it on him. There were only so many times you could be punched in the face before you had it down by memory.

This really wasn't Qrow at all, was it?

Or it was, but it was different. The physical factors were there, but he'd not counted for the other parts – the ten years difference between the man who stood before him and the man he'd meet at Beacon. He'd expected things to be different, that maybe Qrow would be a little weaker, but by this much? No, not weaker. Less refined. Qrow's strength and speed was ridiculous, as was his skill, but the huntsman was somehow less tempered. He didn't have that wary edge that gave Qrow the advantage; that constant caution that spoke of a man who'd been through hell and learned to expect it at every moment.

Perhaps that was it. Perhaps this Qrow just hadn't been through enough. But what could have changed in just ten years to turn a man from the sober huntsman before him, who resembled Yang at her best, to a jaded and paranoid shell of a man willing to give his life for Ozpin? Something big, that much was for sure.

Their blades crashed together again, Jaune giving ground as he parried each attack, keeping his sword central to his body and refusing to take any of the gaps Qrow left him. In the future, those would have been traps, and a part of him still saw them as such and feared Qrow getting the upper hand. The worst part was that given by Qrow's savagery and lack of guard, they really weren't traps at all. Qrow really did have gaps in his defence.

It was on the next pass that Jaune decided to test one. Qrow's attack came in high and clashed off his sword, but Jaune ducked low, stepped under and _rammed_ his shoulder into Qrow's gut. With their swords locked above them, he drove the huntsman forward and let go, tossing him a few feet. Though Qrow managed to land, it was awkward and clumsy, and that left him unable to properly defend when Jaune slashed down with a two-handed blow.

Qrow tried nonetheless but his footing wasn't there. He managed to deflect it but flew back, falling on his ass before he rolled away and staggered back up. As the crowd jeered and laughed, Qrow's cheeks tinted.

"Alright, so you're no mere bandit. I guess I'll have to take you seriously."

"A real huntsman always takes his foe seriously," Jaune said, breaking his own rule to speak. He couldn't help it, though. Qrow's words felt like a personal insult to his own teacher, as ironic as that sounded since he meant Qrow himself.

The older Qrow wouldn't have taken someone anything less than seriously, no matter who they were or what they looked like.

"Oh, the bandit thinks he knows something about being a huntsman?" Qrow mocked, fighting to regain what confidence he'd lost. "That's cute. I'll have you know I graduated from Beacon Academy, the best academy in all of Remnant. I'm one of the strongest huntsmen in Vale."

He was, and to be fair if this were a fair fight of Beacon-sanctioned spar, Qrow would have won easily. The problem was his attitude though, and the fact that Jaune had been trained to ignore things like honour and fair play and seek victory wherever he could. Like Qrow said, the older one that was, the only thing that mattered in a fight was winning. And seeing this Qrow stood before him with a cocky smirk and a lackadaisical attitude?

It was honestly a little disappointing.

Jaune went on the attack suddenly, closing the distance between them and lashing out with wide and heavy blows, forcing the huntsman onto the defensive. He'd always been more of an endurance fighter himself, never quite capable of the graceful techniques Pyrrha had tried to impart. He'd learned them as best he could, but flips had to be traded for rolls and snap-kicks for shoulder-charges.

Pyrrha was one of a kind while he was just one of many, but that didn't mean he hadn't picked up a few tricks, and as he pushed Qrow back toward the crowd, it was one such he employed. With a mighty crash, he knocked Qrow's sword wide, but also allowed his own to over-extend, providing an opening. Qrow saw it, and like the aggressive fighter he'd never really been, couldn't hold back from taking advantage, lunging in.

Jaune's knees hit the dirt, along with his shoulder and body, watching Qrow sail by overhead, wide-eyed at his opponent's sudden dive. As Qrow stumbled over him, Jaune scraped up a healthy pile of dust and pebbles and threw them in Qrow's face.

"Arghhh!" Qrow staggered back with one hand clutched to his face, trying to wipe the debris from his eyes. He cried out again when Jaune's leg swept around, catching him in the back of the shin and sweeping his foot away. Qrow fell hard and tried to roll away.

But Jaune was on him before he could. One hand grappled with Qrow's sword, wrenching it from his grasp and tossing it away, while his other – too close to use his own – instead hammered down with the pommel, striking Qrow in the neck with a blow that left him gasping for breath.

With a grunt and a final kick to the groin - just to make sure he stayed down - Jaune scrabbled off and pointed his blade down to tickle Qrow's throat. "You've lost," he panted. "Yield."

In the end, Qrow hadn't fired off a single shot, nor revealed his weapon as a mecha-shift. He'd not had the chance on account of how he didn't take Jaune seriously, relying on what he believed to be a natural advantage in skill and ability. Raw skill and talent wasn't everything, however. It worked to a degree, but there was always a way for the weaker combatant to eke out an advantage. It all depended on how hard they were willing to train… or how low they were prepared to go in his case. Puling hair, low blows, dirt in the eyes, ambushes, the man he knew as Qrow had taught him and his friends all of that and more.

But the Qrow beneath him hadn't realised that yet. Had he, the fight might - would - have gone a different way.

Instead, he stared balefully up at Jaune.

"Dirty move," Qrow coughed, wiping an arm over his face. "What kind of bastard taught you that?"

"A really mean one. But a good man, and someone I respected even if he did drink too much." Jaune laughed, before he raised his voice to call out, "The fight is over. I could have slit his throat but didn't. We're done here."

The crowd started to cheer, shout and groan in equal measure, some having no doubt bet against him. None seemed willing to help Qrow up however, who lay on his back with a frustrated and shame-faced scowl. Again, it wasn't like the Qrow he knew, but Jaune felt a little sympathy for him nonetheless. He knew what it was like to be in that situation, and really, he should have been happy the Qrow he'd met here wasn't the same as his. It meant he was happier, if not at this moment then at least in general. His Qrow had always carried something around on his shoulders; something he drunk to forget. Jaune moved forward and held a hand out, offering it to his opponent.

"Good fight," he said. "Just be prepared for an opponent who fights dirty next time and you won't have any problems."

Qrow stared at the hand in surprise for a moment, but a scowl soon replaced his expression and he slapped it aside. The huntsman forced himself up and spared a brief glare for his sister, and then a much longer one for Jaune. Without a word, he limped away, defeated.

A man could change a lot in ten years. Jaune had gone from being useless to what he was now in three or four, and it looked like Qrow still had a little growing of his own to do. _I guess the fight against Salem doesn't really kick off until later. Qrow's still a fairly new huntsman now, so he probably hasn't had a chance to really test himself. Or to realise how much stronger he can be. How much stronger he needs to be._

Maybe their spar here would help him. Like any other huntsman, Qrow wasn't someone who took a loss lying down. He'd improve himself.

Raven's hands clapped together as she descended her dais. He knew she'd done so early to make sure Qrow heard, and if the man's stiff shoulders as he picked up his weapon were any indication he certainly had. He didn't pause to speak with Raven, but instead pushed through the crowd, knocking one person aside as her jeered at the huntsman.

"Ignore him," Raven said, laughing delightedly. "Qrow will fly back to Ozpin to sulk like the little child he is. He was never one to accept defeat gracefully, nor embarrassment."

Jaune nodded and sheathed his sword, relieved to have it back on his hip. He wiped away some sweat with the back of his hand. His breathing was a little heavier but not overly so. The fight with Qrow had been hard but not long, mostly because he'd cheated to end it sooner, forcing a surrender instead of the two of them beating one another into near-unconsciousness. It could have been so much worse, and Qrow's strength and speed couldn't be underestimated. _Or his Semblance. I'm lucky the fight didn't last long enough for it to take effect._

Or he was unlucky; it was hard to tell with Qrow's semblance sometimes.

"I was right," Raven said, looking him up and down with a wry smile. "You really are strong – and not just as a huntsman. The brutality you showed, the way you fought, even the lack of pointless conversation. I can see why you were strong enough to defeat the Nucklelavee."

"And now Qrow is suspicious about me," Jaune said, panting lightly. "Thanks for that." He couldn't help but think that was intentional on her part. At least he'd managed to hide the sigil on his hand, wearing one of his leather gloves.

"Is it Qrow you're concerned about, or Ozpin?"

Jaune tensed. The action didn't go unnoticed and Raven began to laugh. She continued to do so until she had to take a step back, one hand over her mouth. Several of the people in her tribe watched her curiously, so she motioned for him to follow and stepped back into her tent, closing the flap behind her. He followed.

"Care to share the joke?"

"Not so much a joke as satisfaction," Raven replied, finally controlling her amusement. "I was so very certain, but had no way of proving it. It was a gambit for sure but it seems it paid off. Even someone like I can occasionally take pleasure in fooling another." She leaned back into a seat and gestured to one opposite, on the other side of a thin, wooden table. "Drink?"

Jaune didn't sit. "You promised me a way to Vale. I think I'd like to collect."

"I promised you that tomorrow. The means for said transport isn't ready yet," she added when he made to complain. "If I tried to use it now, you would fall into the ocean."

Confusion warred within him for a moment, until he realised she was talking about her Semblance's limit. If it could only connect to people she'd bonded with, then she must have meant that Taiyang or Yang were on a boat somewhere. It was the only thing he could think of, since Raven wouldn't have known Ruby to make a bond with her, and Qrow couldn't have been too far gone at this point. If there was nothing she could do, there was nothing she could do. Not that he had any way to prove or disprove what she was saying.

"I'll take you tomorrow when they settle down." She gestured to the seat again. "Sit."

This time, he did so, grudgingly. He unhooked Crocea Mors and laid it against a crate beside the table, next to Raven's. It was an oddly casual gesture, though after chatting with her for the better part of two weeks, it felt natural.

"I wasn't so certain at first, but little things started to add up," Raven said. "Your desire to reach Vale, but your goal of taking the huntsman tests in Atlas. Your reaction to Qrow, and what you said about Ozpin. You know him, don't you?"

Jaune's instincts said to deny it. His brain knew it would be pointless. "I know him."

Raven leaned forward. "And you don't trust him."

"Oh, I trust him," Jaune replied, earning a small frown. "But trust doesn't mean I agree with him. Ozpin will do what he thinks is right, and maybe it is, but I don't approve of his methods."

"He's not the man he portrays himself to be," Raven said ominously.

"No," Jaune agreed. "He isn't."

Raven laughed again, delighted at something only she understood. "I'm not sure why I'm so happy. I think I'd given up hope on ever finding someone who could see the truth as I do. Ozpin always shows himself to be the kind and caring grandfather figure, but he's not."

"He is," Jaune countered, "but he's also more than that."

Because even now, he knew Ozpin _had_ cared about them all. He'd cared about Beacon, Vale and their teams, but he'd just cared _more_ about defeating Salem. Enough to leave Beacon when it fell, abandoning his former colleagues. Enough to lead children on a dangerous quest across the kingdoms, regardless of the risk. Enough to send them against Salem, and to not only trade their lives for victory, but to accept death on behalf of Oscar, too.

Ozpin cared, but that caring was always second to the bigger picture. That was what made him so dangerous, and what led to Jaune both hating and not-quite-hating him. Either way, he didn't have to despise the man to work against him. In an ideal world, they could have worked together, but Ozpin had no reason to trust him and if he knew the future, he'd want it re-enacting perfectly. If the easiest way to achieve that was to kill the outlier, himself, then so be it. In the end, Ozpin and he were enemies. They just weren't hated ones.

Yet, anyway.

There was no telling what first impression Qrow would be taking back.

"He can't be trusted," Jaune continued. "He's a man that will lead others to ruin, which is why I want to avoid him. His heart's in the right place, but it's his way of doing things that I don't like. He always puts others in the way of danger and wants them to fight on his behalf. It'd be different if _he_ actually joined in, but he's always the one behind the scenes pulling the strings."

"Hm, that much I can agree to. Qrow is a fool for trusting him."

"And I thought you didn't care for your brother. I see I was wrong."

"What?" Raven gasped over her drink. "I do not care for Qrow at all!"

Jaune chuckled and drank his own, marvelling at how nice it was. He'd half-expected some horrid, overly-strong booze, but Raven had probably stolen nice wine from somewhere. "I think you do, otherwise you wouldn't _want_ him to stop trusting Ozpin. You're trying to look out for him."

Raven huffed but refused to answer. She took a long drink and slammed the cup down. "Qrow isn't who we are discussing here."

"Who were we discussing? Ozpin? I think we've both agreed we don't like him much."

"That's what is so unusual." Raven leaned forward. "I've not met a single other person who sees him the same way I do. That man doesn't allow people close to him and he keeps his secrets against his chest. How do you know him so well?"

"I trusted him once," Jaune admitted slowly. While the whole truth was out of the question, a little couldn't hurt. "I listened to him, followed him and believed in him." He took another long drink, banishing memories of what had happened to his friends. "I paid for it. My friends paid harder."

Raven was unusually quiet. "And now you no longer trust him," she said. "I see. Perhaps that is why I found it so easy to speak with you. I don't normally find it so simple to bond with another like this." She gestured towards him, her and the table between them. "You intrigued me from the moment we first met but I couldn't understand why. I get it now."

"It's not my magnetic personality?" he joked.

"No. It's because we are the same."

Jaune frowned. "I'm not sure I like that comparison…"

"Similar, then," she decided, too excited to let it go. "We both trusted Ozpin and both discovered the truth, striking out on our own paths. You can deny it all you want, but our circumstances are the same. I'd imagine both of us faced some level of disagreement from our old friends."

He didn't, on account of them all being dead, but try as he might to deny Raven's words, he couldn't. Had Ruby still been alive, she would have sided with Ozpin still. She was selfless like that; willing to see her life end for a chance for peace for everyone else. He wasn't. He was selfish.

Jaune finished his drink and poured himself another.

He had never abandoned his family for one. Oh sure, he'd left to become a huntsman but it wasn't like he'd done so without a message and without occasionally sending a letter home. He hadn't walked out on a spouse and child.

But he couldn't argue against them sharing _some_ similarities.

"Our situations are similar," he admitted. "But we're not. We are different."

"Of course. It would be foolish to suggest otherwise. I'm just pleased to find someone else who shares my opinion. Few do."

He nodded. "Makes sense."

Raven offered the flask again. "Drink?"

Jaune held out his mug.

/-/

Rays of sunlight peeked through the tent flaps and poked him in the eye. Jaune fought against it for as long as he could, but when not even rolling over got rid of it, he groaned and opened his eyes, pushing himself up on his hands.

Long, flowing, black hair greeted him.

His eyes widened. Had he-?

No. The impact of his hangover struck first, followed by reality as he noticed that not only was Raven fully clothed, but that she was half slumped on her cot, one arm and leg over the edge, and that he'd fallen asleep at the table, also still in his outfit. The stench of alcohol permeated the tent along with some scraps of beef or chicken they'd had later on. Two plates remained on the table with scraps remaining, alongside three empty flasks.

Had they really drunk themselves to oblivion? That felt remarkably unlike him, and her to be honest, but that was only because he still struggled to see her as anything other than a power-obsessed absent mother. Then again, she _was_ a Branwen. He was more surprised she felt comfortable enough to fall asleep near him. Did she trust him so much that she felt no fear letting her guard down?

 _Or maybe she drank so much she didn't have a choice. Either way, I need her portals, so it's not like I could do anything to her, and she knows it._

He stood with a little assistance from the table and limped over to a stack of crates, atop which lay a corked flask. Pulling it out, he sniffed the contents, and tested a little on his tongue when it smelt of nothing at all. Discovering it was fresh water, he guzzled at it, washing the headache away. Alcohol hadn't ever really been his thing, even if he'd tried a little. It was impossible not to with Qrow around.

Raven and he had talked through the night, he recalled blurrily. There hadn't been anything too deep or complicated, and they'd mostly just discussed strength, destiny and Ozpin a little more. He couldn't say he fully understood how much it meant to her to have someone who could talk on the level of an equal, and who didn't despise her for betraying Ozpin, but then again he'd only been in this world for a few weeks, so he didn't have much to go on either.

Nice or not, however, he had places to be. With a quick look to make sure her sword was out of reach – on the other side of the tent – he moved over and placed a hand on her shoulder, pushing her gently. "Raven, wake up."

"Mmf…"

"Raven!" He shook her a little harder. "Hangover or not, you promised me a way to Vale. Wake up."

"Ngh." Raven's brow creased, but she slowly started to wake up. Like him, she sought to escape the light by rolling over, this time so that her face was buried in his chest. Her fingers gripped at the fabric of his robes. "You smell good," she whispered sleepily, eyes cracking open. She smiled and nuzzled against him. "Come back to bed, Tai…"

"It's Jaune, actually."

Raven's eyes snapped open. Her hand, still bunched in his chest, pushed away with sudden force, hurling him back into the table with a crack. When he shook away the shock, he was in time to see Raven stand and turn away, brushing a hand through her hair.

When she turned back, her face was business-like, with no sign of her earlier behaviour and a frown in place. "What are you doing in my tent?"

"I woke up here."

"You-?" Her eyes closed and she sighed. "Right, we were drinking. I remember."

"You called me-"

"You shouldn't wake someone up so easily," she interrupted, stalking past him. "Had I my sword to hand I might have cut you down. What time is it?"

"I don't know?"

"Hmph." Raven strapped her sword back onto her waist and peeked out the tent flap, shielding her bloodshot eyes from the light. "The sun is up. Someone will be making breakfast."

"Raven, you-"

"I'll create a portal for you after we eat. You can leave after that."

She wasn't going to answer his questions. Jaune let it go with a sigh, not sure he could take the answers either way. "Alright," he said. "Thank you."

Raven's mood persisted for at least another hour or two, long enough for them to eat in relative silence and for her to bark critique at several bandits sparing nearby. Even Jaune thought her demands too much for them and they stared at her open-mouthed. "Well?" she snapped. "Get to it! The strong live and the weak die. Do not disappoint me."

"Y-Yes, Raven!"

It wasn't the hangover making her act out, he knew, but at the end of the day he couldn't afford to ask and make things worse. He needed to get to Vale. Whatever issues she had were her own and chances were he'd just make them worse.

It was closer to noon when she finally calmed down enough to draw him aside, outside of the camp and in a small thicket of trees that concealed them from view. "My Semblance allows me to create portals," she explained, and he pretended to be suitably awed and unaware of all of it. Noticeably, she kept the part about `bonds` out of it. "I can make you one to Patch, which is a small island a short journey from Vale. You will need to secure a ferry for yourself, but that should not be hard."

"I'll manage. Thank you for this, and for saving me," he added. "You put me up for almost three weeks and helped me heal. I appreciate that."

"Don't ruin what respect I have for you by crying," Raven said. Her lips tugged up just a fraction.

"I'm not _that_ grateful."

"How cruel. Still, it was enjoyable while it lasted." She made it seem like admitting that physically hurt. "Are you sure I cannot convince you to join the Branwen tribe? You would be a fine addition and I would welcome you."

"You can't. I have places to be."

"A shame..." Raven laughed. "But I could tell as much. Still, it does not hurt to ask." She turned a little to the side and concentrated on the space before her, slowly willing a portal to life. It was not the first time he'd seen them, but it was closer than any other and the first time he'd use one. "You can step through and into Patch," she explained.

"Thank you." He hesitated. As odd as it sounded, he would miss this. It was hard to explain, and maybe it was just him talking to someone for the first time in a while. He took a deep breath and steeled himself. Everyone else came first, and he really wanted to get into Vale and out before Qrow reached Ozpin. It would take the man a day or two by flight, which meant he was working on limited time. "I guess this is goodbye."

"We shall see one another again."

Would they, or was that just some means to make him feel better? He had no idea and Raven wasn't saying, her knowing smile the only answer he received.

"If you say so..."

With a deep breath, he stepped through the portal.

The cold hit him first. He wasn't actually sure what season it was, but it was a little later in the day and the breeze was far stronger than it had been in Mistral, with a salty air that told him the ocean was nearby. His feet landed on soft grass, and when he looked behind him the portal was already winking out of existence. Raven was apparently a lot better at goodbyes than he was.

He was outside what looked to be a pub or inn of some kind, with him being in an alleyway off to the side. It was made of wood with simple decoration and a sign hanging over the door marking it as the `Huntsman's Pride`. He wondered if Qrow was inside, before dismissing the thought. Even with his bird form it would take Qrow longer than this to reach Patch. It must have been Taiyang.

Neither really mattered. He had to find a ferry to Vale, which hopefully wouldn't be too difficult. Patch was an island, so even if he couldn't get directions, he could just head to the closest body of water and skirt around it. With that in mind, he stepped out from the alley, almost bumping into a short woman with dark hair and a white cloak.

"Sorry," he whispered, brushing by.

"Oh, it's my bad," she replied. "I wasn't lookin-"

The woman cut off with a gasp.

"You!"

But Jaune had already moved on.

/-/

Summer gasped, shook and tried to spin at the same time. Weakened as she was, she almost fell, and was only able to catch herself with one hand on the wall beside her. Had that been-? But he'd been in Vacuo! No, she wasn't wrong. She couldn't be.

Could she?

Her heart hammered in her chest as she scanned the crowd, hoping to catch a sight of him again. It had been less than a second but the face, the hair and those eyes, she couldn't have mistaken them. To her frustration, he was nowhere to be seen. The moment's shock that prevented her from crying out had been all he needed to elude her.

And any thoughts of chasing after him were ripped away when a voice called out her name. Or better yet, a title she loved all the more.

"Mommy!"

There they were, a little down the street and drawing more than their fair share of attention. Ruby struggled on her father's shoulder, fighting her way down and nearly causing Taiyang to drop her. He was no rookie, however, and lowered her with a laugh. Ruby streaked towards her, though Yang kept pace with her easily.

Once upon a time, hugging them both at once had felt awkward and complicated. Not now. Summer wrapped her arms around both and crushed them against her, fighting the urge to break down crying then and there. She was only partly successful and a few tears trailed down her cheeks.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Yang asked, suddenly afraid.

"Nothing, sweetie. I'm just happy to see you. People can cry when they're happy." She couldn't do it. She couldn't tell them how close she'd come to death. Maybe when they were older - when it wouldn't hurt them so much. Right now, she didn't want to ruin this moment.

Taiyang came in close behind them, leaning down to take her cheeks in both hands and lay a firm kiss on her mouth, one she reciprocated with an almost desperate need. _He_ knew the truth. He knew how close he'd come to losing her, and she to losing them all. "Welcome home, Summer. We all missed you."

 _I was scared,_ his words didn't say.

"I'm sorry it took so long," she replied.

 _I messed up. Forgive me?_

"All that matters is that you're home. Maybe next time you should take Qrow or me with you."

"There won't be a next time, at least not for a while. I've asked Ozpin for some time off. I… I want to spend more time with the kids. With you. I'll be doing simple huntress stuff in the area, but nothing so far away or dangerous."

Taiyang's face lit up. Although he'd never questioned her drive, the sheer relief he showed hurt a little. It told her he'd always worried, and that she, despite her best efforts, had never realised. She'd always put being a huntress before them. It was one of the things she wanted to change. Even if Taiyang always assured her Yang and Ruby loved her dearly, it was always distant. She did her best to be super-mum when she was home, but she so rarely was.

"I'll be spending a lot more time here," she said, this time to Ruby and Yang, squeezing them both. "How does that sound?"

"Awesome!" Yang crowed.

"Cookies!?" Ruby asked, giggling.

Summer laughed as well, as did Taiyang. It was that which finally calmed her down, but it also sapped what energy she had. Tai saw and caught her, supporting her with one arm. "How about we decide all the things we'll do as a family once we're back home?" he suggested kindly. "Your mom looks like she needs to sit down. Give her some room now. She's not going anywhere."

"I'm not," she promised, hiding her tears in his shoulder. "And home… home sounds perfect."

* * *

 **Oh my, I wonder how long I can keep up Summer and Jaune continuously brushing past one another. Yep, Raven's portal was not to Taiyang as expected, but actually to Summer. I also love how a lot of people in reviews were going on about both Raven and Summer having feelings for Jaune, so I delighted in inserting a little cucking here.**

 **Sorry Jaune, but you've travelled back in time to the period of Taiyang's prime. There's only room for one Blonde Bastard here, and it's been claimed.**

 **On Qrow, I wanted to show an odd duality. On the one hand, he's in his youth and a badass for it, but he's just not become canon Qrow yet. Obviously in canon, he's been through hell – including tragedy after tragedy – and a lot of that will have shaped him. He just hasn't here. Welcome to pre-horror Qrow, who I could imagine being more alike to Yang and Raven than he cares to admit.**

 **Maybe this time he'll learn how to fight dirty from Jaune.**

* * *

 **P.s. Update dates have now changed due to this week being out of normal schedule, as such see below for when the next update is.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 12** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here we are again!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 7**

* * *

The ferry to Vale didn't take as long as he'd thought it would. It didn't actually land _in_ the city of Vale itself, but rather a village a little down the coast, only an hour or so by foot and generally still considered a part of the city. Not wanting to appear suspicious, Jaune booked himself onto a bus to save some time and entered the city with plenty of others, disembarking in the shopping district. It must have been the same way Yang and Ruby got to Vale on their day's off from Signal, except that Yang would get her motorcycle in time.

Being back in Vale was an odd experience, even if he hadn't thought it would be. He'd expected that it would feel like home, but it didn't. He hesitated to use the word `different` again, but it still applied. The city wouldn't change much in ten years, although some shops would close and others take their place. Most of the construction was already there and would be for a while. The main difference was that his friends weren't, and it was that which left the city feeling like just any other place. Home was where the heart was, after all. Maybe it was just that it wasn't Beacon.

In the end, it didn't matter. He wouldn't be staying for long if he could help it. The main goal was to find a way into the criminal underworld so he could have a fake ID created, and while he'd managed to avoid being asked for one so far thanks to Raven's portal taking care of international travel, that same luck wouldn't hold in Atlas. It would also be a stumbling block if he tried to get a job, open a bank account or visit a hospital.

More than that, he wanted to get it done quickly. Raven's portal was a windfall he hadn't expected but it came with complications – Qrow-shaped complications. After his little display, there was almost no chance he wouldn't be reporting to Ozpin. Him beating Qrow wasn't exactly instant cause for suspicion, but it would raise an eyebrow – and then raise it even higher - if he was spotted in Vale. Raven having a strong bandit was one thing; Raven's strong bandit being in Vale, ahead of Qrow, was another. Ozpin would have to be stupid not to be at least a little suspicious of that.

 _Even if Qrow flies the whole way, I'll have beaten him here by at least a day. If possible, I'd best be out before he arrives and gives his report to Ozpin._ He had a feeling he'd feature heavily in it and the last thing he wanted was Ozpin finding him here. In a few months would be fine, just so long as it looked like he might have walked the distance.

Paying for a fake ID wouldn't be hard. Finding one who could make it? That was harder. He tried to remember how he'd managed it the first time with getting into Beacon, but for the life of him couldn't. He'd just been moaning about it somewhere and someone had heard him, smelled an easy opportunity for profit, and come over. Jaune wasn't sure the man had even expected the fake ID to work at the time, but it had.

He had a better idea now, however, and made his way deeper into the city. Even if it had technically been three years or so since he'd lived in Vale, he could still remember it easily and his feet took him down familiar paths. A few people looked at his choice of clothes with some surprise, likely recognising them as being from Vacuo and showing their curiosity, but no one acted out over it and he didn't draw any real suspicion. The city was peaceful and quiet, as it had been when he'd first joined Beacon, before the White Fang, the Vytal Festival and Cinder.

It was the city he'd always wanted it to go back to, back when he was just a bumbling member of Team JNPR being dragged out by Nora to the latest pancake place, always with Ren and Pyrrha in tow, laughing at Nora's escapades.

But this wasn't the city he knew, and that reality hit hard when he stood before a boarded up and abandoned building. Rather than brightly lit neon signs showing it to be `The Club`, the sign above the door proclaimed it as a bank, though now out of business, up for sale and partially condemned.

Junior wasn't in business yet.

Well… shit.

That was more of a problem than he cared to admit. Jaune stood before the building and bit his lip, not quite afraid but now a little more anxious. Junior had been his main plan here, and about the only member of the underground he knew – and even then, only thanks to Yang's stories. The only other thief was Torchwick, and good luck finding him, if he was even a famous thief at this point. Wasn't the whole point of time travel that he could use his knowledge? Fat lot of good that was doing him.

"Relax, Jaune," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "There are other ways to do this."

If Junior was out, then others would be in – no one he knew by name, but crime lords and other people would be filling his shoes. It wasn't like crime hadn't existed until Junior and Torchwick rocked up; they'd just taken over.

Obviously, the fastest way to find them would be prisons or police, but since he didn't want to make a terrible name for himself, he couldn't exactly break them out. The whole point of this was to be subtle, not to strap a sign saying `Notice me, Ozpin` to his chest and run around screaming like a headless chicken. On that note, he scratched the back of his hand, grateful for the leather gloves that concealed Salem's mark.

Still, he had to find someone who could make this ID. Jaune sighed, ashamed and a little embarrassed to admit he was out of ideas. "Yang or Blake would know where to go, but what do I know? I only broke the law by lying to get into Beacon. Think, Jaune. Think."

Maybe finding a drug dealer would be an idea. A crazy one, especially since he didn't want anything like that, but he at least knew they tended to gather late at night on the streets, and maybe he could pay them for some information. It was a poor idea, but it was better than nothing. From what he'd heard on news channels when he was in Beacon, most drug dealers worked for suppliers – and those were as good as criminals already, right? If you could smuggle narcotics into Vale, you probably had the ability to forge an ID, or knew someone who could.

It was while he was lost in thought that he felt an odd yet familiar sensation wash over him. Odd in that it wasn't natural; familiar in that he recognised it instantly and his instincts, honed in life or death struggles, flared to life. Nothing was before him, the street being empty except for him, and yet his _mind_ knew that was not the case.

When fingers touched his hip, his hand shot out – catching onto flesh and bone. He gripped the wrist he had trapped in his hand hard, earning a yelp from the girl who seemed to materialise in front of him. A pickpocket – _another_ pick-pocket, yet instead of Sun's exuberance, this one had some training and a Semblance to go along with it, invisibility or something similar. Jaune shook his head and regarded her for the first time. When he did, his eyes widened and his hand clenched instinctively.

Bones cracked.

The girl screamed.

Several people across the road looked his way. Some tutted, others shook their heads, but they all hurried away, not wanting to get between the scary man and some nameless child on the street. For it was a child he had gripped in one hand, the situation so achingly similar to the time when Sun tried to pick-pocket him. The world didn't change, after all. Orphans would be everywhere.

But this was different and Jaune's wide eyes stared, fingers clenching instinctively and squeezing the girl's wrist even tighter, forcing her bones to grate together and causing her to cry fitfully. "P-Please," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"

His hand tightened again, without him really meaning to. She cut off with a whimper.

Tan skin, thin limbs and frightened reddish eyes. Everything about her would have earned his sympathy, his compassion, except for two telling things; the Semblance she'd used to try and sneak up on him, and secondly, her hair – a pastel green in colour. The facts worked their way through his mind, not that he needed them to, for he knew her immediately, even ten or more years younger. His wide eyes stared down on a familiar person, a familiar enemy.

Emerald Sustrai…

His breath came out harshly. He didn't see a young girl before him, seven or eight years or so and struggling to survive. Instead, he saw the cruel smirk of a girl much older as she stood beside Cinder and gloated of what they'd done to Beacon. He saw one of the people responsible for the attack, for the fall of Beacon, for Pyrrha's death.

Cinder's plan would fall apart if Emerald died now, wouldn't it? It would be an easy way to, if not stop Cinder, at least make her life significantly harder. All he had to do was kill the girl in front of him; not a difficult task given how defenceless she was. She couldn't stop him.

All he had to do was kill a little girl.

"Please don't hurt me," Emerald whimpered. Tears stained her face already as she hung limply from his hand. She was all skin and bone. "I-I'm sorry…"

It was hard to lessen his grip on her; so very hard. He didn't dare release her entirely for fear she'd flee, but he did activate his Semblance and push some of his aura into her, soothing the pain in her wrist. She felt it and gasped.

 _It's not her,_ he told himself, eyes clenched shut and teeth gritted together. He was angry, yes, but more at himself than anything else. It _was_ Emerald, but it wasn't the woman who had destroyed his life – not yet. From what little he'd learned Emerald had been an orphan before she was picked up by Cinder, though he had no idea when or where. Well, it looked like he had the `where` now.

But no matter what she would become, she was a young girl at the moment and he'd just broken her wrist with his sudden shock. And to think of killing her; what kind of monster was he? No one would forgive him it. Not Pyrrha, not Ruby, and certainly not he once the rage faded and he was faced with the dead body of an innocent child. The thought of it made him sick. It was that which allowed him to slowly calm down, and to feel his own regret. He concentrated on his Semblance and flooded her body with more of his aura, easing her pain.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered. The words weren't very convincing, given what he'd just done and how he'd reacted to her, but Emerald didn't argue, probably because it would have been hopeless either way, or maybe because she just didn't want to make him angry. "You're a pick-pocket, right?" he asked. When she didn't answer he gave her a little shake, making it clear he wanted a response.

"Y-Yes."

"And you live in Vale?"

She nodded weakly.

Well, it was obvious enough. Her Semblance would be useful for it, especially since she only affected the person she focused on. Everyone else would have seen her walk up to try and take his money, but passed it off as something acceptable, since, if it wasn't, he'd have done something. _I wonder if this is how she met Cinder. That woman would recognise the usefulness of a Semblance like this instantly._ And then Emerald would be recruited, and in time would become one of Cinder's greatest assets, a figure would be instrumental in the framing of Yang and the fall of Beacon, along with numerous other crimes.

He'd not been wrong when he thought killing her would fix a lot of things, for it would. Cinder would find other means and other tools, but robbing her of Emerald? It would be a blow.

But he couldn't kill her. He couldn't become that kind of person. _It would be no better than what I accuse Ozpin of. Worse, in fact. It would be sacrificing an innocent girl for the greater good of a future that she can't be held responsible for._ There had to be another way.

With a sigh, he cut off his aura to her, allowing her enough freedom to move her wrist and discover that it had been healed. Her wide eyes moved from it to him, not understanding how, why, or what might happen to her next.

"Are you hungry?"

It worked with Sun, so why not here? Emerald's stomach grumbled.

Perfect.

/-/

It was an odd thought that crossed his mind, if he'd end up meeting everyone he knew beforehand and buying or giving them food at least once. Ren and Nora had his supplies in Mistral and now both Sun and Emerald had sat opposite him eating food he'd bought, though the situations couldn't have been more different. More trusting and open, Sun had stuffed his face with food.

Emerald was far more guarded. She picked at it with her fingers but didn't dare eat. Her shoulders were stiff, the girl prepared to bolt at the slightest opportunity and yet desperately afraid to, fearing what he would do if he caught her. Even after healing her, it was clear the pain and shock of what he'd done so suddenly had terrified her. He probably looked like a monster, unnaturally strong and quick and now focused intently on her.

That he smiled didn't put her at ease. "I said I'm not going to hurt you. Is your wrist okay? It should be healed."

The girl cradled it in her lap, along with her hand, but at his insistence she moved it.

"It looks like it's a lot better. I didn't mean to hurt you." Not quite a lie, not quite the truth. "But I'm hoping a meal can work as an apology. You can eat; it's not poisoned. I've been with you the whole time and that was cooked in the kitchens here. I don't think a place like this would dare serve bad food."

Logic or hunger won Emerald over and she poked at her food a little, a selection of vegetables and mashed potato with beef and turkey on the side. It was a big meal, probably bigger than she'd ever had, but even so she didn't touch it. That was probably a bad sign, reluctance based either on a lack of trust for him, or a bad experience she'd had before. It could have been either, or maybe both.

 _Ugh, this isn't working very well. Sun was a lot more trusting._

She thought he was going to hurt her. Hell, he had no idea _what_ she thought he was going to do and he had a feeling he'd prefer it that way. A young girl alone on the streets cornered and dragged out for a meal by a mysterious older man. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Maybe it would be better to go with the truth.

"I'm not just doing this as an apology for hurting you. I need something in Vale and I was hoping you'd be willing to help me get it. I'd be willing to pay you." He brought out some lien and laid it on the table. Emerald eyed it with obvious panic and trembled. "It's nothing you'd need to do or be put through," he assured, more than a little disturbed a girl so young could think it. "I need to find someone who can make me a fake ID that'll hold up if anyone looks at it. I need someone who can make one for me and-"

"A forger…" Emerald's voice was quiet, nervous and clearly afraid. Her eyes didn't meet his, locking down onto the food in front of her. He saw her swallow, and not just from fear but hunger, too. She was a far cry from the confident girl he'd seen in the future.

"Yes, that's right," he said, keeping his own voice soft and warm. "I'm not going to hurt you, at least not on purpose. I just need a guide to take me to the right people or to take me to someone who might know more. I'd be happy to pay you for it."

Nervously, her eyes traced up to meet his. "That's it…?"

"That's it," he promised, smiling as best he could. He nodded to her plate. "But eat your food before that. You're hungry, I can tell."

The final assurance might not have meant much, but Emerald's control snapped. She wasn't polite, nor was she quiet, but as she dug into the lukewarm food, Jaune couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

It was a step in the right direction.

/-/

The smiling man watched her eat.

Emerald had no idea what to make of the man but knew better than to argue. He was odd and warm and friendly, but many other people had been, and she'd seen other street rats taken in by their kind words and gestures. There'd been that girl a few streets down who went off with a kind older man who bought her food and clothing. She'd come back broken and sobbing, never quite the same again. She'd killed herself soon after. Emerald had seen it happen and gotten first pick over what scant belongings the wretch had. She'd even taken the knife and used it to defend herself once or twice.

Life on the streets of Vale was rough. She'd lost the knife a little later, though it bought her a chance to escape one of the big boys who wanted her body. She'd left it stuck in his thigh as she ran. Now, she was faced with someone far stronger than that, who could squeeze so hard her bones cracked and who could move faster than she could see.

This was bad. Even at eight years of age, she knew that this was very bad. Ever since she'd seen that first girl broken, Emerald had known better than to trust people's kindness. Not that she'd had much of a choice here with the smiling man.

Ah, screw it. If she was going to get played with and killed, she might as well go out on a full stomach. The food barely had the time to touch her tongue as she wolfed it down, but what little did exploded in her mouth with flavours she'd never tasted before. Someone had given her a bit of pie once, actually out of kindness and nothing more. It was a tiny piece of crust pastry, but the taste had stuck with her for over a year. This? This was much better, and it was all hers.

It was the brown sauce – the gravy-stuff. It tasted so thickly of meat, and there was _actual meat_ alongside it, and it was tender and soft, not hard and stringy like the cut-offs thrown out by the butchers. Not that she got much of a shot at those. The best spots were held by the toughest and meanest street kids, but she'd been able to use her powers once or twice to trick them out of it. Those grimy bits of meat were _nothing_ like this, though. And the plants weren't rotten or eaten through with worms.

Emerald's stomach started to hurt halfway through, not used to so much good food, but she forced herself to keep eating until it was all gone. She licked the plate clean, too, ignoring the disgusted looks from one or two moneybags nearby. Fuck 'em. They got to eat this stuff all the time.

"Was it good?" her new owner – might as well call him what he was, right? – asked. He smiled down on her and she might have even believed he was genuinely interested if she didn't know better. Yet again her eyes strayed past him, to the exit. She was fast but would have to brush by him when she left the table. She'd never make it and feared too much what he'd do if she tried.

Some people _liked_ that from their girls. It gave them an excuse to punish them. Well she wasn't going to play his game – no way. She nodded once instead, eyes low and fixed onto the table.

"Would you like a dessert?"

Emerald's scowl increased in intensity. She'd seen them, of course. She'd even tasted ice-cream once, though it was off the floor after some kid dropped it and then walked away crying. Why was that even an issue? It was just on the floor; it was still good. She was full right now but had liked the taste. And, to be fair, the more time she spent here, the less she'd have to spend doing _other things_ with him. She nodded.

"Is that a yes?"

She nodded again.

"I can't hear you."

"Yes," she whispered, red-faced, knees locked together under the table. "I'd like some."

When he asked what she wanted, Emerald had nothing to say – not knowing how to read the menu, nor wanting to admit it. He could tell her words had come to an end so he ordered for her, something called a hot chocolate fudge cake with ice-cream. "It's good," he assured her with a wink.

 _Why are you doing this?_ She wanted to ask in return.

But she didn't. She didn't dare make him angry. The smiling man scared her, but she was more afraid of what he'd be like when he stopped smiling.

He didn't need to explain himself and it wouldn't matter if he did. He'd picked her and she hadn't been fast enough to run away or strong enough to break free, so, by the rules of the street, that meant he could do what he wanted with her. If that involved a little kindness before the pain, so be it. Who was she to complain?

But when this cake of his came? Emerald didn't ever think she'd tasted anything so wonderful before. She couldn't resist the sound that came from her lips when she tasted it, nor the way her tongue danced, and her eyes lit up.

 _If I'm going to die, I want to die remembering this,_ she thought.

It seemed like a fair trade for her life.

/-/

 _She doesn't trust me,_ Jaune thought, walking down the street with Emerald's hand in his – more so he could keep hold of her than anything. She'd looked at his hand like it was a snake when he offered it but gave in with the same sense of finality and surrender she had ever since he'd caught her. Whatever she thought he wanted, she'd accepted it was going to happen either way. It felt so wrong, for any child, but doubly so for her.

Little wonder Cinder had won her loyalty so easily. She'd shown interest and taken the girl away from this life. Compared to this, even working with the Grimm must have seemed a blessing.

It was also much different from how Sun acted, though he supposed that might have had something to do with what Sun said, about how he was looked after by bigger boys and such. The orphans in Vacuo looked to have banded together, or maybe Sun was in a gang of sorts. Emerald was on her own and the worse for it.

Still, she followed his instructions and pointed the way, leading him further and further off the busy streets of Vale and into darker and more abandoned ones. While she could have been leading him into a trap, he didn't feel too worried. He kept his aura to hand, swirling around him and ready to react to an attack from any direction.

"Does the forger live around here?" he asked.

"Mr Xiong," the girl whispered.

"Is he a forger?"

She shook her head.

"What is he?"

"King."

King…? He doubted the man they were going to see was royalty, which meant Emerald probably didn't know better, or that it was a title. He was probably the leader of one of the criminal organisations, then. Maybe even the biggest. Meeting someone so influential would be risky, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. If he wanted a decently made fake ID, then only the best could provide it – and those who were good at their job knew how to keep their meddling hidden from people like Ozpin. Better a professional than an amateur.

"Alright, lead on."

Emerald did so, eventually leading him to a staircase that seemed to go down underground beside a fancy restaurant with not a single customer or waiter in sight. The fact it was so opulent and in such a rough area, without a single sign of damage of vandalism, told him the owner was someone to be feared.

"Down here?" he asked.

Emerald nodded.

"I'll probably need you to vouch for me," he said, tugging her with him. He made sure to keep the girl behind him, however, prepared to use his body as a shield if needs be. The staircase evened out at the bottom, revealing an opening into a wide, open space. There were a few people in it playing cards around a round table. More drunk and smoked at a ramshackle bar. All noticed his arrival and paused.

They weren't as well-dressed as Junior's gang that much was for sure. They wore suits, but it was a mix-match of greys, blues, blacks and whites, often with colourful shirts that were left untucked. Some pointed at him and laughed, while others reached for barely concealed weapons.

Jaune held his ground, refusing to be intimidated. For good measure, he pushed the hilt of his sword forwards, not drawing it but showing that he was armed. "I'm looking for Mr Xiong," he called.

"On what reason?" one of the quieter men demanded. He was better dressed, sober, and watched Jaune with wary eyes.

"Business, I hope. I need something procuring and I've been told he's a good source." Releasing his sword, he showed his wallet instead. The last thing he wanted was to cause a scene right under Ozpin's nose. "I'm prepared to pay, of course."

"How'd you even find this place?"

It was impossible to keep Emerald hidden, especially since she was stood behind him. Although his eyes didn't give it away, the man did notice her, and easily connected the dots. "I see. Rats shouldn't be talking about their betters, but I guess it can't be helped. Business, you say?"

"Yes."

"Mr Xiong isn't in the business of wasting his time. I hope this is good."

"I want a fake ID for myself," Jaune explained. There didn't seem much point in keeping it hidden and hopefully the ease of the task would open some doors. "It has to be good enough to work internationally, but I'm sure your boss would know someone who could manage that. Again, I'm willing to pay."

The man nodded, apparently pleased with the answer. "Wait here. I'll go and speak to Mr Xiong."

The man left through a back door a moment later, and with his absence the sound in the room returned to its normal levels. Most of the people went back to their own conversations and games, though it was perhaps inevitable that not everyone would. Two men, one in a white suit with a blue shirt and the other in a grey suit with black, approached him with wide smiles.

Jaune returned it. "Can I help you?"

"Maybe you can, maybe you can't," the man in the white suit laughed. "Not my place to decide, though. Not and risk the boss' wrath; just wondering about that sword of yours. You know how to use it?"

"There wouldn't be much point me wearing it if I didn't."

"Not as useful as a gun, though, is it?" the other man asked, pushing back his jacket and revealing one holstered on his hip, directly into his trousers of all places. It would normally have been quite the intimidating sight, but he wasn't a civilian, had aura, and these two were within reaching distance of him.

"It depends on the person, I guess. Not so useful at range, sure, but up close it's quiet and doesn't run out of ammo." He kept any sign of threat out of his voice, adopting a friendly tone instead. "But guns have their place; I've just never been very good with them."

"Heh, they're not for everyone." The jacket fell back, and the atmosphere lightened. "How about that little tagalong you got? Yours?"

"Yes." He pulled Emerald behind him a little. "Is that a problem?"

"No, no."

The two men backed away, sensing they'd moved onto dangerous territory. He couldn't afford to let Emerald out of his sight right now. It was possible that the moment he did, she'd run into Cinder and become a weapon once more. He couldn't – wouldn't – kill her, but that didn't mean he was prepared to let her become an enemy.

"Mr Xiong will see you," the man from before called, stood now at the open door. He was flanked by two more, armed and dressed immaculately. Jaune nodded and pushed past the other two, holding Emerald's hand and pulling her close to him in case they tried anything. They didn't, and he soon found himself being led down a much plusher corridor lined with dark wood walls and a red carpet.

"Nice place you have."

"Mr Xiong likes his comforts. I shouldn't have to warn you that if you try anything, you'll die – you and the girl."

"I'm just here for business. I won't cause a scene." He wasn't Yang, for crying out loud.

The man nodded and led him a little further. He stopped them at a set of double doors. "He's in here. Knock before you enter." he said before leaving.

Jaune raised a hand to do so but paused. He looked down to Emerald, who still wouldn't meet his eyes but looked increasingly alarmed, now not so much at him, but the one behind this door. This couldn't be easy for her, neither trusting him nor being in the presence of these people. "Stay calm and leave everything to me," he whispered. "If anything goes wrong, get down and out of the way. I won't let anything happen to you."

Emerald didn't look convinced, in a way that said she didn't think he could stop anything happening if it did.

Jaune winked. "Trust me. I won't let them do anything."

After a long moment of hesitation, Emerald nodded once.

Jaune raised a hand and knocked on the door.

"Enter," a firm voice called.

Mr Xiong was a large man of middling age and greying hair. He was clean-shaven but wrinkled with a stern frown and sterner eyes. Dressed in a dark-blue suit he sat behind a huge desk with several ornaments on. Behind him lay a fireplace, above that a portrait of a woman. The room was flanked with bookcases, three men in suits, armed, stood on either side. In the centre, before the desk, were two chairs.

"Mr Xiong," Jaune said, bowing his head in respect. While he might not have known how to talk to criminals, he could guess it was like talking to Miss Goodwitch, only that you had to be twice as ingratiating and throw money about. "Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice. I appreciate your time."

"Hmph. My man tells me you need an ID."

"That's right, sir."

"Call me King. This is my son, Hei," he gestured to a young boy Jaune hadn't noticed before. Well, young might have been a push since he was sixteen or so, but the point was there. "Everyone around here calls him Junior."

Jaune nodded. So, this was young-Junior. He didn't look much like what he'd have expected. Then again, he was a kid.

Hei returned the nod with one of his own. "A pleasure to- argh!" he fell, clutching his knee. Even Jaune jumped as Mr Xiong – or King – brought his metal cane back, which he'd driven into his son's knee with simple brutality.

"Shut up, Junior," he snapped. "You're here to watch and listen, not to talk. You're as bad as your mother. You should learn a thing or two if you don't want to end up like her. Got it?"

"Y-Yes, fa-King. Yes, my King."

King scoffed and rolled his eyes. Not a single of the men in the room moved to help Hei and the boy stumbled to his feet with a great deal of agony, taking his position by the fireplace with tears in his eyes. "Who might you two be, then?" he demanded. "I might be making you a new name, if the offer is good, but I'll not help anyone who doesn't give me their real one first."

"A pleasure to meet you, King. My name is Jaune Arc." It wouldn't mean much. If Xiong looked it up, he'd find a seven-year-old boy in Ansel and assume he'd been tricked.

"And the girl?"

Jaune nudged Emerald.

"E-Emerald."

The man's eyes narrowed. It was an imperceptible thing and all the warning he received, but it was enough for Jaune. He caught the cane mere inches from Emerald's face, gripping it tightly in one hand. The girl fell back with a startled cry. Every man in the room reached for their weapon.

King raised an eyebrow, not surprised, but perhaps impressed. "Children should be taught to respect their betters," he said.

"Teaching and discipline would be my responsibility," Jaune returned, releasing the cane and giving it a firm shove back.

King took it and sat down. "True, I suppose. Very well, I'll allow it. Take a seat – both of you. I'd offer you a drink, but I doubt you'd take it and I'm not wasting fine brandy." He poured his own, downed it, and slammed the crystal glass back down. "So, a fake ID? I can have one of those made in minutes. Or rather I can have you added onto the database. It'll be your job to apply for an ID badge and all the other shit, but you won't face any problems when you try. The question is what's in it for me and whether you'll make it worth my time."

"Five thousand lien says I will," Jaune said. It was a good sum, not princely but more than fair. Of course, he didn't hold a hope the man would accept it. That would be stupid.

"Twenty."

"I don't have twenty-thousand and I'm not willing to work for you to clear such a debt. Six."

"You come here, barge into my home and make such stupid demands? You've got balls, my boy, but any animal can be neutered. Eighteen."

"This isn't going to end and there's a limit to what I can pay. Six and a half."

"What's your limit, then? Might as well safe us both the time. If it's not high enough, I'll have you throw out." King gestured to two of the men, who stepped forward. Jaune glared at them until they backed away.

"And have you demand every lien? I can't afford to leave here a pauper. This won't take any effort on your part, so it's almost all profit. I'll give you ten – but not a lien more. I can't afford it and I'll find someone else."

"You think there is anyone as powerful as me?"

"Maybe not, but I'm sure there are some as ambitious. They could use my lien."

King drew in a large breath, his nostrils flaring. "That's a dangerous claim, boy. I am not a man to be trifled with."

Jaune held his gaze. "With all due respect, King, neither am I."

"We'll see. Twelve is my final offer. Take it or fuck off."

"Twelve it is," Jaune said, reaching into his wallet and drawing it out. It would leave him with perilous little remaining, but he only had to get to Atlas. Once he was a huntsman, he could earn more. He placed the lien on the table, but King didn't reach for it. He nodded his head instead and it was Junior who came around the table, stumbling a little on his leg. He moved quickly, afraid any hesitation might earn him worse.

With shaking hands, he counted through the money. "It's all here, my King. Twelve thousand to the lien."

"Good. If you'd tried to stiff me even a single one, I'd have kill you here. Put it in the safe." King ignored Junior's response and brought up a terminal on his desk. "I have someone waiting to add you to Vale's database. He'll need a few simple details, so I'll leave you in his hands. Make it quick."

The man on the other end of the call stammered nervously but quickly ran through a list of questions, which Jaune answered as best he could. He gave his age at twenty, it being close enough to the truth and maybe even accurate. The hacker had already picked out a birth location, past and more – painting him as an orphan from a frontier town who had emigrated when it fell to Grimm. Most of his job history had therefore been lost. It was only a few major details he had to provide, and just to make the cover story better.

" _I'll need a name,"_ the hacker said at last.

He'd already thought of one ahead of time. He was too used to his to change it much and no one would piece him as being the same person as someone ten to fifteen years younger than himself, even with it. "Jaune Ashari."

Well, Asol had said he was family, no? It wasn't like he was stealing the name – just claiming his place among the tribe at last.

The hacker accepted it and finalised the information, inserting it into the database and even providing proof for both he and King, bringing up basic census information, which now included a Jaune Ashari in its lists.

"Good work," King said. "You'll get your payment via the usual channels."

" _Tha-"_

He ended the call. "Well, I think I've kept my end of the bargain. When the King demands something, it gets done. Remember that." King looked back over his shoulder. "You remember it too, brat."

"Yes, my King," Junior replied, bowing. His hands were clenched into fists.

It was faster than it had been with his faked recommendation to Beacon, but maybe that was harder or perhaps in the future Vale would upgrade its security. Either way, if it worked to get him to Atlas, he'd be happy. There really was no way of testing it now and suggesting that King might short change him seemed an obvious way to end this meeting in bloodshed. He'd have to take it on faith, and if it didn't work? Well, he could always get his own back if he had to. He knew the way here and could tell the police that.

"Thank you, King. You're as good as your word." Jaune rose, motioned for Emerald to do the same, and ushered her toward the door. King must have made a gesture behind him, however, for two of his men stood there, blocking it.

"I am," Kind said, "Which is why I need to reiterate a point I made before. Business or not, I can't have some street rat telling anyone she meets on the street how to find me. You can leave, Mr Ashari, but the girl remains."

Jaune felt Emerald begin to shake. He placed both hands on her shoulders and drew her back into his waist, hoping it would calm her. It was a terrible sign that despite not trusting him in the slightest, she pressed against his legs, subconsciously seeking comfort in the stranger who had hurt her not two hours before. He glared at Xiong for it. "I thought we had a deal, King?"

"We do. And now I'm making you another deal. Don't get me wrong, boy, this isn't personal. It's simply business. If I let her get away with it, what's to stop the next one, and the next? How long before I have the authorities knocking on my door. I didn't get to this position by being gentle or taking risks. I got here by being a King." He slammed his cane down for emphasis. "Now, leave the girl behind and you may go. Make the right choice."

"The right choice?" Jaune looked down to Emerald, who for once looked back, with clear terror in her eyes. She was sure he was going to give her over, and why not? She wasn't anything to him and he didn't owe her anything. But if he did, and if Cinder got a hold of her, it would be the future all over again, wouldn't it? He'd decided against it with Sun, not wanting to change the future, but here, on something like this? Well, this was the future he _wanted_ to change.

"Letting you have her wouldn't be the right choice, King," he said, nudging Emerald to the side a little, covering her with his body. "In fact, it would very much be the wrong one, not that I expect you to understand."

"That's a bold claim." King clicked his fingers and the men moved in. "But I'm King for a reason. What I want, I get. What I demand, I receive. And you, my boy, seem to be under the illusion that your opinion matters here. I hope you're prepared to pay the price."

"I guess I better be." His hand fell to Crocea Mors. "I can't afford to be stopped here." Jaune eyed the men about the room. "You don't want to do this. Please reconsider."

King's response was a click of his fingers.

The first man had only touched his gun when Jaune's fist impacted his face, twisting at the last to drive him back and through the double doors. He used the impact to reverse his momentum, grab the other by the arm when he reached for his own, and then twist the goon in front of him, turning them both to block any shots from behind. The body in his hand shook as they fired anyway, dying in a hail of blood. Emerald cried out in fear, having only just caught on to the sudden transition from words to violence. He backed into her, herding her away with his body until she was behind a pedestal atop which a statue stood. It was thick enough to withstand a few shots and he was their real target. "Stay there," he hissed, earning a frightened nod from the girl.

He took in the room instantly, trained by Pyrrha to do so. Six men, two down, four remaining – armed with handguns, Mr Xiong behind his desk suddenly less sure of himself, Junior behind him wide-eyed. His sheathe came up, deploying into his shield as he blocked several more shots, moving back to the centre of the room so Emerald would be out of the line of fire. The shield didn't cover his entire body but didn't have to. What shots went low bounced off his aura, impacting against him and hurting but not piercing flesh.

"Huntsman!" one of the goons cried in horror. The sudden realisation of what they were up against brought an immediate halt to the fight. Jaune wasn't sure if he didn't look the part or if it was something else, but Qrow had called him a bandit, too. Either way, strong-arming someone they thought was a petty criminal and doing the same to a huntsman who had aura, and might even have a Semblance, were very different things.

They weren't quite so confident now and Jaune flashed an easy smile. This really wasn't fair. He might as well have been a Beowolf in a kindergarten.

"Keep shooting!" King roared. "Huntsman or not, they all die in the end!"

He wasn't wrong and Jaune knew it. He'd seen enough people die to harbour such foolish notions and he was no longer the young man he was. Even so, it would take a damn sight more than four untrained mobsters to take him down. Yang would never let him live it down if it did. Dropping his shield, he charged forward and covered the distance between him and the shooters in only a few seconds. They spread out instinctively, making it harder for him to engage them all, but he put himself in the middle and forced them to risk the cross-fire.

" _When surrounded, attack one of the flanks and break through, then you won't be surrounded,"_ Pyrrha had always said. He did so, lunging at the first man on the left, who screamed and fired three quick blasts into his chest. They pinged off harmlessly but Crocea Mora didn't. The blade cut through the man's suit, through the bulletproof vest he wore underneath, and also through his body. Twisting, he again turned and used the dying man as a shield, kicking him off at the same time.

Even before he hit the ground he was on the next man, sweeping once to sever the arm between the elbow and wrist and again to cut his throat. There wasn't time or opportunity for mercy, not when even an injured man might call for aid. _I can't afford to let Ozpin find me, not yet._ People were killed in deals gone bad all over the criminal underworld. As long as his name wasn't attached to it, he was fine.

The third died a fraction of a second later but feet outside the broken door told him more had heard or been summoned by King. Jaune shot a glare to the man and a more worried glance towards Emerald, huddled by it. With a scowl he dispatched the last goon but rushed to the door, letting King live for now. He reached it before they arrived and killed the first through the remaining door, splintering wood and bone in a single swing. Fighting in the corridor would let them gun him down with weight of numbers, so he dragged the dying body back in and forced them to round the corner. The first to do so died. The second shared the same fate. The third, wiser than his fellows, hesitated.

It was King who broke the tableau, however. The man roared and stood from behind his desk, revealing a shotgun in his hand. It was a better make than any gun the goons used, huntsman-quality at the very least.

"You son of a bitch," he howled. "You dare to come here and mess with me, the King? I'll fucking kill you!" He cocked his weapon, aimed and fired.

Jaune didn't move. The shot had gone at least two metres wide.

"Damn you!" King roared, firing again and again, missing again and again. "I'll kill you. I'll kill you. You dare try to make a fool of me. No one makes a fool of me. Rarghh!" The shotgun clicked dry, the wood panelling to Jaune's side filled with holes smoking with dust. A quick glance to Emerald showed her focused on Xiong. Jaune spared her a wink, which he knew she didn't miss. If he was the lesser of two evils that was still better than what he'd probably looked like before. He'd take it.

"Looks like we're at a bit of a stalemate, Xiong. You can't kill me and honestly, I can keep this up all day. Or I could just turn around and finish you now. I'll give you a final chance to end this. Let us walk away and no one else has to die."

"Never! You're crossing a line if you thin-" He froze. "Urk." Blood bubbled from his lips. He glared back, behind him, to where Junior stood, shaking but holding a fire poker in one hand, which had been driven into Xiong's back. "Y-You treacherous brat," he hissed. "I should have killed you along with your whore mother."

"My mom wasn't a whore!" Hei Xiong screamed. He tore the weapon free and slammed it into the side of his father's face, if not killing him then knocking him out to bleed out and die. For good measure he stabbed down again and embedded the thing into the man's back. The boy panted harshly but looked oddly vindicated. When he looked up to meet Jaune's gaze, he managed a weak smile. "I'd like to take that offer if it's still available."

Hei `Junior` Xiong, huh? Well, this explained why he'd not been able to find the guy. "It is," he said. Jaune sheathed Crocea Mors and stepped aside, allowing some of the men to file in. They froze at the sight of the body, and at the boy stood over it.

"Let him leave," Hei called. "Let them both leave. I'm in charge now and I call them friend. They're free to go." He panted harshly. "There's going to be changes around here. Plenty of changes."

Like a club, uniforms and a new name. It wouldn't change all that much but Hei was perhaps a better man than his father, at least from what he'd seen. Jaune regarded the situation and what he'd just done and sighed. This really wasn't as subtle as he'd hoped his return to Vale would be, nor as peaceful. He could almost imagine Nora laughing herself hoarse. With a shake of his head, he made his way through the wreckage. He moved over to where Emerald hid and extended a hand.

/-/

Emerald stared at the smiling man's hand.

She then stared at the bodies on the floor. Death wasn't new to her, though this was a lot more sudden than she was used to. People killed each other all the time and some had tried to kill her, too. But she'd never seen someone do it so quickly and so easily, and with just a sword and shield. More than that, she'd never seen someone do it and then smile afterwards like nothing had happened. The fact he was smiling at _her_ only made it harder to understand.

This man had just killed people – and not just people; Mr Xiong's people. They were the meanest, toughest and most feared people on the streets. Although, she thought as she looked at King's body, he wouldn't be feared quite so much anymore.

Who was the man who'd picked her up off the street? What did he want with her? Why had he not given her up and walked away while he had the chance? Why had he _killed_ people for her?

Why had she used her special abilities to help him?

Nothing made sense.

But his hand was pointed toward her, inviting her to put hers in it once more. The last time he'd done that she'd only accepted because she knew he'd hurt her if she didn't. It had felt hot and frightening, all his power easily noticeable. It had been her placing her fate in his hand and giving him control. Now… now, she had no idea. He was still scary. He still terrified her. She still didn't know what he wanted with her or whether the smiles would stop and be replaced with something far worse.

But what she _did_ know was that she'd just been a part of killing Mr Xiong, and that there would be a lot of people who wouldn't like that. They'd find her and hurt her, make her scream, and then surely kill her for it. Even if it was just an accident or she hadn't meant it, they'd kill her.

Unless she had someone around who could stop them…

The smiling man might do all those things and worse, but that was the thing, he _might_. He might not, too, and between certain death and uncertain death, there was only really one option to take. With a visible shake and an audible swallow, Emerald reached out and placed her hand in his. The much larger fingers dwarfed hers as it closed around her, tugging her up and against his legs once more.

Emerald had no idea who he was or what he wanted, but she knew she'd tied her fate to his, for better or worse.

"Come on," he whispered, leading her past and over the dead bodies, through dangerous men who parted left and right, afraid of the smiling man. "I think it's time we left Vale."

* * *

 **Jaune `Totally not Changing the Past` Arc, ladies and gentlemen. Come to Vale, see the sights, cause the usurpation of a criminal family, abduct a street rat and leave. Cue Ace Ventura parking scene; "Like a glove!"**

 **So, yes, Jaune now has a follower. I know a lot of people were eager for the adoption of Sun, or of Ren and Nora, but I had someone else in mind and that's our dear Emerald, who I haven't really put much into writing in my other stories. I tried to do her justice here, though it was odd to write a child's pov where I'm purposefully trying to age her a little, to show how she's had to mature quickly, but while still retaining** _ **some**_ **elements of kidlike behaviour. The differences between her and Sun really come down to their upbringing, where Sun has the protection and camaraderie of his little pack, while Emerald is on her own.**

 **Also, Jaune has** _ **no idea**_ **how frightening he looks to a child. I like the idea that he really thinks he's no different to how he was in Beacon at seventeen, but everyone else can see it, especially Emerald (and maybe even Qrow). Well, I suppose any huntsman or huntress would look incredible vs goons, though. For reference and so there isn't any misunderstanding of OP or not, these guys would literally be the quality of the goons Ruby fought in episode one.**

 **They're definitely not Malachite quality.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 26th May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	8. Chapter 8

**If you didn't catch the note in White Sheep – a HOS has to go on a small hiatus (a month at most, I'd imagine) due to how busy CF is at the moment with some big events happening in real life. As such, Relic will be weekly on Saturday until CF is back and we can get working on Hunter or Something again.**

 **I'm pleased Emerald was taken so well last chapter. I had a lot of people before this asking if I ever intended to write a story with her in it and I had to remain silent on the issue.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 8**

* * *

"Welcome to Atlas. Thank you for flying with us. Welcome to Atlas."

The flight attendant repeated the same message to each and every passenger who left the airship, smiling in that fake way a paid employee did. To be fair, no one smiled or said anything back, irritated after being cramped in their seats on a commercial flight. Maybe she deserved praise for actually managing it in the first place.

"Thank you," Jaune said, smiling as he walked by her. The sentiment was mostly lost, the woman simply continuing on in a voice that droned away as he was hurried further along the tunnel into the Atlas international airport by a throng of impatient travellers. All the while electronic messages greeted them with news on recent events in Atlas, along with the proposed benefits of a particular brand of after-shave, which a feminine voice assured them would have _all_ the ladies turning an eye. It was oddly cathartic to hear it all. In the time he'd come from, normality like this no longer existed.

In the end, the flight from Vale to Atlas hadn't taken that long – most of the time lost in booking in, waiting for the aircraft to be declared ready and all the other nonsense involved like wailing children and loudly snoring passengers. Where there had been no problems, however, was with his ID, which saw him through with a smile, bright welcome and a nice stamp to commemorate his flight. Jaune Ashari was now officially a real person, with all the benefits that entailed.

Jaune reached the carousel that would bring forth his luggage and froze. His eyes widened and he turned back quickly. "Em-"

The girl stood close behind him. She looked up at him inquisitively.

"Ah-" He stammered a little, unsure what to say. "There you are. Good girl."

He regretted the words as soon as he said them, imagining them better suited for a dog, but Emerald didn't seem offended and simply looked at the carousel without saying a word. In fact, she'd barely spoken at all in the day it had been since King's death. They'd headed straight to the airport, booked a flight, but since the soonest one hadn't been until the morning, stayed at a hotel that catered specifically for airport traffic.

Through it all, Emerald remained quiet and obedient, doing whatever he said and not reacting noticeably to anyone who tried to talk to her. He'd excused her as shy to the hotel manager, but the truth was very different.

Honestly, he wasn't sure what to do with her. Taking her with him had been an impulsive decision and little more – a way of keeping her out of Cinder's hands without having to cross a line he wasn't sure he could come back from. Taking her off the street was a good thing and he'd fed her, bought her new clothes and given her a bed to sleep on.

All the things an animal needed.

 _Ugh, I'm really not cut out for this._ The closest he'd come to looking after a child was Oscar, and that was a creepy and terrible thing to imagine considering he'd had the mind of an ancient wizard in his head. Jaune had been out with his friends trying to stop Salem for so long that he just didn't know what he was supposed to do. Giving her all the things she needed to survive was one thing, but convincing her to open up around him? Yeah, that wasn't happening.

He'd just have to figure something out come Atlas, he decided. They were pretty much on the run from Vale, trying to get out before anyone – criminals or Ozpin – figured out they'd killed Mr Xiong. So much for subtlety. Once they'd settled down a little, he could see to fixing whatever he had with Emerald. For now, her unwavering obedience – creepy as it was – was at least convenient.

"We'll just need to collect my bag and then we'll find somewhere to stay in Atlas," he said. Emerald never did respond when he talked, unless he asked her a very specific yes or no question, but he figured communication was necessary. "I know you don't have any belongings yet, but we'll get you a change of clothes and some other stuff here, okay?"

Emerald nodded. Where all the other children around them impatiently whined about when the bags were going to come, or that they needed the bathroom or sweets, she stood beside his legs like an immovable statue.

Gods, he dreaded to imagine what he must have looked like for that. Luckily, the carousel started before anyone could get suspicious, and luggage began to come through from the back. It took ten minutes for his to appear, little more than a case that contained his sword – which he couldn't wear on the aircraft for obvious reasons. Since huntsmen and huntresses were common fare, there were always storage options for potentially dangerous weapons.

They passed through the final security check, his ID working once more and Emerald's, too. Though she was an orphan with no real identity, it hadn't been hard to arrange for her to have one. It was a lot less suspicious when the people at the ID office could easily tell she was a street rat. As they passed through, they came to the shopping area – duty-free and arrivals, where several families perked up, eager to see if the two of them were relatives, before they sat down again impatiently.

"Do you want a snack before we go?" Jaune offered.

Emerald shook her head.

Her stomach grumbled. She looked down at the ground, frustrated.

"It's fine, it's fine," he chuckled, placing a hand on the back of her shoulder and steering her towards a little food stand. "What have I told you; it's okay to tell me if you need something."

"Sorry…"

"Don't say sorry, either. People get hungry. It's a fact of life."

He knew it wasn't just that. Emerald was afraid to make herself a bother or to weigh on him at all for fear of what he might say or do. It saddened him a little but in a detached way. If this had been Ruby or Yang he'd have been hurt, but Emerald was Emerald and he still wasn't sure what to think about her.

He had no idea why she'd agreed to come with him. Fear, desperation or just surrender; he didn't like to think about it. Emerald seemed confused by the options on the menu and he quickly realised why. Her eyes didn't stray over the words in a meaningful manner and she was instead trying to actually see the food. She couldn't read. He wasn't sure why he'd expected a street urchin to know how to in the first place.

"It's a breakfast sandwich stall," he explained. "You can have sausage, bacon, egg or even a mixture of those with different sauces. I'll have a bacon and sausage," he said to the middle-aged woman behind the counter. "What do you want, Emerald?"

"Ah?" Emerald froze, wide-eyed. It was obvious she had no idea what any of that was, but faced with a question, she chose the first one to come to mind. "Bacon?"

"Sure thing, sweetie," the woman smiled, quickly cooking up their food. She took his lien and offered two steaming treats wrapped in napkins. "Sauces are on the table over there, so help yourselves. Please remember to recycle any litter afterwards."

Jaune and Emerald made their way over to the seating area. He laid his sword case by the table and put the food down, instantly seeing a problem. Rather than low seats, the tables were at least four or five feet off the floor, surrounded by round chairs on long bases easily as tall as Emerald was. She looked at it nervously, unsure how she would get up.

But she froze into solid ice when he put his hands under her armpits. It was like lifting a wooden log. He moved quickly, depositing her on top and letting go before she could freak out. Emerald was wide-eyed, though she calmed down when he sat down opposite her and didn't do anything else. Touching was still something of a no-go for her. She'd gotten used to holding hands, though even then it felt like it was a concession she allowed – and that she knew it was to stop her running away.

There was nothing quite like feeling like a child kidnapper. Well, other than actually _being_ one, which painful to admit or not, he probably was here.

"Here," he said, handing over the bacon sandwich. "If you want any sauce, let me know and I'll go grab some. I'm going to get some drink from that machine. What would you like?"

Emerald looked towards it, saw numerous drinks she'd never heard of, and shrugged weakly.

"I'll get you some fruit juice, okay?" He waited for her nod and slipped away, ordering some canned coffee for himself and some orange juice for her. A quick glance behind showed her tentatively biting into her bacon bun and chewing. Despite her constant fear, it was impossible not to see the momentary pause when she tasted it. Nor to miss how much she dug into it after. Jaune laughed and collected their drinks.

The little girl had polished off her meal entirely by the time he got back and had started to eye his, too. She stopped when he picked it up, nodded silent thanks when he handed over a drink – and then stared in confusion at the half a bun he'd torn off and put before her.

"You're a growing kid," he explained, holding the other half of his bun in one hand. "Eat up."

Hesitantly, Emerald picked up half his meal and nibbled on it. She started to eat in earnest a few seconds later, occasionally sipping on her orange juice. It wasn't perfect, but they were working on it. More importantly, he needed to arrange a meeting with General Ironwood.

/-/

As it turned out, it was surprisingly easy to arrange a meeting with Ironwood – ridiculously so, in fact. All it took was showing up at Atlas Academy, explaining his situation to a receptionist and waiting for twenty-five minutes in an air-conditioned room with a TV and a few magazines. Soon after, he was summoned up to meet the General, few questions asked. It might have had something to do with the timing, there being no Vytal Festival or world-ending monstrosity on the loose, but Jaune had a feeling it was more to do with the fact the man was, by all accounts, only Captain Ironwood.

He was still the Headmaster of Atlas Academy. Jaune hadn't actually known anything about Ironwood other than what Ozpin told them and what he'd seen with his own eyes. He was a good man as far as he could tell, if a little prone to overreaction – forgivable, Jaune felt, given how dangerous things had gotten at the end. Either way, Ironwood was definitely on the good side and wouldn't work for Salem any time soon, which made him the best prospect for a huntsman test.

It was just strange to imagine him as anything other than the General of Atlas, one of the most powerful men in the world. He still was powerful here - being headmaster and a Captain - but it wasn't the same.

"Mr Ashari, was it?" Ironwood asked, reading over Jaune's details from behind his desk. It wasn't at all like Ozpin's in Beacon, being far more organised and cluttered with no doubt important documents and even a few photographs. There was a row of medals on a stand on it, along with an empty cup of coffee and a thermos flask. The room was utilitarian and Spartan, with every piece of furniture serving some discernible purpose.

James Ironwood himself didn't look all that different to how he would in the future. He'd already lost his arm at this point, evidenced by the gloved hand, and since he wore a uniform most of the time anyway, he was dressed the same, too. The only real difference was in the hair – slightly less grey – and the face, with less stress lines and a rather pleasant smile.

"That's right, sir. Jaune Ashari."

"No formal education in any huntsman academy, but you say you want to take the test here…" He hummed. "Is there a reason you didn't want to take it in Vale?"

"Actually, it's more that there's some other stuff I need to do and Atlas is the best for that," he explained honestly. "I'm interested in ancient heritage and history." Not inaccurate, given that he wanted to research the maidens and the relics. "I hear Vale has a good library and all, but everyone knows if you're serious you need to visit the Grand Library of Atlas."

"And since you also want to become a huntsman, you figured it would be easier to kill two Nevermore with one bullet."

Jaune nodded.

It was something he'd decided on the flight over, though he'd planned to look into what Ozpin was and what it meant as early as his trip from Vacuo to Mistral. He couldn't ask the man, obviously, and it was unlikely anyone else would know, but since he knew about the maidens and the relics he could at least research those ahead of time.

Salem had called them relics of a past civilisation, and that gave him the idea of researching the topic to try and find out more. Anything would be helpful, especially if it led to further understanding of what exactly they did. Like he'd said, Atlas was the Kingdom most known for its knowledge, specifically the collection of. Though Beacon had a library only a little smaller, he couldn't access it as a normal person. It was for students, staff and dignitaries, neither of which he planned to be anytime soon. Atlas' grand library, on the other hand, was a public service and a matter of great pride for the Kingdom. Getting in was as easy as signing a few forms and getting a library card. It would be _finding_ anything on the relics that would be a pain.

Of course, that meant he'd be spending some time in Atlas – more than he'd originally planned, but that wasn't necessarily bad anyway. With the ruckus he'd caused in Vale, it was probably a good idea to lay low for a little while. _And while I'm here, I can build up some more money and a little bit of history. Ozpin won't be as suspicious if he hears about me and I've been living peacefully in Atlas for a while._

It was only suspicious if the man got hold of him and his history was literally `appeared out of nowhere`. The more provable history he created, the less awkward his records would look.

"Well, I can't fault that and you're of course welcome to visit the library whenever you wish. It's your huntsman test I'm more concerned about." Ironwood tapped his finger and Jaune waited. The Gene- Captain didn't _sound_ like he was suspicious of him, more like he was struggling for ideas. "You've not come at the best time," Ironwood said honestly. "Ideally, I'd be able to test you during a holiday period for the school, or late in the year when the students can mostly look after themselves, but we have lessons in place already and I can't spare a teacher right now – it's still early in the year. These first few months are important for the children's development."

"I understand."

"And I'm sure you understand that _I_ can't do it either," he went on. "Even precluding my duties as headmaster, I also work for the military. My schedule isn't full, Mr Ashari. It's overflowing. I have meetings until the moment I die." He chuckled at his own joke and leaned back. "Still, far be it for me to limit the potential of a huntsman. Remnant certainly needs more of you." He paused to eye Jaune. "How good _are_ you? Honestly, I mean. This won't affect your ability to become a huntsman but I'd appreciate a straight answer."

To judge his capabilities, Jaune realised. Not in a bad way, but perhaps trying to figure out if he could afford to take a few more risks in giving Jaune a qualification test. Jaune hummed, trying to figure out how much – if anything – he should give. It was hard to get past the instinctive paranoia he felt, mostly courtesy of Ozpin. This wasn't Ozpin, though. This was Ironwood, and he didn't beat around the bush or play mind games.

Ironwood was a good man and someone he'd like to work with in the future, not to mention he wanted to be made a huntsman as quickly as possible. The lien he'd earned in Vacuo would run dry soon, especially if he had another mouth to feed. And, well, there wasn't necessarily any risk in Ironwood knowing more about him, was there? Ozpin might find out, but there was a difference between Ozpin discovering _Raven_ had a potentially powerful ally and that Ironwood did. One was far more of a concern than the other to a meddling headmaster.

"I'm strong," he said, trying to be as honest as possible. "I've been fighting a lot, especially against the Grimm. I'm probably not quite so good on the academic side of things and my fighting style is a little more _brawl-focused_ than my teachers always liked." He whispered a silent apology to Pyrrha, but she really was just _too_ acrobatic. "I'd say I'm more experienced than innately talented. I've had a lot of time to learn valuable lessons."

"Oh? What like?"

"Like how honour and pride are meaningless compared to winning – and that you shouldn't be afraid to fight dirty if you have to. It's about killing the Grimm; not being flashy about it."

Ironwood laughed. "I wish some of our new students understood that."

"I'm sure they'll learn it in time," Jaune said with a little smile. He'd thought Ironwood would appreciate a mentality like that. The man was very much focused on results. "Life's most valuable lessons can't be taught in a classroom."

"Too true, Mr Ashari. Too true. Would you be willing to demonstrate? I'll be sure to consider anything I see toward your qualification, but seeing what stage you're at will help me decide if I have a test for you or not."

"Demonstrate?"

"A simple spar with someone of my choosing. I have a mission I might be able to send you on, but I can't countenance sending someone who can't look after himself. It's something that requires a slightly more experienced huntsman, not a rookie."

"Ah." The offer was fair. Jaune nodded. "I'm confident I'd be able to do whatever you ask, but if you want me to prove it, I'll understand."

Ironwood had people's lives to think about, after all, and talk was cheap.

"Wonderful. I'll arrange something for you soon. In the meantime, can I offer you and your daughter accommodation here?"

His daughter? Jaune recovered quickly from his shock and didn't bother to correct Ironwood. Emerald was waiting outside watching some television in the lobby since he hadn't thought a meeting like this would be fair on her, not after how the last one ended. On the offer of accommodation though, Ironwood was being surprisingly generous.

"Would that be okay? We don't want to be a bother."

"Nonsense. I have to give you a field mission for your test anyway, so if you're going to go through with that I might as well recompense you for it." Ironwood leaned over to a speaker on his desk and instructed someone called Janette to arrange a room for them. "I'll have to see if one of my faculty, or perhaps a student from an older year, might be willing to have a spar with you. That would be sometime tomorrow. Once I know you can look after yourself, I can consider a field mission, and assuming you complete that I'll be happy to sign you off as an official huntsman. Janette will show you to your lodgings in the meanwhile. Welcome to Atlas Academy."

Jaune understood the dismissal for what it was and stood, nodding. "Thank you, Captain. I appreciate this."

"It's my job, Ashari. You're welcome."

/-/

Emerald sat on the overly comfortable bed and picked at her new clothes. They were tight-fitting and bright white, an obnoxious colour she wasn't sure she liked. They were also stiff and smelled weirdly of lemon, unlike her normal clothes which smelled of the more familiar street, trash and sweat. The smiling man had said she couldn't keep wearing those, however. Something about them being a hazard to her health.

He was in the shower at the moment, washing himself as Emerald waited. She kicked her legs up and down, testing the mattress. It was springy and soft, almost like a loaf of bread – and not the stale kind. She flopped back on it and sank into the pillows.

It felt good. It felt really good.

She wasn't sure why she'd followed the smiling man, or why she continued to. She'd just wanted a way to escape Vale and the people who would be angry over King's death, yet now she was in Atlas and completely out of their reach. She could slip off and make a new life here if she wanted to. Since he was in the shower, he wouldn't even realise until it was too late.

But would it be any better of one than what she'd had before? Probably not. She wouldn't have soft beds, tasty food and the strange pleasure of sitting in a tub of hot water until it turned cold. Those things were nice – very nice. Too nice to give up, maybe. And the smiling man hadn't done anything to her yet.

 _Yet_ , her mind whispered. She eyed the wall between her and him.

This wasn't the first time she'd been in a bedroom with him. The first time had been in Vale and she'd nearly hyperventilated when she realised where they were and what it might mean. She'd stood there shaking, noticing two beds but wondering which was his – theirs – and whether she was supposed to get in first.

And then he'd tossed her some pyjamas and bid her goodnight, climbing into his and falling asleep after a few minutes, leaving her to stare dumbly at the empty bed. Since he hadn't specifically told her to sleep with him, she'd dared to take the other one for herself.

Against all odds, she hadn't been punished for it.

She hadn't last night either, and she'd felt daring enough to test it ahead of time by picking the bed next to the large windows and sitting down on it, waiting to see if he told her to move. She would have, of course, but he didn't. He just nodded, smiled, and took the other for himself.

It was maddening.

She had no idea what he wanted!

But if it wasn't to hurt her, or at least not yet, then maybe she could stay with him a little longer – just to take advantage of him, of course. He had money and money meant food and hot meals. More hot meals than she'd ever had before, and she'd come to like the feeling of her tummy being full almost as much as she did drifting off surrounded by comfy pillows and squashed under a thick, soft blanket.

It was a risk. She knew that. But it was one she was prepared to take, at least for now. The shower cut off a moment later, and after a minute for him to get changed – _and why did he get to keep his clothes?_ – the smiling man came out once more. His hair was damp and he hummed as he pushed it into place.

"I have to do a little spar today," he said while he looked himself over. That was another thing about him; he kept explaining what they were going to do so she understood. She wasn't sure why he felt the need to, but he did. "Ironwood wants to make sure I'm at least a little capable before he trusts me with anything, but if all works out I'll be sent on a dangerous mission to prove myself."

Emerald bit her lip. Though he hadn't said it, the hint was clear. He couldn't take her on something like that, which probably meant she'd overstayed her welcome. Was he going to throw her out? Was he going to take his payment from her now?

"I've asked Ironwood if you can stay here and he agreed," the smiling man went on – and Emerald slumped in relief. "It shouldn't be a long thing – probably two days at most. You'll have someone who will check on you, but you're otherwise free to do whatever you want, so long as you don't leave the academy. Is that alright?"

Emerald nodded.

Apparently, it wasn't enough.

"Will that be okay?" he asked again, turning to her. "I'm being serious here, Emerald. Will you be okay if I have to leave you for a day or two?"

"Yes," she whispered. She hated how nervous she sounded but that was that. It wasn't like she couldn't look after herself, though. She'd been on her own for years.

"I'll leave you some lien if you need anything, but all your meals will be free."

She perked up at that, not just the meals but the lien. He was going to leave her some money? Was this… was this her chance to make a run for it? Or was it a test? He'd said she couldn't leave the academy and that sounded like a warning. Maybe he wanted to see how obedient she could be, and if she broke the rules he'd break her in turn. She'd heard worse things about the men and women who took kids off the street, and even those who took them from orphanages. Oh sure, the people there claimed they were going to loving families, but none of them bought that. If such things existed, they wouldn't have been on the streets in the first place.

"You want to come watch me fight?" he asked.

Emerald shrugged. There wasn't much else to do.

The smiling man grinned at her. "You want some breakfast first?"

Her stomach grumbled appropriately. Emerald glared at it, embarrassed. It wasn't even empty. She'd eaten more recently than she ever had before, yet the mere mention of food was enough to garner a reaction. Worse, he was laughing at her.

"Come on, then. I'll show you what eggs on toast tastes like this morning."

Emerald kicked off the bed and put on her overly-tight shoes, falling in line behind him, close enough to duck behind his legs if anything went wrong and someone tried to pull a gun. He didn't seem to mind; he never did. He just laid a hand on her shoulder and steered her with him. One thing was for sure, though.

He knew how to pick tasty meals.

/-/

"Mr Ashari," Ironwood greeted as they entered the room, breakfast having been dealt with. The tall man stood next to a slightly smaller woman Jaune instantly categorised as a huntress. It was the way she watched him, really. She was judging his skill in return. "I hope you've had a chance to rest. This is Samantha Greening, one of our teachers here at the academy."

"Nice to meet you," Jaune said, extending a hand.

"A pleasure," she echoed, shaking it. She had mousy brown hair that fell in curls around her shoulders and a polite smile. In a way, she looked an odd mix between Ruby and Glynda – and that wasn't a thought he'd ever dared harbour.

"Samantha has agreed to spar with you to test your skill," Ironwood explained. "She teaches younger students here, ones between the ages of eleven and sixteen."

Signal level, then. That didn't mean she'd be any weaker, of course, and it was possibly quite the opposite. Although the training at higher levels was much harder on the students, it was early development that was key. The more applicants that could be trained up and put forward, the more huntsmen and huntresses you'd get at the end of the day.

"How serious will we be going?" he asked.

"Standard rules," Samantha answered. "We'll continue until aura is in the red, surrender or ring out. No explosives and no dust techniques. I think that's perhaps a wise idea considering our audience."

"Audience?" Jaune glanced back to Emerald, but he doubted that was what they meant.

"Miss Greening has had to take time out of her class for this," Ironwood explained, somewhat apologetic. "As such, she thought it might be something of a learning experience for her students. I hope you don't mind but it was the only solution we could think of."

Did he? Jaune's paranoia kicked in again and he tried to see what kind of angle Ironwood had and what he stood to benefit. He was aware he hadn't been exactly subtle in Vale, but it wasn't likely Ironwood had heard about the death of a petty crime lord. It might even take Ozpin a while to notice that. Was he wrong? Had he been noticed already, perhaps because he left with Emerald?

No. That was silly. Ironwood had explained why this was necessary and that it was early term time. Sometimes the obvious answer was the right one, and if this teacher had to take time off – during lesson time – to spar with him, then she'd have to do _something_ with her class. Why not make it a lesson? It couldn't hurt.

He'd never actually trained in Signal after all, but having two trained huntsmen fight against each other seemed like a good idea. It might teach them a thing or two, and would at the very least be an exciting lesson for them.

 _I really need to trust a little more. Ironwood isn't the kind of person to mess around with games._ If Ironwood didn't trust him, the first he'd have known about it would have been at the barrel of a gun, or several if he appeared dangerous enough. He certainly wouldn't be putting a bunch of kids at risk. That was the kind of thing Ozpin liked to do, the mission to Mountain Glenn being a prime example. He'd learned from Qrow later that Ironwood had actually wanted to use a military response to that, but that Ozpin had convinced him against it, sending Team RWBY instead. Though it paid off, it could have easily resulted in their deaths.

But that was ten years from now, and if he had his way it wouldn't happen. Jaune brought his attention back to the now, and the two people politely waiting for an answer. "An audience is fine with me," he said. After fighting in the Vytal Festival, he didn't feel too flustered about the idea of an audience. Not much could compare to that crowd. "How old are the students we're talking about?"

"Fourteen to fifteen for the most part, though we have one exceptional student who moved two years ahead." Samantha answered. "They won't have long before they have to consider applying to further education or to the military. I thank you for the chance to provide a little display. It will serve them well."

Jaune accepted it easily but asked Ironwood if he'd look after Emerald while he fought, not quite trusting how she'd act around the other students. They were too old for her and might try and ask about him, and that could be bad given how anti-social she was. He didn't want to imagine what someone like her could do if she felt cornered.

He didn't recognise any of the students who came in, nor did he expect to. There was a wide range of hair and outfit colours, no uniforms for such a practical class, and they chatted excitedly as they sought their seats, earning a roll of the eyes from Miss Greening. Famed as it may have been for its discipline, it looked like not even Atlas Academy could entirely quell the excitement of a good fight. There were plenty of them who watched him, too. He bore it all with an easy smile.

Back when Beacon started he might have quailed under the attention, but it really didn't seem that big a deal now. It probably never had been – just his anxiety playing up. They were just curious about him and the lesson, as he would be in their shoes. Seeing children act like children was oddly relaxing, reminding him a little of he and his friends in Beacon.

Samantha Greening proved herself the teacher she was by demanding their attention and explaining what was about to happen, even offering a little information on how some people earned their huntsman position without any formal education. She went on to discuss the spar, the rules, and how they should all pay attention because she _would_ be quizzing them on it at a later time and if she found out anyone had used this as a chance to sleep or chat, there would be hell to pay.

"I'm sorry about that," she said once she was done. She drew out her weapon, which appeared to be two – a handgun in her left hand and a mecha-shift weapon in the right, currently in the form of a short sword. Unlike Blake's, they weren't connected by a ribbon or chain. "Are you ready to begin, Mr Ashari?"

"Sure." He drew Crocea Mors, but again chose not to reveal his shield. "Is the ring active? Are the aura readers up?"

"They are. You may be-"

He was already moving. A fight didn't start on some pre-arranged signal and only an idiot wasted a chance to close the distance while your opponent was distracted. Qrow had taught him that. Crocea Mors swept into her guard, but she was able to bring her weapon up to block with only a small amount of surprise. As he'd expected, she wasn't just talented, but experienced in her own right. She twisted her wrist to force his blade high and pushed her gun towards his chest.

His spare hand batted it aside and a shot pinged off the barriers around the ring harmlessly. Jaune stepped in with his left foot, planting it between hers and using his weight to check her, knocking her back a few paces. Rather than follow straight on, he spun, offering her his back for a moment – but knowing she didn't have the footing to take advantage – before he completed his spiral and sent his sword crashing into her gun arm, trying to disarm her.

To his surprise she reversed the handgun and caught his blade between the barrel and grip. She lashed out with her short-sword and would have scored a strike on his ribs but for him catching it by the blade, flooding his hand with aura to prevent it cutting through his skin. He hooked a leg between and around hers. She hooked her other around his thigh, practically mounting him, but also preventing him from tripping her. She drove her forehead into his nose once, twice, three times, before she discharged her weapon, having twisted it while he was distracted being head-butted. The dust round hit him in the inside of the elbow, making his arm buckle and grip falter.

He still managed to get a good kick on her knee when she disengaged and backed off – one strong enough to make her stagger for a moment. She limped back but he didn't allow it. When the opponent had a ranged option and you didn't, there could be no letting up. He swung towards her head but feinted at the last, ignoring her block and his own sword entirely. He rammed his shoulder into her instead, pinning her sword to her breasts, and dropped Crocea Mors in the same motion. Both his hands grappled with her left, twisting and squeezing until she was forced to let go of her weapon with a pained yelp. He kicked it aside, out of the ring. She rammed the hand guard of her weapon into the back of his head.

As they parted, he pushed a foot under Crocea Mors and kicked it back up into his hand. She was down one weapon but still had her short sword, which she held before her in two hands. The exchange had lasted less than a minute and yet both their auras had taken damage, his on eighty-eight or so and hers around seventy-nine.

Those in the audience murmured in surprise, no doubt shocked at just how brutal and quick a fight between real huntsmen could be. And she was a real huntress, he had to accept that. Not for her the reliance on a single weapon or fighting style, but an easy adaptability that spoke of years of combat, both against Grimm and humans.

"You're down a weapon," Jaune noted.

"I suppose I am. You'll forgive me if I don't concede here and now."

He nodded. Someone like her would be prepared for that eventuality, as Ruby had eventually learned to be whenever she lost Crescent Rose. The two of them circled one another, now reduced to melee only and content to take a moment to inspect the other's style. Hers was measured and calm, with one foot back and a posture that hinted she'd give ground and draw him into a fight on her terms.

His, he knew, looked more rigid and unyielding. It was a refined version of what was probably the most standard and beginner-friendly stance ever, sword held in two hands centre-body and feet spread evenly, giving him manoeuvrability in every direction if needs be. Pyrrha had taught him the basics first, and there really hadn't been time for him to learn much more. He'd stuck with it and adapted it to suit, however.

It was he who broke the deadlock, charging in once more. Now able to focus solely on her weapon, Samantha's defence was impenetrable and the two danced around the ring, covering far more distance than most beginners did. Fights weren't nearly as static as many took them for and the ring was too small for them in most terms. Were this a real fight, they'd have been using the walls, lockers and even the benches as impromptu shields, weapons and obstacles.

Jaune swept high and she ducked low, blocking his snap-kick with crossed arms and rolling away from his overhead swing. A foot swept into the back of his shin and knocked it aside. He managed to stay standing but staggered, and she took the chance to roll away and up behind him. He heard the tell-tale click of mechanical gears shifting. He couldn't see, but he knew the sound like nothing else, thanks both to Ruby and Nora, and the constant fights they had.

There was no telling what her second weapon-type was, but he didn't hesitate. His left hand left Crocea Mors to tear his scabbard free, turning and deploying it into its shield form a moment before the explosive rounds struck.

His legs buckled and fire washed over him, along with smoke and a distinct scent of ozone. So, she had _another_ ranged option but had chosen to conceal it, luring him in with the false promise of being disarmed if he took away her gun. Clever. The smoke from the attack washed over him and concealed the two of them from view. By all means, that should have been the end of it – would have, if not for the audible _click_ of another round entering the chamber of her weapon. It was all he needed to find her.

The woman gasped as he tore from the smoke – unable to see him until the last second and now woefully unprepared. She recovered admirably and brought her weapon up to block, but he switched and charged her with his shield instead, pinning her own weapon against her body and carrying her back to the edge of the ring. She saw it and cursed, hooking an arm around his shield so he couldn't throw her off.

Not that it did any good. He tossed his shield away entirely, sending her tumbling out of the ring with a startled cry and a solid `oomph` when she hit the floor.

"Match by ring-out," Ironwood called. "The victor is Jaune Ashari."

The audience dutifully clapped at that, and Jaune hopped down from the stage and held a hand out to his opponent. She took it graciously and handed him back his shield, which she still had hold of. He sheathed his weapon and hooked it back onto his belt.

"You had a hidden gun," he complimented.

"And you had a hidden shield," she remarked, not upset in the slightest. She looked past him and raised her voice for the benefit of her students. "Let that be a lesson to you all. Just because you _have_ a tool does not mean you need to show it off. Surprise is the most influential factor in any battle. It does not matter how _good_ or _stylish_ you look, only that you emerge victorious. Did anyone notice anything else of importance?"

A hand went up.

"Yes, Miss Schnee."

"Both your auras are still above fifty per cent," the young girl said – and she was young, easily a year or more below each of her classmates. As if the name wasn't enough, the white hair provided all the evidence he needed. It was like seeing a little Weiss, yet somehow sterner. It must have been Winter Schnee. She was… she was so small! She was not quite Weiss' height – which he supposed was still a little insulting since she was twelve or thirteen and a similar height and build as a seventeen-year-old Weiss. He was so shocked that he didn't realise she was still talking.

"Mr Ashari never intended to beat you into submission."

The rest of the audience seemed confused by her point, but Jaune found himself nodding along with Samantha, impressed by Winter's insight.

"You're correct. Very well noticed. The rules for this spar included an easier way to achieve victory. You should always be looking for such, as if this were a real combat scenario, it would be a matter of life or death to conserve as much aura as possible. Two people beating one another until one cannot move is a woefully inefficient use of time and energy."

"Miss Greening speaks the truth," Ironwood said, walking forward and clapping gently. "Be it military, huntsman or everyday life, you should seek to identify the simplest way to achieve you task and fulfil it. I believe this has a been a valuable lesson. Do you agree, Miss Greening?"

"Yes, headmaster." Samantha bowed her head, and then, to Jaune's surprise, did the same to him, too. "I thank you for the spar and for the aid in this lesson, Mr Ashari."

He nodded back, a little pleased to have helped and also in good cheer from the fight. It felt good to fight someone without any heavy stakes relying on the outcome. The worst that could have happened from a loss would be a delay in his huntsman test.

"No problem. I'm glad I could help."

The teacher nodded and barked some orders to the students, instructing them to pair off for sparring of their own. That was their chance to leave, Ironwood steering him out of the room and Emerald following like a silent shadow.

"You did well in the fight, Jaune. May I call you that?"

"Of course, sir."

"Call me James," Ironwood said. "You're not a part of my military. Well, after a display like that I don't have many concerns when it comes to granting you a huntsman aptitude test. Normally there would be a theory section, but I think we could skip that here in favour of the practical." Ironwood paused at an elevator. "I'll explain more in my office. Please come."

The journey didn't take long and they passed through a few corridors, occasionally walking by students who all paused to nod or wish them a good morning respectfully. A few eyes lingered on Emerald, but more in a curious fashion than anything else. He didn't think she realised it, however, for she walked a little closer to him, hiding in his shadow.

When they reached the office, Emerald made to sit outside, but Ironwood ushered her in, offering a seat in the corner. It wasn't so far away that she couldn't hear them, but it was out of the way. Ironwood himself sat behind his desk and offered the seat opposite.

"Thank you for your patience," he said. "I feel such matters are best discussed away from the students. Tell me, Jaune. You're aware that I am a Captain in the Atlas military, but do you know what I am the Captain of?"

"I'm afraid I don't. I've never been to Atlas before."

"Your records suggested as such. Though my rank is Captain, it's something of a misleading title - more symbolic than anything. I am actually Director of Specialist Operations, and am in charge of Atlas' Specialist forces, a task force designed for rapid response to dangerous or clandestine missions, usually within the borders of Atlas and of a national security nature."

Jaune had heard of them, of course, since Weiss' sister became one in time. Later, James would become the General of Atlas, too, and he had to wonder if this was a natural promotion that would happen in time, or if something would happen to make him earn it. "Is it okay for you to tell me that?" he asked.

"My role is hardly a secret; anyone in Atlas could tell you it," James deflected. "If anything, the only matters of security would be the nature of some of our more sensitive missions, and I'm obviously not about to reveal those to you." He smiled to take the edge off. "I'm only informing you of this because the mission I had in mind was for a huntsman to assist a team of my Specialists, and I'd hate for you to go in without the necessary information. Interested?"

"If it gets me my graduation, yes."

"Perfect. It's not a particularly dangerous or secretive mission, hence why I can afford to send someone not even remotely affiliated to Atlas on it. Have you heard of Mountain Glenn?"

"I know about what happened there."

"You know the official story, yes. What is less known is that one person was responsible for it, a Doctor Merlot, who was performing highly dangerous and illegal research on Grimm. It is our understanding that Merlot died in Mountain Glenn, but a few of his facilities remain, and to my frustration Atlas appears to have been something of a preferable location for him. I've had my Specialists tracking down and destroying these facilities one by one, but a team has come across one that has a little bit of an infestation problem."

"And you'd like me to clear it out."

"If you could, yes. I'm told it's just minor Grimm but in large numbers. Specialist teams are small and focus on quality over quantity. They're experts in dealing with human enemies in a range of situations, but I just can't afford to risk them in a war of attrition against the Grimm. For an experienced huntsman, however, such a threat is reduced. I'd been trying to find someone with a free schedule to assist me on this, but you seem strong enough for the task."

Hence the spar with Miss Greening. It sounded like the kind of job any good huntsman could do, but that was the issue - it would need to be someone experienced enough to fight alone. Most huntsmen and huntresses who came out of the schools did so in teams, and were used to fighting alongside a small number of people. Ironwood had wanted assurance that he was capable of fighting solo.

And to be honest, a simple fight with Grimm didn't sound too problematic. It would be subtle – much more than him going against King or fighting Qrow, and maybe that was what he needed, a chance to lie low for a little bit. Since he needed his license anyway, it wasn't like he could afford to say no.

"And you're okay sending someone you're not sure you can trust on a mission like this?"

"Yes." James nodded. "Like I said, this isn't a politically sensitive or dangerous mission. The facility has long been abandoned and the only reason we're destroying them is to prevent anyone else trying to take them over. There's nothing you could find or see there that you couldn't anywhere else. I won't even ask for you to keep it a secret. If you're so inclined, you can leak this to the media or whomever you wish. It would hardly be bad press for people to know I'm taking the clean-up of a criminal's facilities seriously."

Ironwood looked calm and honest, as he should, really. It sounded like a painfully simple mission and after a few seconds, Jaune realised that was because it _was_ a simple mission. This was just a test to make sure he had the basic skills a huntsman needed to graduate. This wasn't the world-saving battles he was used to where everyone's life lay in the balance. If he failed here, the worst that would happen would be an injury or two and the fact that Ironwood would have to try again later, probably with more men.

It was honestly a surprise to realise how mundane this really was, but it made sense. This was ten years before the world would go to shit. Ironwood wasn't locking up Atlas and dealing with a rebellion led by Jacques Schnee. He was just living his life, handling paperwork and cleaning up after some petty criminal. And right here, right now, he was fulfilling his duty as headmaster in appraising a new huntsman, nothing more.

"Sounds good to me. When do I start?"

"When can you? My team is already there and quite frustrated to be stuck in the snow."

Jaune laughed. The call had probably come in yesterday; hence Ironwood's distracted nature the day before. "I can jump on a Bullhead right now if you need me to." His eyes flicked to Emerald. "You said you'd have someone keep an eye on Emerald for me."

"Miss Greening has agreed to help in her spare time and I'll assign a student to act as a guide for her. I already have someone in mind. You'll forgive me for asking, Mr Ashari, but you appear a little young to have a daughter and your appearances are not at all similar. Is she yours, or is she someone you picked up?"

Jaune could sense the faint note of suspicion there and understand it. Ironwood wasn't dumb and Emerald wasn't particularly subtle. It was obvious something was wrong with her and a certain degree of concern had to fall on him. He had a feeling Miss Greening would be quizzing Emerald in his absence, trying to find out if he was abusive or had hurt her. This _was_ a school, after all. They took children's safety seriously.

"She's not mine," he admitted. "I took her in when I was in Vale. She didn't have anyone."

"I see. Do you intend to adopt her?"

He wasn't sure. He'd taken her along to keep her out of Cinder's hands, but he had no idea what to actually do with her. His first thought had been to bring her here and then put her in an orphanage, but he was afraid. What if by doing that, he gave her to Cinder? What if she was never adopted, ran away, or was adopted and her family died? What if she ended up on the streets again and if it was actually here in Atlas that Cinder met her?

It would be an odd coincidence, but it wasn't impossible. Salem had her hands everywhere and it was possible Cinder would visit Atlas in time. There was no saying if she'd meet Emerald or not, but was it really worth the risk? If she did and recruited her, all his work would be for nothing. He didn't want to change the future too much, but some opportunities were just too good to miss and this was one of them. He couldn't trust Emerald with anyone else.

"I'm going to keep her with me."

For better or worse…

"Hm, very well. I'll see to it that she is well looked after while you're gone. She's young, so it might be worth putting her into a few classes." Ironwood saw the nervous look on his face and quickly explained, "Not combat, of course. I mean academic lessons such as reading, writing and mathematics. Atlas Academy encompasses students of all ages."

"Ah. I'd like that, but… would it be possible for private lessons?" He eyed Emerald nervously. "I don't think she will get on well with people right now. She has trust issues."

"Hm, I can imagine. Very well, I'll see what I can do. Was there anything else?"

"No, I think that's it."

"I'll have a Bullhead ready for you in thirty minutes."

/-/

Ozpin raised an eyebrow as a bird tapped its beak on his window. He placed the document he was reading down, sighed and moved over, unlatching and drawing the window open. The bird waddled over, hopped in and quickly transformed into a tall, young man.

"I do have an elevator, Qrow. You could have landed outside the school and entered by the normal channels."

"When I can fly? Yeah, no thanks. What's the point of being able to do this if I can't cut a few corners here and there?" The huntsman closed the window behind him and made a show of walking over to and inspecting the chair before Ozpin's desk. Even to an untrained eye, Qrow would have appeared nervous, or perhaps frustrated. Ozpin could easily guess why, seeing as how he'd come alone.

"I take it Raven was not amicable to my offer of a meeting."

Qrow flinched. "That's one way to put it."

"You _did_ speak with her."

"Of course I did. She was about the same as she's always been. Didn't even ask about Yang or Tai and treated me like I didn't exist." Qrow snorted and flopped down, one elbow on his knee and chin in his hand. "She pisses me off sometimes. Well, most times, but now more than ever."

Ozpin hummed and moved back to sit behind his desk. As he did, his eyes trailed over Qrow's form and noticed the little irregularities. A bruise here, a piece of torn clothing here, a smudge that looked suspiciously like dirt on the collar.

"I suppose the fact you've been in a fight has little to do with your mood, hm?"

"Er…" Qrow winced. "Maybe?"

"Qrow…" Ozpin sighed. "I know you and your sister have your issues, but taking your frustrations out on one another does not help us convince her to return."

"Whoah-Whoah, I didn't fight with Ray," Qrow protested. When Ozpin sent him a disbelieving look, he pushed on. "Honest, I didn't. She suggested a fight and that she'd come and talk to you if I won, but it wasn't her I fought against."

"Well, judging from the fact she is not here, I can only assume you lost." Ozpin had to chuckle a little at the indignant look on the man's face, even as he slumped lower in his chair and groaned. "Still, I'm surprised someone other than her could do this to you. You're one of the stronger huntsman in Vale, if not one of the strongest. If not her, then who did you fight with?"

"Some bastard she called her Champion." Qrow's tone made it clear what he thought of that. "Blonde hair, blue eyes and no honour whatsoever. The guy fought like some kind of movie villain. Even chucked dirt in my eyes."

"Yet he beat you."

"I was caught off-guard. It won't happen again."

Ozpin didn't argue. Qrow was a very skilled huntsman, but like many his age could be prone to bouts of overconfidence at times. A loss here could help to alleviate that, and at least it was a loss of pride and little else. Both he and Summer had experienced defeats recently, but to Ozpin's relief neither had paid the ultimate price for it.

Learning experiences were always valuable.

On the issue of this `champion`, however, he had little to go on. Blonde hair and blue eyes were not features in themselves rare, and one couldn't exactly expect a fair fight from a bandit – as Qrow should have realised, really. Ultimately, he supposed it didn't matter. Raven's decision to stay removed from the world, be it him, the Kingdoms or Salem, meant that her Champion would likely be doing the same.

"And what of the other matter?" Ozpin asked.

"I didn't get a chance to look for the Spring Maiden," Qrow grumbled. "Ray caught me the moment I tried to sneak in, and I was cast out straight after that bastard cheated a win. If she's there, I wasn't able to see her."

A problem for sure, but Ozpin supposed there was little that could be done. Raven was at least strong, and if she had someone on or above Qrow's level to assist her, then perhaps the Spring Maiden would be safe for now. Either way, it looked like Raven wouldn't be helping them anytime soon. The bridges that had once existed between them had been well and truly burned.

"I don't know what to do about that guy," Qrow growled.

"Hm?"

"Raven's new boy toy," he snarled. "You should have seen the way she looked at him – it was like they were sharing some special secret. It pissed me off. I wanted to wipe that smug look off his face." Qrow hit the desk with one fist. "Damn it. I can't believe he got the better of me. I need to train more; I need to let Tai knock me around the ring a few times. I let some sodding _bandit_ get the better of me. What kind of huntsman am I?"

"Does it really matter? It's only one little fight."

"It matters," Qrow grumbled, though he refused to elaborate on why. Ozpin had to hide his smile even if he couldn't quite hide the amused shake of his head. Boys would be boys. Taiyang and Qrow really had been quite the pair, though Taiyang had calmed down since his marriage and become a rather responsible young man.

As for Qrow? Well…

You couldn't have everything.

"Ignore our little bandit problem for now, Qrow," he chuckled. "I have my own issues to deal with here."

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "Something happen…?"

"A sudden shift in the underworld here. It seems one of the more prominent families has lost their leader, and there is a power struggle beginning to see who can take control and whether other gangs will claim their territory." Ozpin motioned to the documents on his desk. "They've managed to keep it from affecting everyday life so far, but I'm still considering sending a huntsman or two to keep an eye on things."

"Want me to handle it?"

"I'm sure that won't be necessary. It's just some simple criminals."

"Guess so." Qrow huffed. "Who do you think did it?"

"I couldn't say as of yet. I'm sure it was a deal gone badly. I'm only keeping an eye out in case a certain someone tries to take advantage of the chaos. There's been nothing yet," he assured when Qrow sat up. "Salem has been silent lately."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"For now, yes." It wouldn't last, but it at least meant there was a period of peace. It was that which reminded Ozpin of some good news for a change, which he shared with his agent. "Summer has returned, by the way. She's fully healed."

"Already?" Qrow perked up and the irritated look on his face melted away, replaced with cheer.

"Indeed. It seems someone in Vacuo accelerated her healing via the use of a rare Semblance."

"Healing, huh. That sounds handy."

"I'm already looking for the one responsible," Ozpin said, catching the hint. "Of course, I have little to go on, so I don't expect much. Still, you should take the time to visit Summer and see for yourself that she is well. I think such a diversion might do you well. You need to calm down."

"Yeah, I guess I do." Qrow laughed awkwardly and scratched his head. "Losing to this asshole has me in all kinds of a bad mood. Seeing the munchkins will cheer me up. Summer back on Patch?"

"With her family, yes."

"Cool. I'll head there now." Qrow stood and made for the window, but paused at the last. "Unless you need me for something?"

"Not at the moment. Go and spend some time with your teammates."

Qrow was gone a moment latter in a flutter of feathers. The window remained open, letting a light breeze in. Ozpin didn't have the energy to close it and instead sat down and inspected his reports once more. The Spring Maiden was out of reach for now and Raven couldn't be reasoned with. Time healed all wounds and would perhaps heal the ones between them, too. They would have to see.

As for this man with the healing Semblance, perhaps it was time he called in a little help to find their mysterious benefactor. Summer and Taiyang would surely appreciate the chance to thank him personally, and such a skill would be invaluable.

And if anyone could help him find the person, it would be Ironwood.

* * *

 **Well, well, there we go. Jaune is in Atlas and settling down for a while, even getting Emerald a teacher of sorts. I wonder who that could be – and I imagine most people can figure it out without any trouble, lol.**

 **This chapter was low on the stakes scale, I suppose, but we're establishing things and Jaune's plans are starting to pan out a little. He's also aware of just how roughshod he ran through Vale, and knows he can't keep doing that. We're setting up for a little time in Atlas, but before Jaune can do that, he needs to prove himself to Ironwood.**

 **Emerald remains Emerald, suspicious to the last.**

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 **Next Chapter: 26** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	9. Chapter 9

**On Winter, the reason I gave her age as what I did was because I was told that Rooster Teeth confirmed her age as being "four to five" years older than Weiss (in an interview, I'm told), and that Winter was in her "early twenties" in the show. That didn't leave many options sadly, and I'd ideally have liked for her to be older (and initially planned for it) but what can you do? It certainly makes Qrow look much more childish, since in canon he can't possibly be any younger than 38 - assuming Yang is born the** _ **instant**_ **his team leaves Beacon. He's probably closer to 39 or 40, and goading someone almost two decades than him into a fight.**

 **I personally think it's a little odd for someone who would be 20-23 at most to have a rank as high as Winter apparently does (especially since Remnant's huntsman training appears to be 17-21), but that's just the way it is, apparently. On the other hand, I suppose the age does better explain why she wasn't trusted with the truth like Qrow was. It just makes all that Qrow x Winter fanfiction and art seem a lot creepier xD**

 **Also, there is some new fanart for this fic – specifically of smol Emerald. Very cute! Visit Kegi Springfield on DA to see more.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 9**

* * *

The sun was shining and yet not a single ray seemed to strike the ground as the Bullhead tore through what felt like a blizzard of epic proportions. It wasn't a full-blown one or so the pilot assured him – this, to someone from Atlas, was more like a light drizzle, even if frost had been kicked up so harshly that vision ended not five feet from the Bullhead's windows.

"You can't even see where you're going," Jaune protested, one hand on the pilot's seat as he stared out the frosted-over window. "How do you expect to land this thing?"

"I don't," the woman called back. "The team has set a beacon to fly to. I'll hover over it and you can jump out."

"Gee, thanks."

The pilot might have called something back but he didn't hear it over the roar of the engines and the howling wind that battered the Bullhead's hull. Go back ten years and this would have been enough to have him filling the first two inches of the cargo bay with vomit. His nerves had hardened over time, however.

"We're nearly at the drop-off zone. There's a mountain ahead, so I can't go much further." She pointed with one hand to the port-side of the Bullhead, and with the click of a button the light there flashed red three times, before the door slowly started to open. Wind rushed out as the air pressure within and without equalised. "We're not that high up," she said. "You'll make it."

It couldn't be any higher than Beacon's initiation, which even now seemed like a terribly dangerous way of testing applicants. Jaune sighed and pushed through to the door, tugging up the full-face goggles the pilot had provided. She'd said he would need them sooner or later, and she'd been proven right. As he stood in the doorway he looked down toward the ground, shivering as the snow slapped into his face. He couldn't see the ground. It was all white in a storm of white.

There was no time for hesitation, however. With a quick breath he hopped out and away from the Bullhead, free-falling down as the wind that rushed past him became vertical, air pressure causing a whistling sensation in his ears.

Through the storm, he saw the ground approach – a red flare on it, burning defiantly on the bare snow. He tensed his legs and brought himself upright, landing hard – harder than he'd expected given that he sank a good two feet into the snow with a spluttering cough. He couldn't see the Bullhead above but heard the engines roar as it took away, abandoning him in an icy wilderness.

It occurred to him then that his outfit really wasn't fit for this terrain. He'd gone from a desert to a snowstorm and though he still had his jeans, they were torn in places and leaked in moisture, while his boots were the same. Ironically, the Ashari robes – tattered as they were – provided the best protection, not because they kept the heat in, but because he could wrap them over his lower face and at least shield himself from the biting wind.

It didn't do much for the temperature, though, and Jaune's teeth chattered. The flare was still burning merrily and he reached down to take it, both for the little heat it offered and so that the team waiting for him would notice, if they'd somehow missed the Bullhead's arrival. _It's possible, given how loud this storm is,_ he thought.

They hadn't, however. Jaune caught sight of a red light blinking through the haze of white and, knowing no red light would be doing that out here, trudged towards it. The mountain came more into view as he did, and as he reached the base of it, several triangular shapes did the same; tents of some kind. There was a man – or maybe a woman, it was hard to tell due to all the layers – stood in front of them with a black bar in one hand, the top flashing red. The person clicked it off when he approached.

"Are you the team Ironwood sent me to help?" Jaune asked. He had to raise his voice to a near shout to be heard.

The person didn't respond, or their voice was lost to the wind if they did. They turned instead and motioned for him to follow, leading him through the snow and away from the tents. He was about to complain until he saw an orange glow ahead – doubtless a fire of some kind. He'd been out here less than five minutes and his bones already ached for it.

It was a cave of some kind they stepped into, hollowed out and so obviously man-made that Jaune had to wonder just how it had remained hidden. Maybe there'd been more of a wall around it before these people got here. The walls of the cave were covered in metal plates and computer screens, with a thick blast door shut to one side and a few lockers further along. Several of those lockers had been set up as a wind shield, with more tipped over for seats. In front of that, just about protected from the wind, three men sat around a fire.

"This our support?" one asked. He was a grizzled man with a shaved head and a scar over one eye. He was dressed not in the expected white of Atlas, but a black combat outfit replete with armoured plates and numerous pouches.

The person who'd led him tugged off some of their layers, revealing a woman with platinum blonde-dyed hair and a pale face. Dressed in the same uniform, she tossed off her gloves and rubbed her hands together near the fire. "Unless someone has taken to diving out of Bullheads in a blizzard, then yes, I'd say so."

Sharp, clipped and business-like. None of them seemed particularly friendly or pleased to see him, but he supposed that was understandable given the situation. He wouldn't have been thrilled to be stuck out here for a couple of days either.

"My name's Jaune Ashari," he introduced. "Ironwood sent me to help. Are you Team November?"

"Aye." Another man, grey in hair and with a stern expression stood. "Let's not waste time on introductions, not when we'd all rather be back home. You can call me Charlie. This is Delta, Echo and Foxtrot," he added, pointing to each in turn, the woman last.

"Nice to meet you," Jaune said, not at all worried at the fake names. He'd only struggle to remember them anyway, and these people probably weren't allowed to give him their real ones. It wasn't rudeness in this case. It seemed like they favoured efficiency and professionalism, so Jaune got straight to the point. "Ironwood told me there was a Grimm infestation to deal with. What am I looking at?"

"Beowolves for the most part, though some appear to have been augmented."

"Augmented?"

"Looks like these guys were experimenting with grafting machines into Grimm to give them some kind of advantage. We're not sure if that was meant to be control, durability or just firepower at this point, but the experiment was pretty much a failure from what we can see. Foxtrot, show him."

Foxtrot nodded and brought out a laptop from a bag behind her, booting it up and motioning for him to stand behind her and watch. "I'm a computer and engineering specialist," she said as it loaded. "My job is to make sure things go to plan, organise, and, if necessary, cut off any and all communications. Since it's just Grimm, none of that is needed, but I was able to take control of some parts of the facility. That's why that door is shut," she said, nodding to the blast doors. "The Grimm are on the other side baying to get out."

"Really? I can't hear them."

"The sound proofing here is impressive. You'll see soon enough."

The screen flickered and changed to a green-tinted camera feed within the facility – one that looked to be in the corridor right in front of the entrance and attached to something that was moving from left to right. Before he could ask what it was he was looking at, several dark figures appeared at the end of the corridor and hustled forward.

Bright light filled the display – muzzle flashes. It was hard without the sound, the camera not picking it up, but he realised he was looking at an automated turret of some kind, and that it was hosing down the Grimm as they approached.

"That turret is the only thing keeping the Grimm from escaping?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Foxtrot said. "It wasn't on before we arrived and the door held. I think it's too tough for them to get through, but since we need to clear them out anyway, I figured we might as well turn it on. But here, look at these Grimm." She pointed to the screen. "Look at that one's arm."

Jaune did, and quickly saw what she meant. The Grimm was loping to one side, like half its body was heavier than the other. "It's got a robotic arm."

"Yeah, and it doesn't work. All these Grimm have little implants like that – and not one of them seems to know what to do with them, if they even worked in the first place. Not all experiments like this end well. Looks like they hit a bust with this one."

It did, and Jaune watched a few more Grimm struggle to reach the doors, each being gunned down. Some had metal legs, arms and others just had plates of metal armour attached to them. Like the team had said, however, the Grimm appeared less dangerous for their additions. Since no Grimm in the future had been used that were part-robot, he supposed that was confirmation this experiment had never yielded fruit.

"It doesn't look like too much of a problem," he said, standing again. "What do you actually need me to do? If you're allowed to tell me."

"We need to plant explosives at key points," Charlie said. "We know where those are, and it's hardly a secret we're here to blow this place up. We can kill Grimm easily enough, but the problem is defending a location while we have to set these puppies up." He tapped a rather large barrel to the side. Or, well, it wasn't a barrel, but it was shaped like one. "It takes one person to move these and two to get it going. Foxtrot needs to stay here and guide us, not to mention hold the entrance so we have a way out."

"And that would leave one person to defend both ends of a corridor," Jaune finished. "I understand. I'm not to go in and kill everything, then. I'm to go with you and take the Grimm's attention."

Delta laughed. "If you're up for it, mate."

"I suppose I'll have to be."

"Good." Charlie sighed and reached down for a gun, checking it over before he picked up several smaller charges from a backpack and put them onto his armour. "Delta and Echo, we'll be in formation three, shadowing the huntsman. Foxtrot, I need you in guidance, channel six."

"Yes, sir."

"We don't have a spare comms device," he said apologetically.

Jaune shrugged. "Just shout which way you want me to go. We're not splitting up."

"Fair enough. Alright everyone, it's time to say goodbye to this miserable freezer. In and out, no fancy business and if I catch you stopping to take a piss, Echo, I'll chop your dick off myself."

"Aw, boss, you know nature calls…"

"Go now, because I'm not turning this squad around."

"Sure thing, dad." Echo teased.

"Are we there yet?" Delta chimed in.

"Bastards." Charlie laughed good-naturedly. "Right then, huntsman. My squad's lives are in your hands, so you better not mess this up. We can back out if it gets bad, but we can't detonate the place unless we have everything primed. We're not leaving a single inch of this place standing if someone comes to try and excavate it."

"You won't have to turn back." Jaune said, drawing Crocea Mors. "We'll be back in Atlas by nightfall."

"Ha. I like the sound of that. Foxtrot, get it open and shut down your toy. It's time to play."

"Yes, sir. Commencing breach."

With a mighty groan, the blast doors began to open, shaking loose snow from the metal and cracking ice that had formed above and below. The moment it did, the loud sound of the miniguns inside whirred to an end and the howling of Grimm broke over it. The tunnel within was dark. The three specialists turned on the torches attached to their weapons and aimed them inside, illuminating several ravenous Beowolves at the end of the corridor.

The Specialists didn't move, but instead waited for him to take the lead. It was strange to have people he wasn't used to at his back, but the Grimm were familiar and that was enough to put him at ease. Jaune had half a second to wonder if the fact Grimm relaxed him meant he was somehow broken, before such thoughts became irrelevant and the Beowolves charged forward.

Crocea Mors flashed in the torchlight.

Its bloody work soon began.

/-/

Emerald glared at the television in front of her.

When she'd been on the streets there had been times where she'd stood outside of shops selling them and watched the things within. It was never much, just snippets of shows she had no real understanding of, but the thought of being able to sit down for hours at a time and just relax, not having to worry about finding food to eat or if someone would shank you in the back, sounded incredible. Now, with three hours under her belt, she missed the knives.

"Ugh, this is boring!" She threw the remote at the wall and winced when it cracked a little. Her eyes darted left and right, muscles tensed in preparation to flee. She relaxed a second later. The Smiling Man wasn't here, she reminded herself. He was off on a mission for the Ironwood man so he could become a huntsman. Emerald sighed and leaned back in the couch of their little room and kicked her feet. The TV kept going but she paid no attention to it.

How did people live like this? She'd never had much free time and there had always been something more important to do, but now she suddenly had loads – and food was basically delivered to her door like she was royalty. What did that leave her to do, though? If she didn't have to find food and no one was trying to take her sleeping spot away, what else was there?

Not TV, she decided balefully. News, cartoons or some stupid show where someone yelled "the baby is yours" over and over while an audience screamed like wild dogs, were all dull in different ways. She'd already had a shower that morning, and when the Smiling Man left she had another – just because it felt good. No one told her off for using that much water, so she poured a bath, too, and sat in it until her skin turned wrinkly and the water cold.

She'd also tried to use that shampoo stuff on the side, too, but it tasted awful and got in her eyes, stinging them until she'd washed it out. Now her hair smelled like someone had dunked her head in a garden. It was overpowering.

"This sucks," she whispered, and then, realising no one was around and there was no reason to be afraid, she said it again, louder. "This sucks! This totally sucks!"

It felt surprisingly good to shout. She hadn't dared speak much while the Smiling Man was around. He hadn't gotten angry when she was quiet, nor had he tried to hurt her, so quiet she'd be. He seemed to like that. Against all odds, she kind of wished he was still here. Things were easier when he was, because he at least told her what they were doing. He made decisions for her. She didn't have to sit around and stare at beige paint on a wall.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. It couldn't be him because he didn't really need to knock. Was it more food? She wasn't hungry and it didn't seem all that long ago that she'd eaten.

There was another knock, and this time a voice echoed it.

"Emerald, are you in there? It's Mrs Greening. I've been asked to check up on you by Mr Ashari."

The fighting woman, Emerald realised. Her first instinct was to not answer, and then maybe to hide, but she recognised that would be a bad idea, and that it might still be some time until her owner returned. Hesitantly, Emerald kicked off the sofa and moved over to unlock the door. She kept one foot back, ready to bolt if she had to. The window would give an exit, even if it was high up. She'd learned to climb walls easily and the outside of Atlas Academy couldn't be too much harder.

"Ah, there you are," the woman said, smiling pleasantly. Emerald didn't like it much, since no one had ever really smiled pleasantly at her and meant it like that. Sure, _he_ did, but he also killed people with that smile, so she knew it was just his default expression. When she didn't respond, the woman appeared troubled. "Are you okay, Emerald?"

"Yes," she said.

"Can we come in?"

Emerald shrugged. She wasn't actually sure.

"I think Mr Ashari would be fine with us coming in," Mrs Greening assured. "He _did_ ask us to check on you, after all."

That was true and Emerald backed away, allowing them into the room. She kept a good distance between them – their hand reach and a half, which would give Emerald time to flee if she had to, but also duck under the woman's arms and out the door.

Or they would, if there wasn't someone _else_ already covering the door. Emerald's eyes locked onto them and she hissed under her breath. She didn't like being cornered.

The woman noticed and chuckled. "Oh, that's just one of my students," she explained. "Don't mind her. Come in, Winter, there's no need to be shy."

The girl at the door stepped in with a sigh. She had white hair and wore the same white and grey outfit Emerald was, which made her realise it was some kind of uniform. Her nose twisted at that. She hated the way they looked the same, right down to the grey tie and little waistcoat. The girl wore it better though, because she was stuffy and uptight and had her nose in the air, even if she wasn't much taller than Emerald was. It was like an adult in a child's body from how she acted.

Emerald didn't trust adults much, but this kid who acted like an adult? She instantly hated her.

"I am not shy, Mrs Greening. I simply thought it rude to enter another person's room without permission." The girl paused to regard Emerald impassively. She nodded once, not really paying all that much attention to her. "A pleasure to meet you, Emerald Ashari. My name is Winter Schnee."

Emerald a-what's it? Oh right, that was the last name of the guy who'd taken her away. Or was it, really? He'd said his last name was "Arc" to King, and Ashari was obviously fake. Emerald kept that to herself, knowing better than to spill the secrets of dangerous people.

It looked like the girl wanted a response though, so Emerald shrugged. "Hi."

Winter's lips turned down, though Mrs Greening snorted and hid a laugh behind her fist. Old people were weird like that.

"Well, it looks like the two of you are already getting on famously. I only came to check up on you, sweetie-" Emerald recoiled at the horrible nickname. "-But your father-" She recoiled again at the horrible idea. "-asked me to have someone come and teach you privately. He didn't think you'd be ready to join a class of other students your age."

Wait, what? Student? Teach?

" _I think it's about time I taught you a lesson, girl."_

Emerald took a step back, eyes narrowed. There was a jug on the side she could use as a weapon – or she could once she smashed it into the white-haired girl's face and got hold of a shard of glass. "What kind of lesson?" she asked, already reaching for it.

"Oh, we were thinking some numbers, reading and writing – simple things, but things you need to know."

Reading? Emerald's hand moved back to her side and the prissy girl was spared a bloody nose and probably much worse. This wasn't the street, she had to remind herself. These were spoiled and rich people who could afford to waste time learning useless stuff like that.

And she guessed she had time now, too.

"Now, I have lessons to teach and I can't always be available," Mrs Greening said, "but Winter here can, and she's currently ahead of her year, so this is going to be extra-credit for her. She's going to be your mentor here, and your guide, so if you need anything just ask her. I'm sure in time you'll become firm friends, too."

Friends, huh? Emerald wasn't so sure. There'd been friends once or twice before, mostly born out of convenience or an agreement to share food if they ganged up on people who didn't have any, but they'd all inevitably been taken out in time or betrayed her for bigger, stronger friends. This Winter girl didn't look like she had much to offer in a fight. Besides, it was obvious the girl was sneering at her, even if she hid it well.

Everyone sneered at street rats, it was just the way the world worked, but that didn't mean they liked to put up with it. She definitely wasn't going to when she had the Smiling Man at her back. These people probably couldn't even touch him.

"Now, I'll leave you and Winter to get acquainted," the older woman said. "Please try your hardest in your lessons, Emerald. I'm sure your father will be pleased to see how much you've improved."

There was the father thing again, though this time she was better prepared and able to avoid reacting to the weird term. It was the second part that really caught her attention. He'd be pleased? Would he? He _had_ asked for her to get these lessons, so that meant he wanted her to be able to read and write.

Would she be in trouble if she didn't learn? Emerald bit her lip. To her frustration, she wasn't sure and couldn't find the right answer, which meant she had to learn. Better safe than sorry, even if that meant playing nice with this weird girl.

The door closed behind the teacher as she left, leaving Emerald and Winter in some kind of awkward silence that stretched on for more than two minutes. Winter stood with a few books held in her hands while Emerald waited at the back of the room, a solid distance between them and her feet bare on the floor.

"I suppose that we should begin," Winter eventually said. Her voice was imperious, as if the mere concept of someone not doing what she said was alien. "As I said, my name is Winter Schnee and I am a student here at Atlas Academy. Mrs Greening has asked me to help you with basic literacy and I intend to do just that. Your co-operation is appreciated."

Emerald blinked. She'd caught maybe half the words, but some she just didn't understand.

"Come and sit here," Winter said, indicating one of the stools. She drew it by the desk in the room and sat down in the second. It was very close to her. Too close.

"I'm fine here," Emerald said.

"How are you supposed to read if you can't see the page?" Winter slapped the seat again. "Sit."

"No."

"I _said_ , come and sit here."

Emerald huffed, crossed her arms and sat down on the edge of her bed, a good metre and a half away. Her eyes narrowed.

"No."

/-/

"Charge is set," Echo called. "You're good to move on."

"Alright," Jaune acknowledged, using the flashlight provided by Charlie to see as he moved further down the metal corridor. It was dark inside, and even though Foxtrot had activated what power she could, most of the lights had been smashed by the Grimm bumbling around, locking the facility in perpetual dark. The tunnels were narrow and claustrophobic, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side or only one if they wanted any room to swing a weapon.

It worked against the Grimm too, forcing them to fight him one on one – a bad prospect for a Beowolf against any huntsman. Still, he'd have liked to have a little more ordinance on hand. Nora could have cleared out the entire corridor with a few well-placed grenades, but for him it was a meat grinder.

"Take a right ahead," Charlie shouted. "Last charge is in the central research chamber, then we can make our way out of here."

"With a time limit?"

Charlie laughed. "Save that nonsense for the movies. These charges are remote."

The Specialists, he'd quickly come to realise, were very good at their job. Though they bantered at moments of calm, their barked commands when the Grimm appeared were calm and measured. For the most part they held their fire, not wanting to distract or harm him, but occasionally a Beowolf got behind them, and at those points they'd react with calm and grace, bringing it down in tightly controlled bursts, often removing legs to limit movement.

It was a far cry from the Atlas soldiers he'd seen in the fall of Beacon, who had been standard fare soldiers. These were much more disciplined, or maybe just more experienced. They didn't freeze up at the sight of Grimm, and didn't even balk if one got in close. He had a feeling each had their aura unlocked, and probably some limited huntsman training to go along with it. Honestly, they probably could have handled this on their own, but that was the issue – probably. It was understandable for Ironwood not to want to leave this to chance.

Cutting through the final Grimm they reached a door, and Charlie pushed him aside to kneel by it, speaking to Foxtrot over the comms. It only took a second or two for a solution to be found – and to Jaune's relief it wasn't an explosive one that might draw every Grimm in the complex. Delta instead came forward with a black box he attached to the locking system. As he stepped back, Foxtrot got to work. It clicked open about eighty seconds later.

"Delta left, Echo right, huntsman straight in – clear the room. On my mark." Charlie held three fingers up and counted down. "Two, one – breach!"

The two Specialists moved in first, flashing their torches into the corners with Jaune close behind, taking centre stage and ready to draw any Grimm his way. When none initially appeared, the Specialists flashed their torches around the room, checking every corner and hiding spot.

"Clear," Delta called.

"All clear," Echo said.

"Hm. Must have been sealed all along," Charlie mused. "Alright boys, check those walls and mark any exits. Huntsman, give them a hand."

"It's Jaune."

"Jaune, then." Charlie rolled his eyes. "Give 'em a hand."

There wasn't much to do in the room. A quick search showed that there was only two other exits, one of which Delta and he were able to seal by dragging some exceptionally heavy machinery over it as a makeshift barricade. The other was locked with the same mechanism as the first, leaving only the way they'd come as an entry point.

"Delta, Echo, get that last charge ready. Looks like we're as good as done here, huntsma- Jaune. Thanks for the help."

"It doesn't look like you needed it."

Charlie shrugged. "Better safe than sorry, I always say."

The bomb was wheeled into place and Delta and Echo set to working on it, focused on their task as Charlie scanned the room warily and Jaune stood around feeling for the most part useless. He could hear Grimm behind the door he'd barricaded trying to break in, but the solid steel held against the onslaught and looked like it would until they were long gone.

 _Ironwood said this would be a relatively simple mission. I guess he was right. We never fought Grimm with mechanical implants in the future, so nothing came of this._ Were he not here, he had to assume some other huntsman – or team of – had been found to deal with the Grimm. There was no telling if Team November survived in the original timeline, or if his saving them here would have repercussions down the line. Hell, for all he knew, they might become the worst enemies Remnant had ever faced.

But by that same logic, maybe he'd doomed the world by picking up Emerald. It was easy to go on a spree of cynicism and wonder how much he'd screwed things up, but that wouldn't help anyone and it wouldn't save his friends. All he could do was push on, hope for the best – and then cheat as hard as he could to make sure the best came to happen.

"Huh, what's this?" Charlie's flashlight went upwards, illuminating a hole in the ceiling – a grate having been pulled aside. He snarled. "You fucking morons, I told you to check the room for any entrances and exits. No one think to look up?"

There was a muffled apology from Echo and Delta.

"Idiots, I swear." Charlie flashed his torch across the room again for another check, but there'd been no Grimm when they arrived and there wasn't one now.

"Problem?" Jaune asked.

"Might have been if I'd not noticed it. Not sure what Grimm could fit through there, but it's best to know all the entry points. If you cover the door, I'll watch this."

"We'd hear something trying to climb through it. We'd have warning."

"I'm more concerned why it's open in the first place. This room was sealed. If the Grimm got in here though that, then where are they? Why is the room empty?"

Jaune wasn't sure. It was possible the hatch had been opened by someone else, by the people who had worked here in a desperate attempt to escape, or that maybe the Grimm had come through it, seen there was nothing inside and then gone back. It wouldn't matter much once they blew the place up. His job was just to watch the door and make sure no Grimm snuck up on Delta and Echo. He glanced towards them to see how far along they were in priming the strange explosive device.

There was a machine behind them with several tubes of liquid in, and behind that – an odd, shadowy shape. It waved from side to side ominously, and then twisted through the tubes.

"Get down!" Jaune leapt over to them in an instant and tore Echo away from the charge, throwing him flat on his back. Delta yelped and fell too, and that might have saved his life as the object burst through the tubes, showing them in glass and water as it hooked forward with a wicked barb. Jaune was able to block it with his sword, but it bounced off and hooked around – scraping along his inner arm.

It was a tail, a scorpion's tale. But this was no Deathstalker, he knew.

The machine was blown aside as the figure behind it hurtled through, catching Crocea Mors in its tail and swinging twin blades for his chest. Unable to get his sword in the way, and with no time to draw his shield, he held up his left arm and took the pain there, forcing as much aura as he could to the limb so it wouldn't draw blood. The aggressor cackled and planted a foot in his stomach, then twisted his body so that his back was to the man's chest, their cheeks touching.

"My, oh my, what do we have here? Hm, you smell – _familiar_."

He'd recognise the voice anywhere, even if the stinger didn't give it away. Jaune drove an elbow back into the man's gut, not even surprised when instead of pain it earned a hysterical giggle. He pulled out and away, spinning and deflecting the tail with the back of one hand. Tyrian Callows stood before him, younger, with his tail once more, and no less dangerous for the difference.

Shit, shit, shit, why was he here? This research wouldn't go anywhere, he knew. But, then again, did Salem know that? Even if he knew this would be a failure for Tyrian in the long run, it didn't preclude them trying, whether it was on Salem's orders or an idea from Watts. The latter sounded likely. Either way, Tyrian was right here.

The faunus ducked into the shadows and vanished.

"Shoot him!" Jaune howled. Team November opened fire, spreading out and crossing their torches to try and track Tyrian as he darted behind some machinery. They fired in tight bursts but the rapid movement threw off their aim. Tyrian was a faunus, which meant in the pitch dark of the room, he had a natural advantage.

In the long run, whether or not this place was blown up might not matter – but that was a might. It could be that the only reason they hadn't faced augmented Grimm in the future was specifically because this team blew the place up, even if they died in the process. There was no way he could let Tyrian escape with this information.

Jaune charged in.

There was a curse from Charlie as he did and a barked command to hold fire, not that it had done much good either way. The three instead acted as spotters, flashing their lights about the room and giving Jaune the briefest glimpses of his opponent. More than that, it was Tyrian's voice that helped him.

"While the cat is away, the mice will play. Just because this place is abandoned does not mean it belongs to you, my friends. It's rather rude of you to think so." He descended into wild giggling as he dodged Jaune's thrust. "Ooh, the marked one is angry. I like that. I think I like you."

A click was his only warning before Tyrian returned fire, and this time Jaune brought his shield up in time to block it. He crouched low and dipped Crocea Mors beneath, using the reflection of the muzzle flash on his sword to get a rough idea of where his opponent was before he rushed in once more. Tyrian tsked and ran left, and this time Jaune was quick enough to follow.

Tyrian caught his sword on both of his blades, locking them before his face. "The three little sheep don't normally travel with the big bad wolf. What is the innocent scorpion to do?"

"Tch." Tyrian had always been a talker, though he'd grow even more insane in time. Jaune stepped into him and broke the guard, driving an elbow into the faunus' stomach and ducking as the tail swept over him. Though his aura would protect him from the stinger, the poison still worried him, especially out here in the middle of nowhere. He swept up to try and cut it off like Ruby had, but Tyrian was prepared for it and forced the sword away.

"Ah, ah, ah, that's not for you to take."

He supposed not. Tyrian's tail belonged to Ruby. "Delta, Echo, get the charge back up," Jaune called, his first words since the fight began.

"Are you ignoring me? That's awfully rude!"

He wasn't, of course. Jaune grit his teeth as Tyrian slammed into him with the force of a Beowolf, lifting the two of them up and sending them crashing back through some heavy machinery. Steel flashed and what he couldn't block with his sword and shield, he took on his shoulder, and upper arms, keeping the blades away from vital areas. Only an idiot would ignore Tyrian Callows; the man was that dangerous, and quite possibly stronger here than Jaune was, especially given the lack of light and the Grimm that might come on them at any second.

He just wasn't sure if he could fight Tyrian even without that. Come the end, teamwork had been more important than individual skill, and the notion of honourable duels didn't mean much when all of Remnant was on the line. They'd ganged up to take Tyrian down and Jaune wished he had Yang, Ruby and Ren at his back to do it here, too.

"You're rather strong," Tyrian said conversationally, locking the sword in place and stabbing three times to try and pierce Jaune's head with his tail. He managed to dodge each, barely, but had to roll away along the wall to escape. "It's strange, really. I tend to hear about the really strong ones, like the one who gave me this." He ran a hand over a cross-shaped scar on his chest. "So very close, but I had the last laugh and left her to die." He giggled. "But to face two strong people in such a short time, ah, I must be blessed by my Goddess."

"Your Goddess is a bitch," Jaune hissed. "She'll die like any other."

The words had the desired effect. Tyrian's eyes widened and his lips peeled back. He snarled like a wild animal and went into a frenzy, lashing out with both weapons and his tail with little regard for defence. Jaune backtracked, blocking just as quickly as he put space between himself and Team November. He just had to keep Tyrian busy. He just had to keep him awa- "Argh!"

Jaune slumped and caught his arm, his left – right on the forearm. There was a red line there where Tyrian's stinger had drawn blood. He could already feel it burning.

"You'll pay, oh yes, you'll pay," Tyrian laughed. "For daring to speak ill of the Queen – my Goddess – you'll suffer the most unimaginable agony." His smile grew. "You know it, though, don't you? Yes, I can see it in your eyes. You know who I am, what I am, what I can do. You know you're already dead!" He cackled.

He knew about the poison, yes. Even as Tyrian said it, Jaune's vision swam. It felt like liquid fire in his blood and he finally understood what Qrow must have been going through. Unlike Qrow, however, he had a trick in store and flooded his body with aura, activating his Semblance at the same time. The burning receded, though it didn't fade entirely. His muscles spasmed and his eyes watered, making it harder and harder to keep track of his foe.

"Jaune, get down!"

The shout came with no explanation but Jaune hit the deck – too used to working alongside his team and instantly trusting Ren had a reason. It wasn't Ren, he recalled at the last second, but instincts drilled into him had him down regardless, even as Charlie fired a grenade from his rifle over Jaune's head. It hit Tyrian's chest and exploded.

Hands caught Jaune under the shoulder and dragged him back. Echo was behind him, a handgun in his other hand as he fired into the smoke. "Come on," he hissed. "Charge is set. We're getting out of here."

Jaune saw the shadow before the Specialist did and shoved him aside. "Move!" He rolled too, and Tyrian's stinger slammed down where he'd been a second before. The man leapt through the smoke and tried to go for Echo, only for a hail of accurate fire to force him back. Tyrian scowled and drew out his guns.

"Banging!" Delta yelled.

It was a code Jaune didn't recognise, but that Charlie and Echo did, both turning away. A white flash followed, blinding Jaune, but no doubt doing worse to Tyrian's sensitive faunus eyes. The man howled. Through bright dots that threatened to dazzle him, Jaune saw Tyrian stagger back, one hand and his tail drawn protectively up over his face.

Charlie reached him a second later and hauled him up with one hand. "Job's done and we've got to go," he said.

"What about him?"

"Not part of the mission. He'll die in the blast."

He wouldn't. Jaune knew that. But there was no way he could explain it to Charlie, and this wasn't a fight they wanted anyway. Already, the gunfire had alerted the Grimm still in the facility and he could hear them approaching. If they got caught between Tyrian and the Beowolves, it would be a massacre he wasn't sure he'd survive. "Alright," he agreed, staggering up. "Let's go."

Delta and Echo were already at the door and fired sharp bursts at Tyrian, driving him back as Charlie helped Jaune through. The moment they were in, the other two stepped through, too, Delta slamming the control on the door.

"Foxtrot, seal it!" he yelled into the comms. "Lock it now!"

There was no answer from their fourth member, though the light on the door flashing red and a solid _ka-chunk_ gave them one. Delta sighed. Two inches of Tyrian's knife punctured through the door – nearly catching the man's face.

"Whoah!" he cried, falling back on his ass.

"It'll hold him long enough," Charlie said, even as Tyrian drove another blade through. He'd punctured two small holes – an impressive feat – but it would take hundreds more before he made anything of it. "It's our time to get out and blow this place sky high. Huntsman," he pushed Jaune up. "Can you fight?"

The poison burned in his veins but it was dulled now. His muscles had stopped contracting and clenching and he forced himself to stand a little taller. "I can fight."

"Good. Let's move."

The team ran back through the tunnels they'd taken before, Jaune in the lead and cutting down what Grimm dared to get in their path. Of those that came behind, the short bursts from Delta and Echo were enough to slow them down. Once they reached an intersection, Charlie took a satchel from his belt and tossed it up onto the ceiling.

"Keep moving," he said, herding them by. Once they were through, he detonated it remotely, shattering the ceiling and sending rock crumbling down to block the passage. Far on the other side, Jaune heard the roar of a Beowolf – and beyond that – the furious scream of a madman.

Tyrian would remember him for this, he was sure. Though it had been dark, Tyrian would have been able to see his face perfectly, and he had a feeling Salem would know about him soon, and Watts, Cinder and Hazel along with her, assuming all of them were already a part of her organisation. They probably were, given that by this point in time they'd have already killed Ruby's mother. His anonymity with Ozpin still held, but it no longer would with Salem.

But that was a problem for another time. Right now, they were safe, and as the three of them reached the blast doors they'd come in from, Foxtrot sealed it behind. Tyrian would have another way in and out and wouldn't die here. The future proved that a fact.

Even so, there was a grim satisfaction in moving away from the mountain with Team November and watching Charlie ignite the trigger. The brief pause, the shaking of the ground, and then the mighty explosion from within; it shook the mountain and brought down tonnes of snow, rock and ice over the entrance, sealing the facility once and for all. Even if Tyrian had a way in, Merlot's research was now well and truly destroyed.

"Mission complete," Charlie panted, breath coming out in clouds of mist as the blizzard howled around them.

"Yeah, barely," Delta spat. "Who the fuck was that?"

"No idea, but Ironwood will want to know." Charlie touched a finger to his ear, activated his comms and called in an exfiltration. Once it was called, he turned to Jaune and nodded. "Good work in there, huntsm- Jaune." The man extended a gloved hand. "If it wasn't for you, I'm not sure we'd have managed this."

They would have. The future showed it. But there was no telling if that was for some other reason. Against Tyrian, he doubted they could have survived. Maybe this was changing the future again, and maybe he'd regret Salem discovering him so soon, but she was always going to be an enemy and it was bound to happen sooner or later. Stood out here with four people who would now live because of his actions? He couldn't regret it.

He took the hand.

"It was my pleasure."

/-/

Samantha Greening sipped some Atlesian Black and let out a contented sigh. The day's lessons were done with and the weekend was close, offering a much needed chance to relax, spend some time with her husband and perhaps even start that book she'd been meaning to read for the last year and a half. With little else to do but collect her protégé, Samantha hadn't expected much in the way of complications.

She should have known better.

"She is… impossible!" Winter growled, finally finding the right word to express what was – for Winter – a very unfamiliar sensation. The girl was normally so strict and organised, even beyond what some of Samantha's colleagues were as adults, but you wouldn't have expected that to see it now.

Winter's hair stuck out at odd angles, her tie was askew and there was a stain – fruit juice by the smell of it – on her shirt. She also had a red mark on her face, though it looked more like an accidental blow than a solid strike, and her eyes were practically _seething_ with malice.

"Oh my, Winter. Whatever is the matter?"

"That… that _monster_ ," Winter hissed. "She's not a child; she's a Grimm in human form!"

Emerald Ashari had done this? Samantha covered her mouth with one hand, though she felt she hadn't done a good job at hiding her giggle, because Winter _glowered_ at her. "Oh my, do you mean little Emerald?"

"Yes!" Winter stamped a foot. It was perhaps the first and only sign of petulance she had _ever_ seen from the girl, and Samantha had been teaching her for almost three years now, all the way back when Winter had been introduced to her as a nine-year-old girl who seemed to have no emotions and no real grasp of what it meant to be a child.

"She is… she is absolutely horrid," Winter went on, ranting well and truly. "Not only is she stubborn and rude, but her language is abrasive and she has no understanding of decorum or her place in the world. I was there out of my own time to try and help her, and she acted like a spoiled brat!"

Quite ironic coming from you, Samantha almost felt like saying, but that would be unfair. Schnee though she may have been, Winter didn't feel spoiled - quite the opposite; she often felt like she hadn't been given a chance to have a childhood. Still, she did have that same expectation her father had, that all people would listen and obey her on principle alone. Many of her peers did, either afraid of her influence, her sharp tongue or out of a desire to curry favour.

It looked like little Winter had finally met someone who cared for none of that, though it amused Samantha to think it was a girl barely eight years of age.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

"It was!" Winter argued – and again, Samantha almost giggled. Winter _arguing_ with a teacher? Unheard of. "First, she refused to sit down so I could show her the words. Once I had that handled-"

"And how did you handle that, my dear?"

Winter hesitated.

"Did you use your glyphs?"

"Perhaps…"

Samantha raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Mrs Greening," Winter amended. "But she kept moving away when I came close and she wouldn't listen to my reasons. She even threw a glass of juice on me, not to mention she kicked my shin. I'll likely have a bruise later."

"Winter, she's four years younger than you."

"Y-Yes, and I realise I may have gone a little overboard there – but you don't understand. She is a terror. She is all elbows and knees and not afraid to use them, not to speak of her language!"

"So she said some harsh words," Samantha chuckled. "I'm sure she didn't mean them."

"She called me a stuck-up bitch-ass whore!" Winter didn't seem to notice the older woman choke, though even Samantha wasn't sure whether that was due to a girl so young knowing such language or _Winter Schnee_ repeating it. "And a few other things that not even I understood!" Winter scowled. "Therefore, it is my conclusion that she cannot be taught, Mrs Greening," the girl said, now resorting to a more official tone. "As such, I respectfully request you assign me to some other task. My time is not well spent here."

"I see." Samantha taped a finger on her mug, hiding her expression behind the porcelain. "Well, it's to be expected. She would hardly confide in you if she didn't feel she could trust you. It's no fault of yours, Winter." The girl seemed to deflate at that, relieved to be excused. She recovered herself quickly, however, not wanting to show a Schnee in such a moment of relief.

"Thank you, Mrs Greening. Though I do regret being unable to complete my assigned task, I'm glad you understand it is due to the target."

"Oh, of course, dear. After all, sometimes we have to admit defeat."

Winter froze.

"There are, of course, some tasks which are too great for us and should be left to others. No one will think less of you for not being good enough here. After all, you're dealing with an eight-year-old girl, a most fearsome foe."

"T-That's not so, Mrs Greening. I am more than adequate-"

"But I thought you wished to be relieved of this responsibility, Winter. Is that not so?"

Winter bit her lip and glared at the floor. Another childish expression; two in one day - it had to be a record. The girl's hands balled into fists and she drew in and let out a long breath. Winter's reputation in Atlas was immaculate, though it wouldn't be quite so if she failed here. Though Samantha personally felt that wouldn't have mattered, she knew Winter would disagree.

"It is not that I want to be relieved," the girl attempted. "I just feel my skills could be better utilised elsewhere…"

"Oh?"

Winter quailed under Samantha's raised eyebrow. "Y-Yes, it is so."

"Well, I personally disagree. I think this is a valuable lesson for you to learn, particularly if you wish to join the military later. You will have to learn to deal with insubordinate soldiers at times."

"I, well, that's true…"

"But if you wish to be re-assigned, I will do so. It's up to you, Winter. If you feel this task is too much for you, simply say so." Samantha paused to smile. "All you need to do is tell me."

All she needed to do was admit defeat.

Winter could not.

Samantha knew that.

"I-I don't think that will be necessary, Mrs Greening." Winter coughed into her fist and straightened. "I am more than adept for the task at hand, and perhaps just need to speak with Mr Ashari myself. I'm sure that if I had his approval, Emerald would allow me to teach her."

"You intend to approach him, then?"

Winter froze again, and Samantha knew why. Though skilled and intelligent, a people person Winter was not. She might be able to get away with assuming her classmates would ignore or follow her, but an older man like Mr Ashari wouldn't be the same.

Samantha could also see the obvious request that she speak to him on Winter's behalf and headed it off. "I think that's a good idea, Winter. You should introduce yourself to him and explain what you're doing. It would be beneficial for you to get to know him, since you'll be teaching his daughter."

"Y-Yes, I agree." Winter had never looked more miserable. "Thank you, Mrs Greening. I shall retire and formulate a plan of action for this endeavour."

Samantha watched the stubborn girl go, wondering if Winter realised just how similar she could be to how she'd described Ashari's daughter. Probably not. Excellent though she might be, Winter faced the same problems all geniuses did. Samantha held a patient smile as Winter looked back one last time and then closed the staffroom door.

The moment she did, Samantha burst out laughing.

/-/

"The facility has been cleared, sir," Charlie reported, stood next to Jaune in Ironwood's office. The man had removed his balaclava and some of his gear now, but was still dressed in black and armed to the teeth. Jaune stood next to him, feeling rather unarmed in comparison.

"Wonderful, Squad Leader, and how did Mr Ashari perform?"

"Exemplary, sir. There are more details in my report."

Jaune tried not to beam too much.

"Good enough for a passing grade?"

"Absolutely, sir. More if available. He saved our lives."

Ironwood raised an eyebrow.

"In the report, sir," Charlie repeated. "You'll want to read it ASAP."

"I see." Ironwood's face darkened and Jaune could imagine why. Learning that someone was looking into Merlot's research would be the kind of stuff nightmares were made of, and it wasn't much better for him since he _knew_ exactly who it was.

Honestly, out of all of Salem's followers, Tyrian Callows creeped him out the most. It might have had something to do with how the psycho acted the first time they met, or maybe the fact that the others were at least understandable. They had their reasons and most were only loyal because they wanted something in return. Tyrian, however, was just insane.

"Well, with that mission out of the way, I believe your records will be nothing more than a formality, Jaune." Ironwood extended a hand and Jaune shook it. "I'll pre-emptively welcome you as a huntsman. May you serve Remnant with honour and distinction."

Jaune smiled enigmatically. "I fully intend to, sir."

"I'm glad. I'll have your official records updated by tomorrow morning, and a new ID made for you. If I can ask, though, what do you intend to do now? You mentioned that you wished to do some research in the grand library."

"I still do," Jaune said, shrugging. "I'll hang around Atlas until I'm finished, I guess."

"And then what?"

"I don't know. I haven't really thought that far ahead." It all depended on what he found, after all. He was hoping Atlas would give him a breakthrough.

"Such research can be time consuming, and naturally you'll need to find a place to stay in Atlas. As much as I might like to, I can't give you free room and board indefinitely."

"No, that's fine. I expected as much. I guess I'll find some huntsman work here to tide me over."

"Your daughter would benefit more from a stable place to learn and grow," Ironwood said. "And if it is work you're looking for… well, have you considered working for me?"

There was a thing about being from the future where nothing surprised you, or at least Jaune thought nothing should. Ironwood proved that a fallacy and Jaune's mouth fell open. "Work for you!?"

"Yes. Richmond here gave you quite the high praise," he said, inadvertently – or maybe not – giving out Charlie's name. "What do you say, old friend. Do you agree with me?"

"I do, sir. I think he would do well."

Shocked though he may have been, Jaune wasn't slow. "You want me to become a Specialist!?"

Ironwood smiled.

"But… I'm not from Atlas."

"That isn't as necessary as you might think. Specialists are soldiers first and foremost, but there is no perquisite to joining other than skill. If you're worried about a conflict of loyalties, you need not. Specialists do not act in war, but rather in defence of Atlas. It's a career and nothing more, you'll be free to join now and leave whenever you wish, with only a few forms to sign to say you understand that you cannot give away any state secrets you learn."

"In return, you will be well-paid, insured and offered a range of benefits – including state-sponsored education for any family members." Ironwood smiled at the last. Honestly, it wasn't as manipulative an approach as Ozpin might have tried. In fact, Ironwood was being downright generous, listing all sorts of benefits and letting him make his own decision. Again, he had to remember this was Ironwood. This wasn't an attempt to force him into being loyal, but just to recruit him. It was a job offer.

But what was the right decision? Vale was going to become a hotspot of activity in ten years, but that was ten whole years. There was nothing to say he had to be there for all of that, and really, what would he even do? He had no allies, no resources and no plan. All of those would take time to come up with, time which could be spent uselessly in Vale, or productively here.

And besides, hadn't he wanted Ironwood as an ally in the first place? This would be a good way to work it, not to mention Emerald really could use a stable place to grow up and learn the basics, and he needed money and time to peruse the library in Atlas.

Plus, as a sweetener to the deal, he could probably learn some valuable lessons from the Specialists. They were anti-huntsman in application, and since just about all his foes in the future were going to be huntsman quality, he could benefit from that. Team November had been horribly outclassed against Tyrian, yet they'd all survived. Not all of that was from his actions, either. They'd held their own and worked together to hold off a superior foe.

"I can't promise I'll be staying around forever," he said, half-hoping Ironwood would make the decision for him and revoke the offer. "I can do maybe two, three years tops."

"You're free to come and go as you wish, Mr Ashari. I'm offering you a job – not a prison."

What else did he have to do? Even if it was just for a year or two, there were too many benefits and no real problems. If he went back to Vale, he'd just need to find a place to school Emerald, watch out for Cinder and dodge Ozpin and Qrow while he was at it. Maybe he could lie low in Atlas for longer than he'd first intended.

"Where do I sign?"

/-/

It was official. Emerald hated Winter.

She should have known from the name, since winter was a cold month where many street rats froze to death on the unforgiving streets, and that cow was no better. Ice cold in voice and touch, and with those creepy markings on the floor that kept trying to catch her. Emerald had lived her whole life evading being caught though, and knew how to dodge them. Magical circles weren't all that different from grasping hands.

It wasn't that she'd _tried_ to hate the girl, though. She'd tried to want to learn at first, and even resigned herself to just going along with it to make him happy, but that bitch's stuck-up attitude pissed her off. Yeah, she was an orphan. What of it? She'd survived, hadn't she? She'd made it out where others died. She was strong.

But what really got to her were the questions.

" _How did you meet Mr Ashari?"_

" _How are you related to Mr Ashari?"_

" _What kind of man is Mr Ashari?"_

Emerald didn't think for a second the girl had wanted to know the answers. That was the bigger people talking through her, giving her things to say, wanting to know more about the man who'd taken her from Vale.

Asking her to pick sides…

Against him? No chance. They'd not seen what he could do. They'd not seen the Smiling Man smile as he carved through people and stepped over their dead bodies. If they had, they'd have understood why she wasn't going to pick their side, no matter how much they tried to pretend they cared about her wellbeing.

Besides, he'd picked her side, hadn't he? Back when King wanted to make an example of her, he'd taken the harder path and picked her. He'd decided he was on her side, and then killed King and his men to prove the point.

Emerald didn't know much about loyalty, but she knew about debts. If someone gave you a scrap of meat, you owed them one back – and if you broke it, then no one would ever give you the benefit of a favour again. The Smiling Man hadn't asked her to keep his secrets, but she owed him for saving her – and for feeding her. These people, on the other hand? They'd given her nasty, tight clothing and shoes that squeezed her feet. Sure, they offered her food, but they only did it because of him.

 _Goes to show how little they care,_ she thought. _If they'd really cared about me, they wouldn't have asked about him – they'd have asked about me. The only thing they want to know is about what he is doing. I'm just the spare._

And really, she was fine with that. It made things easier. She'd always been on her own and she could look after herself now. With that in mind, she snatched one of the books the bitch had brought with her, and left after their scuffle, and opened it up. The first picture was a far too cutesy drawing of a dog with a stupid smile on its face.

Emerald didn't like dogs much. She had a scar on her foot from where a hungry one on the outskirts of the city had tried to eat her. She'd only escaped by climbing up a tree and hiding there for a whole night. She'd learned to never go out there again. Still, this one didn't look like a real dog at all. Its eyes were too big and it had a human-like smile. It also walked on its back legs.

"This is stupid."

But whatever, she had to learn to read. She looked at the scribbling underneath the picture, printed in big blocky symbols in black ink. There were a few of them side by side. It wasn't a hard sentence, she assumed, since she'd seen a newspaper a few times in the trash and those were _filled_ with lines like this.

But it meant nothing. It didn't mean a thing! No matter how much she stared at it, the words didn't come into focus, and eventually she slammed the book down on the bed. It didn't break, crack or make any satisfying sound. Emerald huffed loudly instead, wanting to make it clear somehow that she was not pleased.

There was a click by the door a second later and it slowly opened. Emerald was off the bed a second later, realising at the last second that it wasn't even her bed. She darted to the curtains at the back, ready to hide or escape if people came through to hurt her for hating the stuck-up bitch. Such thoughts vanished a second later when she saw who it was.

"Em-? Ah, there you are. Hey." The Smiling Man gave his signature smile, which for anyone else would have looked at odds with the rips in his clothing that looked like a butcher's knife had gone at him and the bloodstains on his jeans. Not to her, though. He looked more natural like that. "Nothing to say?" he asked.

Emerald blinked and went with the first thing to come to mind. "Hi."

He laughed and returned it. "Hi, Emerald."

Her cheeks flushed. She sounded like an idiot.

He came in and closed the door behind him, dumping a small bag on the floor and resting his sword on the wooden table nearby. She knew he'd clean it later; he always did at night. He tugged off his stained jumper and pulled the strange bandage-like cloth strips from around his neck, leaving him in just his blue jeans and a white t-shirt. He looked about the room for a moment. "This place looks a bit of a mess. Did something happen?"

Emerald shrugged helplessly. It was just a little fight, and now that she thought of it, she really should have cleaned up the evidence. She wondered if he'd hit her now, but for some reason didn't bother to cower away. Maybe it was total surrender.

But maybe it wasn't. She wasn't sure she actually believed he'd hit her. He killed people. What would he care for a little bit of juice spilt on the floor?

He kicked off his shoes and sat on his bed, not at all bothered by the indent she'd left in it from where she sat. He regarded it for a second but instead picked up the book she'd left there. Emerald cursed softly and looked away.

"You're learning to read?"

Another shrug.

"How's it going?"

Emerald mumbled something under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Not good," she said, louder this time. Her cheeks heated up and she glared at the floor, hands clenched into fists. "I can't read it."

The Smiling Man laughed. "Well of course you can't. You need to learn first." He patted the mattress beside him. "Come on up. I'll teach you what some of the words mean."

Winter had made the offer before and Emerald resisted it. This time, she scurried over and climbed up onto his bed. He shifted over, letting her sit beside him. He didn't try to put a hand on or around her, and she was grateful for that. Her muscles slowly relaxed when she realised he wasn't going to try anything. He never did. Instead, he opened the book, revealing the stupid dog once more.

His fingers touched the words. "I want you to repeat after me, okay? The dog runs in the grass."

He paused at each word, each time with his finger on a different symbol. Emerald squinted and followed it, dutifully repeating the words he read out to her. On the next page, one of the symbols was the same and he asked her if she remembered what it was.

"Dog," she said, half-remembering, half-guessing from the picture.

"That's right."

He smiled at her once more, and the smile he wore was the same one he had when he'd killed all those people. But for some reason, she didn't feel afraid. It wasn't as fake as other people's smiles, even if it was vicious. The man sat next to her, so close that she could feel his body heat, could kill her before she moved a muscle.

And yet Emerald found herself nodding and leaning forward, focusing on the page and his finger instead of his blood-stained jeans or the scent of death that hung around him. He didn't seem to care about it, so why should she?

"Let's keep going," the Smiling Man said.

Emerald nodded.

"Okay…"

* * *

 **You know, despite the similarities this isn't based off the Writer Game prompt I wrote called Papa Arc. That was a very different concept where Jaune specifically didn't want to be a part of the time travel and was happy with the way the future turned out. This is completely different, even if in both he's effectively adopted someone.**

 **Anyway, Emerald is Emerald and I loved the idea of her only being cute and compliant around Jaune – aka, the Smiling Man – and being a terror with everyone else. Also couldn't help but see Winter this way. Weiss had to get it from somewhere.**

 **And yes, Jaune has joined the Atlas Specialists – which shouldn't be confused with the spies from "In the Kingdom's Service". This is the Specialists Unit Winter is a part of in the show, which appear to be some kind of huntsman-soldier hybrid for more specialised missions. I know a lot of people have been theorising, and this chapter probably confirms it. There will be time skips. We're not going to be in Atlas for a whole story here, nor would I make you all sit through Emerald learning to read and write. xD**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 2nd June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	10. Chapter 10

**Well, here we are again – weekly once more and with another mega-length chapter. I'm glad to see people liked Emerald and Winter last chapter. I was always uncertain how Emerald would be taken, knowing she'd be either adored or despised as a burden with very little middle ground. Took a risk and it worked out.**

 **On aura and Jaune being wounded last chapter, though I didn't explicitly say it in the text I meant it in the way that due to the darkness in the room, the crazy melee and the surprise, Tyrian was able to bypass Jaune's aura – as Ozpin said happened with Oscar because aura has to be controlled and focused, and isn't a passive defence. The basic idea was that Tyrian surprised Jaune specifically because Jaune was lost in thought trying to figure out how Tyrian fit into this and future knowledge, etc… I.e. Jaune was stuck in his head and not paying attention to the fight.**

 **I know it's confusing because Rooster Teeth basically stated in a WoR that aura is a "Passive Defence that works like a force field", but they ret-conned that in V5 by having Ozpin contradict it and explain that aura can only block attacks it sees coming, and that the wielder has to focus on it. It was Jaune's focus that wavered in the fight against Tyrian last chapter, specifically because he got lost in his thoughts and stopped paying attention. I will apologise if that wasn't clear, though. My bad.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 10**

* * *

Time passed, as it had a tendency to.

It went in the blink of an eye, and yet Jaune counted each month with meticulous care, tallying it off against events he knew from the future and preparing for them, waiting and watching to see if anything changed. As far as he could tell, not much did. Atlas trucked on like it always had and he'd even heard from Sylvus Richmond – Squad Lead Charlie when the Specialists were on the job – that Captain Ironwood was being considered for a rather big promotion. There were no details on that, but considering Ironwood's rank of Captain was actually more symbolic than actual, there were rumours that he might even make General.

Jaune laughed when Echo discretely told him that, though he hadn't explained why. "Who could have ever guessed?" he'd said knowingly. Sometimes it was fun to know the future and see things happening before your eyes, especially when it fit what you expected. He'd worried at first that Ironwood's rank had been a change he'd caused, but it looked like he was less an instrument for chaos than he'd expected.

While his arrival in this time had been a crazy and rushed thing, blustering through events without thought or thinking, the last year and a half had been somewhat slower. He'd worked with the Specialists, slotting into Team November and making friends with each of them, completing missions and generally playing Ironwood's errand boy across Atlas. There had been no run-ins with anyone he knew from the future and no reckless melees to draw Ozpin's attention across the ocean.

The work was interesting, paid well and the training was new and exciting. He'd learned to use firearms, and even why Atlas relied on them so much. "It's not like we can't use fancy weapons like everyone else," Delta had explained. "It's just that shit like that isn't much good when you're knee deep in snow or slipping on ice." Grimm didn't exactly camouflage well in Atlas either, so having a long ranged option that didn't require much mobility was the smart choice.

The training he'd been through had mostly honed his ability with guns, team tactics and organised assault, and had at first felt more tailored to police operations than military. He'd soon reassessed that once it picked up and he realised it was just the introductory classes which were applicable there. Breach and Grimm clearance, how to exfiltrate hostages from human, terrorist or Grimm threats, and even how to peacefully (or sort of peacefully) subdue dangerous targets. It was always done in teams of three, four or five and the focus was always on success without casualties, which he appreciated.

To that effect, he'd gotten stronger, perhaps not in the traditional sense of a huntsman, but in the knowledge he gained. There were a few times thinking back that he'd have liked to have the skills he'd picked up, especially the ones on wiring and defusing explosives and how to hack simple locks and terminals. Specialists by their very nature were specialised, but some skills were too useful to limit to a single individual.

Of Team November, there hadn't been much shifting. The same team was in place with no casualties, mostly due to their intense training, Charlie's leadership, and the overall technological advantage Atlas held. Ever since the battle with Tyrian, they'd been focused on finding and closing down more of Merlot's facilities, especially before they could be compromised. They'd not run into that madman again and there'd been no news from Salem, only Merlot's twisted Grimm. While he wasn't sure no news was good news in this case. It at least let him relax a little.

They were on their way back to Atlas from one such mission now, with the Bullhead drawing in to land on one of the military's many pads and a vehicle arriving to take them back to the Academy. Jaune hopped off the craft alongside Foxtrot, his offer to help her down going ignored. Behind him, Echo made a motion to jump. "Catch me, Jaune. Catch me!"

"I'll let you fall."

"Ha. You're no fun." Echo hopped down and clapped a hand on his shoulder. They were both garbed in black combat gear with balaclavas pulled down around their necks and visors hanging below that. In full gear and ready for combat, they looked a terrifying sight – likely on purpose – but now back in Atlas, their discipline had faded.

"Cut the flirting and get in," Charlie barked. "I've a date tonight and if you make me late I'll drag your sorry ass down to apologise to my wife first hand."

"Yeah, yeah. Cool your jets."

"It's bad enough I have to put up with your bitching here, but I don't need it at home. She's annoyed enough I'm always out with the boys and not spending time with her."

"She does realise you're on critical missions, right?"

"You think that matters?"

They all laughed and clambered into the vehicle, closing the doors shut behind them. It whirred to life and moved off a moment later. "So, Jaune, how's your missus doing?"

"My what?"

"The lady of your household," Echo teased.

Foxtrot punched Echo's leg. "He means your daughter," she explained.

"Ah." Jaune punched Echo's other leg for good measure, earning a pained cry. "She's doing alright. Her reading isn't perfect but she can understand things if she's given some time to work through it. I think she's coming on fairly well."

She'd had no education before that, of course, and he couldn't ever remembering learning to read himself, so he had no real idea as to whether her progress was good or bad. He thought it the former, though that might have just been that given her age and intelligence – or at least her work effort – she found it easier to retain the information. If nothing else, Emerald was more mature than most kids her age, putting her all into learning.

"Yeah, I was thinking a little more `actual life` than education," Echo laughed. "Come on, man, when are you going to move out and get your own place?"

"What do you mean? Ironwood said he was happy to put me up in Atlas."

"Dude, you're living in what is essentially a glorified hotel room. You have a single room with two beds, a bathroom and some cupboards. You don't even have a kitchen."

"I'm out on missions a lot," Jaune defended.

"Yeah, but your girl is going to be ten soon. You really think someone her age wants to sleep in the same room as her old man, let alone live in a dinky place like that?"

"I… I guess not…" He'd never considered it, and while he might have been out on missions, Emerald clearly wasn't. It really was too small a room to live in.

"You earn good money, don't you? I've not seen you spend much."

He hadn't, apart from supplies and clothing for Emerald and treats every now and then – many of which she took with gusto, or at least once she realised said treats were food. She never asked for more and never raised a fuss if he didn't, but the rare sign of excitement in what was otherwise a dour child ensured he brought some home every time he came back from a mission.

"Get an apartment in the city already," Echo laughed. "You're good for it."

"He does have a point," Foxtrot said. "Do you intend to sleep in the same room as her until she is a teenager? You need to give her some space."

He supposed he should, though really he ought to have done it months ago. Ironwood had never made a meal of Jaune staying in Atlas and neither had Emerald, but their place really was just a hotel room of sorts, smaller even than JNPR's dorm. While at first he might have excused the inaction as being because he didn't intend to stay in Atlas for long, he'd been here eighteen months now and looked set to stay a little longer. He still hadn't found any information in the library pertaining to the Relics, after all. It really would be easier to go through all those books if he had a little more room to work with.

The vehicle shifted back into Atlas Academy before he could think any further on it, and they were ushered out and into an elevator, where they were quickly taken to report to Ironwood. Jaune stood silently back while Charlie went through the report, chalking up another successful mission for Team November and another one of Merlot's facilities taken down.

"Well done, Specialists," Ironwood said. "Atlas thanks you for your hard work, as do I. I trust there were no complications this time?"

"Delta stubbed his toe," Echo said.

Delta proved that false by kicking Echo so hard he cried and fell. Ironwood chuckled through it, either inured to their foolishness or perhaps even amused by it himself. The man wasn't as hard-bitten as Jaune remembered, though it was possible that was a change in the future, and not necessarily for the better.

If he could stop that and make things better for Ironwood, would he? Should he? As always, it was impossible to tell, though Jaune wasn't sure he'd be able to stand by and let something bad happen anyway. Like it or not, he was in the past and that meant he'd be making changes no matter what he did. It just wasn't possible for him to have no impact.

"Team November dismissed," Ironwood said. "Ashari, can you stay a moment?"

Jaune nodded and held position as the others left, ignoring Delta's teasing taunt of " _Someone's in trouble~_ " If he had been, Ironwood would have worn something other than a smile and would have told Delta off instead of shaking his head.

"You're not in trouble, in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't." Jaune sighed. "Is it Emerald?"

"Against all odds, no. I've heard nothing bad from Mrs Greening since you left." Which meant he'd heard nothing bad from Winter, of course, since she was Emerald's de facto mentor in Atlas; a fact that both she and Emerald hated with a passion. Of course, neither would admit defeat in the matter and both continued to glare daggers even a year and a half later.

He'd thought to take Emerald to task over that but she was only just starting to trust him properly, and to be honest he wasn't even sure it was a bad thing for someone her age. Emerald being completely subservient and passive would be more worrying than a childish argument. Jaune did feel bad for basically throwing Winter to the wolves, but tried to make it up to her by sparring with and helping out on her training. It was a small trade, but it let him feel a little better.

"I actually wanted to ask you about a new initiative I had in mind. I'd appreciate your advice." Jaune nodded to say he was listening and Ironwood went on. "As you know, your appointment to the Specialists has yielded exceptional results, and Team November has become one of the best performing teams to current date. They were good before, of course, but are now exceptional."

"They're good people," Jaune said, pushing some of the praise away. He really couldn't take all of it. "They've helped me out a lot, too. I wouldn't be where I am now without their training."

"Indeed. Well, my proposal would have no effect on them, good or bad. I've been toying with the idea of enforcing new recruitment rules on my Specialists. It wouldn't impact on existing Specialists, of course – only the new ones." he assured. "My idea was to impose a requirement of at least two years of huntsman or huntress experience, post-graduation."

It was a suggestion that seemed to come out of the blue. Jaune stood there a moment, wondering why Ironwood wanted to ask him about it and why he'd felt nervous in the first place. Come to think of it, hadn't Weiss once mentioned this? He had a feeling it had come up when she'd introduced Winter to Team RWBY.

"Is this about Winter, sir?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Specialist."

The only time Ironwood called him by his rank, or any of them by it, really, was either in professional situations or if he was trying to conceal something. In this case it was the latter, though only because Jaune had been present to hear it numerous times. "James…"

"Alright, it's Winter." Ironwood admitted with a heavy sigh. "I take it you've heard about her decision?"

"She wants to join the Specialists."

It wasn't hard to figure out, and not just from his knowledge of the future. Mature and aloof though she may have been, Winter was still a person, and considering his position in the Specialists, she'd asked him about them numerous times. It was hard not to realise when she'd literally hunt you down for information on your job.

Much like Weiss, Winter could be wonderfully blunt at times.

"She does, Ashari."

"Is that a problem?"

"Yes and no."

"Does it have to do with her father?"

"Very much the `yes` side of that statement. Jacques was never fond of his heiress going through huntress training, but put up with it because he thought it a phase and something the Schnee family could use to impress others. I don't think he expected her to keep at it, let alone that she'd make _this_ choice at the end."

Atlas was different to Vale, as befitted the Kingdom with the greatest military on Remnant. Winter was essentially in what would count as Signal for Vale – known as Atlas Academy Prep - and even though she was only fourteen now, she would be fifteen when she graduated, and she'd be eligible to consider Atlas Academy, what was basically Beacon-level education. None of that would have been a problem, but for the other difference between Vale and Atlas, in that those students who graduated from prep had a choice in where they went.

Go to Atlas Academy and become a huntsman, graduate and do whatever you wanted outside of a combat role, or join the military. Winter had chosen the latter, much to the shock of… well, everyone that wasn't a time traveller.

The influence of the SDC no doubt weighed on Ironwood over this, but it wasn't just that. Early graduate or not, Winter was only fourteen and a half. Even if she were fifteen when she enlisted, that would be sending a child to war – regardless of the fact there was no, and if the future held, wouldn't be, a war. It was an ethics disaster, not to mention a scandal waiting to happen.

And it wouldn't if Winter went to Atlas Academy as a huntress. She'd be nineteen when she graduated, above age and free to do whatever she wanted. It would have made life easier, which was no doubt why Ironwood had come up with this new initiative. Jaune laughed.

"Something amusing, Ashari?"

"I'm just thinking how Director of Specialist Forces James Ironwood has been cowed into inventing a rule on the spot because he's afraid of a fourteen year old girl."

Ironwood's mouth fell open for a few moments, before the man sighed and cupped his face, shaking it from side to side. "I can't even protest that. What a dark day it is when those who would lead falter so."

"I don't think it's a _bad_ idea, sir, but maybe it's something you should decide on your own. I'm not exactly the _average_ for what you'd get as a huntsman candidate." And that was putting it lightly. "There are other ways to keep her out of danger until she's of age. You could give her a non-combat role or take her on as an intern."

"You're right, I suppose." Ironwood sighed again. "Very well, thank you for your thoughts, Ashari. Dismissed."

Jaune nodded and left the office, closing the door behind him. James' secretary, a pretty girl known as Sophia, waved to him as he passed. She looked overworked as usual with three plastic cups of coffee empty on the desk. Much like Ironwood, she had to contend with both school paperwork and Specialist paperwork, and both together took a toll on her.

"Is Ironwood complaining about Winter again?" she asked.

"You know?"

"It's hard not to. The poor girl comes here often enough to try and convince him."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Is that allowed?"

"It is when she comes in her capacity as a student. Atlas has an open door policy to students with issues who wish to consult a member of the faculty." Sophia's smile said she knew Winter was taking advantage of that a little, but that her hands were tied. As were Ironwood's.

"Sneaky of her," Jaune praised.

"She knows how to get what she wants. I think she's become a little more verbal after spending time with your daughter, too."

"I doubt the SDC will thank me for that."

"I'm sure they won't." She smiled and waved again as he departed, moving through the corridors of a school that wasn't Beacon with the ease of someone who'd learned them. Students of wildly varying ages went by him, some of the older ones who recognised his rank pausing to salute. It was an odd experience and always was, especially since he hadn't grown up in Atlas, but he now held rank and influence and that showed.

He still felt awkward using it, of course, and asked everyone to stop saluting and calling him `sir` whenever they addressed him. Some listened, others didn't. He had a feeling Pyrrha would have found it hilarious.

It was outside his room that he bumped into a familiar figure, one coming out with an indignant huff and a stomp. Winter had a moment to gasp before she bounced off his chest. She caught herself on the door she'd just slammed shut and stared up at him wide-eyed. "M-Mr Ashari, I didn't see you. My apologies."

"It's fine, Winter." It had surprised her the first time he called her that so casually, and even in the future he'd never been on a first-name basis with her. Still, being so small now, she reminded him more of Weiss than she did her older self. She'd started to grow, though, both outward and up. She was taller than seventeen-year-old Weiss now. She was also more developed than her.

 _Sorry Snow Angel, but it's true._

"Have you come back from another mission, Mr Ashari?" Winter regained her composure and stood, coughing into one hand. "Another success, I assume."

"It was."

"I expected as much. Your skill would not allow anything else." Winter hesitated and bit her lip. "Did you… may I ask if…?"

Jaune laughed. "I did talk Ironwood down a little."

"You did!?" Winter almost cheered. Her eyes widened and she snapped to attention, snuffing out the excitement as best she could. "Ahem, I mean thank you, Mr Ashari. I appreciate you speaking to the Captain on my behalf. You have my gratitude, and the gratitude of the Schnee family." Winter bowed with one hand over her heart.

Too cute. There was something about how hard she tried and the little instances where she failed to control her emotions that made him grin. Winter's cornering of him a few weeks before and the nervous (for her, anyway) request that he put in a good word for her with Ironwood had been one such example. It was the kind of subtle, sneaky thing he'd never have expected of Weiss, but would of someone like Jacques Schnee. Maybe Winter took more after her father than she realised, or some of his lessons had stuck.

He'd agreed on behalf of her help with Emerald – and out of guilt for not telling Emerald off for being a terror. To be fair, Ironwood hadn't asked _why_ he defended Winter earlier. Maybe it was changing the future, but he doubted it would have that big an impact. He owed Winter anyway, and she deserved more than the ignominious death she earned in the future.

"How is Emerald doing?" he asked.

"Emerald has reached Grade Four on reading and writing," Winter replied. He had no idea what that meant but nodded along. "She still struggles with arithmetic but has reached a level only a year below her age, which is an achievement." The latter was added with a huff and an unsaid `I suppose`, indicating just how irritated she was. Winter really did try her hardest, though she always left his room looking far more frayed than she had going in.

"Thank you, Winter. How about you and I spar another time?"

The frustration vanished as the girl perked up. "Re-? I mean that would be appreciated, Mr Ashari. I always find your lessons to be a valuable source of insight."

He was sure she did, and he only offered them as silent thanks for looking after Emerald while he was on missions. He'd taken to teaching Emerald too, though only some self-defence and basic training at this point. He'd been hesitant to teach her anything, but quickly realised that with how his life was likely to go, that would be as good as signing her death warrant.

Winter didn't always join in, but she was eager for any lessons he offered, especially private ones. Had Yang been here she might have suggested the younger girl had a crush on him, though the truth was very different. Winter Schnee had a crush on his skill, coupled with an intense desire to be as good as he. Ever since she'd realised he would actually spar and offer advice, she'd done her best to earn time with him, which was partly why she put up with Emerald, even now.

While he was sure she got good training and lessons from her teachers, those were still taught to a full class. It was obviously a lot better to have someone train her privately, and for that to be a Specialist was also a big bonus, at least in her books. In fact, Winter was bouncing on the spot before him, or at least she did for the two or three seconds it took her to notice and stand ramrod straight, eyes wide in horror and mortification.

Jaune had to laugh. "You're allowed to be excited if you want, Winter. I won't think any less of you."

Her cheeks coloured. "I-I have no idea what you mean, Mr Ashari. Please excuse me but I must attend to my studies." She hurried off a moment later, her gait trapped somewhere between a polite walk and an embarrassed flight.

Well, that was one young girl dealt with. Time for another. Jaune knocked once on the door and pushed it open, stepping in. He grinned when he saw Emerald, though mostly because her eyes widened and she hid a shoe behind her back. She was barefoot, as usual.

"Hello Emerald."

"You're back."

Eighteen months of the two living together and as Echo said, in worryingly tight conditions. In that time she'd come to accept him a little more, though she still wasn't exactly the most verbose of people. She would ask questions now, however, and sometimes even push a little if she wanted to know something. He did his best to encourage her by answering all he could or pointing her in the direction of answers if he couldn't.

It wasn't all perfect, of course. There were times when he'd move too suddenly and she would stiffen or flinch, and more where she'd remain silent or do whatever he asked without a single bit of hesitation. He'd asked Mrs Greening about that and the teacher explained it might be Emerald's way of preventing him from getting rid of her, by basically doing whatever he wanted to try and make him happy. She also had no friends to speak of, nor did she try to talk to anyone in Atlas.

Then there was the way she acted around Winter. Amusing as it was, it was still a bit of a concern she looked worried every time he saw her, like she was expecting a slap for her impertinence. As far as he was concerned, Winter gave as good as she got.

"The mission went well," he said in answer to the unasked question. He made to kick off his boots but hesitated and kept them on. "How have you been while I was gone?"

"Okay," she replied with a shrug.

He nodded to a book on her bedside table, some fantasy story he'd bought her – simple enough for someone her age and not too verbose. "Is your reading coming along okay?"

"Yes."

Jaune sighed at the one word answer, though he realised why a second later and it turned into a quiet chuckle. Her eyes were fixed below his waist, which might normally have been a problem if he knew they weren't on his pocket. He pulled out a bag of gummy sweets and tossed them to her. Emerald caught them and tore into the pack ravenously. You'd think she hadn't been fed for weeks, but her appetite for sweets was something that hadn't changed from the first time he'd bought her a chocolate slice back in Vale.

Even so, there were rules to be kept. "What do you say, Emerald?" he asked teasingly.

Emerald froze, though only for a second or two. "Thank you…" she whispered.

"Good girl." His permission given, she started to wolf down the sugary treats. "Don't get comfortable here tonight," he said, knowing she was listening from the way her head tilted, even if she didn't stop eating. "We'll be going out into Atlas to do a little property hunting. I… I've come to realise this place really isn't big enough for the both of us."

And he could just imagine Echo's sarcastic reply to that. _You came to realise? You did? Yeah sure, not like I deserve any credit around here._

"Anyway, it's about time we looked for somewhere a little bigger. I figured we could rent an apartment in Atlas. How does that sound?"

"How does it sound…?" she asked nervously, not sure why her opinion mattered or what answer he wanted from her.

"Are you okay with it?" he amended. "Or would you rather stay here."

"I'll go wherever you tell me."

Ugh… Not quite what he'd hoped for. Well, she was only nine and a half. Maybe she'd become a little more confident once she had a room to call her own and a little more space to stretch her legs. He really had neglected her on that, leaving her cooped up with only Winter for company whenever he went on one of his missions.

"Come on," he said, gesturing for her to put her shoes on. "If we find a place before it gets dark, I'll take you to that restaurant you like."

Emerald had never been shoed and ready with her coat faster. Though she didn't show her excitement, at least not like Ruby might have, her actions betrayed her. Jaune laughed and placed a hand on the middle of her back, steering her out the door. She no longer flinched when he touched her like that.

They were making progress, small as it might have seemed.

/-/

Atlas was colder than Vale. It was an obvious thing and not all that amazing that she realised it, but never had it been more obvious than when you were walking the streets late at night. Emerald was grateful for the thick coat the Smiling Man had bought her, even if she wondered how her kind even survived out here. Maybe they didn't. Maybe they all froze to death and were shattered into ice come the morning, thrown out with the loose snow.

She didn't know, and as she walked beside him she couldn't find it in herself to think about it. Her stomach was full of warm and good food, not to mention a heated fudge cake heaped with ice-cream. It could have been a blizzard out and she'd have been too warm in her tummy to notice.

Emerald wasn't entirely sure what the man next to her was to her anymore. He'd been the Smiling Man before, and he still was to a degree. She knew from meeting his team briefly that the Specialists were killers – killers who were good at their job, because they'd looked more dangerous than any of King's men ever had. They smiled and laughed too, which made her think the man who kept her around fit in very well.

He owned her still, too, though even at her age she knew better than to say that to any of the people who talked to her like Mrs Greening and the stuck-up frost bitch. The Smiling Man owned her life like he owned her body, and if he wanted to make use of it by feeding her treats and helping her become stronger and smarter, then who was she to argue? It didn't mean he was a good person or had any feelings for her. It just meant she was useful in some way.

And she was fine with that. It made things easy to understand.

If she could stay useful, he wouldn't try to get rid of her. She'd already come to the conclusion he didn't want to hurt her, or at least not yet, but now that panic had been replaced with a different kind. She'd gotten used to a softer life. She _liked_ being well-fed and having warm clothes and warmer baths. She didn't _want_ to go back to the streets, and certainly not Atlas' streets where the biting wind would flay the skin from her bones and turn her lips blue.

 _I'll just have to be useful,_ she'd decided some time ago. She wasn't sure when. _If I do whatever he wants and show him how good I am, he won't have any reason to get rid of me. I'll be able to stay and be full and warm._

This was just the next step of that, she supposed. This being their new apartment, which the Smiling Man – Jaune, she tried to remind herself – led them into. He flicked a switch, bathing the spacious room in bright, white light.

The room they were in was bigger than the whole room they'd had before. It was wide and open with a kitchen along the back and a sitting area at the front, with a comfortable looking sofa bigger than the bed she'd had before, and two others, sat before a huge TV. Emerald huffed at that; still hating TV. There was a table to the side of that, though, with four wooden chairs around it and a rug underneath. There was another, lower table between the sofas and the TV set, and quite a little floor space beyond. There were four rooms leading off from the main one, one of which was a small closet beside the door, but the others revealing a _huge_ bathroom, and then two separate bedrooms.

"You can pick one for yourself," the Smiling Man said. "You'll be responsible for keeping it clean, though I'll chip in if I have time."

Emerald's mind boggled. A room for herself, all for her? She swallowed and poked her head into it, marvelling at the big bed – it was a double! – and also the sliding wardrobe to the side with a mirrored surface. She could see herself in it and had to take a second to realise who it was. She was a little taller than she remembered, but the biggest difference was that she wasn't skinny anymore. Her bones weren't as visible. The white and grey uniform still looked horrible, though. She hated it.

"Which one do you want?" he asked.

"Which-? Uh, this one?" She hadn't even seen the other, but didn't want to waste his time. It was already more than she'd ever imagined.

"Alright, I'll take the other. I'm going to unpack my gear. You can watch TV if you like, or bring some of your own stuff in."

"I'll unpack," she said, both wanting to spare him the trouble and also to avoid the TV. She didn't own much, even if what she did own was so much more than she ever had before. She had clothing that was in one piece and didn't chafe her sensitive skin. She had warm socks, underwear, pyjamas and even a fluffy dressing gown a rich shade of cream. She liked to sit in that sometimes and just marvel at how soft and warm it was.

The Smiling Man had also bought her what he called a teddy-bear, though she had no idea what she thought of that. It was a golden coloured furry bear with black button eyes. It was soft, but it felt silly. Still, being a gift from him, she'd accepted it instantly. It sat on a seat in the corner now, staring at her bed as she sat down on it, her staring back.

"I still don't like you," she whispered.

The bear didn't reply.

"Tch." She turned away and pushed her empty case under the bed. She only put up with the bear because it was from him. It felt childish. He'd once suggested she could sleep with it in her bed, but she'd never allowed it to. "You stay on the chair," she commanded. "This is my bed." She patted it, and then paused. "My bed," she repeated – and it was. It belonged to her. The whole room did. "My bed, my room, my window, my wardrobe."

With a wide smile, she hopped up onto the quilted bed and laid down on it, head between the cushions. This was what it probably felt like to be royalty. How many people her age could say they had a bed all to themselves? Not many, she imagined. None she'd known. Most were lucky if they had a dirty blanket to sleep under.

Hers was clean, fluffy and striped blue and white. She liked it because it was hers and quickly wrapped herself up in it, still clothed and not at all bothered by it. Except for her shoes. She kicked those off to the back wall and wriggled her toes. With a pleased sigh, she leaned back and stared upwards.

A smile flickered over her face.

"My ceiling…"

/-/

The apartment had been a good purchase, Jaune decided a month or three later. Well, he'd realised it early on and it was a rental more than a purchase, but still, this confirmed it. Emerald adored her room and looked after it with more gusto than he thought a girl her age really should. She didn't make a mess like he and his sisters often did of their rooms. It was also nice to cook food for a change, and Emerald had learned how to make some simple ready meals, perfect for those times where he had to go on a mission.

Of course, she wasn't old enough to be left on her own at those times and had to go back to Atlas Academy when he did. He could imagine Emerald thinking how she'd looked after herself on the streets for eight years, so she could look after herself in an apartment stocked full of food for a day or two, thank you very much. Even so, she followed his instructions without any fuss once he'd made it clear there was no other option.

Something she'd taken with far less gusto was the realisation that distance from Atlas Academy didn't necessarily mean freedom from Winter Schnee. Emerald's education was still on the rocks and Winter wasn't about to give up on the best source of one-to-one training she could get so easily. The look on Emerald's face when Winter appeared at their door had been worth a million lien. The look on her face when Winter suggested they study in her room was priceless.

To this day, Winter still hadn't been allowed to so much as _glimpse_ Emerald's room. They studied on the dining room table instead.

The apartment wasn't big enough for them to train in sadly, but there was a gym nearby, and given that Atlas was heavily militarised, the gym had combat rings and arenas as standard. It was in one of those that Jaune and Winter sparred, him on the defence as Winter came in for another assault. Her form with her sabre was excellent, but her body wasn't quite there. She didn't have the strength she would when she was a few years older and as tall as he.

He tried not to take advantage of that, knowing that `age` wouldn't be a good lesson for her. Instead, he focused on parrying her attacks and wearing her out. To her credit, she realised his tactic only a few minutes in, but by then it was too late. He disarmed her after a brief exchange and touched the edge of Crocea Mors to her neck.

"I yield."

"Good fight," he said as she staggered to her knees and gasped for breath. "Your form is improving, though you need to learn to compensate for your reach. Have your studies on summoning progressed any?"

"N-Not enough," Winter panted. The proud girl was slick with sweat but didn't seem bothered by it. She rarely did, though he knew from how she acted normally that she took her appearance seriously. It was just that she took training more seriously; a sentiment he more than agreed with. "I can summon some birds at the moment but it takes too much concentration to use in a spar. I decided the distraction would cost me too much."

"You're right there," he praised. Back when they'd first started Winter had been more adventurous, eager to show off, but she'd soon come to realise he was a no nonsense fighter who would exploit any hole she left. Stopping in the middle of the fight to try and use her Semblance? Well, she'd better be prepared for him to be on her in a second or two. "You _are_ improving, though," he said. "Gain a little height and reach and you'll be in good shape. As for your Semblance, that's just down to practise. Keep trying and you'll get the summoning down."

"Thank you, sir."

"I've told you to call me Jaune," he said.

"Mr Ashari?" she tried.

"Jaune."

"Mr-"

"Just my name."

"Jaune, then," she managed, not quite meeting his eyes. He'd known she was a stickler for the rules, but really. "Thank you for this spar, Mr- Jaune," she corrected before he could call her out. "And thank you for all the lessons, too. I feel like I'm closer to becoming a Specialist than ever before."

"Why do you want to become a Specialist, anyway?" he asked. "I figured you'd be all for being a huntress."

Winter stared at the ground. "That is… something of a private concern."

"Then don't answer it."

Her shoulders relaxed a little. "Is that okay?"

"Sure. You don't have to tell me all your little secrets." And he had a feeling her silence was confirmation enough. The only thing she'd feel reluctant to talk to him about would be her family. While he'd managed to get her to talk about Weiss a few times, and even Whitley, she'd never once spoken of her mother or father.

He didn't want to push her.

"You can go get changed," he suggested instead. "I'll arrange a transport to take you back to Atlas."

"I can walk." she protested.

"Yeah, and you can freeze to death, too. It's the middle of winter and a blizzard out there. Not even Ironwood himself would go for a walk in this weather, least of all if he was exhausted after training. I'll hire you a taxi."

Her cheeks flushed once more, embarrassed to have been caught out, or perhaps just to admit weakness, even if it was to sub-zero temperatures. "Thank you, Jaune. I… I would appreciate that. I can pay, however."

"Nonsense. You've helped out with Emerald for almost two years now. Some training and a few taxi rides is hardly a big price for me to pay." Nor the meals he occasionally forced her to accompany Emerald and him on, no matter how much Emerald disliked that. He really did owe Winter a lot and as she grew older he started to feel worse and worse about blatantly using her competitive nature to force her into the role of underpaid babysitter.

Not that Emerald would like the term. In fact, Emerald was glaring at Winter's back now, even as the heiress made her way back to the changing rooms. Emerald was already fresh from a shower and dressed, having sparred against him first.

"You're a surprisingly good teacher," Winter suddenly said.

Jaune couldn't help teasing her. "Surprisingly?"

"I didn't mean-" Winter huffed when she realised he wasn't offended. The fact a girl her age could huff at all was worth another laugh. "Most people I know who teach don't seem to be as good practically, at least the trainers my father would hire for me. On the other hand, those who seem to be really good at their jobs normally aren't very good at teaching."

He could understand what she was trying to say. Specialism dictated people got better at their job and gave up other skills, and although Mrs Greening seemed more than capable in both roles, he had a feeling she was the exception. She was a teacher in Atlas Academy, after all, and thus one of the best teachers in the whole Kingdom.

Charlie, Delta, Echo or Foxtrot would have been garbage teachers for Winter. It wasn't that they didn't have the skill or the technique, but that they lacked the patience, experience and the ability to tone down their skills and look at things from the perspective of a beginner. They would assume she knew things she didn't and struggle to understand why aspects that were simple to them didn't come quite so easily to her. Simply put, they were too good at what they did and had forgotten what it felt like to be a rookie.

He was different.

"I wasn't always as strong as I am now, Winter. I used to be the weakest person you'd have ever seen, so I know what it's like to not be good enough. Since I had to learn every little trick I know, it's easier for me to point them out to you." And, of course, he could draw back on the training Pyrrha had given him, imparting that onto Winter.

He remembered every mistake. He'd learned from every mistake, understood and overcome it – and he'd done so relatively recently, rather than at a young age like Ruby or Yang had. That meant he remembered it a lot more easily.

"I suppose that makes sense. Still, you could make quite the good money as a personal trainer or teacher."

"Maybe." It was an interesting thought, very much so. Then again, she was probably just trying to lead him into it so she could hire him. Jaune laughed and made to rub her head, though exhausted or not she managed to escape that with an indignant look. "Go get a shower," he said. "I'll wait."

Winter nodded and left.

Emerald looked frustrated.

"What's wrong?" he asked, walking up to her.

Emerald looked away. "Nothing."

"When someone says that, they normally don't mean it." Least of all when it was said with such a blatantly frustrated tone. Emerald's dislike of Winter was no secret, but it felt like it had been growing lately, especially when they trained together. Was this how Pyrrha and his team had felt when he tried to pretend Cardin's bullying hadn't existed? At least Emerald had the excuse of not even being ten. "You know you can talk to me if something is wrong, right? I'm not going to snap at you if you ask me a question."

Asking wasn't easy for her, that much was obvious. Her face twisted, caught between intense desire and a fear he often saw but struggled to place. It was desperate and anxious and would come out at the oddest times. Most of the time she never did say what was wrong, which was why he was so surprised when she blurted out an answer.

"I can be stronger than her."

"Hm?"

Emerald's eyes dipped down, focused on his feet. Her hands clenched into tiny fists, like she expected his anger. Even so, she forced herself to speak. "I can be stronger than she can," she said. "I can fight. I can try harder."

"Where's this coming from?"

"Why are you helping her to become strong?" Emerald asked. "I can be use- I can be stronger."

"I suppose you can," he said, not really sure where she was going with this. "I'm helping her as a way to thank her, though. She's done us – me – a lot of favours. This is the only way I can pay her back."

Some understanding seemed to dawn on Emerald, though she still looked nervous. "She… Winter is stronger than me," she whispered, voice so quiet he had to learn forward to hear it. "She's better than me, stronger, faster…"

"She's also older than you, and she's had more training." Jaune pointed out. "Don't worry if she's stronger now. You'll catch up in a few years. Maybe you'll be even stronger."

Emerald's head shot up. Her eyes were wide and hungry. "I will?"

"Sure. I'll be training you, after all."

She sagged forward, expelling a huge breath. "S-So we'll keep going like this?"

"Of course. We won't be staying in Atlas forever, Emerald, even if it's nice here. Maybe it'll be a year, maybe two, but we'll leave and go back to Vale. I won't be able to help Winter anymore after that, which is why I want to help her now."

"Will I come with you?" she asked.

"Yes. I'll keep your training up when you do."

Another breath, this time of relief. Emerald nodded and didn't meet his eyes, but even to his she seemed somehow more relaxed, less anxious. When Winter returned, Emerald didn't even have a glare for her, nor even a frown. She stood patiently behind Jaune as he arranged the taxi and bid her farewell, and even said goodbye to Winter herself. Winter almost choked when she heard that, and no doubt it was to the polite girl's horror that the door shut and the taxi pulled away before she could return it.

Jaune laughed and patted Emerald's shoulder. "Good girl. Come on, let's go home."

"Can we-?"

"We'll stop for food en route," he said.

Emerald nodded. She didn't smile, but she walked a little closer to his legs and didn't look quite so stiff anymore. Jaune tried to ignore it, and the confusion that threatened to overwhelm him. Mom had once said having kids was hard work, but he'd never understood it. He did now.

Why didn't Emerald come with an instruction manual, and where could he buy one?

/-/

"Two years and still no leads…"

Jaune sighed and closed the book with a solid _thwack_ , placing it back on the shelf. Atlas' great library was a massive thing, part information paradise, part tourist attraction and part cultural monument. It was free to use by everyone, but the information it contained was varied, ranging from fiction to history, language, cooking and everything else. It had multiple floors, ringed balconies, tour groups, dining rooms, conference rooms and even a small museum to the back.

Simply put, it was paradise and purgatory all in one, offering you all the information you might ever need, but hidden in more content than any man could hope to read in ten lifetimes. It might have helped his search if the stuff he was looking for was in the digital archives – basically stored on terminals and data drives – but since he was looking for ancient civilisations, fairy tales and legends, all of his material was in traditional book form.

As Pyrrha would have happily admitted, Jaune wasn't the best when it came to book work.

"There has to be something in here. I'm just not looking in the right places."

Legends and fairy tales hadn't revealed much, or they _had_ , but it wasn't anything he didn't already know. He'd found the legend of the maidens easily enough, it not being a precise secret, but there hadn't been anything more than what Ozpin had already told him, and he in fact knew a lot more than the books did in that regard.

So, he'd moved onto looking for `Relics` or any information on them – which was a dead end all of its own. Or not a dead end per se, but a spider web of disconnected information. `Relic` was too ambiguous a term to work with, so he ended up delving into books containing archaeological finds, broken pottery and ancient weapon fragments. He might have stopped there, but if the Relics were from an ancient civilisation as Salem (and the very word, Relic) hinted, then this might still be of use. It was a lead.

The problem was, it was a pretty vague lead, and it turned out archaeology wasn't quite as esoteric as fairy tales. They didn't get lumped into one handy compendium of children's legends, but rather a thousand or more books written by archaeologists and historians of varying skill. And hey, Oobleck had written some books. His old professor – sorry, Doctor – had never mentioned that before.

Sadly, neither Oobleck nor the others he'd read through so far had produced anything of use. While there were theories and myths about the civilisation that came before, it appeared to be a rather natural progression of their own, humans and faunus using old weapons like spears and swords, before they slowly evolved and adapted into industry and metallurgy. Basically, just a more primitive version of where they were now.

"There's no way they could have made something like the Relics, then." Jaune groaned and let his head pound for a few moments in silent agony. Again, books weren't his thing. Where was Ren when you needed him?

Another day, another dead end. Jaune checked the giant clock in the centre of the library – a frankly monstrous thing that reached from the floor to the ceiling, with eight different faces so it could be seen from any angle. It was already nearly five and he'd promised Emerald some training tonight, which meant he'd best get back in time to cook dinner.

The disappointment as he left the great library was muted. He'd been doing this for two years now and it had been four months since he and Emerald moved into their little apartment. Day in day out, when he wasn't on missions, he came to the library to research. Even if he didn't find anything, he knew he was narrowing down the options. He had ten years – or eight, now – and it would have been arrogant to think he could fix everything in a matter of weeks. Life wasn't nearly that convenient, which meant a lot of digging and long nights. He was close to a breakthrough, he was sure.

His feet took him down the familiar route home, the wind biting as ever but not quite enough to necessitate catching a ride. He tugged his furred hood up over his head and stepped out onto a wider street, a pedestrian high-street with shops lined on either side. He wanted to stop and buy Emerald something en route.

But the street was filled, and not in the normal sense of shoppers. There was a large crowd gathered, with signs raised above their heads. There was shouting and chanting. The placards wore different messages, but one thing repeated more than any other, either on flags or wooden signs. It was a white emblem on a blue background – a snarling maw surrounded by a white circle.

The White Fang…

Jaune's shoulders tensed. Here already, in the open? He looked left and right, wondering where the Atlas soldiers were and why no one was stopping this. Crowds had gathered nearby to watch, and none of them seemed to realise the danger. Two faunus saw him and detached from the crowd, moving toward him. They weren't masked, but they wore the White Fang's symbol on their clothing.

As they approached, Jaune's right foot slid back, body tilting in readiness for combat. The two saw it and flinched. They were nervous now, understandably so. Jaune's eyes roved over them but he didn't see any weapons. None at all.

The lead faunus swallowed and took a step forward. The smile she wore was nervous, like she expected him to attack at any moment.

"Here, sir," she said, holding something out. "Please take this."

It was a flyer.

Not a bomb, not a knife, nor a gun. It was a hastily made flyer printed on someone's computer and filled with information on injustice against the faunus and the White Fang's proposed legislative changes to bring equality to Atlas. The front picture featured a faunus and a human stood side by side, smiling with their arms around one another's shoulders.

"Ah."

The White Fang. The _old_ White Fang, the peaceful organisation that wanted nothing more than equality. Jaune cringed and looked up but the two faunus had already moved on, leaving him behind to feel like the biggest asshole imaginable. They probably thought he was as racist as they came.

"Damn it, Jaune." He sighed and pocketed the flyer. The least he could do was put it somewhere others could find it, or maybe teach Emerald to read it so she wouldn't develop any bad habits. These people weren't his enemies. They were just regular citizens dreaming of a better future.

It wouldn't last.

He had no idea when the White Fang would turn violent, but he knew they would. This display, this protest, this peaceful overture and the suggestions of change, would amount to nothing. That was… more distressing than he'd realised. Racism hadn't seemed like a big thing in his time in Atlas, but now that he thought about it he hadn't seen a _single_ faunus since he'd arrived. Team November lacked one. There were none among the teaching staff of Atlas, and he hadn't seen any faunus students, or faunus taxi drivers, restaurant workers or store owners.

So, where were they all working?

Not the mines…

Surely not…

" _Racism isn't always in the blatant chanting of hate and the throwing of rocks,"_ Blake had once told him. _"More often than not it's subtle, insidious, and quite often subconscious bias. Most people don't even realise they're doing it."_

Jaune sighed again, this time running his hand down his face. Was this something else he could change? Probably not, he realised. He had no idea when the White Fang would go bad, and while he could go to Menagerie and find Blake's parents, there was no telling how he'd convince them to distrust their own people. Plus, it would mean no Blake in Beacon, and that might have a cascade effect that led to her team dying.

Maybe he could try and suggest some changes to Ironwood. It was the only thing he could think of, though even then he knew it would never come through to anything. He didn't think Ironwood would care for species at all – ability was ability to the man – but Ironwood was still bound by politics, and all the powerful people in Atlas didn't see things the same way. If Ironwood tried to introduce faunus rights, he'd only find himself losing out on the promotion to General, and then someone far worse, with far less care for their citizens – human or otherwise – would assume control.

That might destroy the future. Remnant _needed_ James Ironwood. It needed him more than it did Jaune Arc, frankly.

The protest was being dispersed now. The police had come, and though the protest wasn't by itself illegal or violent, they still forced it to leave – albeit with thankfully non-violent means. They pushed their way through to the leader, escorted him away, and then slowly started to picket the others and push them on, with only the faunus who reacted violently – and there were some who did – being arrested. _Looks like the seeds of violence are sprouting even now. When words and overtures of peace yield nothing, it is human nature to try the more direct route._

Sadly, it wasn't just the faunus thinking that way. Though the authorities handled themselves well, many human spectators jeered and tossed insults, while others tossed bottles or stones. The faunus were covered by Atlas soldiers where they could be, but some hit home, and the cries of pain only seemed to fuel the angry mob more.

"Animals!"

"Go back to Menagerie!"

"You're not welcome here!"

Some of the insults were viler, `dog-fucker` was a popular one, or just changing the first part to whatever faunus type they were. Some liked to believe (erroneously, of course) that faunus were born from humans rutting with animals. It was the kind of baseless conspiracy theory racists liked to use to convince themselves their actions were justified. It was pathetic, and in a way he couldn't help but wonder if the White Fang had the right idea. Not in terms of terrorism, but that words alone wouldn't change things. Adam was probably right in saying the first iteration of the White Fang hadn't gone far enough, but the problem was that he'd taken it too far.

Something caught his eye in the crowd, or someone. It was a tuft of black with two black ears above, dark shorts and a small, lithe frame.

"Blake…?"

It was. It was her. She was in the protest, small and angry and carrying a sign even as she was ushered away with several other smaller faunus. A rock struck the boy to her left and he fell with a startled cry. An Atlas soldier moved to shield him, leaving Blake open.

Jaune was already moving. He stalked past the angry public and to the melee, dashed at the last second when he saw a rock fly. Blake saw it too, and tried to shy away – only to find herself pressed in by so many bodies. Her hands came up to shield her face. It was too far, too fast. He wasn't going to reach her. Frustrated, Jaune swept forward, flung his coat back and drew Crocea Mors. The blade scythed up, catching the rock and deflecting it not three inches from Blake's little face.

The sound and sight of bared steel brought absolute silence.

Jaune had his back to Blake. He couldn't see her, nor her expression, but that was fine. His eyes were focused on the angry mob instead, even as his coat fluttered down where he'd sprinted from. It revealed him now fully, the pristine white uniform he wore, the knee-high grey boots, the golden lapel, the ornamental mantle that fell down his right shoulder to his elbow, attached to his collar with a golden clasp. It wasn't a uniform made for fighting or combat, but rather one designed to impress and show off his rank. He only wore it because it fit in with the library and his old clothes were falling to pieces, but it _did_ have a tendency to make people stop and stare. Useful here.

They recognised it. Soldiers around him stood taller and saluted and the authorities rallied behind him. Those in the crowd shifted nervously, and a single word spread like whispered wildfire, audible over the hush.

" _Specialist…"_

"Soldiers, see the White Fang to safety," he bit out. He wanted nothing more than to see to Blake, to talk to her, but she didn't know him – didn't trust him – and the situation was still too volatile. "No faunus are to be harmed under your protection." He raised his voice. "They are citizens of Atlas and are afforded the same protections as all."

That brought with it its fair share of shock, and protests. The faunus seemed relieved, some pleased, some confused, but it was the mob that took it worse. Insults and boos where thrown, along with the occasional rock that never quite reached him. Jaune nodded to the nearest soldier, indicating he should carry out his orders and leave the crowd here. The man started to usher the faunus away, and Blake was swept along with the crowd.

Jaune faced down the civilians, even as some began to hurl insults his way. Animal lover. Traitor. Government conspiracy. Repression. There was more, of course, but those were the ones he picked out. He swept his sword before him and the crowd went silent once more.

"Those with a grievance should come say it to my face."

The crowd shuffled awkwardly, went silent, and not a single person moved forward. A few tentative `boos` were sent his way, but that was all.

"No one? Or is it just that the cowards who shout out dare not show their faces? It's easy to hide behind a wall of people and bray like a wild animal. You call them animals, yet all I see before me is a pack of rabid dogs." Jaune sighed when no one dared respond. "Disperse and go home. Think about what you did here today, if _thinking_ is something you can even manage. Today, you have disappointed Atlas, and shown an ugly side to the city."

The crowd parted. Whispered insults and barely-hidden sneers were sent his way, but without the White Fang to be angry at, they had no reason to stay. Not unless they wanted to actually attack a Specialist, which would be suicide at the best of times. Jaune could tell he'd made no friends today, perhaps not even among the White Fang, who would just see his interference as keeping the peace. Even so, he didn't regret it. If anything, he regretted that it had to happen at all more.

/-/

Jaune had barely managed to restrain his anger by the time he reached his apartment and Emerald. The latter was important since Emerald was still attentive of his mood and would likely shy away if she thought he was angry at her, or liable to take his anger out on her. He stood outside his door and took deep breaths for a good minute and a half, thinking more pleasant thoughts about Beacon and how absolutely normal and content Blake would be there in time. Eventually, his smile came back and he allowed himself to enter.

"Hello," Emerald called dutifully.

"Hey Emerald," he returned, smiling. The scent of food caught his nose. "Are you cooking?"

"You said to get take out," Emerald said nervously. She presented the table, which had a number of steaming boxes on it and two plates.

"You-?" Jaune laughed. It was hard not to. "I meant you could get it for _yourself_ ," he said. "You didn't have to buy me any." He'd expected her to use the extra lien to buy some sweets, but she'd gone out and ordered for him, too.

And he _was_ hungry.

He patted her head, making her pause in the middle of an apology. She looked up at him through his fingers. "Thank you, Emerald. I was starving and this was very thoughtful of you."

She nodded. She didn't smile, but she stood a little taller and her cheeks twitched. It might have, if one looked closely, hinted at some pleasure. Right here and now, it was enough. The two sat at the dining room table and ate their takeout in peace. It was Vacuan tonight, and so filled with spices and fragrant scents, the kind of food Emerald loved more than anything since it made her taste buds tingle. When they were done, she made to take the plates but he stopped her, telling her he'd clean up.

She'd tried to argue, of course, without ever disagreeing with him out loud, but he told her it was as thanks for her thinking of him and bringing him food. She seemed to accept that and went to her room to read the book he'd bought her.

"Letting a ten-year old buy food for you…" He shook his head and laughed. "You're supposed to be looking after her, Jaune. Not the other way around."

He'd have to do something nice as thanks – maybe even look to commission her a weapon since she didn't have a proper one yet. He'd had half a mind to get that done before he left Atlas, since their metallurgy was some of the best in Remnant. He stacked the plates in the sink and filled it with hot water, allowing them to sit for a bit before he'd go back to clean them.

He was dumping the empty take out cartons in the bin when the air behind him tore open. Crocea Mors was by the door but a kitchen knife was in his hand within a second. He spun, prepared to fight, but his eyes widened at the red and black portal that swirled in his apartment's living room.

A figure collapsed through it, striking the wooden floor and coming to a stop against his dining room table. The portal flickered out of existence, and the woman – dressed in red and black, with a bone-white mask - lay still, unmoving.

It was Raven.

And she was bleeding all over his floor.

/-/

"Blake, are you-?"

"I'm okay," Blake gasped, shaking like a leaf. They were outside of Atlas now, gathered with the other White Fang and safe at last. Her eyes burned with tears, not from anger or pain but the after-effects of her fear. She rounded on her companion. "But you, your face – Adam!"

"It's fine." It wasn't, but he somehow remained strong, wiping away the blood from where the rock had hit him. There was a jagged cut between his eyes and she wasn't sure it would heal without leaving a horrible scar. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Her eyes burned again. He was always worried about her.

"Atlas is just as bad as everywhere else," Adam snarled. "All the Kingdoms are. This isn't fair, it's not right, it's not _working_."

"Adam, we can't talk like that," Blake hissed. She looked around to make sure no one could hear her. "You know my dad-"

"Your dad isn't leading us properly!" The boy sagged when Blake flinched. He touched her cheek, heedless of how much blood ran down his own. "And that's not your fault, Blake. I'm sorry for yelling. I just… I'm just angry."

And in pain, she imagined. Blake nodded, trusting him implicitly. "I know. We're… we're lucky that man was there to stop them from doing anything worse."

"He was a Specialist," Adam said.

"A Specialist? But don't they hate us?"

"Apparently not all do, or he doesn't." Adam grunted and sat down. "I'd thank him for saving you if I could. If someone had dared to hit you, I'd have attacked them then and there, your dad's wishes or not!"

Blake sat next to him and poked around in her pocket. She came out with a small handkerchief, and Adam closed his eyes, allowing her to dab the blood from his face. He never let anyone else so close, but their bond, their trust, was more than any other.

"You can't solve every problem with violence," she chided. "That's what my mom always says."

"Can't you, Blake? Isn't that what he just did?"

She hesitated.

"He commanded the crowd and forced them to stop. He cut down the rock that would have struck you, threatened them into submission, and then forced the soldiers to take us away safely." Adam's voice rose in pitch as excitement set in, and despite her desires, despite everything she knew, Blake felt her own heart beat a little faster, too. "He brought peace!"

"M-Maybe…"

"Not maybe, Blake. Absolutely. No one was hurt after he stepped in. He stopped the violence, stopped the hatred – and he did it not with words, but with action. He didn't reason with them. He _forced_ them to stop."

Adam was right, there was no denying it. The man had stood tall before them and cut down the fight before it could ever happen, and he hadn't done so with logic. He'd stopped the mob hurting them with the simple and clear fact that if they'd tried, he would have hurt _them_ more.

Was that really the way forward? It sounded wrong, but what he'd done wasn't wrong, was it…?

Sure, he'd used violence, but he hadn't actually _used_ it. He'd just threatened it, and done so to _prevent_ worse violence. Maybe… maybe they could be the same. Maybe they could do the same and skirt the line. It wasn't wrong if they were doing it for a good cause, right?

"Okay," Blake whispered, earning a shocked expression from Adam. She giggled and dabbed some more blood from his face. "You're right Adam. Maybe things _would_ be better if we did something. I… I think I'm with you. No, I know I am."

Adam's smile was worth everything, and as he took her hands in his she knew her words meant the same to him. They built him up and made all the pain he'd gone through worth it. "I'll re-make the White Fang one day, Blake," he promised. "I'll change it into something different. I'll make sure that _every person in Remnant_ knows our name. This I promise to you."

Blake believed him.

She really did.

* * *

 **Well, well, here's the time skip chapter – and through the whole chapter it's been essentially two whole years, or close enough to that. For people who didn't quite catch it the first time, I have suggested that Emerald is one year older than Yang and everyone in canon RWBY. I just figured it could easily be possible given her being an orphan, etc, and having no records. That means while Emerald is 10 here, the others are 9 – Blake included – and Ruby is 7.**

 **Anyway, Jaune has fit into Atlas and gotten himself some rank, resources and training – not to mention a few friends.**

 **Meanwhile, the thing a lot of people postulated and theorised on has come true. Raven formed a bond with Jaune due to the amount of time they spent together, allowing her to portal to him whenever needed.**

 **Oh, and yeah – butterflies.**

 **Jaune may have had an** _ **unintended**_ **effect on Blake and Adam here.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 9** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm back and thank the lord. I hate expos. I've never been to an anime one, so I imagine that is a little more enjoyable, but business ones can really drain you. I've been up at 5am all week and some nights didn't get to bed until 1am, and yes, mostly because I was out drinking, but it's not as great as it sounds. I was out drinking with clients and important association figures that I really can't show a bad time to. The award night was particularly hangover-worthy and I had to do a brief speech as I handed over the award we'd sponsored, and I'd already had several drinks by then. Still, I managed to not mess it up, lol.**

 **But it's done, I'm back – and I slept from 8pm last night to noon today. Good feeling. What free time I had basically went towards writing this, so it was done on a tiny laptop with the potential for fat-fingering. I hope I've managed to avoid or catch those mistakes.**

 **Oh, and thanks to those who PM'd me worried that I'd died or such. I appreciate the concern, but rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated. I'm also sure I mentioned my week off, like, a lot, but I understand plenty of people don't read AN's, so, eh, what can you do?**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 11**

* * *

"Emerald, I need two bowls of water, one warm and one cool, along with a rag. Quick."

"Yes." To her credit, Emerald sounded more surprised than alarmed, likely because she'd seen worse before. She'd come rushing out of her room the moment Raven struck the floor, and not wanting her underfoot Jaune gave her something to do.

His hands hesitated to touch Raven for a moment, bleeding as she was. Huntresses had incredible instincts and reflexes and quite often could lash out at those trying to help them, hence why many doctors required their aura unlocked. Before he could even begin to treat her, he had to get rid of her sword. He couldn't find the means to unlatch the scabbard, so worked the belt off her waist instead. She didn't wake up at all while he did it.

The floor was a bust. There was blood on wood and that was probably going to stain but moving her onto the kitchenette's tiles wouldn't have done much for her health. With a sigh, he threw down some towels to at least make the floor a little softer and rolled her onto them so that she was flat on her back. As might have been expected for one such as her, all her wounds were on the front. Raven would never turn her back on an enemy.

"Stab and slashing wounds," he noted idly, peeling back her red top, mindful of the way the fabric clung to her blood. While his Semblance could heal wounds and help her, it wouldn't stop an infection getting to her later and cleaning the wounds was always advised. Bastard that he was, Ozpin knew his stuff and had made sure Jaune knew the benefits of not treating his Semblance like a shortcut.

Raven wore a second layer of clothes under her outer, a thin vest that clung to her body. He was able to shift it up to her bra, so he could access her stomach, where the biggest wound was. Emerald returned at that moment and placed the two bowls down by his side, along with two clean rags.

"Who is she?" Emerald asked.

"Raven Branwen. She's a… she's a friend, I suppose." The look Emerald shot him said she'd noticed his hesitation and wanted to know more. "It's complicated. I do owe her, though, so we'll look after her. Can't afford to let her die here."

Flexing his Semblance, Jaune pushed some of his aura into her – just enough to bolster her reserves and grant her the endurance she needed. The wounds didn't look critical, at least not enough to kill her, but she needed bandaging up.

 _What could have hurt her,_ he wondered. Raven was alive in the normal timeline, so if this was something that had happened before, then she'd obviously survived it. That didn't mean he could slack off, because it was possible she'd used her portal to go to someone else, and that they'd patched her up. Still, this was territory outside of his knowledge and that worried him.

Might this be a change to the timeline?

He'd drawn Tyrian and Salem's attention. It was possible that they'd gone looking for him and traced him to Raven. Possible, but hopefully not the case. Being a tribe of bandits, there were other explanations for this, like Raven biting off more than she could chew. _Well, I'm not going to get any answers unless she wakes up._

"Keep out of the way for now and fetch what I ask you to," he said to Emerald, who backed up obediently. Not for her the questions of why or how a half-naked woman was bleeding out on their floor. She half-seemed to expect it.

Raven's aura flickered and held, helping to stem the bleeding even as he cleaned the wound and tore away any bloody cloth that might infect it later. Halfway through, he asked Emerald to find a clean blanket and a dressing gown for her. Stripping a woman in her sleep wasn't exactly something he wanted to do, but it had been Ruby who beat it into him that it really wasn't the same if you were stripping someone for medical reasons, and that he was being silly. He tugged at Raven's outfit and quickly reduced her to just her underwear, washing all the blood from her body as he went.

"Here," Emerald said. She passed him a black towel and his dressing gown, a warm and thick thing a deep navy in colour. It was far bigger than Emerald's and would fit Raven. With her wounds closing thanks to his Semblance and a quick check over to make sure he hadn't missed any, he bundled the woman up into it, pulling her arms through the sleeves. Crouching low, he picked her up and carried her over to his bedroom door, thanking Emerald as she opened it for him.

Thankfully, Raven didn't wake or freak out while he did so, and simply tossed her head to one side as he laid her down on the bed and pulled the sheets aside. "Can you grab her a glass of water – and get me a notepad and pen," he said. When she woke in a strange place without her weapon, he'd prefer if her first response wasn't a massacre. If he put the note atop the glass of water, she'd inevitably find it when her thirst kicked in.

It was while Emerald was fetching those items that he noticed the strange flicker under Raven's eyes. Her eyelids were twitching wildly, almost like she was in a nightmare and yet not quite the same. Her muscles tensed and relaxed, one arm spasming. Was she having a seizure? Jaune bit his lip, unsure what to do. His Semblance didn't help with things like this.

Suddenly, Raven's eyes snapped open and she lurched up. One arm swung wildly, though not with any intent of attack, just a wild motion. He caught it easily. "Raven, it's-" Too late. Her eyes rolled back up and she slumped unconscious again, falling back onto the pillows and this time not moving. But that brief moment had been enough, enough for him to see the fire in her eyes and understand what was happening.

Raven had become the Spring Maiden.

"Emerald, I need you to stay quiet about this," Jaune said, stepping out of the room and closing the door. "No one can find out about her, least of all Ironwood. That means keeping this from Winter, too."

"I understand." No questions, no hesitation, just acceptance.

Jaune patted her head. "Good girl. I'll be sleeping on the couch tonight. If you need anything, come get me. I wouldn't go into my room." After a second's thought he added, "And I wouldn't talk to her, either. Let me deal with her."

Emerald nodded and with a final glance for the closed door, retired to her own room. No kid in their right mind would have been so blasé about this, but she probably wrote it off as criminal activity and didn't care to know further. Sometimes he forgot she wasn't a normal child and that to her, murder and more would have been commonplace.

Speaking of murder, it looked like the Spring Maiden was no more.

Was that something he could have changed? Was that something he _should_ have changed? It was impossible to know. Raven, for all her faults, had kept the maiden's power away from Salem through her actions – and as much Qrow and Yang called her a coward for it, that had never struck true with him. A coward wouldn't have had anything to do with them _or_ Salem. A coward would have avoided the power like the plague – and considering Raven had worked with Ozpin once upon a time, she clearly knew everything about the power. A coward, if it were forced on them, would have taken the safest option and gone either directly to Ozpin, gaining his protection, or to Salem, like Leo had.

A coward wouldn't have kept the power hidden, lived out in the middle of nowhere and then taken the fight to Cinder, nor would she have stepped in to save her daughter against Neo at Mountain Glenn. The moniker of coward felt out of place. She was a terrible person for leaving Yang as a child, but she was no more a coward than he was. Hell, at least Raven knew what she was getting into and still went ahead with it anyway.

Compared to that, he simply had no idea who the old Spring Maiden was, except that she – according to Ozpin – had rebelled and run away from civilisation. _Civilisation or you?_ Jaune had to wonder. He'd taken Ozpin at his word so many times in the past that sometimes it was easy to believe all his stories as nothing but the truth. If the old Spring Maiden had known she was in risk, then why would she have run? She wouldn't have, assuming she wasn't insane. In fact, Amber was the same, eschewing Ozpin's protection.

That was an awful lot of people refusing to trust Ozpin. It was almost like there might be a reason.

 _Raven is about eight years older than me now, and I'm nearly twenty-two, which means she's on the cusp of hitting thirty, the cut-off age for being a maiden._ That suggested the transition had been somewhat intentional on her part, or maybe on the maiden's part. Would the old Spring Maiden really commit suicide via Raven?

Ultimately, he had no answers. Qrow and Ozpin had believed Vernal the maiden – which again, really didn't make much sense, since they should have at least known the name and description of her. Either way, he'd have to wait for Raven to wake up to get some answers.

With that in mind, Jaune crossed his arms behind his head, laid back on the couch and closed his eyes.

/-/

He awoke to a blade tickling his throat.

There was a shadow above him with red eyes, a red sword and no prizes for his guessing of who. Raven wore the gown he'd left her, though it had fallen down one shoulder, revealing creamy skin and the top of her black brasserie. She knelt with her legs on either side of him, pinning him down with one hand on his shoulder, the other holding her weapon against him.

"Did you enjoy it?" she hissed. "To take advantage of me like that. I hope it was a pleasant experience. It will be your last."

Panic shot through Jaune and his eyes opened wide. "W-What? No, I didn't! Raven, I-" His mouth closed with a click and his eyes, about to pop out, narrowed to slits. Was it his imagination or were her eyes a little too bright, her scowl a little too forced?

Before his eyes, her lips twitched.

Jaune sighed. "Seriously?"

Raven snorted and swung one long leg around, moving off him so that he could sit up. She sheathed her sword and placed the scabbard down by the couch, that damnable smirk still in place. "Your face makes it worth it," the no longer on the verge of death woman said. "It's been a while, Jaune Arc. Atlas Specialist?" She touched the collar of his white uniform and rubbed it between her finger and thumb. "You've moved up in the world."

"Considering the last time you saw me I was pretty much a wandering beggar, then yes, I have. And it's Ashari, by the way. Jaune Ashari."

"Is it now?" Raven's pleasure at having a secret, and potential blackmail, was a trade-off he had to make against her blurting out his real name later and landing him in a heap of trouble. "I'll keep that in mind." She padded away from the couch, bare feet tapping lightly on the wooden floor. "I helped myself to some food in the fridge."

"No `if you don't mind`" Jaune mocked.

"Would it matter if I asked? I've already eaten it."

"You're a piece of work. You're welcome, by the way."

"Hm?" Raven looked back, amused.

"For healing you," he growled.

"Funny. I remember saying those exact words to you, as well."

She had him there and some colour rushed to his cheeks. He'd been just as slow on his gratitude to her when she'd done the same, which meant this really was the repaying of a favour. Jaune sighed and pushed up off the couch, working the crick out of his neck. It wasn't as comfortable as it looked, at least not to sleep on.

"Your clothes are in the wash," he said. "Some of them were clinging to the wound, so I had to cut it off. I can't promise my tailoring will look any good."

"My career as a fashion model will forgive you. I have spares." Raven seemed unconcerned with her lack of clothing and sat at the dining room table with a sigh. Even with one shoulder bare and her legs peeking from the bottom, she managed to look in complete control. "Do you have anything stronger to drink than water? I could use it right now."

"Beer," Jaune offered, bringing out some cans and placing them on the table between them. He sat opposite while she cracked one open.

"You sure know how to treat a lady."

"Well, I did manage to get you into my bed on the first night."

He'd been half hoping to catch her by surprise and have her spit out her drink, and to his credit she did freeze a little. She recovered a moment later, however, and swallowed her beer, putting the can down with a little smile. "Not bad," she complimented. "Not bad at all."

The humour didn't last, and Raven took another long swig and sighed, massaging her forehead with the other hand. There was still the occasional flash of unnatural light in her eyes and he realised she was struggling to control the maiden's powers. Cinder had gone through the same, having a moment of vulnerability. Right now, Raven's aura was probably so confused he could kill her himself.

Not that it would achieve anything other than throwing the maiden's powers goodness knows where. As the last two girls alive and close to Raven, it might be a fifty-fifty toss between Vernal and Yang, and neither of those were good options. The whole `last person you thought of` was really vague now that he thought about it. Did it mean strong feelings, strong emotions, or just a single thought? It seemed inevitable to him that if a woman killed you _she_ would be the last person on your thoughts. Ozpin's idea of security sucked.

"What happened to you?" he asked. "Not that I don't appreciate the surprise visit, but I didn't expect you to come and bleed all over my floor."

"Would you believe me if I said a spar with Vernal gone wrong?"

"No."

Raven chuckled. "You might be surprised. She's improved a lot lately, though she does seem to have picked up an odd motivation for it."

Jaune allowed himself to be diverted for a moment. "Oh?"

"It seems she wants to hunt down a certain blond man and bring him back to the tribe," Raven said, practically oozing smugness as she stared directly into his eyes. "Something about him skipping out on training, and not keeping promises."

"I didn't promise to train her."

"That's not how she remembers it."

Ugh, yeah, that sounded about right. Vernal hadn't so much wrangled a promise out of him as assumed one. "I take it she didn't approve of me leaving after beating Qrow."

"And without so much as a word to the poor girl," Raven drawled. "You're adept at breaking women's hearts, I see. I should be careful around you."

Jaune glared at her for that and she laughed. It was a strange sensation to be sat at a small table in what would have seemed a rather intimate scene. It was even more bizarre to imagine her openly teasing him, but he supposed he'd never known her apart from a few run-ins they'd had, none of which had led to meaningful conversation between them.

"How about you don't tell her where I am," he suggested.

"Hm, I don't know. I could bring her here to see you. How does that sound?"

"Terrible, and speaking of, how were you able to make a portal to me in the first place?"

"Why are you so surprised? You saw my Semblance the first time."

"Yeah, but to me?"

Raven shrugged. "I can create them to anyone I have met. It's hardly a big deal."

To anyone else, that might have worked. There was no way he knew about her Semblance, or at least Raven would surely assume that – so her little lie there would have passed under the radar. Unfortunately for her, it didn't. Raven could only create portals to people she _bonded_ with, which meant that against all odds, and against all logic, she'd created a bond of some kind with him.

What did that mean?

What was a bond, anyway? She had a bond to Qrow, but he was her brother and Taiyang was her husband, who she must have had strong feelings for at some point. She'd been able to make them to Yang too, her being the daughter. And Vernal, with Vernal being her student. The actual definition of `bond` was pretty vague – almost as vague as the whole maiden deal. Was a bond friendship? Was it just _knowing_ someone? Was it dependent on feeling, or just an arbitrary amount of time spent with someone? How did Yang fit into that? Was a familial bond enough even if Raven left, or was the fact a bond existed at all a sign that she did care in some way?

He had no way of knowing and questioning Raven wouldn't get him anywhere. Even assuming she told him the truth, she'd also have all sorts of new questions for him, and in the end, it didn't really matter. She could make portals to him. That was it. Case closed.

"I think the big question is why you'd make one to me in the first place and not your tribe," he said. "Did something happen to them?"

"No, or at least I don't think so." Raven sighed and opened another can. "I was injured and exhausted, not to mention I… I couldn't think straight. My head was a mess." Likely due to the sudden influx of power, she didn't say. "I was about to pass out and needed to be somewhere safe, anywhere. That I chose you was just luck, I suppose. It was you or Vernal. Maybe I subconsciously realised you'd be better suited to help treat me than a teenage girl in a tribe who might backstab me in my moment of weakness."

He nodded. She could have gone to Ozpin, Taiyang or Qrow, but those carried their own risks and she'd almost certainly be questioned. As far as reasons went, he could accept it.

"Who did this to you?"

"Some girl."

"The wounds were fairly deep. She must have been strong."

"Stronger than she should have been, that's for sure. There was no skill or finesse there, just raw power. It caught me off-guard."

"But you killed her."

"I did." Raven shrugged, and then watched him curiously, perhaps wanting to see what his reaction would be. When he showed neither disgust nor fear, her smile grew. Maybe she thought him a kindred spirit. Maybe he was. The years had changed him, though two years in Atlas had so for the better, finally letting him relax and think things through.

"Who was the woman?" he asked.

"I have a feeling you already know, Jaune Arc."

"Ashari."

"You already know more than you should, and you don't trust Ozpin. You're like me. You used to work for him, with him. You saw the truth and left." Her eyes bored into his, and slowly, Jaune nodded. As far as assumptions went, Raven's wasn't bad, and honestly hit more of the truth than anyone else might have, Of course, there was no way she could ever work out the actual truth. Raven laughed, pleased to have figured something out. "I thought so. I knew we were the same when we spoke in my camp. So, Jaune Arc, I think you know who I was fighting, what they were, and what I now am."

"You're a Maiden." There wasn't much point beating around the bush. Raven nodded once, neither surprised nor displeased that he knew. "You do realise this is going to make you a target."

"Worried for me? I'm touched." Jaune kept his gaze focused on her, and Raven looked away, coughing weakly. "I'm aware of the risks, yes, and given a choice I'd rather not have this power at all. Sadly, I wasn't given much of one."

"She attacked you?"

"In a manner of speaking. I brought the Spring Maiden to the tribe because she was alone and aimless, a coward afraid of the people chasing after her. I wanted to train her, make her strong, strong enough to look after herself and ensure no one ever gained her power. The Maiden's powers are already beyond what any human can hope to match, so if she was as skilled as me on top of that, I thought all would be well."

"What went wrong?"

"She didn't want it."

"Your training?"

"Anything," Raven spat. "Not my training, not the power of the maiden and not the responsibility. All of that I could have accepted, but she wanted an out. She wanted to be rid of it, and she felt she'd found a way."

"Ozpin?" Jaune guessed, thinking of the aura transfer machine.

Raven's answer nixed that. "No."

There were only two side to the war, so who Raven meant was obvious. Salem. The Spring Maiden had planned to go to Salem and give the power over directly. In ten years' time, they might have called that `doing a Leo`, but right here, right now, it was nothing more than dooming everyone. Jaune imagined a Cinder who already had the Spring Maiden's power and shivered. With years to prepare and master it, the future would have been a darker place.

"I couldn't let it happen," Raven said, scowling at the table. "I tried to reason with her, to explain what would happen, but she would not have it. Sensing my temper fraying, she sought to take the choice away from me entirely." The can was crushed in her grip. "I could not let that happen. Better the power go to someone else, anyone else, but… it appears she had the last laugh."

"She thought of you."

"Not out of intention, I'm sure," Raven snorted. "I was only able to beat her because of how untrained she was. The bitch cursed my name as I killed her, and that was enough for the maiden's powers to focus on me. Less than two months until I'd have been too old. What delicious irony." She downed her beer.

Jaune echoed her, the sentiment much the same. Through all the different theories they'd had, the idea that Raven hadn't intentionally taken the maiden's power never come up. It had always been her wanting strength or murdering the wrong person, or any number of things that painted her as the villain. For someone who had expressly wanted to stay out of the Salem and Ozpin war, however, such would have been out of character. This made more sense. Raven had still wanted to avoid it, but not being an idiot, couldn't exactly stand by and let someone literally gift Salem with the power to destroy humankind. Like it or not, Raven had been forced to act – and would now be stuck as a pawn in the game.

And it was clear from her fearsome scowl that she didn't like it one bit.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked.

"I'm not going to Ozpin if that's what you mean."

"I wouldn't suggest it."

Raven relaxed. "Good. I'll just carry on as I always have. I'll grow stronger and guard my life, this power along with it. Neither side will have it, of that I'll make sure." Just like she had in the original timeline.

"Ozpin will come looking for the Spring Maiden."

"Qrow already has," Raven said. "That's why he came the time you fought him. The request for me to meet with Ozpin was nothing more than a cover. They think the Spring Maiden is with me and I'll give them no reason to believe otherwise. I'll tell everyone Vernal is the maiden."

"She'll die." He blurted it out and Raven's eyes snapped to his. He held her gaze, unwavering in his future-proven prediction.

"Then I'll train her. I'll make her stronger."

"She'll still die. It won't be enough."

"I'm not exactly flush with options here, Jaune," Raven snapped, louder than strictly necessary and with a slam of one fist on the table. She glared at him through the fingers of a hand splayed out over her face. Her eyes were filled with frustration and barely controlled maiden-power. "I've just woken up. I'll think of something. Right now, I can't even see straight past these blasted powers and my head feels like it's about to implode."

"Alright, alright," he said, standing slowly. He could hear Emerald thump to her feet in her bedroom. "I'll get you some painkillers and some water." Not really meant to be mixed with alcohol, but he doubted she cared at this point. Raven nodded at him in what was the first real sign of genuine gratitude from her.

She must have been even more in pain than he'd thought to show that!

True to his hearing, the door beside the kitchen cracked open and a reddish eye appeared in the gap. Emerald quickly relaxed on seeing him up and about, though the door opened a little more so she could spy on the woman sat at the table.

"You appear to have a rat infestation," Raven called mockingly.

"It's not a rat," he returned. He tossed a packet of pills to her and nodded to Emerald. "You can come out if you want, Emerald. She won't hurt you."

"So confident of that?" Raven teased, throwing two pills down her throat.

"Since I'm apparently now a free provider of food, booze and medical care, yes. You wouldn't want to ruin your access to that."

She laughed but didn't disagree.

Emerald came out tentatively, bare foot and in her pale green pyjamas. Even though he'd said it was clear, she continued to hover behind him and didn't approach Raven until she had him as a human shield. When he sat down, she took the chair beside him and scooted it closer to him and away from Raven. Considering the sound of a wooden chair scraping on a wooden floor, no one missed it.

"Adorable," Raven said. "You've procreated quicker than I would have thought humanly possible. Congratulations."

"Your sense of humour needs work. Emerald, this is Raven," he introduced. "And vice versa for you. If I find out you've been mean to her, or heavens forbid that you've been _nice_ to her, then I'll be having words."

"Such little faith, Jaune Arc."

"Ashari." He scowled at her. "And you never called me by both names before. Why start now, because it irritates me?" Her smile said it all. "You're impossible. Emerald, Raven is a bandit from a tribe in Mistral. She… helped me out."

"Saved his life, he means," Raven simply _had_ to say. "He collapsed in a Grimm-infested village and would have died if not for me. Truly, he owes me his life, and I saw fit only to claim some meagre possessions. I'm too generous. Sometimes I wonder if the bandit life is for me."

"It is," he deadpanned.

"But to take a child in so soon after leaving? My, oh my, Vernal will _not_ be amused."

"Since when has Vernal been my responsibility!?"

"To abandon a child with bandits and leave, only to adopt another. Such a poor father you are."

"Isn't that a little rich coming from you?"

The temperature in the room dropped so fast his blood all but froze. Emerald cried out at the sudden tension and ducked behind him, while Raven's eyes _blazed_ with fire – literal fire that flickered from the corners of her eyes. He had a feeling he hadn't just crossed the line, but perhaps left it several miles behind. With Emerald behind him, he couldn't even move.

But Raven, with a deep, meaningful intake of breath, let it fade away. She placed the now ruined can on the table, carefully reached for another, and opened it slowly. Only when she started to drink did the ominous pressure recede.

"I'm sorry-"

"Do not speak of what you don't understand," Raven snapped. "You do not know all that you think you do, for all that you know more than you should. This is your first warning. Make sure it is the only one you ever hear."

He swallowed. "Understood."

"I won't remain here long," Raven said. "As soon as I'm rested I'll return to my tribe."

"That's fine." He had a feeling he should say more, even if she'd headed off his apology. "You can stay as long as you need to, though."

Raven raised an eyebrow.

"You _did_ save my life," he sighed. "I'm not going to throw you out after that."

"Well, well, well," she teased, and the final remnants of the oppressive atmosphere lifted. "It looks like you can show the proper gratitude after all. I wonder what tricks you'll break out to appease Vernal when she finally hunts you down?"

"You're not going to let me live that down, are you?"

Raven shot him a `What do you think` look as she swigged another beer, her smile visible until the can concealed it. It looked like the storm had passed, at least for now, and that they were back to their usual banter.

Still, he really hoped Vernal didn't find out about Winter. He had a feeling she wouldn't take well to knowing he'd basically taken a disciple and was willingly offering her one-to-one lessons.

The fireworks just wouldn't be worth it.

/-/

Raven remained come the morning, though he'd half-expected she wouldn't. She seemed prepared to milk his apparent apology however, taking a spot at the table and leaning back with a smirk, waiting for him to cook breakfast.

"I provided food for you," she pointed out when he complained. "Does your hospitality not go as far?"

While true, she'd also had other people cook it for her. Lacking that, he'd sighed and gotten to work on pancakes, putting to work the only recipe Nora ever felt he needed to learn. Well, unless you counted the various types of pancakes as different recipes. Nora did, naturally. She'd seemed appalled when he didn't.

Of course, given the ruckus he'd caused yesterday, it was almost inevitable that the peace – and he used the term loosely – last. Raven's eyes darted to the door, instantly narrowing. Jaune went to it and unlatched it slightly. "Who is it?"

"Not quite the mailman," Ironwood replied.

"Oh, Captain Ironwood." He said it out loud for the benefit of Raven, who caught on quickly and slipped off the chair. She silently padded to his bedroom and closed the door. Considering Ironwood worked with Ozpin in the future, it was a sure bet he knew who she was, and that one of his Specialists shouldn't be housing her under Atlas' roof. "Just let me clean up a little, sir," Jaune delayed.

"A little mess is of no consequence, Ashari."

"This mess is," Jaune whispered, eyeing the bloodstained floor and now-crimson towels. Why hadn't he cleaned those up again? Oh yeah, because he'd been tired after treating Raven and then staying up late drinking, and decided he'd handle it in the morning. "One second, sir."

It didn't take long to collect the towels, and to use one to mop up what remained of the blood. He stuffed them into a kitchen drawer, scanned the room and then ran back to the door. Emerald, knowing what he wanted, took Raven's place at the table and acted like the empty plate was hers. The cans of beer? Well, no one had ever accused him of being a _good_ adoptive parent.

The door opened, and Ironwood stood there, looking a mix between pensive and impatient. "Ashari," he greeted, "May I come in?"

"Of course."

Ironwood nodded his thanks and surveyed the small apartment briefly, noting no doubt the opened first aid kit on the coffee table and the general disarray visible even after Jaune's frenzied cleaning. He nodded to Emerald in greeting and didn't seem too upset when she didn't return it.

"Would you like a drink?" Jaune offered.

"I'm fine, thank you. I don't intend to take up much of your time."

"Is there something you needed from me, then?" He hoped to hell there wasn't some way Ironwood had actually noticed Raven's arrival, but surely that was impossible. Semblances couldn't be tracked. Could they? If anyone would have the ability, it would be Atlas.

"I wanted to talk briefly with you about something that occurred yesterday."

Jaune's muscles tensed. "Yeah?"

"The White Fang rally."

"Oh." That really wasn't what he'd expected, and his body relaxed, a moment before he saw the troubled look on Ironwood's face and realised he really shouldn't be. "Was there a problem with it, sir? Perhaps in the way I acted?"

"Not from my point of view, Specialist."

Again with his title. Ironwood was bothered about something. "Not so from someone else's, then?"

"Understand that I hold no ill will against the faunus and never will," Ironwood said. "Even though we fought against them, even though _I_ fought against them, I am a soldier. I know that enmity must be put aside once a war is over, and I'm able to do that." He sighed. "But not everyone else is, I'm afraid, and the news that a Specialist stepped in and threatened civilians has reached many discontented ears."

"I didn't actually follow through on any of my threats, sir. I was just dispersing the crowd before something happened."

"I know, and I trust you. I've seen the footage and I can assure you that you have my full support. However, the public is not always so easily swayed, and rumours travel thick and fast. Already I've heard some suggest you cut down a human as an example."

"That's bullshit."

"Again, I know. You will find, however, that in certain circles the truth is seen as an inconvenient thing. Some of the more… traditionalist media companies are pushing a very specific angle on this, one that we – the military, and even myself – are trying to limit or imperil our own citizens. It's nonsense, of course, but there are people who want to believe such nonsense."

Jaune's lips peeled back. Politics. Of all the things he'd expected to run into back in the past, this hadn't been on the list. _Give me Grimm any day of the week but spare me from idiots._ The faunus wars had been long enough ago that no one in Beacon really remembered them, at least the students. Cardin's parents certainly had and filled their son with hate, but here in this time the memories were still fresh, as would be the forced migration of many faunus to Menagerie.

Worse, he could understand why Ironwood was here talking to him, and why the man looked so bothered to be doing so. Ironwood was in the line for a promotion – and to General. That was the kind of thing that required a lot of support, even from old fossils with troublesome agendas. By stirring up the media and doing so as a registered Specialist, his actions had impacted Ironwood.

At any other time that wouldn't have stopped him. It would have annoyed him, sure, but doing the right thing was more important than doing what was easy – or at least he'd always thought so. Losing Ironwood a promotion, however? That wasn't just a dick move on his part; it could have catastrophic implications for the future. Ironwood _needed_ to become General. It was too important to miss out on.

"I'm willing to resign if that's what you want."

"What? No!" Ironwood sounded appalled at the very idea. "Jaune, no, that's not what I want, nor what I'm suggesting. I won't let petty politics get in the way of my Specialists. I'm not even here to reprimand you, but rather to warn you. The public opinion may turn against you and it's possible some people higher up might try to damage your standing in some way. I've asked Team November to keep an eye out and I highly doubt they'll try anything against Emerald. Even so, I just wanted you to be aware."

Well, it wasn't like he was in Atlas to make friends. Maybe it was time to think about leaving if he was going to be drawing attention to himself, but he was loathe to do so before he'd exhausted all his options in the library. "Thank you," he said, nodding, "for the warning. Is the faunus issue really that prevalent here?"

"Among the older population, and those who lost loved ones, mainly. I'm pleased to say the younger generation don't seem to hold the same enmity, or at least not as much. My own attempts to integrate more faunus into the military should help to make things better, but that will take time." Ironwood sighed and sat down at the dining room table. Now that the unfortunate conversation was over, he seemed more relaxed. "I can't promote any faunus out of place and it will take time for leaders to emerge. Once they do, however, Atlas will have mixed human and faunus teams, as well as senior officers who are an equal spread of faunus and human. I hope that will help improve public opinion."

It was a good plan and Jaune was pleased to see Ironwood had one, and that he'd put genuine thought into it. There was a problem with time travel, though, in that despite all the man's efforts and all his plans, Jaune knew they would be futile. It was genuinely painful knowledge, especially when Ironwood sounded so proud of his efforts. How did you look a man you respected in the face and tell them their best wouldn't be good enough?

"You might want to focus on the SDC side of things, too," Jaune warned.

"Jacques? I would if I could, but the military can hardly interfere with a public company."

"He drags Atlas' reputation down."

"I know, but again, my hands are tied. I'm the headmaster of Atlas Academy and Director of the Specialists, no more."

Jaune sighed. That really was it, wasn't it? It wasn't like they could march in and arrest Jacques and take over, not when he hadn't done anything illegal. He wasn't sure what he'd been hoping for. Ultimately, the biggest issue of discrimination just didn't lie with the military. It was the SDC, and that, sad to say, was out of his reach to influence.

The closest he could come was Winter, and he knew she'd be disowned as soon as she formally joined the military. He might be able to change her mind, but she'd resent him for it – and either way, Jacques wasn't going to die of anything short of an assassination.

 _Let's not try anything that extreme just yet. I'm not even sure if killing him would be a good thing in the long run._

Maybe the White Fang just had to happen, or maybe there were some things he couldn't change quick enough to make a difference. Knowing Sienna Khan would be the driving force for their descent into violence didn't mean much if he had no idea where to find her. And besides, the violent side of the White Fang was an ideal not locked to any one person. Kill Sienna and Adam might lead. Kill both and someone else would fill their position.

"I'm not sure I'll be staying in Atlas for that much longer," Jaune said suddenly. At Ironwood's distressed look, he quickly explained. "It's not about this or what you've said. It was always my intent to leave eventually."

"Yes, I recall. Whatever you decide, you will have the blessing of I and the Specialists. I would ask one favour, however. Give us eight more months."

"Eight months?" It was a curiously specific request, but not one he was particularly against. While there was a rush, he still had eight years left and he didn't want to leave until Ironwood was made General anyway. He just didn't want to risk that going wrong. "What's going to happen in eight months?"

"The Vytal Festival."

/-/

Jaune barely had the forethought to with Ironwood well when he left, let alone listen to the man's explanation on why it was important he stayed for what was one of the most painful events of Jaune's life. He'd accepted reluctantly, though only because of one thing.

It wasn't _his_ Vytal Festival. It wasn't _the_ Vytal Festival.

 _Calm down,_ he told himself. _Breathe, Jaune. Nothing is going to happen._ Even with such thoughts, Jaune slumped onto the seat Ironwood had vacated, his body suddenly lacking the energy to stand.

This Vytal Festival was just one of many – one of four or so that would happen between now and _that time_ , so he really couldn't afford to get jumpy each time one did. By all historical accounts, it would go by with absolutely no complications whatsoever. Considering all the extra work and worry Ironwood was going though, it seemed a poor way to repay him to quit before that. Being the headmaster of Atlas Academy and the host of the festival, Ironwood was probably up to his neck in paperwork already.

"You keep dangerous friends," Raven said, stepping out from his bedroom. She was garbed in her combat gear now, though her mask was hung at her waist.

"Yeah, I don't need the _bandit leader turned spring maiden_ hiding in my bedroom to tell me that."

She snorted, amused with the sarcasm. "Quite so. Maybe it's you who is the dangerous one."

"I certainly don't feel dangerous." Jaune looked to Emerald when she choked, but the girl simply shook her head and excused herself to her room, leaving the two of them alone. "I trust you're not going to do anything untoward with what you've heard today."

"And throw my tribe against a military Kingdom at a time when it's at its most paranoid? I think not. I hardly need Ozpin catching wind of me. Not when I'm in such a vulnerable state." Raven glared down at her hands. It obviously annoyed her to have to say that, and probably annoyed her all the more that it was true.

"Well, if you ever need a place to crash you know where to find me."

"Is that an offer?"

"I'm not even sure anymore. Actually, no, take it as me just being polite." He wasn't sure why he'd even made it, except that he was. In some bizarre, twisted way, he actually considered Raven a friend. What madness.

Was it just because she was literally the only other person on Remnant who he could trust not to rat him in to Ozpin? Ironwood might not, but if he knew the truth – or if Ozpin convinced him it was for the best – he might consider it. Team November would follow orders. Emerald? Well, Emerald would stick with him, he was sure, but she was only ten and also a terrible conversationalist. Raven wasn't much better, but it was better than nothing.

"I think I will keep your offer in mind, Jaune. Either way, I suppose this is a favour returned. I'll be-"

"Actually, it's not."

Her eyes narrowed. "Oh?"

"You saved my life and I owed you for that, but you had me fight Qrow and take the attention off you. Don't think I didn't realise why you were so keen to make him focus on me." Her gaze met his firmly, though she acknowledged his point with a nod. "We were even after that, and don't give me anything about it not being the same. Both of us would rather lose an eye than have to deal with Ozpin."

"Touché," she said, smiling. "Then I suppose I owe you a favour, if you can trust a mere bandit leader to keep one. What do you want?" She tilted her head to the side, letting her wild hair dip past her beck and exposing the creamy expanse of pale skin. "I'm in your debt, Jaune~" she crooned. "What is your desire?"

"N-Not that!" He growled when her smirk grew. Damn her baiting. She knew full well what effect she had on him and seemed to enjoy making him squirm. "I need information."

"On?"

"Ancient civilisations, particularly the kind Ozpin might be interested in."

"Oh? That's a curiously specific topic. Anything else?"

"Yes. I'm interested in… magic."

Raven's attention suddenly became far sharper, fixing on him as the air in the room chilled by several degrees. She didn't draw her weapon, nor move to, but it suddenly felt like she could at any moment and he reacted instinctively, moving so he could put the table between them if needs be. To anyone else the word would have earned a laugh, but they both knew better.

"Magic, hm? I didn't take you for an occultist."

"It's a passing hobby."

Their gazes waged war. It was a long battle of `I know that you know that I know that you know…` that carried on for what felt like ages, finished at last with a mutual `but I'm not going to admit it, and neither are you`. For her, it would be admitting her bird form and inviting questions leading to what she'd done with Ozpin and why she'd left. For him, there would be questions he couldn't answer.

No matter what odd camaraderie they'd formed, they weren't that close. But he had to let her know. He had to be sure she knew _exactly_ what he was talking about when he mentioned ancient civilisations. He needed her to jump to the Relics.

"I'll see what I can do," Raven said, pretending she didn't know more.

"Anything you can find, I'll appreciate," he said, pretending he believed her. As the tension reached a fever pitch, Jaune swallowed and reached down to the table, picking up a can and holding it out. "One last round for the road?"

Raven stared at the offered can in mute shock. Eventually, she laughed – relaxing just the slightest bit. She drew out the chair, sitting down.

"Well, it would be rude not to if you're paying."

/-/

"Specialists favour faunus over humans. Political correctness at the harm of Atlas' own citizens." Echo snorted and tossed the newspaper down. "What bullshit. Does anyone actually believe this tripe?"

"Enough do for it to be an issue," Foxtrot said. "I had someone call me an animal fucker this morning." She shot Jaune a dirty look, though not a critical or offended one. "Thanks for that one. It's how I like to spend my mornings."

Jaune winced. "Sorry."

"It will die down in time," Ironwood said. "Thankfully, the White Fang understand that now is not a good time for further protests and have agreed to hold off for a while. I had a chance to hold a call with the current leader and he assured me they would let the anger die down before they dare try another rally."

Ghira? It was possible, and it made sense a call could happen since at this point the White Fang were just a civil rights group. In fact, having a call with someone like Ironwood – even if he wasn't a General yet – would probably be seen as a big win for Ghira. It was a sign that were being taken seriously.

"They'll try something around the Vytal Festival," Charlie said.

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked nervously.

"Well, flyers, protests or maybe a paper bombing."

"Bombing!?"

"Paper bombing," Charlie corrected, and it was the laughter in his voice that let Jaune calm down a little. "I mean they'll drop White Fang leaflets into the crowd or something. It's mostly harmless."

"Harmless or not, it will damage the standing of Atlas and disrupt the Festival. I have been put in charge of security for the event," Ironwood said. "We cannot allow any disruptions, no matter how worthy their cause. I will be offering the White Fang a stand from which to hand out their material, but that is all. We can't afford for this to become a show of our own incompetence."

Just like the Vytal Festival in Vale, really, except that this time it couldn't go poorly. If he was reading things right, this might be the event that made or broke Ironwood's rise to General of Atlas. If it went well under his control, all the kudos would fall on him. As Director of the Specialists he'd been given control of security, but as headmaster of Atlas he also controlled the actual tournament itself. In no uncertain terms, this whole thing was going to be run by Ironwood alone, and all the success of it would fall onto him.

Or failure, if things went poorly…

"Team November, I'll be relying on you to help with security up to and during the festival. Your team is the most senior and I can't afford to leave it to anyone else."

"Will we have support?" Charlie asked.

"You can pick and choose four other teams to assist, and you'll also have the support of all the security forces, military involved and Atlas Academy's security staff. That should give you over a hundred people to work with, along with associated security, cameras and gate control."

Delta whistled. "That's a lot of shit for five people to handle."

"Delegate, then. Decide your roles among yourselves." Ironwood's smirk took on an amused edge. "And it's not five of you, by the way. It's six."

"We're getting a new team member?"

Ironwood didn't answer, but instead leaned over to press a button on his intercom and speak softly into it. "Send her in," Jaune caught. That was enough to bring a sinking suspicion to him, even before the doors opened. Winter strode in, a huge and proud smile on her face, a distinctive golden badge attached to the front of her pure white uniform.

"Eh, not for nothing, sir, but isn't she still a student?" Delta asked.

"Sir, Specialist Schnee reporting for duty." Winter struck a picture-perfect salute.

"At ease, Specialist." Ironwood ignored how much Winter preened at the title. "To answer your question, Winter Schnee still is a student, and will not be taking part in any dangerous Specialist operations until her tenure with Atlas Academy is completed. She will also be competing in the Vytal Festival with her team. However, as she will be joining the Specialists afterwards, and taking into account Ashari's tenure with us coming to an end after the Festival, it seemed prudent to train up his replacement."

"First we heard of his tenure ending," Foxtrot said, eyes narrowed. The others stared at him too, though Winter did so with an almost shocked expression.

"I was going to tell you today," Jaune defended. "I only decided last night. Ironwood beat me to it."

"We'll need to have a party," Delta said. "With strippers."

"I'm not going to a strip club," Foxtrot said.

"You could _be_ the stripper."

"I could also kneecap you right here and now."

"Children," Charlie snapped, silencing them. "Be quiet. Mommy and Daddy are speaking."

"Thank you," Ironwood said, nodding to the team leader. "Regardless of Mr Ashari's moving on, Winter is to be included in the security of the festival, though I trust you all to keep her from any information that may lead to a conflict of interest."

The chances of her getting an advantage were pretty slim, to be honest. If anything, she'd be at a disadvantage because while everyone else was training, she'd be stuck doing work with them. It would leave her exhausted for the festival, not that she seemed upset by that. Winter still looked far too pleased to be a part of them, though it was muted every now and then when she shot him a complicated look. He caught her eyes, trying to understand what the problem was, but she looked away.

"Miss Schnee is to be trained and brought up to your level as quickly as you can, though she is not to see active combat until she is sixteen. This was Mr Ashari's suggestion to me, so you have him to thank for it."

"Thank you," Winter said.

"Yeah, thanks," Delta grumbled.

Wow. Was Ironwood doing this on purpose? Was this revenge for the White Fang incident? It felt like it might be. Team November were already going to have his ass for deciding to leave and not telling them first, and now this?

"Also, I believe it would be best if Winter was made an assistant to one of you, shadowing them to get a better idea of how a Specialist's day goes."

"Jaune."

"Ashari."

"Jaune."

"I think it should be Jaune."

Team November threw him under the Bullhead in quick succession. Jaune didn't even get the time to raise a point in his defence before Ironwood nodded and marked something down. "Very good. Jaune, I'll trust her development to you."

"I will be in your care, sir," Winter said, saluting again.

Oh, Emerald was just going to _love_ this.

"Let's move onto planning for the actual event," Ironwood said, motioning with one hand and causing his office to dim. A projection appeared on the back wall and Team November plus one all moved closer. "As you can see, the festival will be held in Amity Colosseum. This is a breakdown of its schematics and you'll need to factor in every aspect when it comes to its security. The general public shall enter from here, here and here. Now, there are other access points for logistics and staff which I will run through now."

/-/

"Are you sure you don't want to take anyone else with you, Ozpin?"

"I believe my departure will be disruption enough, Glynda. I wouldn't want to put any further pressure on you." As always, Glynda's face darkened as she prepared to say it would be no trouble, but Ozpin cut her off with one hand. "You've already done enough by offering to take over my position while I'm gone. I shall be taking Qrow with me, along with several other huntsmen and huntresses. I will be fine, Glynda. I'm only going to show face."

"There will be several important figures there, sir, many of which fund us…"

"And I shall be enough to meet with and deal with Mr Schnee. I have already accepted an invitation to dine with him before the first round." Such corporate meetings were an unfortunate necessity, particularly with the impressive costs involved in Beacon's running. "I shall barely have time to meet with James as it is, and it's been too long since he and I have had a chance for a game of chess. Is there any message you would like me to pass on from you?"

"Tell him I wish him the best."

Ozpin chuckled. As ever, there was no more emotion there than that. Poor James. Ozpin answered a few final questions before Glynda departed, allowing him to sit behind his desk and finish off some paperwork that really needed his and only his attention. Sadly, it wouldn't be getting that. He skimmed over them and signed what could be dealt with easily, his thoughts elsewhere.

Another message dinged onto his scroll and rather than read it, Ozpin considered the date. Ah yes, it was the first of the month, which meant it was time for Summer's monthly "have you found him" text message. Ozpin chuckled and pushed it aside for now.

Really, he wanted to find this mysterious healer as much as she did, but blond hair and blue eyes really wasn't enough to go on. The Semblance was far more specific, but his inquiries there had yielded no fruit. While there were a few that had similar properties, few seemed as powerful as his, and the wielders just didn't match the description. Ironwood knew of no one with such skills and the trail had run dry. Not that Summer would give up, of course. She seemed horrified by the very idea.

"Perhaps I should invite her and her family to the festival," Ozpin mused. "A little distraction could do her – and me – well." Little Ruby and Yang were growing up, too, and if Qrow was to be believed, both seemed determined to become huntresses. Seeing real-life students fighting would be valuable experience for them.

And if it gave him some relief from Summer's constant questions, it would be an invitation well spent. Yes, that sounded like a good idea. It would be nice to see Team STRQ back together again, even if it wasn't, and likely never would be, complete. Regrets as old as time itself weighed down on him, but he shook them off with practiced ease, reaching for the scroll instead. Since she'd only sent the message a moment ago and was no doubt waiting desperately for his response, Ozpin wasn't surprised when not even a single ring completed before the call was answered.

"You've found him!?"

"Not yet, Summer." Ozpin smiled as the woman on the other end of the line sighed. "But I actually called for another reason. How would you and your family enjoy a short trip to Atlas? All expenses paid, of course."

"Atlas?" Summer sounded surprised, but also interested. "Is that for the Festival? We were going to watch it together on TV. It'll be the first Ruby has been old enough to understand and she's been bouncing off the walls in excitement."

"I'm sure she would be even more enthused to see it first-hand."

"I'm sure she would," Summer laughed. "I'll have to see if Tai is up for it, but I'm sure he will be."

"Wonderful. I'll prepare some tickets for you all."

* * *

 **So, stuff! Raven takes the maiden's power and the Vytal Festival swings around, with Jaune joining Team November in charge of the security. Meanwhile, Ozpin and Summer on the horizon and assistant-Winter, reporting for duty.**

 **Emerald will be thrilled, I'm sure.**

 **Also, Vernal - and some small hints included of future plot threads. There's a lot going on under the surface, even if Jaune's "mostly" managed to avoid too many big changes. Well, apart from the elephant in the room, or the elephant not mention in this chapter but which I'm sure a lot of people are dying to see. Don't worry, we've not seen the end of Adam or Blake, adorable little bags of fun they are. While Adam got quite dull in his evilness in V5 (and especially the lameness of his defeat), I actually quite** _like_ **the idea of Adam's descent from idealistic and genuinely good person wanting a better life for faunus into the madman he later becomes. It sounds interesting.**

* * *

 **And if I could be bothered to write omakes, there would be one right at the start:**

* * *

" **Emerald, I need two bowls of water, one warm and one cold, along with a mop."**

 **Emerald paused. "A mop?"**

" **Yeah. Blood is a bitch to get out of a wooden floor."**

" **Um… what about the injured woman?"**

" **Good point. Fetch me a bin bag, too."**

" **Son of a… bitch," Raven groaned.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 16** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	12. Chapter 12

**On the rating, I've had some odd comments that this is mislabelled for being an M, and sheesh, since when do people complain about ratings!?**

 **Anyway, it's not. It's just that no M-Rated content has happened yet. I think it would be a little cheeky of me to make it T and then upgrade it later. That would be like having an adult movie rated as fit for children, then wham – sudden 18 rating when smex begins!**

 **It will justify its M-rating later, though not, I'm afraid, in the form of explicit smut. Such is banned from this site entirely, regardless of rating.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 12**

* * *

The Vytal Festival was just sort of something that happened from Jaune's point of view. Sure, there'd been ships arriving and people scurrying around, but the decorations put themselves up, Amity Colosseum floated into Vale and all they had to do was train and prepare for the big day. He'd assumed the festival here in Atlas would be the same.

That was his first mistake, but to be fair there were many, many more.

"Need entertainment for all the children, and for the students," Delta said. "This is supposed to be a _fun_ occasion. We can't make this a military parade or all of Remnant will get it in their heads Atlas is just a Kingdom filled with military enthusiasts."

Echo dumped several kilograms of folders on a desk. "You mean we aren't? Huh, you learn something new every day."

"My point is they need more room, and we can't station a soldier every ten metres or it's going to look less like a festival and more like an execution."

"The accommodation for visiting dignitaries-"

"The parade-"

"Security on competitors-"

"Drug tests-"

"Contraband and smuggling-"

"SDC-"

"We need more of a budget for this."

"What we need is-"

"SHUT UP!" Two hands slammed down on the wooden desk, shaking it so hard several pens rolled off the side. Foxtrot, diminutive and peaceful woman as she normally was, stood with heaving shoulders and a red face covered in sweat. Her hair was frizzy and stuck out at odd angles but her eyes flashed with deadly intensity. "Everyone shut the _fuck_ up," she hissed. "I can't even _think_ for all of this shouting. You can shut up, and you can shut up, and you two can shut up." She pointed to Charlie, Jaune and then Delta and Echo in unison. She then whirled around to point at a table in the corner. "And you can shut up, too!"

Winter flinched. "But I didn't say anythi-" She trailed off when Foxtrot stalked across the room, dripping with sweat and rage. The older woman pressed her face so close to Winter's that Echo might have made a quip about them making out. If drawing the irate woman's attention wasn't a death sentence right now.

"Shut. Up."

Winter nodded rapidly, mouth sealed into a thin line.

"Good. We, that is to say the five of us, are not getting anywhere with this. We can't keep shouting over one another and if I have to stay in this cramped room any longer, I'm going to melt. And I'll take all of you with me, I swear!" She pointed threateningly at them, despite the lack of any logic behind the words. "Just sit down, shut up, and let's talk about this like the adults we're supposed to pretend to be!"

Jaune's ass had never hit his chair faster. He'd spent most of his life around bossy women, even before Beacon, but no one – not his mother, sisters or his teammates – had been quite so likely to actually follow through on their threats as the woman before him.

Suffice to say, there was more that went into planning a festival than he'd realised. Weiss had once boasted about the organisation involved, but he had followed Yang and Ruby's lead and yawned his way through it, more focused on the exciting aspects like the tournament. Ironwood had taken over that though, given his role as headmaster, which meant their team had been left with the most boring dross imaginable.

And it hadn't gone well. Charlie knew how to lead a team and Delta and Echo had their own sets of skills, but demolitions, breach, medical and more didn't really fit well into organising the security of a whole festival, and it _was_ the whole thing. Woe behold anyone who thought security was as simple as posting guards on the Colosseum itself. There were visiting dignitaries to think of, celebrities, increased public, and the risks weren't even all crime or terror related. What happened with the crowds if a fire alarm went off or a gate was closed? The people might crush one another without realising it.

What happened if the push for food in an intermission got too heated? How many guards did you have to place in a food court to make sure no one pushed in line for a hot dog? The situations sounded ridiculous, but each had the potential to turn into an absolute disaster. Actually defending Amity itself was easy; you just filled the air around it with Bullheads. It was defending people from themselves that was the problem.

"I think we could all use a break to cool off and calm down," Charlie decided, weathering Foxtrot's glare with admirable fortitude. "A decision made in haste is a decision we'll have to make twice."

"There is less than _two months_ until the festival begins," Echo drawled. "If not now, then when is haste applicable?"

"Two days before?" Delta joked.

No one laughed. With how much trouble they were having, it was a very real possibility. Jaune had the sinking feeling he should have flipped Ironwood the bird and fled, maybe even taking a portal off Raven to do so. Stay until the festival was over, his ass. No wonder Ironwood requested that.

"I won't say no to a break," Jaune said, rising and downing a plastic cup of water. He longed for something harder. Maybe even a cosh to the side of the head with how tired he felt. The moment he stood, Winter did the same, coming out from behind her desk to stand beside him. She reached for his paperwork before he could, holding it under one arm. Jaune ignored the way Echo snickered and nodded to her. It really wasn't expected of her, or proper, but he didn't have the heart to embarrass her by taking it away.

The team departed, Charlie staying behind to reclaim his office – once spacious, now crammed with desks for each of them. Jaune paused to with the others a more pleasant evening than the morning, before he marched down the corridor with Winter beside and a little behind him.

"You can walk up next to me," he said.

"Is it proper, sir?"

"You're a Specialist, Winter, and I asked you to call me Jaune. We're equals, and you're my assistant, not my secretary."

Winter nodded after a moment's thought and lengthened her stride so that she walked beside him. They already made quite the pair, if not for the difference in age then because their white uniforms with gold trim made them stand out from the students in the academy. Many of them recognised Winter and the rumours were flying thick and fast. She seemed proud about that, even if some of the things he'd heard were less than complimentary. She was fifteen now, and despite the seven or eight years between them, she had grown to match his height. That was fairly embarrassing, but he reasoned it as her being tall enough for two people, having stolen all of Weiss' dreams of growing taller.

"How are you finding things with the Specialists so far?"

"I'll admit it's not what I expected." Winter pushed some white hair away from her face. It was meticulously managed and done up, with only the single strand out of line, now fixed. "That said, I understand that Captain Ironwood wishes to keep me away from action until I am legally of age."

"Hm. We're normally on more exciting missions. This is the first time we've had to work on something like the Vytal Festival. Charlie ran you through the obstacle course though, didn't he?"

"He did. I… The Squad Leader said there was room for improvement. I hope to perform better next time." The tint to her cheeks said she'd not performed as well as she liked, though what that meant was up in the air. Winter held herself to some fairly unreasonable standards.

"Well, everyone has to start somewhere. You're stronger than I was at your age."

"You flatter me."

"I really don't…"

Winter huffed and didn't believe it for a second, but then he'd come to realise there was something more there. He wasn't sure what it was, but Echo could take a long walk off a short pier straight into icy Atlas water for his suggestions it was a crush. This was more like a minor form of hero worship, probably because not only did he represent a huntsman and a Specialist, but because he also made it a point to personally train her.

 _Gods, if Weiss heard her sister worshipped me as a hero._

The thought of his old crush's expression made him shiver. The two of them stepped into an elevator, Winter moving to push the button before he could. Far from being a spoiled heiress upset to be in a position of subservience, she relished it. He couldn't so much as walk through a door without her trying to open it, and gods forbid he ever try to collect his coat. How many times did he have to push his arms through the sleeves of a coat a fifteen-year-old girl was holding out? Well, enough times as to lose patience and stab Echo in the face.

"Sir…"

"Jaune," he corrected.

"Jaune," Winter allowed, her face reflected in the metallic door of the elevator as it descended. "Is it true that you're leaving after the festival?"

"I'm afraid so." It's not like she could miss Delta and Echo constantly talking about how epic the going away party was going to be. From how much they kept ranting, it would be bigger than the Vytal Festival itself.

"Why?"

"Hm?" He wasn't sure if he'd missed some of the question. "Why what?"

"Why are you leaving?"

"I guess it's just time for me to move on."

"Is it because of the newspapers?" Winter spat, and there was a rare note of anger in her tone. Fury, even. "No one believes that nonsense, sir. It's fabricated tabloid trash to satisfy the lust for scandal held by the average person who knows less about racial hatred than they do the faunus wars themselves. It's nothing but-"

"No, no, it's not that." Honestly, they'd calmed down after a few months with no gasoline to throw on the fire. "I never intended to stay in Atlas this long as it is. Heck, I just planned to come and get my huntsman license, then stay long enough to find what I needed in the library. Everything else was just Ironwood's idea and me going along with it. But it can't last," he said carefully, suddenly aware that this was, to Winter, a genuine problem. "I'm sorry. I had to leave eventually."

"I understand." Her face was calm, rigid, even. She stared at the wall with unfaltering focus. "I apologise for bothering you, sir."

"It's Jaune, remember?"

"Yes, sir."

The elevator dinged open and they walked out in silence. Winter still slept in a dorm in the academy, still officially being a student, and he had to head to the main gates and catch a cab back to his apartment. She handed him the folders she'd taken and turned away.

"Winter, wait." He reached a hand out but didn't quite reach her. She did stop, but he frozen, unsure what to say or how.

 _I was never any good with women. Even Pyrrha was just because she decided she wanted to be friends with me._ Winter was much harder, kind of like Weiss except that her opinion of him was greater, so he had everything to lose. In his mind he imagined all sorts of questions and clever lines, but he defaulted to something only Ruby would have said.

"You'll be competing in the tournament, right?"

Winter appeared surprised. "Yes. Even though I'm a Specialist, I'm still a student. As I can't legally join the Specialists until I become of age, I will count as a first year student for huntress education purposes."

It was a legal loophole and a fairly big one; something Ironwood had used to dodge the SDC's ire. As far as Jacques knew, Winter had gone on to her proper huntress education – the equivalent of the first year of Beacon. That she wouldn't be staying beyond that didn't matter. She'd been shuffled onto a team that understood their fourth member was temporary, and she would compete with them.

"You're a lot better for all the training we've done," he said.

"It's been two and a half years. Your expertise has helped me improve."

"Yeah." Jaune trailed off again. Damn him and his dead-end conversations. Winter looked like she was about to leave, so he blurted out, "I want you to win."

Pale blue eyes widened. "E-Excuse me?"

Yes, a reaction – anything but the mask of calm hiding emotions she didn't want to deal with. Jaune smiled and crossed his arms, documents dangling from one hand. "I want you to win," he repeated. "Is that such a surprise? I've been training you all this time, and you're damn well good enough for this."

"I-I am only fifteen," Winter protested. "I am but a first year student compared to those who will be competing, many of whom are older and more experienced than I am."

"You're _my_ student and that's what matters. You'll be out there representing me as well, so make sure you kick ass." He flashed a grin. "I'll be rooting for you, as will everyone on Team November. Make us proud."

Winter held his gaze for a long moment, her mouth, previously set in a frown, falling into a startled O. She recovered quickly, though not perfectly. Her eyes flicked away and her lips tugged a little at the edges. "Well, I will try my best, naturally. Though I can't promise anything, I would not want to suggest your efforts have been wasted-"

"They're not wasted, Winter. Win or lose, I won't consider my time wasted."

"I…" Winter's eyes flashed left and right, searching for aid. She received none. "Thank you," she blurted out. "I must go. Please excuse me, sir." She turned and hurried away, hands clutched before her. She didn't even react when he fired off one final, desperate request to be called by his name and not `sir`.

He shook his head. Had he messed that up? Eh, he didn't think so. He supposed it made sense she'd be upset at his leaving, especially since she'd known him since she was twelve and a half. That was a lot of time when you were that young.

There was just no telling what he was supposed to do with her.

/-/

Emerald didn't think much of the festival, even as the months ticked by. It was a thing that was going to happen and everyone acted like it was exciting, but to her it felt like people showing off. She didn't care for it. She knew he didn't have a choice though, and he often brought work back to their home to do on the desk. She'd seen a few things – he didn't make to hide them or act like she couldn't, so she'd had a peek. Her reading had come along but the pages of text were a nightmare to try and work through and her attention had wavered early on.

It was work. That much was obvious, and he only had to do it because the boss man had asked him to. As for him… well, she didn't know what to think. It felt a little odd to call him the Smiling Man now, since he didn't smile much when he was working and he'd spent the last two or more months doing just that. She might as well rename him the Groaning Man, or the Man Who Lived on Coffee. Really, she didn't think much about the festival at all.

Not as much as she did about the annoying addition to their daily routine.

"I've managed to organise the teams into patrols during the festival," Winter said, padding across the apartment with a bundle of pages in hand. "They just need your signature, sir, since I can't do it myself."

"You've done it all?" he asked, looking up. A smile split his features and Emerald kicked her feet against the couch angrily.

She didn't hate Winter, or at least not as much as she had now that she knew she would be taken when they left Atlas and Winter would be left behind. She'd half-thought her enmity for the taller, white-haired girl would fade. It really hadn't, though that was mostly because Winter somehow got herself assigned to him, and followed him around _constantly_.

 _He should just tell her to go away. She's being annoying._

"You might want to look through them, but I arranged them how I was shown and-"

"I'm sure they'll be fine, Winter." He took the top one, glanced over it and then signed the bottom. "Thanks for this. You're a real lifesaver."

Winter's smile grew just a fraction.

Emerald's scowl grew in unison.

Stupid Winter and stupid festival. It wasn't like she could do anything to help, so it was unfair Winter took advantage of that, though that was just like her, wasn't it? She'd even managed to make her presence at their apartment a regular thing, the two often retiring there to do more work. There was nothing quite as aggravating as finding Winter on _her_ spot on the couch, sat hip to hip with him and doing paperwork.

 _I'm onto you,_ Emerald thought, glaring at the back of Winter's head. The taller girl seemed to sense it and shifted nervously. Good. Emerald upped the intensity, all the while imagining what it might be like to put an illusion on Winter to make her think she was naked. That would be justice, especially if she ran away screaming in embarrassment. She didn't, though. It would get her in trouble and Winter was at least making his workload less.

"Hopefully, we'll get all of this sorted with time to spare," he said. "I think we're just about done for today."

"You have a final appointment in an hour, sir."

"Jaune," he said absentmindedly.

"Jaune," Winter capitulated, though not as reluctantly as Emerald thought she normally did. "Captain Ironwood wants to see you with regards to the VIPs. It's your final meeting of the day, and you don't have anything planned tomorrow."

"A free day," he sighed. "Finally."

"We have been working hard lately. I suppose I'm free as well since I'm your assistant." Winter's fingers teased her white sleeves and she looked away slightly, fixing her eyes above his. "I was actually wondering if you… if you had anything planned tomorrow, that is."

"Hm? Why?"

"I don't have any plans of my own," Winter confessed. "Considering we're both free, I wondered if-"

"He's not."

Both Winter and the Smiling Man paused. Their heads turned to her and Emerald pouted under the sudden attention. It wasn't _that_ rare for her to talk out. Or, well, maybe it was – she liked to stay quiet and not draw attention – but this wasn't something she could ignore happening in front of her face.

"He's not free," she repeated.

"I'm not?"

"You said we would go shopping..."

"Ah, of course." He laughed and swatted a hand against his forehead. "Sorry Winter, I promised Emerald we'd go and get her a proper weapon tomorrow. It's about time she got one."

"I see." Winter's face fell. She hid it well, at least from him, but Emerald caught it. She also caught the irritated look the older girl sent in her direction, though Emerald faced it head on and cocked her head to the side, making it clear she knew and that this was _not_ an accident.

Winter's frown grew when she realised. Her hands tightened a little.

Yes, time had eased plenty of things in her life, but not this. Emerald hadn't liked Winter much when she'd been force-feeding her teaching, and she liked her even less now that she had some kind of interest in her… whatever he was. Owner, mentor, protector, guard, kidnapper. The definition had become blurred, and even though Emerald knew it was a mistake to let that happen, she couldn't bring herself to care.

He was hers, or she was his, one or the other. It was enough for her.

Winter didn't get a part in that, though. It was just the two of them. Not three.

Emerald didn't like the red-eyed lady, either, but there was nothing she could do about that. That one smelled of blood, and looked like she'd spilled plenty of it. Emerald didn't like the way she would smile at him, or the way he'd tense when she did. She was dangerous, maybe even more dangerous than him. There was nothing she could do other than avoid her.

But Winter? She could do something there. She might not be able to stop the Bloody Lady taking him, but she could stop Stuck-Up Winter.

"It's just that the festival approaches and there isn't much time…" Winter cut her words off with a miserable frown. "You'll be gone soon after."

He sighed. "Winter…"

Emerald's eyes narrowed. No. Don't do it. Not now, not here. This was supposed to be just the two of them and no one else. No one else!

"Well, I suppose you could come with us tomorrow. I'm sure Emerald wouldn't mind."

Emerald stood and marched back to her room, ignoring him, ignoring Winter's pleased response and ignoring her own annoyance. The door slammed shut behind her and she fell onto her bed with a loud sigh.

Adults were stupid.

/-/

Jaune sighed and cracked his back as he finally arrived back home, much later and after a fancy meal with Ironwood. The meeting had been important but not necessarily secretive, so Ironwood had suggested they get some lunch at a nearby restaurant while they discussed it. Having not eaten, he'd been all for it. It was more festival nonsense, the same as it had been for ages. There was less than a week until it now and they were all just hoping it would come and go already.

A plate in the sink told him Emerald had cooked her own food, and he still felt bad about that. He felt bad about that, especially considering Emerald was only ten and a half now. She really shouldn't have had to learn to cook for herself. Worse was that this was _still_ better than what she'd have been through on the streets.

He sighed and headed to his door, hesitating before it. After a moment's thought he stepped away and knocked gently on Emerald's.

"Emerald. Are you awake?"

There was a shuffle from within, followed by a quiet "Yes."

He let himself in and stepped into the room. It was dim but Emerald had the lamp beside her bed on and was laid on her stomach, legs flat behind her as she tried to read the book he'd bought her so long ago. She looked to be halfway through it now. Her eyes met his but glanced away a second later. It was the same as how she'd acted ever since this afternoon. And if he didn't think it would be the worst thing to do, he'd have pointed it out. She, Emerald, was sulking.

It was… a curiously cute thing. It was childlike, and maybe the first real sign of being a child he'd ever seen in her, other than little things like hating shoes, but that could be explained away as her never having worn proper ones before. Even now she was barefoot.

Jaune padded over to the bed slowly, making sure she knew of his approach and giving her time to back up if she felt nervous. She watched him, more cautiously than curious, which still spoke of her over-developed survival instinct. He was relieved when she didn't react, however. He sat down next to her, on the side of the bed. The mattress flexed under him. Emerald did her best to ignore him. Or pretended to.

"You're upset with me," he said.

She tensed.

"You're angry about what happened earlier, aren't you? About me inviting Winter out with us tomorrow."

"No."

"It's fine if you are. I promised I'd spend the day with you and then I went back on it. I just spoke to Ironwood today and I'll be going back on it a little more, too." He sighed, aware of the look she sent him. "We have to meet with some arrivals tomorrow morning," he explained. "It won't take long and it's just greeting them and pointing them in the right direction. It'll only take half an hour, and then we'll go shopping."

Emerald nodded. "Okay."

"We'll be leaving after the Vytal Festival too, and I'm not sure if we'll ever come back to Atlas again. Winter is… she's going to miss us."

Emerald snorted, clearly thinking Winter would miss _him_ , but not her. She was right to a degree, but not entirely. As much as the two might have argued a lot, he got the feeling Winter didn't dislike Emerald. She disliked the people who saw her as nothing more than a Schnee. That she put any effort at all into teaching Emerald was proof there was more there than dismissal. But he didn't expect Emerald to understand that.

"She just wants to spend some more time with us because of that. There's a chance she'll never see us again, or that it won't be for a long time. I know I promised it would be just you and me, but try and put up with her a little. Okay?"

Emerald looked down at her book and scowled. "Okay."

It wasn't. He could tell. As bad as he often was at reading what people really thought, Emerald was ten, almost eleven, and really didn't know how to hide her frustration. Like any sulking child, the word `okay` had been delivered with an incredible pout. Jaune laughed, and without thinking placed his hand atop her head. Emerald stiffened under him. He realised his mistake and froze himself, but didn't take his hand away. They remained like that for a few seconds, only ten or so, and yet it felt like ten minutes or more. Eventually, when she didn't pull away, he softly rubbed her hair.

Emerald didn't relax, but she wasn't quite so tense.

"I wanted it to be a surprise, but I actually have a better gift for you tomorrow," he said, smiling when Emerald's head tilted, the better to listen, but also a motion which left her a little more slack under him. "We're not just going to go weapon shopping. I've actually had one commissioned and built for you. A custom job. Hopefully, it'll be a weapon to last the rest of your life. We're going tomorrow to pick it up. Your own one of a kind weapon."

Finally, her eyes met his, staring up between his fingers. Despite her earlier mood, there was no ignoring the excitement barely hidden there. "Really?"

"Yeah." He gave her head another rub. This time she didn't react at all. "Just put up with Winter tomorrow, and the meeting early on and you'll get to see it for yourself. I'll be teaching you how to use it afterwards."

"Okay."

This time, her agreement felt real. "Good girl," he said, patting her head one final time and standing. He slipped back to the door and paused there. "Good night, Emerald." She'd never responded when he said that, unsure what to even say, but as the door clicked shut he heard her voice one final time.

"Good night..."

/-/

It was a cold day.

It was always a cold day in Atlas, but this was colder. Cold in context, one might say, mostly on account of it being early morning, the sun not yet having taken control and the wind having it out for them. Emerald and Winter were beside him, the former wrapped up warmly but Winter and he ultimately left to freeze in their less than protective dress uniforms.

Sadly, they were greeting dignitaries, which meant that uniform took precedence over comfort. The Specialist uniform was nice enough, and warm enough too, but he really wished he could have worn a scarf or a hat. Considering how Winter's teeth chattered beside him, she did too. Whomever designed them had an eye for aesthetics, but apparently had either never experienced cold weather or thought people from Atlas were immune to it.

"Not long," he whispered. "Once we've set them on the right way we can jump into a diner and get some hot food."

"I-I can't wait." Winter took a quick look around, and discovering there was no one to judge them, rubbed her hands together and blew into them. The thin gloves they wore really didn't do enough for heat. They also needed to be thin enough to use complex weapons.

"You holding up, Emerald?" he asked. The bundle of scarfs, hoods and faux-fur nodded. She was no fool, and not needing to make quite the impression they did had brought enough layers to outlast a blizzard.

"Here they come," Winter said.

The warning wasn't entirely necessary, since even over the sound of the wind whipping in their ears the aircraft's engines could be heard. It came in gracefully, even if it shook once or twice due to the weather. The landing pad was well-lit and flashed red and green, calling it in, and after a few minute's hovering, waiting for the perfect opportunity, the aircraft touched down without incident. Soldiers of Atlas stood at attention, Jaune and Winter toward the back, prepared to march forward and welcome the visitors. There would be plenty of people on it, but only the VIPs would depart first, and it would be those they had to escort. The rest, retainers, family or staff of the VIPs, would remain until the formalities were over.

The door opened and a ramp descended. The first dignitary was a large, rotund man who looked irritated by the cold but prepared to ignore it. A councilmember of Vale, Jaune recalled, though not one that had still been in power in the future. Another followed, thin and wiry, another council member. Since Atlas and Vale had an alliance, it was to be expected they'd have a presence here. But it was the third which caused his heart to leap into his throat.

Ozpin.

"Jaune?" Winter nudged him with one elbow, making it clear they were supposed to have moved by now. He nodded and marched forward, her beside, Emerald staying behind. He should have expected this. Maybe he had, but he'd been too busy to plan for it. Ozpin was here for the Vytal Festival, just like how Ironwood had been there for his.

It was the last man on Remnant he wanted to run into, but one he knew he couldn't avoid forever. Qrow wasn't with him, or if he was he was probably still in the aircraft, not being considered important enough for this affair. That would be his only solstice since Ozpin might not yet recognise him. It really depended on how much Qrow had told him, and whether his actions in Vale had been noticed.

Jaune and Winter marched up to stand before them, a good five metres away. They saluted as one, and the soldiers lining on either side did the same, weapons clasped to their chests. The display was nothing more than that, symbolism and pomp to make them feel more important, and to acknowledge that fact to anyone watching. The two councillors nodded, either unimpressed or used to hiding it. Ozpin was far more open, or at least appeared so, nodding his head in greeting to the two of them. There was no recognition there. Jaune nearly collapsed in relief.

"Atlas welcomes you to its Kingdom, and to the Vytal Festival," Jaune said, working off a memorised speech Ironwood had given him. "What we have is yours for the duration of your stay. We hope you enjoy all that we have to offer. My name is Jaune Ashari, Specialist, and this is my assistant, Winter Schnee."

"On behalf of Atlas Academy, it is a pleasure to meet you all," she said, with far more grace and poise than he.

"You are to take us to our rooms, I suppose," one of the councillors said.

"Yes, sir. Headmaster Ironwood has arranged lodging for each of you, but would like to formally welcome you to Atlas. Should you have any questions or require assistance in any manner, I or my assistant will be happy to help." Well, happy was a stretch. Required might have been more accurate.

"Thank you for the welcome, even if we can't call it a warm one." Ozpin chuckled at his own joke, and even Jaune had to bite back a smile. It looked like Ozpin had seen through both the weather and their façade, as expected of him. He held out a hand and Jaune shook it, careful to keep the other behind his back. He had no idea if Ozpin could feel his mark, but he wasn't going to test it.

He shook Winter's hand too, treating her with as much respect as he did Jaune. "And young Miss Schnee. I've heard much of your progress from James. I had half hoped you would apply to study at Beacon. We would have welcomed you with open arms."

"Thank you for the kind offer, sir, but my mind is set."

"So I hear, so I hear. It is good to meet someone who is dedicated to their dreams."

"Ozpin, are we going to stand out here all day?" the thinner councillor demanded. "I would like to get inside, and I'm sure all these soldiers would appreciate not having to stand out here waiting for us to finish talking." He held a hand out, indicating the ranks of men and women, all of which would be as cold as they were, except that they at least had helmets.

"I apologise, council member. I let my musings get away from me." Ozpin smiled benignly. "I suppose it would also be unfair to expect everyone to wait on board while we leave. I hate to impose," he said, "but could one of you also see them to their lodgings? Some are rather tired from the long flight and I wouldn't want to leave them here."

"Winter can see to them," he said, surprising the girl. He leaned a little closer to her, though he made sure to speak loud enough that Ozpin and the councillors could hear. It would be rude otherwise. "I can meet up with you after, and I don't think Emerald wants to trek through the halls. Can you look after her, too? My adopted daughter," he explained to those listening. Ozpin's eyes flicked further back to Emerald and he nodded.

"O-Of course, sir." Winter nodded and stepped aside. "Leave it to me."

Ozpin nodded. "Thank you. Let's go see James, shall we. I'm sure all of us want to get the formalities out of the way."

Jaune nodded and turned. "If you will follow me."

/-/

Winter held her salute until Jaune had left with Ozpin and the two council members, at which point she relaxed. Dealing with all the other guests would be more work, but less stressful. Appearances didn't need to be quite so strict and she motioned towards one of the nearby commanders, telling him he could have his men at ease, or leave altogether. There wasn't much point having them all freeze. She called Emerald over too, and quickly explained the situation to the girl.

Emerald nodded, about as forthcoming as she ever was, but at least on her best behaviour. Winter was suspicious about that but wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Now that the formalities were out of the way, the two men from Vale manning the aircraft went back inside and the other guests started to come down the ramp. They looked cramped and stiff from a long flight, and there were some children too. Another hatch at the back opened, though judging from how a flat-bed vehicle drove up, that one was for luggage. _Well, there's no rest for the wicked,_ Winter thought, coughing to draw attention.

"Welcome to Atlas," she called. "I am here to guide you to lodging. Your belongings will be delivered to you separately." She flexed her best smile, the one several trainers had forced into her when she was a child still learning to `smile perfectly` and `present a good image` for the SDC and her father.

The guests seemed to catch on, thankfully, and moved towards her. Some were suited and carried briefcases, clearly staff for the councillors or headmaster, but it was the odd family in the centre that caught her attention. They did so because they were brightly coloured and casually-dressed, not to mention out of place. Where everyone else looked official, they seemed perfectly normal. She wondered for a second if they'd caught the wrong flight, but quickly saw the lanyards around their necks, marking them as expected guests.

There were two children with them. One wore blonde hair in two pigtails and looked about Emerald's age. The other was smaller, younger, with shoulder-length reddish hair like the tall woman beside her. That one looked intrigued and couldn't stop staring at Winter. Or was she staring a little lower, down at her waist? She tried to ignore it and struck a picture-perfect salute.

"Welcome. I am Winter Schnee, Atlas Specialist." And saying it never failed to make her stand a little taller. "I welcome you. If you will follow me, I shall see you to lodging. You will, of course, also be provided with a chance for food, drink and refreshments."

"That sounds wonderful," the woman said, silver eyes shining brightly. She held the hand of the younger girl. Her voice was kind, calm and held no note of disbelief or surprise at being addressed by someone only fifteen years of age.

Thankfully, there were no problems getting them inside and no one caused any fuss. A few students shot them odd looks but everyone was ready for the festival now and they wrote the visitors off as just that. Winter didn't actually know where each and every room was, but wasn't expected to. She brought them instead to a large conference room with chairs, tables, refreshments and several other members of staff. It was they who had the room assignments and would see the guests there. For all intents and purposes, her job was done.

Or it would be, except that she had to wait for Jaune to finish his. He'd have to stand guard through the meet and greet with Ironwood, which might take some time. Winter nudged Emerald toward the seats but couldn't take one herself. It would have been dreadfully unprofessional to sit when she was the host.

No one looked overly desperate to speak with her, thankfully. Some of the working men and women paused only to have a drink before they sought their rooms, escorted away by guides, while others might have been waiting for Ozpin or the council members and stayed behind, picking at food, stretching their legs or relaxing. Winter's attention was quickly caught by the three that approached her, or three and two – with the added ones being the children.

"Can I help you?" Winter asked as they approached.

"Oh no, everything is fine. We just wanted to chat a little." The woman smiled. "My name is Summer, by the way. This is my husband Taiyang and our teammate, Qrow."

"Nice to meet you," Taiyang said. He was a fairly mature-looking man with blond hair and a warm smile. Winter wasn't afraid to admit he was handsome, but in a mature and reliable kind of way. He had a hand atop the blonde girl's head, though she seemed somewhat embarrassed by that. _You shouldn't be,_ she thought. _Mother or father never stood with Weiss or I like that._

"A pleasure," she returned, nodding to him, and to the other, a much more roguish looking man who could have used a shave. His top was open, revealing more chest than she was really comfortable with and he looked down at her with a mix of amusement and something else. Winter wasn't sure she liked it and subtly straightened under his gaze.

"Yo." He held out a hand. She took it gingerly. "So, Atlas is teaching kids to be soldiers now? That's a little on the nose, isn't it?"

"I am not officially a Soldier, and won't be until I am sixteen. And it is no different to expecting those my age to fight against the Grimm." Winter cringed, wishing she could take that back. Talking like this to guests was an absolute no-no.

"Well, looks like they got the brainwashing part down. You're more robot than child."

Winter's temper snapped. "Excuse me? I think you'll-"

"Qrow!" The woman cut him off with a frown and a glare. "I'm sorry about that," she said, turning back to Winter. "He doesn't do flights very well, I'm afraid. It makes him cranky." The look on his face made it clear that was a lie, but Winter chose to accept it.

"It's fine, ma'am. I understand."

"Please, call me Summer."

Not likely. It had taken Jaune over two years to get her to call him by name, and even now she sometimes forgot and called him `sir`. Even so, she nodded. Idly, she noticed the two children part with their parents and walk over to Emerald. Winter swallowed, hoping _that_ wouldn't be a disaster she needed to untangle.

"Is she a student here?" Summer asked, nodding to Emerald.

"No, she's the adopted daughter of my superior. He left to take Headmaster Ozpin and the councillors to meet with Captain Ironwood. She… she isn't the most friendly of children. I'm not sure it's advisable for yours to try and talk with her."

"Oh?" Summer looked over.

"She's not dangerous," Winter assured. "Just, ah, not overly friendly."

Emerald caught them looking and walked over. It was right in the middle of the two girls trying to talk to her from what Winter could tell, and the blonde looked shocked that the girl she'd been talking to had just up and walked away mid-conversation. Winter sighed and pressed a hand to her face, sighing even louder when Emerald reached her and just stared up, her boredom clear.

"I-I apologise for her," Winter said. "She isn't the most sociable of children!"

"It's fine." Summer laughed, as did her husband, who looked far too amused at his daughter's shock. "To be honest, my Ruby isn't all that good at it either. Don't worry." Summer knelt down, balancing on the balls of her feet with the easy grace of a trained huntress. She looked Emerald in the eyes. "Are you waiting here for your father?"

Emerald blinked. "My… father?"

"The one who adopted you."

"Ah." Emerald nodded. "Yes."

"This must be awfully boring for you. I hope you're not going to be stuck doing busy work like this all day." To Winter's surprise, Emerald didn't back away from the woman. She still looked cautious, but the complete stranger had somehow made a better impression in two sentences than Winter had in two years. It was a little unfair.

"He's taking me to get a weapon."

From any other child, to any other adult, that would have been a cause for concern. "Oh, a huntress' weapon? Is your father teaching you to fight?" Emerald nodded. "Are you going to be a huntress when you grow big and strong?"

The question appeared to confuse Emerald. "I… I don't know." She shrugged. "Maybe."

The conversation was broken by the smaller girl, Ruby, yawning loudly. Summer noticed and Taiyang moved over to stand beside the girl, letting her rest against his legs. They seemed to share a full conversation in a short meeting of the eyes, Taiyang nodding and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I guess we should go find our rooms," Summer said, standing taller. "It was nice to meet you both, Winter and Emerald. Hopefully, we'll get a chance to talk again before the festival. Be good for your father and concentrate when you're getting your weapon. A good one can last you a lifetime."

Emerald blinked, and then nodded. "I will."

"Good girl." Summer reached out and tussled Emerald's hair. To Winter's absolute shock, the girl didn't flinch, though that might have had something to do with how fast the older woman was. Emerald looked surprised, wide-eyed, but not afraid. Summer barely even noticed, waving as she left to talk with one of the men, and their party was ushered out towards their rooms not a minute later.

"You okay?" Winter asked the girl beside her.

Emerald took one look at her and any warmth vanished. "Hmph."

 _Yes, things appear to have returned to normality,_ she thought with a sigh. Jaune returned not fifteen minutes later, looking as relieved as she felt and desperate for them all to get out of here. She couldn't have agreed more.

/-/

"I see you've been busy," Ozpin said, sat alone in James' office, a chess board before them, two cups beside it and a bottle of fine whiskey uncorked and half-empty. When it came to fine drink, Ozpin often considered the half-full, half-empty test to be inverted. The drink was good, as was the company. "Still, I can't say much for the military parade when I landed."

"It's appearances, Oz. The Council would have me before them if I didn't roll out the red carpet."

"I'd prefer the red carpet to the armed one."

"Atlas is a military Kingdom. You know this. Check."

"Hm, I suppose." Ozpin regarded the board, saw the trap and the trap behind it and accepted the first with a pawn. "I see Winter Schnee has decided to join the military. That came as something of a surprise."

"To me as well," Ironwood complained, taking the pawn. "Check. I'd also rather you didn't let Jacques know any of that. He won't be pleased. Still, it's the girl's choice and I won't begrudge her it."

Ozpin moved his king away with a smile. "That's good of you, old friend. What of the man with her?"

"Ashari?"

"Yes, that was his name. Jaune Ashari."

"What of him?" Ironwood held a hand over his chin as he regarded the board, humming lightly. Ozpin smiled and waited patiently, sipping some more whiskey. It was mixed into his coffee, of course, a winning combination.

"Nothing much; I was just curious. He seemed to recognise me."

"A lot of people recognise you, Oz. I hate to break it to you, but you're something of a public figure."

"Most don't react like he did." The boy had hid it well, of course. No, calling him `boy` wasn't quite right. Those eyes had been the eyes of a man. Even so, the briefest moment of shock and something else had been buried under stern discipline. He'd been calm, polite and subservient. Too much so, really. "How long has he been working for you?"

"Two years or so. Almost three now."

"As a Specialist?"

"Hm. You recall the reports I gave you on Merlot? He was involved with those."

"Truly?" Vale and Atlas had co-operated on that, Merlot being a problem of Vale's making, and the city having quite the interest in seeing everything related to him _erased_ from existence. While identities had been kept secret, Ozpin, as a major player, knew that a team of Specialists had been involved in the majority of the work here. "He's rather young for it, isn't he?"

"Young, but skilled." Ironwood finally moved a piece. "He came here for his huntsman license, actually. I was in need so threw him on the team for a single mission. It turned out to be a good decision, and since he had nowhere else to go, I offered him the job. I can't say I regret it."

"And the decision to put him in charge of Miss Schnee?"

"Ashari doesn't care for reputation or power, and being someone not from Atlas, he isn't quite as…"

"Biased?" Ozpin offered.

"Prejudiced, I was thinking. You know how Jacques is. The man is good at making a profit, but little else. The SDC's reputation isn't what it used to be, or what it could." Ironwood sighed and took a long drink. Ozpin echoed him, both in action and in thought. There was so much good the SDC could do, if only that mattered to them.

"He did seem to exhibit remarkable self-control," Ozpin said. Apart from the small slip-up, of course. The immediate surprise notwithstanding, the young man had faced their presence with calm and answered every question the councillors posed, no matter how belligerent. "Perhaps he will be good for the girl, as you say." Ozpin chuckled. "Don't tell me you've finally found your successor, old friend? You've been looking for one for years now."

"I wish. I'd pick him in a heartbeat. He's leaving after the festival, though, sad to say."

"Ah. I apologise."

"No, it's fine. We'll be parting on good terms. We always knew the arrangement wouldn't be permanent." Ironwood sighed and leaned back from the game. "He's a good man and a good soldier. He'll do well, wherever he goes."

"I'm sure he will. Out of curiosity, did he say _where_ he was going, or what he might do?"

"No. You thinking to try and hire him? Out from under my nose?"

"Perish the thought, James."

"I know you, Ozpin, and I know that smile."

He chuckled. "Perhaps so. Well, can you blame me?"

"No. But… I don't think you'll have much luck with him, Oz. You're welcome to try, but I get the feeling he's someone who has his own goals. And whatever they are, they're important. I can tell. He's not going to set those aside for you."

"A shame…" Ozpin moved his queen, taking Ironwood's pawn and hemming the king in. "Check," he said. "Checkmate in three turns."

Ironwood inspected the board and sighed. "Another?"

"Of course."

/-/

 _That was a close one,_ Jaune thought, now out in the streets of Atlas and still shaking slightly. He'd hoped to be able to drop Ozpin off and flee, but Ironwood had gone through the whole welcoming speech and he'd been expected to stay there for it all. Every second was a second in which Ozpin might piece something together and recognise him. Every second he didn't was less a relief and more a mounting pressure pounding in his skull.

How wasn't he recognising him? Was he pretending he didn't? Was this a trap? The questions had flared in his head the whole time, until his legs felt like jelly and he wanted to dash out the door. That he hadn't was only his brain telling him to do that would _really_ draw Ozpin's attention.

And in the end… nothing. No dramatic reveal. No realisation.

But it felt like a temporary reprieve. _This was bound to happen sooner or later. I can't avoid him forever and I want to change things in Vale eventually._ _Maybe it's better he meet me here. At least then he'll think I'm on his side._ Which he was, in a sense that they were both against the Grimm. As long as Ozpin thought that, everything was fine.

The bigger problem was Qrow, who Jaune had pieced together from Winter's irritated grumbling, was present here as well. It made sense he'd be brought along, being Ozpin's effective spy, and the only remaining member of that team that still had anything to do with him. Raven had run away, Summer was dead by this point, and from what he'd seen of the future, Taiyang wanted nothing to do with him, hence why Ruby and Yang hadn't really been all that close with Ozpin by the time they reached Beacon. They knew _of_ him, but they didn't seem to _know_ him, and Taiyang had been left out of the loop when it came to Qrow manipulating Ruby into running away to Mistral.

If Qrow saw him, he'd piece the picture together immediately. He was shaved now and maybe a little less on the verge of death, but it was hard to forget someone you'd fought with. The question was how he was going to get around that, since dodging Qrow today was all well and good, but he was going to meet him when the festival began. He was on security detail with the rest of Team November. He would have to meet with Ozpin numerous times, and sooner or later Qrow would be there. In the end, it was inevitable that they'd run into one another.

It might be better if he started thinking up excuses to explain away his actions rather than ways to avoid them.

"Here we go," the man behind the counter said, placing a wrapped package down upon it. "The design wasn't easy to come by, but I found a smith from Mistral. Those things are delicate but he's worked on them before. I tested them, of course. They're top quality."

Jaune came back to the present and nodded to the man. He didn't take the package though, and instead motioned for Emerald to do so. Her eyes were wide, flicking between his and the object to see if she really could. He nodded again and she stepped forward, hands shaking. Behind them, Winter smiled and enjoyed the rare moment of Emerald being the child she rarely was.

The weapons that Emerald revealed were similar, but not the same to what she had in the future. The twin guns that could transform into blades attached to chains were about as close as he could get, working alongside the man in the store based on his memory and what other weapons were out there with a similar design. He'd considered getting her something different, maybe even a sword since he could teach her better how to use it, but in the end he'd decided against it. It wasn't like Emerald's choice of weapon had made her do the things she'd done, and if it suited her better than who was he to argue?

He wanted her to live, after all. It was best she have something he knew she would be able to grow into. He'd already purchased some books on how to use them, though he'd likely be going through those himself and then teaching her later.

"So," he said, crossing his arms and looking down at her. "What do you think? Does this make up for the long wait this morning?"

Emerald didn't respond, being far too busy looking over the weapons and turning them over in her hands. He'd had them sprayed an olive green colour, fitting both her hair and the future. She seemed mesmerised by them. They were a little big for her still, but she didn't have all that much left to grow. She could train with them now and fit them later.

"They look good," Winter said. "Complicated, I would assume, but perfect for a small, agile fighter. An option for short, mid, and long-ranged combat. You thought of everything, as befits you, of course."

"Heh." Jaune didn't feel comfortable with the undeserved praise. "Do you like them, Emerald?"

Emerald nodded rapidly, holding them to her chest. For once it seemed her lack of words wasn't due to reticence, but rather the shock she felt. Her eyes were wide. Her smile was wider. Jaune felt his own grow alongside it, pleased that despite the hefty price tag, she was happy.

Besides, she'd need a decent weapon if she was going to follow him. The future wouldn't be a happy place. The shopkeeper brought out another box, this one with magazines and ammunition. As much as Atlas was happy to given an eleven-year-old a weapon, they weren't quite as mad as to load and arm it.

"Why don't you head outside while I pay for them?" he suggested. "We'll be out in a second, and then we can go and let you practise."

Emerald nodded, too excited to do much else, and dashed out of the shop. The man behind the counter chuckled, pleased with a job well done. "How much do I owe you?" Jaune asked, reaching for his card.

The price wasn't cheap, even if he'd paid half in advance. The life of a Specialist paid well, however, and even though he hadn't been at it for long he'd managed to save up a sizeable account. Enough, probably, to buy a house outright in Vale, though not one close to the city centre. Emerald's weapon was about two years of rent, or what most people would consider half a years' earnings. Expensive to the average person, but you couldn't cut corners on weapons, not if it was for a huntsman or huntress.

"You're sparing no expense," Winter said, smiling mysteriously.

"A good weapon will last her a lifetime. An exceptional one will save her life."

"Responsible, too. You're a good father."

"Adoptive," he said. No matter how many times he heard it, the term `father` still made him feel embarrassed. He was only twenty-three, damn it.

"You're a better father than most I've seen, adoptive or not. Emerald is lucky to have you."

The conversation had already taken a turn for the awkward and Jaune laughed, cheeks a little heated. He gave Winter the victory and bundled the magazines and ammo into a bag, sealing it tight and hiding his embarrassment in the act. The owner offered him a receipt, along with a two-year warranty Jaune doubted Emerald would need.

Emerald wasn't immediately outside when they left but that didn't worry him. She was experienced enough on the streets not to wander too far, and she knew the way back to the apartment if she got lost anyway, not to mention she could call him on the scroll he'd bought her. She was actually stood off to the side, using the wall as a barrier against the wind.

Jaune didn't have the chance to move over. A voice suddenly cried "Watch out!" And there was a yelp of fright, before something collided with him at great speed. He grunted and one leg went back, bracing him. The small object, or rather it was a person, had come careening down the path and skidded on some ice. They weren't heavy enough to knock him down, but someone less prepared might have been bowled off their feet.

"I'm so sorry!" the girl – obvious from the voice – gushed. "I wasn't watching where I was going and the weapon shop, but the ice and I slipped and… and…" She trailed off, looking up into his eyes and noticing how suddenly silent he was, how wide his own were. "Um, hi?" she said nervously. "D-Do I know you?"

Yes.

"No," he managed, though only after a great amount of effort. He tried to tear his attention away from those bright, silver eyes. Ruby, not even ten, didn't seem to realise how much she pierced directly into his soul.

"I'm so sorry," another voice echoed Ruby's, so similar and yet different at the same time. "She gets so excited and I shouldn't have let her go. Ruby, I've _told_ you not to run off like that!"

"B-But weapons…" Ruby whined.

"But patience," the voice replied, chastising her gently. "No cookies tonight." There was a gasp, but the woman ignored it, prying Ruby gently out of his arms and pulling the girl back against her. She laughed and held on, even as Ruby struggled to break free. "I'm really sorry about that. She gets so excited and doesn't often watch where she's going. I hope you weren't hurt."

He was still lost. His eyes hadn't left Ruby's, even though someone else was talking to him. It was her, it was really her. His mouth opened but no words came forth. He thought he might cry. He swallowed instead, that alone almost enough to break him.

"It's fine," he managed, voice barely a croak. "It's all fine. No one was hurt."

Emerald looked worried, he could tell. She'd noticed the reaction in him, its strangeness, and now looked between him and the girl with wide, worried eyes. He tried to convey to her that it would be okay but failed. He was shaking too much. In a desperate attempt for control he tore his eyes from his best friend, bringing them up the white cloak of the woman before him, to meet her eyes.

It wasn't Yang. He should have known. Voice aside, Yang wouldn't grow this tall until she was a little older. This woman, for it was a woman, had to be in her late-twenties, early-thirties, and had a small, round face with a familiar smile and…

"You have silver eyes…"

"Eh?" The woman blinked. "A-Ah well, yes. It's… something I have… I-" Her eyes met his as she spoke. She, too, had been watching Ruby, checking her over, but the moment their gazes met, her words cut off with a sharp gasp.

He didn't know her. He'd never met her. But it was impossible not to know who it was, if only because the similarity between the woman and the child before him was impossible to miss, even as it was impossible for her to be here, impossible for her to exist at all.

Because she was dead.

She had died.

Summer Rose stared at him. She stared until tears began to gather in her eyes.

"It's you," she gasped. "I've finally found you…"

* * *

 **Did anyone order a great, big plate of cliff-hanger with that burger?**

 **No? Well, I'll just leave it here. It's on the house. Yep. I'm sure people were wondering if I'd pull another near-miss, and I considered it, I really did. But no, Summer has found her man. The Relic has been found at last.**

 **And ahoy time skips. I obviously didn't want to have several chapters lead up to the festival, even if I could have written content for it. We've jumped all the way to a week before it now, which means the story can keep moving at a decent pace.**

 **Just to note, I really don't think it's unusual (though some have pointed it out as being so) that Ironwood doesn't connect "blonde hair and blue eyes" with Jaune. Yes, he has the same description, but it's so incredibly vague and there could be thousands of people with those features. It's the same for why Ozpin doesn't react to him here. Yes, it's the same, but he's looking for the Semblance, not the eyes or hair. Not that it matters now, of course. Summer has him.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 23** **rd** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here we are. I'd just like to say while last chapter definitely did have a cliff hanger, I was a little surprised at how some people said "again" and "in a row". I didn't think the chapter before had one, ending as it did on Ozpin inviting Summer and co to the festival, nor the one before where Blake and Adam talk and agree to work together.**

 **Maybe you meant other fics that week. I can only presume so.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 13**

* * *

Winter was no stranger to being a wallflower, or a third wheel. It came with the territory of being heiress of the SDC, even if she wasn't sure how long that would last when her father found out she'd opted to join the military.

Jacques often had her present for conversations or meetings she was to have no part or purpose in, and she'd learned long ago to pay attention, smile, speak only when spoken to and otherwise play the part of the perfect little doll. Some might have suggested her role in the military would be more of the same, but at least in those circumstances she would be _doing_ something.

Assisting Mr Ashari had her standing second when he greeted the dignitaries, but she'd been trusted to do so, and then trusted to look after the others. She never felt like a mere accessory when she was working with him, or any of the Specialists, and in that regard, she'd forgotten a little of how awkward it could be.

Now she remembered, if only because she was the biggest third wheel in existence, sat at a table next to her mentor, but completely unseen by anyone else there. She might as well have discovered a Semblance for complete and total invisibility.

"I can't believe it's really you," the woman, Mrs Summer Rose, said. "I looked for you everywhere, but I never thought I'd have a chance to meet you again. Deep inside, I knew it would never happen. And yet… to find you here…"

"Ah…"

Where the woman sounded on the verge of hysteria, trapped somewhere been incredible pain and euphoric joy, Jaune's voice was something different. To Winter, he had always been in complete control, at least when it mattered. Now, he sounded equal parts awkward and confused. Or not confused, lost. Utterly lost, as if he couldn't understand what was before him or how it had happened.

And whatever `it` was, it involved the woman with the silver eyes sat opposite him. Winter shifted awkwardly and tried to think of a way to broach the question, or even insert her existence into the conversation at all. Luckily, the young girl at the table provided her an excuse.

"Mom…" The young girl clung to the woman's arms. "Mom, who is this? I don't understand. Why were you so upset?"

Never had Winter thought she would agree with a nine-year-old child. It was a day for firsts, it seemed. To her irritation, the only one who _didn't_ seem confused or in shock was Emerald, who had her face down over a plate of pudding, completely and utterly uncaring of the world around her, or the obviously important conversation taking place.

"Huh? Oh, I'm so sorry, Ruby." Summer laughed and pulled her child in for a quick one-armed hug. "I didn't mean to scare you, and I'm not upset, I promise. Those were happy tears."

Yes, the woman bursting crying in the middle of the street had also been somewhat of a shocker for Winter. A mad idea struck her and she inspected the little girl and her mentor, fighting to find the similarities. There were none and she let out a long breath. Good. That was a relief.

"Ruby, I'd like to introduce you to someone very important," Summer said, holding her daughter's shoulders and tilting her toward Jaune. "This is the man that saved your mommy's life."

Winter drew a sharp breath.

Ruby gasped.

Emerald's spoon continued to flicker between dessert and mouth.

Jaune… Jaune stared at the woman with wide eyes.

"We didn't tell you because we didn't want to scare you and Yang when you were younger, but when I went on that mission to Vacuo, the one I came back from hurt, well, I almost died. Would have died. The only reason I'm alive to be with you, Yang and your father today is because this man saved me."

The little girl's mouth fell open. Her eyes did water, but to her credit she held back the tears and looked to Jaune with clear awe and gratefulness in her eyes. Winter sat a little taller too, not because of anything the girl did, but because she understood at last a little of what was going on. There was no scandal here, just her mentor saving a fellow huntress' life. She could well believe that, having seen his skills in training numerous times. It also spoke well of his character, not that there had been any doubts.

Jaune still looked to be trapped in some strange state of catatonia. Winter kicked him gently under the table but he didn't respond. She actually started to worry and would have stood, were it not for Ruby, the child, pulling away from her mother and stepping nervously over to him. Winter watched in surprise as the little girl paused next to his chair. She was obviously anxious, but reached out with both hands regardless and hugged Jaune around his waist.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you for saving my mommy."

"Ah, R-Ruby?" His eyes met hers, and for a second it seemed like there was a strange recollection there. He swallowed audibly and looked over her head toward Summer. "I didn't even realise." He swallowed and looked up to Summer. "That was you?"

"I'm not surprised you don't recognise me. I was told I looked terrible for the first week after my recovery. I can't imagine how bad I must have looked at the worst of it." Summer's eyes met Winter's and she gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry for ignoring you. I was just… well, I'm sure you understand." She laughed. "You were at the welcoming party, weren't you? Winter, was it?"

"That's right, Miss Rose. I am Mr Ashari's assistant."

"Ashari?" She smiled at Jaune. "Is that your name?"

"Jaune Ashari." Winter hesitated. "You didn't know…? Did you not fight together?"

"It wasn't really a fight. I'd already lost one when he saved me. I'd been attacked in Vacuo by some strange people, alongside several Grimm. I was out for the count, and according to the doctor in Shade Academy, I'd have surely died from my wounds, but _someone_ healed me." She smiled at Jaune, making it clear who she meant. "Even when I was on the verge of death, I remember waking up briefly and seeing you. You told me not to worry and that you'd heal me and I'd be safe."

When Jaune didn't argue, Winter said "I didn't realise you were a trained medic, sir."

"I'm not."

"Huh? But then-"

"It was a Semblance," Summer answered. "He used his Semblance to save my life."

A Semblance? A _healing_ Semblance? The applications of such a thing would be incredible and Winter rounded on her mentor. "You never told me you had such a Semblance! Sir," she added, after a second's thought, propriety coming to the fore.

"You never asked."

W-Well, she supposed that was true, and she _had_ wondered once or twice why he never showed any special abilities in their spars. Winter had assumed it was because he wanted to train her without them, so that there would be no unfair advantage. Instead, it seemed he had a Semblance without a combat application.

Rare, but not unheard of... That he'd gotten so far with no combat advantage only spoke to his core skills. As expected of her mentor.

"I'm sorry I didn't recognise you," he said, finally snapping out of his stupor. He absentmindedly patted the young girl's head, and that caught Emerald's attention, snapping her eyes from her dessert. She stared at Ruby Rose until the girl noticed and pulled away, hiding back over by her mother. Only then did Emerald nod and go back to her food.

"I didn't think you'd remember what I said when you woke up," Jaune continued. "Or I thought you'd think it a dream if you did. I couldn't stay to make sure you were okay. I had… other places to be."

Other places, indeed. Hadn't Summer claimed to have been hurt in _Vacuo_!? What Jaune was doing on the other side of the world was one question, let alone what brought him all the way from there to Atlas, and then into becoming a Specialist.

"It's fine. You did enough for me in saving my life. I got to see my little girls again." She pulled Ruby close once more. "Oh, I _have_ to introduce you to Yang, my other daughter, oh, and Tai, too. He's my husband," she explained. "He knows about you, at least about you saving me, and I know he's wanted to meet you as well."

"Yeah…?"

Jaune laughed nervously, and was it her imagination, or did he sound a little… reluctant? No, it wasn't. It was well hidden but after two years training under him, Winter thought she had enough of a grasp on his little tells to know when something was up. The way he ran a hand through his hair was just how he acted whenever she or someone else asked him if he'd remembered something and he hadn't.

"It'll be great," Summer gushed. "I can't wait to introduce you to him, oh, and to Qrow, as well. I know he'll want to shake your hand for that! Plus, they'll stop thinking I imagined something while I was unconscious."

"Ha ha. Yeah…"

Winter knew Jaune's answer even before he spoke it.

"Thing is…" He trailed off, fighting for an excuse. Summer noticed too and almost looked hurt. "I'm a little busy right now, so I'm not sure I'd have time to meet with your family. I'm really sorry about that."

Summer's face fell. "Surely you could at least meet them. It would mean the world to me."

Winter found herself nodding along. While she could understand why it might be awkward, she knew that if it was her life that had been saved, she would want to introduce the person to Weiss. She already wanted to introduce Jaune to her at some point, if only because of how much she'd learned from him. What issue did he have with Summer and her family?

"It's not that I don't want to, but I've been put in charge of the security for the Vytal Festival. It's less than a week away now, and we're going to be run ragged. Today was supposed to be a day with Emerald, but even then I had to give up the morning for work. We just don't have the time."

"After the Festival, then," Summer pleaded, now with a sudden desperation. It was clear this meant a lot to her and Winter worried she might push the issue if Jaune didn't relent. "You'll be free once it's over, right? I'm not asking for much, only that you let us thank you properly."

Oddly enough, it wasn't Summer who got the biggest reaction from him. Jaune ran a hand through his hair again and made a sound of deep thought, but it was only when the little girl put her hands together that he stopped.

"Please, Mr Jaune," she said. "Please meet my daddy and sister."

Winter didn't think she'd ever seen him so cornered before. The girl had power over him, or so it seemed. It was almost like a magic spell. He couldn't tear his eyes away and ultimately, reluctantly, he caved.

"After the festival…" Jaune swallowed. His eyes flicked away. "I'll meet them after the festival."

The girl smiled adorably. "Promise?"

"I promise… Ruby…"

/-/

He'd done it. He'd changed the future.

Jaune staggered into his apartment, barely paying any attention to Emerald as she slipped onto the couch and picked up a comic. They'd stayed and eaten with Summer and Ruby, so there was no need to cook for the night. Even so, Jaune moved over to the kitchen and placed both hands beside the sink, staring at his reflection in the window.

This… He hadn't planned for this. What delicious irony to think that even after trying his hardest not to change things, not adopting Sun, not going with Ren or Nora and myriad other things, his plans had been shattered right at the start, before he'd even decided he wasn't going to make any big alterations. They'd been ruined by a simple gesture of compassion. How could he stand by and not help someone in need when they were dying in front of him and he could stop it? It had been so small a thing, so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and yet somehow, somewhere, he'd found _Summer Rose_.

The odds… they didn't even make sense.

Someone was laughing at him right now. He wasn't sure if it would be Ren or Nora. Normally, he'd have said Yang, but he knew she wouldn't be laughing. She'd be crying on him, crying in relief with her arms wrapped around him, hugging him from one side as Ruby did the other. That was what hurt the most, that in the moment when he'd realised who she was, there was only one thought that had sprung to mind.

 _I made a mistake._

Jaune's head ducked. He ran the tap and splashed a handful of water against his skin, leaving the tap to run as he took several deep breaths. Only once his heart stopped hammering did he turn it off, though he didn't reach for a towel and instead let the droplets run down his face to drip below. Saving someone wasn't a mistake and Ruby would have been horrified – and genuinely hurt – if she heard him think that way about her mother.

Ruby… She was so small, and yet it was still her. Not exactly the same but close enough that the moment her eyes had met his, he felt his heart stop. His first friend, his fellow team leader, the rock he'd come to lean on. Crater-face. He snorted at the last, eyes closing. The moment she'd asked him to meet them, he was lost. There was no denying her. Considering the last time he'd seen her she'd been dead, he would have done anything she asked.

Even if she was a midget right now. The thought cracked him up. He was becoming hysterical. He splashed some more water in his face and tried to wash it away, only to pause, hands clasped against his skin as he breathed through his fingers.

 _Sorry Ruby. I couldn't meet the rest like this._

He had to reject Summer's plea, desperate as it might have been. If he'd seen Yang alongside Ruby, he'd have fallen to pieces on the spot. That couldn't happen in front of Qrow or there would be questions aplenty from Ozpin. _Like there won't be already. I fought Qrow on Raven's orders and now I've saved Summer. If that doesn't catch Ozpin's attention, I don't know what will._

"Fuck me…" he whispered.

"Is that a request or an order?"

Jaune whirled about, though he'd not needed to. He could have caught her face in the reflection beside his. Raven stood in his kitchenette with a smug smile and a raised eyebrow. Her sword hung at her side. It was sheathed.

"Well," she asked, "Which one was it?"

"Neither." He ran a hand over his face, wiping away what water he could. "What are you doing here? When did you even get here?"

"In the middle of your little breakdown. I didn't want to interrupt you, and, well, considering I opened a portal directly behind you and you didn't notice, I'm not sure I could have interrupted you if I tried." Raven chuckled. "And that's a shame. If you'd made it an order, I might have been tempted, depending on how convincing you sounded."

That was a minefield he wasn't about to step into. "What are you doing here, Raven? I'm not in the mood."

"Oh? Well I apologise, your majesty." She swept a leg back and curtsied. "Next time I'm opening a portal between two continents, I'll magically check your mood first. I clearly have nothing better to do with my time." Raven rolled her eyes and took a step back, half-turning. "But if you don't want the information I've found, which _you_ specifically asked me to find, then I can be off. We'll consider my favour returned and call it quits."

"No, no, no!" Jaune surged forward, eyes wide. He finally caught sight of something under her left arm, a book of some kind. He reached for it, only for Raven to dance back. He knew what she wanted. Her smile said it all.

With a deep sigh, Jaune bowed his head. "Raven, I'm sorry for what I said. You came here to help me, and I snapped at you. Please forgive me."

"Hm, no."

"What?"

"I'll not forgive you," Raven said. "While I'm sure some might be content with a simple apology, you'll find that I am not `someone`. I am Raven Branwen. If you want my forgiveness, you'll have to go further."

"That's… kind of hypocritical."

"I'm sorry if I gave you the impression I was a good person," Raven said, snorting at the thought. "You really ought to have known better." She flashed him a grin that reminded him painfully of Yang. "You can start earning my forgiveness with a drink. I just walked all the way here from Mistral and I'm thirsty."

"You opened a portal. Your _walk_ was practically four steps."

"It's not the quantity of steps, Jaune. It's the quality. Try and beat my distance."

"You're a real pain." Jaune pulled another can out of the fridge and cracked it open. Taking another for himself, he carried both over to the couch, where Raven had decided to lounge suggestively, arms crossed behind her head. Emerald was nowhere to be seen but the door to her bedroom was shut. She must have noticed Raven immediately and fled, unlike him, lost in his thoughts.

"This is comfortable," Raven said, stretching out over his longest couch. She pushed off her boots one at a time, each with the other foot, and rested her stocking-clad feet over the armrest. His cushions had been piled into a mound under her head. "I think I'll be claiming this for myself from now on."

"Emerald might have something to say about that."

"If she does, she'll have to grow enough of a spine not to flee whenever I appear." Raven took the can from him and leaned up to take a sip, leaving Jaune to take a seat on the much smaller one-seater. Raven made a sound of appreciation at the comfort and the beer, stretching her arms above her. "A girl could get used to this kind of treatment. You're halfway on the road to forgiveness."

Jaune snorted but refrained from sarcastically asking if a foot rub and a full body massage would be required to get him the rest of the way. Knowing her, she'd demand it, if only to answer his challenge. Far safer to just do what she wanted and accept that small mercy for what it was.

"Have you managed to figure out how to control the maiden's powers?" he asked.

Raven's smile held, but she became a little more serious. "For the most part. They don't cause me problems, even if I've yet to have a solid grasp over using them for anything other than wide area destruction. At the very least I'm more in control than the weak-willed brat before me was."

"And Vernal?"

"Oh, interested?" Raven chuckled. "She learned that I went to visit you. She was quite excited about that, especially at finding out _where_ you currently are."

"That's not what I meant. Did you get her to agree to pretend to be the Spring Maiden?"

"No." She huffed and leaned back. "I decided against it."

Good lords, another change, and another that he hadn't thought or planned out in any way. This one had been as simple as saying Vernal would die, nothing more than a seed of doubt placed in Raven's mind, but enough of one to alter her final decision. Jaune swallowed, unsure if he should feel pleased or not. Summer being alive was bad enough, but if no one thought the Spring Maiden was with Raven's tribe, then it could mean Raven not getting involved, which later, when Cinder ambushed them, might mean no rescue.

His impulsive words might well doom Ruby and the others to be killed by Cinder. Though only if he let the future get that far. _That's something I have to change. If it means Raven won't be there, then I need to make sure that encounter never happens, either by stopping Cinder or preventing the fall of Beacon._ Well, it wasn't like he hadn't intended to do that anyway. Maybe it wouldn't be such a big deal.

"I decided to keep the power to myself," Raven said. "I'll let Ozpin and Qrow think what they want. Should they come looking for her, I'll just say the maiden ran away. Not like they can prove otherwise."

"Do you think that'll work?"

"I can't find it in myself to care. I'm not beholden to them. They're already convinced I'm a coward. Hearing I sent her away because I was too afraid to deal with the consequences shouldn't surprise them."

"Ozpin is here in Atlas," Jaune said, and Raven stiffened, before she slowly relaxed.

"The Vytal Festival? Makes sense, I guess. You run into him?" Jaune nodded and Raven snorted. "Can't imagine that was fun."

"It was pretty awkward," he confirmed. Even if it wasn't in the way she imagined. "Luckily, Qrow hasn't spotted me yet, so I don't have to deal with him telling Ozpin that I worked with you. Thanks for that, by the way."

Raven grinned. "Lucky you. And you're welcome."

"I ran into someone else today," he added, watching her face curiously. "I think she was an old teammate of yours."

"Summer?" Raven raised an eyebrow, but other than that showed no real surprise. "Huh. Didn't expect that cry baby to be out here." Raven laughed at an old memory. "What of it? Don't tell me you got into a fight with her as well. What the hell did you do to manage that?"

"Not quite." While he was initially disappointed that Raven didn't show a little more surprise, he quickly realised it was because she had no reason to be. To her, Summer had never been in danger. Summer wasn't the lost teammate, but just another person she'd parted ways with. Hearing she was alive and well in Atlas simply had no meaning. "She cornered me, actually. Turns out I saved her life in Vacuo without realising it. She hunted me all the way down to Atlas to say thank you."

 _That_ drew a pointed look from Raven. Her amusement faded, replaced with something far more. "It sounds like there's a story there."

"Not much of one. I found her near death in Vacuo and used my Semblance to patch her back together. I didn't realise who it was and left her with a local tribe. She recovered, remembered my face and hunted me down."

"Hmph. Your kid must love you telling her stories if that's how much effort you put in. I didn't realise she'd nearly died…" Raven hesitated for a second, a moment that might have been considered weakness, before she shook her head and the smile was back, all signs of concern having fled. "Not bad, but don't tell me you're going for Summer as well as Vernal and I? There's such a thing as being too ambitious."

"I didn't realise I was on the Raven route. How do I get off?"

Raven smirked and brought a finger up to her lips. She inserted it, sucked loudly, and then drew it out with an audible pop. "Do you really need me to teach you how to get off?"

Jaune groaned and fought back his blush. "I didn't mean it like that." He groaned again when Raven burst out laughing. Damn her to hell. He'd thought Taiyang always seemed too serious for Yang's terrible sense of humour. Now it all made sense. "Still, I didn't take you for someone who played those kinds of games," Jaune teased, hoping to put the show on the other foot. "You learn something new every day."

"Nice try, but that was my idiot brother. He took to the culture of a new Kingdom all too much, and Summer was, if nothing else, a hopeless romantic. I do believe he had quite the crush on her, not that she ever noticed." Raven finished off her drink and tossed the can onto the table top. "My idiot brother. He never did gather the guts to simply tell her."

"Should you really be sharing your brother's secrets with me?"

"Are you waiting for me to feel guilty? That might take a while."

"I should have expected that." He was about to take another drink but for Raven giving the can in his hand a meaningful look. While the kitchen wasn't far away, he was too comfortable to move. He handed it over with a sigh.

"Hm, I think you're forgiven," she said. Her eyes met his and she brought the can to her lips, caressing the metal softly and even licking at it. The implication wasn't lost and he flushed _again_. Damn her for laughing at it once more. "You're too easy sometimes. Here." She tossed the book onto the table. It landed with a hefty thud, rattling the glass.

"So…" he asked, picking it up.

"The pages you want are folded," she said lazily. "Read it in your own time, because after digging through it for a week and a half, I don't want to even _smell_ those dusty old pages. You're welcome, by the way."

The words he'd thrown at her thrown back. By now it was almost a tradition. She said it scornfully, but Jaune cradled the book in his hands. "Thank you, Raven. Really. Thank you."

She eyed him for a moment. Eventually, she rolled her eyes and rolled onto her back, one hand behind her head as she drank some more beer. The dismissal was clear, as was the silent message not to gush on her any more than he already had. He took a moment to look over the woman, hiding the fact in touching the book's cover. Raven looked tired. There were shadows under her eyes and the way she lounged on his couch was just a little too limp. The beginnings of crow's feet could be seen on her normally smooth skin.

 _Things probably aren't going as well on her end as she'd like me to believe._ Maybe she hadn't mastered the maiden's powers as much as she let on, or maybe she had, but it came at a great cost. _Not like she'd tell me either way. She won't allow herself to appear weak._

"Are you going to hang around for the festival?" he asked.

"Hm?" Raven woke out of her funk and glanced at him. "No. Why?"

"Curiosity."

"Seeing children fight isn't my idea of entertainment, nor is being so close to Ozpin." And Taiyang and Qrow, he felt, but he was wiser to say that. It was odd how she'd had no negative reaction to Summer's name. He'd half-expected her to be bitter towards her old teammate, but there appeared to be no real enmity there. "Besides, the tribe might have something to say if I disappear for more than a night."

"More than a night? Wait, you intend to stay over, don't you?" Her lazy smile was his only answer. "Great. I guess I'm sleeping on the couch again?"

"The bed is big enough for two."

"The couch it is."

Raven laughed. "You're such a virgin. Worry not, I find myself quite comfortable right now and don't want to get up. Fetch me a blanket and we'll call it even."

Though he showed no reaction, he was only more surprised by that. How exhausted was she that she couldn't bring herself to walk the short distance to what they both knew would be a much more comfortable bed? The answer was obvious by the time he'd made it back from the linen closet, for Raven's arm had fallen to her side and her head lay on its side, breathing gently.

 _What on Remnant have you been up to?_ Had the book really been that difficult to procure, or was there something more going on that he didn't know? It could be that Salem had attacked the tribe. It could be anything, really. She wouldn't tell him. With a shake of his head, Jaune fluffed out the blanket and laid it over her. He also stooped to pick up the can she'd dropped and put it back on the coffee table. It brought their faces close, close enough for him to realise just how much she looked like Yang when she wasn't being a pain in the ass or threatening him.

She was almost fragile – though he knew saying that out loud would earn him hell. She still had her weapon on her, after all.

He stood back up and tiptoed over to the book, holding it under his arm and silently slipping into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. The clock on the counter said it was nearly eleven, which meant that no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't sit down and read the whole thing. He had to be up at six.

He sat down and inspected the cover instead. Archaeological Finds of the Second Period. He didn't recognise the author but that made sense, given that if the dating on the book was to be believed, it was over two-hundred years old. The cover was cracked in places, but meticulously cared for and maintained. It was the kind of thing that belonged in a museum and he realised, with a sigh of despair, that it was the kind of thing that probably _had_ been in a museum, up until a week ago.

"Great. I'm going to be seeing this on the news at some point." He'd have to dispose of it, preferably in a way that let the museum reclaim it, though only after he'd had a chance to go through it, of course. Raven seemed to think it would hold the answers he sought. Curiously, he opened it up to a random page instead, it naturally opening onto one where Raven had folded the page over, the better to get his attention. It was a sketched drawing, practically an original and one that seemed to be sketched with charcoal straight onto the page. It showed a strange structure, a building of some kind, or a gateway, though carved out of rock like some ancient group might have. There was a door in the centre, still closed and with no visible crack or opening. On it was a strange symbol carved directly into the rock, a vertical eye with spokes, like a wheel.

The same symbol that was carved onto the back of his left hand.

Salem's symbol.

/-/

"Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" Summer's head perked up, surprised and a little confused as to whether the question was aimed at her. There was no one else in their bedroom, however. "W-What? I'm fine. What do you mean?"

"It's just that you've been so quiet," Taiyang said. "Did something happen this afternoon?"

"You mean apart from Ruby running off and crashing into someone."

He chortled. "Apart from that."

"No, nothing happened. I'm just… lost in thought."

"Well, if you ever need a way out give me a shout. I'll always come help you when you need me."

Summer's cheeks flushed, and she slapped a hand against his shoulder. "That was so corny!"

"But it got you to laugh. I'll consider that my victory."

"I'm laughing _at_ you, Tai."

"Still better than frowning." He leaned over and kissed her, Summer leaning in. There would be nothing further tonight, not with the paper-thin walls that separated them from the shared room their daughters resided within. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Goodnight Tai."

When her head hit the pillow once more, the frown she'd worn before was replaced with a smile. It was impossible not to know just how much he loved her, and she hoped he knew how much she did him in return. He was her rock, both within the team and without, though to hear it from his lips, he always made it sound like it was she who did all the work. There wasn't a life she could imagine without him.

And somehow, in some strange way, that made her think of him again. Her saviour. The man whose face she had chased in her dreams. The first image she had of him was hazy, of that moment when he healed her. She recalled his gentle words, his kind eyes, the hands that took away the pain and the manner in which he pushed her back down, reassured her, and then saved her life, ensuring she could come back to the ones she loved, ensuring that she could be here, feeling the heat of Taiyang against her back.

There had been no plan of what she'd do when she found him. If she found him. She wanted to thank him, of course, as did Taiyang, Qrow and Ozpin, but that didn't feel like it was enough. She wanted him to be a part of her life. She wanted him to be a friend, a teammate, a part of their family. She wanted to see him and Tai chatting animatedly, to see his kindness repaid with smiles and laughter. With that in mind, she'd often wondered what he was like, as a person. Would he be funny, witty or maybe overly serious? He had to be happy, she'd felt, with a Semblance that let him save people like that.

And then she'd found him – and he wasn't.

Taiyang was probably right to say she'd been anxious all evening because she'd been unable to get her saviour out of her head. The way he'd stared at her, like he wasn't sure if she existed. The way he'd frozen when Ruby touched him. She'd seen plenty of people who didn't know how to act around children and would do that, and she knew his wasn't the same reaction. He didn't look at Ruby like he had no idea what to do with a grabby child. He'd looked at her like he was about to cry. Like he was seeing a ghost.

That was an expression she had seen time and time before. It came with the territory of being a huntress. Sometimes she saw it on the faces of her friends and colleagues and sometimes it was on the faces of those she saved, often when she was just a little too late.

It was grief. It was loss. It was the face of a man who had once had everything she did now, all the love and the joy of a family, and now didn't. It was the face of someone who'd had that torn away from them. Like Taiyang might have looked, had she not been brought back from the brink of death. Jaune Ashari had saved her from that fate, but as the dinner went on, Summer came to a horrifying realisation.

No one had saved him.

And in a way, without meaning to, she'd brought all of that back up for him. It was clear, if not from how he'd acted, to how confused his assistant had been. She'd acted like she didn't recognise her teacher, which was a fair hint that he'd never acted like that before, or at least not in front of the girl. Without a doubt, Summer knew she'd brought those terrible feelings up.

Had he lost a lover, a friend, a child – one small like Ruby, to explain why he had locked up when her precious child came close? Had he lost all of that, or was there more? Had the man who saved her been unable to save himself?

The thought hurt, but explained so much.

Rolling over, Summer sought comfort in Taiyang's embrace, and even asleep he welcomed her, drawing her in against him until she felt all her fears and worries vanish, replaced only with a familiar scent she only knew as Tai and comfort. As her eyes drifted shut, she realised what she wanted; what she had to do.

"I want to save him…"

/-/

"Mate, you look like shit. What the hell happened?"

"Rough night," Jaune replied to Echo, sitting down behind his desk. "Had a few drinks, someone came over and then I was up all night." It took him a minute to realise what that sounded like, and precisely three seconds to notice the frankly shit-eating grin Echo was sending his way. "It's not what you think. I was up all night reading a book."

"Was this `someone` a woman?"

"Yeah."

"And you were up all night reading…"

"Yes. And?"

Echo sighed dramatically and made a `you're hopeless` gesture with one hand. Even Foxtrot and Delta laughed. Winter didn't, and she'd been silent ever since the run in with Ruby and Summer. He'd been waiting for the inevitable questions, but she didn't seem to have any.

"And where did your _friend_ sleep?" Delta asked.

"On the couch."

"While you took the bed?" Foxtrot asked.

"It was her choice. Look, don't read into it. She's a married woman. Or was."

"Isn't now?"

Jaune sighed, "It's complicated."

"Doesn't sound it, man. She sounds about as single as you, and comfortable enough to come over and spend the night."

"Leave it be, Echo. I said it's complicated and it is." Leaving aside the fact she was Raven, there was also the issue that technically – very technically – she was old enough to be his mother. "How are we looking for the festival? Are we done?"

"Near as can be. We just need to plan your going away party."

Jaune rose with a smile. "Surprise me."

Echo seemed surprised. "You sure? That's brave."

"I'd like to think it's smart, actually. After all, if it's a surprise then I can't know about it, which means you can't drag me into the organising." With a dramatic yawn, Jaune checked his watch. "Which I think means I get to leave at four. Thanks for that."

"Son of a bitch…"

"You realise he'll make you pay for that at the party," Foxtrot said, leaning an elbow on Jaune's desk after everyone had calmed down and gotten back to work. There really wasn't much to do, which meant they were all just going over things they already knew and pretending to look busy. Otherwise, Ironwood might find out and actually find them something to be busy on.

It wasn't being lazy, damn it. They deserved an easy day for once.

"Echo? Yeah, but I already expect them to pull some embarrassing nonsense. If it's going to happen anyway then I might as well leave all the work to them."

"Ah, we've trained you well. What happened to her?" Though she need not have, Foxtrot subtly nodded over to Winter, who was still silent in the corner, stamping papers and otherwise being dead to the world. "Don't tell me _she's_ the one you had over."

"What? No!" It was a quiet hiss, indignant as it was.

"Oh, thank god."

"I'm not-" He sighed. "Nothing happened last night. An old acquaintance came over and slept on my couch. We didn't get up to anything at all. What happened to Winter… I don't know. I met someone else yesterday, someone who I helped out in the past and who wanted to thank me. Winter was awkward for the whole dinner-"

"You invited Winter to a dinner date with another woman?"

"She was a _married woman_!" Foxtrot's raised eyebrow said the point remained. "Ugh, you're impossible. There was no invitation. She just recognised me and dragged me to a place she could explain who she was and thank me for saving her life. With food," he added, knowing well enough that if he didn't, someone on Team November would suggest something far worse. "And her daughter was there, too. Her nine-year-old daughter."

"Alright, alright. Maybe she's just nervous about the fights. She's in the first rounds tomorrow."

"I don't see why she would be nervous. She's good enough to win the whole thing."

"You're such an idiot…" Foxtrot shook her head in despair. "You might think that, and hell, I don't disagree, but do you really think _she_ feels that way? It doesn't matter how good you are. Nerves are still a thing. Not to mention she's got more pressure on her than anyone should have."

"What do you mean?"

She shot him a look like she'd come across something particularly stupid. "Um, the SDC?" she asked. "Or, you know, the media, the spotlight, all the rumours, the fact she's moved two years ahead and is woefully underage for this – or maybe that come the end of the festival, she'll need to announce that she is joining the military and we _all know_ how little her father is going to like that." Foxtrot rapped her fist against his head. "Any of those things come to mind, genius?"

"Okay, okay." Jaune rubbed his head and sighed. Put like that, he could understand it. It wasn't like Yang or Ruby hadn't been nervous in front of a crowd too, despite that they were more than capable. "What do you want me to do about it though? I can't stop any of that."

"No, but you can take her mind off it. Distract her. Take her out to spar or something."

"What about the work?"

"We're as good as done anyway. Last thing we're working out is how many guards to give the White Fang's stand." Foxtrot saw his confusion and elaborated. "As part of a peace effort, Ironwood has given the White Fang a small stand on Amity from which to hand out material and talk to people. He's hoping letting them to it officially will hold back any attempt at something more dramatic."

"Makes sense, I guess."

"Yeah. We've got Ghira Belladonna coming down, though. _The_ head honcho. If anything happens to him…" She made a slit throat motion and cringed. "Then the whole of Menagerie will be up in arms. Charlie thinks two guards will be enough. Delta wants a whole fucking battleship over the guy."

"What's the ultimate consensus?"

"I think Charlie is going to handle it himself, along with a smaller team. Now it's just a case of convincing the White Fang the armed presence is for their protection and not because we don't trust them or want to suppress their rights. Real fun stuff, I assure you," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Take your little minion out for some fresh air. Poor girl needs it."

A quick look to Charlie earned a nod, tacit approval for him to leave early, and he made his way over to Winter's desk. True to appearances, she was more distracted than working, fussing over numbers and figures that were already calculated, and a budget that was not just balanced, but set in stone already. He gently took them from her hands and laid them down.

"M-Mr Ashari!" Winter awoke from her thoughts with a startled gasp. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Come on. Let's go take a break outside."

"A break, sir? I can still work. It's not yet lunch time."

"No, but you'd have had a free period by now if you were in class. Your first fight is tomorrow." He noticed her wince at the reminder. "You shouldn't be working before that. How about we have a light spar to get your mind in the game?"

Winter took a deep breath and let it go. "I think I'd like that."

It was for once a fairly calm day outside, which meant it was still chilly but pleasantly so, the perfect weather for working up a sweat in a fight. While it might have been wiser to find a spot further away from the school and any potential competition, they wouldn't be going all out, both of them knowing just how much of a scolding they'd get if Winter pulled a muscle. As it was, while a few people stopped to watch, no one looked interested enough to take notes or record Winter's style to use against her later. More of a loss for them, really. It would have been the right call.

"We'll keep it light," he said, drawing Crocea Mors. "We'll stop at each hit and discuss. This will be about as non-contact as we can manage it."

"Can I use my dust?"

"No dust. Don't want to give away too much."

Winter nodded and drew her sabre, swinging it once or twice to loosen her muscles. A year or so back, she'd made a habit of revealing the dagger hidden within it, but time in the Specialists had stomped that out of her. A concealed weapon was only such if you kept it as one. There was no point bringing it out for a fight without consequences. A spar was a spar. She'd not reveal her ace in front of the competition.

With a mutual nod, the spar began, and Winter dashed in – seeking not to surprise him, such being impossible, but to take the momentum away from him and put him on the back foot. Such reckless aggression would have been her undoing, had it been reckless. Her eyes flickered over his body and she reacted instantly to his rising guard, twisting and checking her charge. She baited him with an opening he knew to be too obvious to actually exist and tutted when he didn't take it.

"Try to look a little more worried next time," he called, stepping in and cutting for her legs. "Your eyes give the trick away."

"I'll keep it in mind." Her sabre locked against his sword, a mismatch of strength she couldn't hope to win. The moment he pushed down, her guard buckled, but it buckled too fast and she was already moving, leaving him over-extended. She couldn't get her longer blade around in time, so pivoted and drove her knee into his flank, directly under his ribcage. "That's a hit!" she claimed.

"I meant a hit with a weapon," Jaune coughed.

"But you didn't _say_ that."

"You've been spending way too much time around us." Jaune laughed and shook it off. He touched the tip of his sword to the ground twice and then held it up before him, a fencer's salute. "Well done, then. Point to you. But I hope you realise that now you've made this anything goes, the same rules go for me."

Winter's pleasure at having taken the lead was short lived.

/-/

Emerald decided that even though she didn't really go to school, she hated it. If there was one thing she actually pitied people with families for – and it probably was only the one thing – then it was that they were expected to attend such places for _years_ on end. She had no idea how they managed it. She would have hung herself in the bathroom after the first year. It was bad enough that she had to attend Atlas on rare occasions, those being when there was no one to look after her due to a mission. She had to be watched by a responsible adult at those times.

Which, by the way, was a really stupid law. What was she going to do in the apartment on her own, read too much and hurt her eyes? Put on too much weight sat on the couch? But no, she had to come and spend time with the biggest collection of entitled idiots she'd ever met. They made _Winter_ look like a saint.

Not that it increased Winter's standing all that much. She'd gone up from absolutely awful to slightly above awful. Emerald just created a tier below where Winter stood and threw everyone studying here into it.

The lunch hour was her only reprieve, and as uncommon as her presence was, everyone had – after two years – learned that the quiet, green-haired girl in the corner was to be avoided at all costs. She was as mean as she looked and not afraid to push your face into tarmac if you tried anything on her. When the first bully came to try and steal her lunch, it had almost been nostalgic, especially since she'd been hidden behind the toilets eating it, the better to keep her food safe. It was just like old times, hiding in an alleyway with a rotten half-load of bread.

What _wasn't_ like the streets was how much the pussy cried when she defended her turf, or how angry the woman looking after them had been. What did she expect? Wasn't this a school to train huntsmen? Emerald had been forced to sit in isolation, alone in a classroom.

Though the punishments soon changed after she randomly attacked someone on the third day and they cottoned on to the fact she _liked_ isolation. Nowadays they made her stand up and speak in class about how `sorry` she was.

" _I'm sorry you're so useless you challenged me and got knocked out."_

Yeah, that hadn't gone down well.

Either way, she had a rep now – _street rep_ – and that was good. Hers wasn't as impressive as the Smiling Man's, but she liked to think she was doing him proud in that no one dared mess with her. No one that knew her rep anyway, which explained why she was now faced with two of the most irritating people in existence, neither of which seemed to realise what `fuck off and die` really meant.

"This is her?" the tall one asked the small one. "You sure?"

"I know what I saw, Yang. This is his daughter."

"Heh." The tall girl, who was blonde, held out a hand. "Nice to meet ya. I heard your dad saved my mom's life. My name's Yang and this is Ruby. Let's be friends."

Friends? What was that and could you eat it? Okay, she wasn't that bad, and she knew what friends were, but this was _annoying_. The little one was bouncing up and down with enough energy to give Emerald a headache just being near her, and the tall one, while quieter, had a smile that was way too bright and chirpy.

"Didn't he make you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Eh?"

"Your mother promised not to tell anyone about him," Emerald repeated. "Until he came to meet your family after the festival. Because it would distract him from his work."

"W-Well yeah, but I haven't told anyone!"

Emerald sent a meaningful look toward Yang.

"Oh, that's just Yang. I mean I didn't tell Dad or Uncle Qrow."

Emerald waited for the girl to catch on to her mistake, but she never did. Was she really that dense? It looked like she might be, since her smile was still brighter than the sun and she looked like she was just _certain_ the three of them would be the best of friends.

"Your dad sounds alright," Yang said. Having grown tired of waiting for a handshake, the girl reached and took Emerald's hand, shaking it on her own. "It was pretty scary to hear Mom nearly died, but she's here now thanks to him, so I guess he's pretty cool."

Emerald froze.

Alright?

 _Pretty_ cool!?

Ha, no. Not happening. This idiot, who seemed to think her own father was as good, or even better, could take a long walk off a short pier.

At least the smaller one was in awe of the Smiling Man, which as far as Emerald concerned was the _correct_ response. Ruby earned herself a free pass for that. Not friendship per se, but Emerald would put up with her. She couldn't imagine living with them, though. Sure, he might kill someone every now and then and she had to cook for herself, but at least he wasn't like this. He bought her books, too, and she got her own room and dessert whenever she wanted it. The Bloody Lady was a not-so-nice addition, but she put up with it because he was okay with her there. That was enough for her.

Come to think of it, the blonde kind of looked like the Bloody Lady, minus the blood and with the hair a whole lot brighter. That didn't do much to enamour her to Emerald, even before she'd gone and failed to show _her_ f-owner the proper respect. Emerald realised she'd been staring too long when the two girls gave up on talking to her and took hold of her arms. She instantly flailed against it but they were strong! Way stronger than most other kids their age.

"Come on. We should play together."

"I don't _play_ ," Emerald snapped. "I'm not a child like you two."

"Then what do you do?"

"I read. I train."

"Ooh, to be a huntress?"

She hesitated. She still wasn't sure what he wanted from her, and she'd only be a huntress if he wanted her to be a huntress. Whatever he wanted her to be, she would become. That was just how it was. "Maybe," she said. "I have to be strong."

If she was strong like the Bloody Lady, she'd be as useful as her – and he would never get rid of her, just like he never got rid of that woman whenever she came to stay.

"We're going to be huntresses, too," said Yang. "We can train together. Let's have a spar."

A spar? A fight? Emerald's grin grew as she saw an opportunity to get rid of these two once and for all, and finally buy herself some peace and quiet. Sure, she didn't have her weapons here, but she knew a little hand to hand and she was confident she could beat up on some airheaded bimbo her age.

There was no way this could go wrong.

/-/

The final tally had been six to two, and although Winter didn't look entirely pleased with that, he was. The first win she'd gotten from catching him off-guard, but her second had been a well-timed and executed slide, surrendering her own footing to get under his guard and trace a line on his thigh. It wouldn't have done much for her in a real fight, but this wasn't combat, and he approved of her thinking outside the box. That had been something Weiss had never really mastered.

"Good. That was good! We should probably stop here. Don't want you too tired for tomorrow. Do you feel a little better?"

Winter nodded. "More at ease, sir- Jaune. I apologise for how distracted I was before."

"I told you it's nothing to worry about." Foxtrot's words came to mind, but for safety's sake he asked, "It wasn't about yesterday was it, about me not telling you my Semblance or the meeting with Summer?"

"What? No, no," she shook her head. "You saved her life, as is to be expected of someone like you."

"Someone like me?"

"And that you kept your Semblance hidden is hardly a big deal. If I were injured in a mission-"

"Then I would have healed you, yes. I would have brought it out for anyone. It just never came up. It's not like I dislike my Semblance; I really don't. There was just never a situation where I needed to use it. Team November are adept enough at staying out of trouble and we're not allowed to take you on a live mission until after you're sixteen."

"After you're gone," she said glumly.

"I am sorry about that, Winter."

"No, it is also fine. Forgive my impertinence. You've dedicated two and a half years of your life to helping me reach the level I am at now." Winter smiled and closed her eyes. "I will not forget that. Even if you cannot be with me on that first mission, your training will. Thank you, Jaune."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of polite clapping from behind. "A wonderful display of skill. Not to mention a fine sentiment." Ozpin stood a good ten paces or so away with a benign smile on his face. "I hope you do not mind my interruption."

"Headmaster Ozpin!" Winter stepped away from Jaune and nodded her head in obvious respect. "Not at all, sir, and we apologise for having failed to notice you. Is there anything you wished from us?"

"Nothing so specific, Miss Schnee. I found myself nearby and couldn't help but congratulate you on a match well fought."

"Thank you, sir."

"And you, Mr Ashari – may I call you Jaune? – your manner of teaching was certainly an interesting one to see. James told me you had been put in charge of Miss Schnee's entry into the Specialists, and it's clear to see you've had quite the impact on her ability."

Jaune's smile was polite but guarded. Ozpin just happened to be in the area? Too convenient to be true or just an unlucky coincidence? As ever, it was hard to tell with the man, but one thing he knew for certain was that his approach heralded more than a simple congratulation for Winter. While skilled, he had seen better.

"She's a good student," he said vaguely.

"Mr- Jaune exaggerates," Winter protested. "He is an excellent teacher and has helped me grow far beyond what I thought possible. It is only because of him that I have become as skilled as I am today."

"Is that so? And does he teach you often, Miss Schnee?"

"We spar-"

"Every now and then," Jaune interrupted, touching a hand to Winter's arm to silence her. Ozpin was fishing for information. It was just like him to target the weaker link, especially if it was a child. _You've had plenty of practice convincing fifteen-year-olds to do what you want._ "Is there something you wanted from me, headmaster? Winter's matches are tomorrow and I'd rather not waste daylight when we could be training."

"That's fine, Mr Ashari. It wasn't my intention to interfere." Ozpin's smile didn't change from gentle and kind, but Jaune could almost sense a smugness to it. Or maybe it was him just hearing the words that way, since they were obviously false. He wondered if Summer had told Ozpin about him yet, but if so, Ozpin didn't show it. "James did mention that you would be leaving Atlas after the Vytal Festival."

 _Been asking about me, have you?_

"News must travel fast."

"James was quite upset about it. He may have confided it to me over a game of chess." Ozpin laughed and Jaune echoed it. It was brittle, and he knew it. Winter did too, for she looked between them with a certain nervousness.

"Ironwood is a good employer, but it's time for me to move on."

"Might I ask where you will be going?"

"That's undecided," he lied. He knew their next destination now, thanks to Raven's discovery. Sadly, it was the last place he wanted to be. Vale. "I'm keeping my options open."

"You like to travel?"

Well, it could be a convenient excuse for why he'd been in Vacuo, Mistral, Vale and then Atlas. "I get around. Remnant has a lot of sights to see."

"With your skills, I'd have thought you might consider a career in teaching. You've certainly done well by Miss Schnee."

The hint was obvious. So bloody obvious. Jaune's stomach fell and he had to hide his despair in a nervous laugh, running a hand through his hair and looking away, as if embarrassed by the less than subtle suggestion. Ozpin was interested in him. Ozpin wanted to keep an eye on him, to keep him close. It was the only explanation for why he'd make so grandiose an offer, even if he hadn't technically made it yet. Professor Arc, huh? It had a certain ring to it, like the tolling of a bell signalling his doom.

"I don't think teaching is for me," he said. "At least not as a career choice. Winter was a one-off, and only because she was so dedicated. I don't think I'd have the patience to teach more children, especially not full-time."

Winter looked like she wanted to argue, but to his relief she held back, having noticed his reluctance and realised there was more going on. She was clever like that, able to see the subtext even if she couldn't read it.

"That is a shame," Ozpin said. "But forgive me, it's my responsibility to try and convince skilled huntsmen to pass on their skills. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in it, I forget it might come across as impolite."

"No offense," Jaune laughed. "My ego appreciates the compliments. I really do need to train Winter some more though, or we're both going to look silly if my only student gets knocked out in the first round."

"And neither of us wants that. I'd not hear the end of it from James and I doubt he would from Mr Schnee." Ozpin held out a hand. "It's been a pleasure to speak with you, Mr Ashari. I hope we'll have another chance during the festival."

Jaune shook it – and realised his mistake a second later. Ozpin had extended his left hand, to be met by his own. He'd made a habit of keeping his left hand either in his pocket or behind his back when he spoke to Ozpin. It looked like that hadn't been missed, because Ozpin normally shook hands with his right, holding the cane in his other.

He had a glove still, but the moment his and Ozpin's hands met, there was – for lack of a better term – a _lurch_ in his body. It was like he'd been travelling in a car, gone over a bump and the feeling was the descent, the sudden loss of gravity that lasted barely a second. He felt it, and judging from the way Ozpin's cane struck down, quickly balancing himself, he had too.

But he didn't respond. The headmaster smiled and turned to Winter, wishing her well and shaking her hand in turn. He left soon after.

"What was that?" Winter demanded. "Do the two of you know one another?"

"We've never met."

"B- Nonsense," Winter amended. She'd probably picked up the swearwords from Team November, but her upbringing wouldn't let her use them. "The way you looked at him – and how rude you were! I've never seen you act like that with anyone else. Sir, if there is something wrong then I believe as a Specialist that I-"

"It's personal, Winter." That shut her up. When she'd brought up the defence with regards to her father, he'd respected it. Now it was time to see if she would do the same; if the quest for answers was more important than his respect.

"I-I understand. Should we get back to training, then?"

"Thank you, and yes, we-" A beeping of his scroll interrupted him. He read the message and sighed. "Actually, it looks like I'm needed elsewhere. You should take the rest of the afternoon off. I know your father is arriving tomorrow to watch the matches." And while he knew she wouldn't want to meet with him, she'd be expected to. Weiss might be there, too. "You're good enough for this, Winter. Just remember to fight with your team in the four versus four rounds. Once you hit the doubles, you can go off and do your own thing."

Winter struck a salute. "I won't let you down, Jaune."

"I know you won't, Winter. I'll try and catch you tomorrow if I can, but it'll depend on how early Ironwood needs me to guard the dignitaries. If I don't see you, know that I'll be cheering for you from the VIP box."

"Quietly, I hope," she huffed.

Jaune smiled mysteriously and didn't answer. He let her stew on that as he slipped away.

/-/

The last person he expected to run into on his way to pick up Emerald was Summer. She seemed as shocked as he, though she recovered quickly and shot him a dust-powered smile. She was on her own, much to his relief, and hurried over, her white cape flapping behind her, the hood drawn down.

"Jaune! I didn't expect to see you here."

"Summer," he returned, this time with a friendly smile. Even though it had only been a day, he felt a little more in control of his emotions. "Having a nice day?"

"Yep. You look a lot better than yesterday," she said. "More… alive, I guess."

"I was in a bit of a mood yesterday." The lie came easily, and she bought it, unable to otherwise understand how he'd gone from being almost catatonic to friendly in less than twenty-four hours. "It had been a long day and with the festival and everything. Sorry about that…"

"I know. You must be so busy. I'm really sorry about trying to push meeting my family onto you, especially on top of all that. I had a little time to think about it and I realised that was pretty selfish of me."

"It wasn't. I understand why you want it."

"I didn't tell any of them about it," she said. "Just like I promised. You'll keep yours, right?"

"I'll meet your family once the festival is over." The promise had been to Ruby, not Summer, but that only made it all the more binding. Speaking of, Summer was alone today, with neither her husband nor either of his old friends with her. While he couldn't mention Yang by name without giving anything away, he could Ruby. "No Ruby today?"

"Yes Ruby, but not as I'd like it." Summer sighed heavily. "I… could actually use a little help."

With regards to Ruby? Jaune's jaw clenched. "Has something happened?"

"What?" Summer reacted to his sudden anger with surprise, and her eyes quickly widened. "Oh, no, no, no, nothing is wrong – or it is, but not like that. I'm actually a little lost. I was called and told to meet with someone for-" She hesitated. "For a reason… and I don't know where to go. Could you point me in the right direction?"

"I can, but I can't lead you there. I've got to meet with one of the teachers here about Emerald. Apparently, she's gotten into a little trouble and-"

"Fighting?" Summer asked miserably.

Jaune paused. "How did-?" His eyes widened. "Ruby!?"

"I don't think so, but I got the call telling me my child had been in a fight," Summer said, voice dripping with guilt. "I don't think Ruby would start a fight like that, but… well…"

Yang.

"We can go together," he offered.

"I'm _so_ sorry about whatever happened!"

"It's fine. We don't even know who started it yet."

"I do," Summer fake cried. "I already do. I love Yang, but I'm not blind. As much as Tai can be."

"Emerald can be pretty bad herself. Is your husband the kind to always believe your daughters?"

"He thinks the world of them," Summer sighed. "And I love that, I really do. He's the perfect father, but sometimes he doesn't realise just how much they've wrapped him around their fingers. Bad enough they've done it to their uncle, but now every time they need telling off I have to be the one to do it! Why do I always have to be the bad guy?"

Summer threw her arms in the air as she walked beside him, her voice raised in indignation. "I mean, Tai is a huge, strong guy. He can stand up to a pair of little kids not even in their teens, but all they have to do is sniffle and he caves instantly!" Summer's scowl froze on her face, which flushed suddenly with colour. "Ahah, but you don't want to listen to me complain." She winced. "Sorry…"

"It's fine," he said, laughing honestly. He'd finally found out where Ruby's social awkwardness came from, and that somehow filled him with mirth. "Honestly, I don't mind. I'm pretty much raising a child on my own, so I know how tough it can be."

"But you're managing it so well! I can't even imagine how difficult that would be. I'd probably lose my mind. I've got no idea how Tai would handle it."

Badly, at least at first, but the man would rise to the effort and try his hardest – even if it would never make up for their missing mother. Jaune's thoughts must have shown on his face, for Summer quickly trailed off.

"I-I'm sorry. That was insensitive."

"No, it's nothing. Emerald was adopted. I didn't…" He wanted to say he didn't lose anyone but it wasn't true. He'd lost everyone. He grimaced and deflected instead. "She's not mine. I just picked her up off the street."

"She's yours in every way that matters." Summer touched his arm and smiled up at him confidently. "And as far as I can see, you've done a fantastic job raising her. She's a fine young woman."

He laughed. "Then you haven't seen her very much. I'm being called to an office for a fight she just started."

"We don't know it was her yet. It might be Yang, or even Ruby."

He appreciated her trying to help but, well, they both knew it wouldn't be Ruby, and while Yang was a possibility for sure, she simply didn't know Emerald as well as he did. "There's a reason I know the way here off by heart, Summer. This is the third time I've been called."

"W-Well…"

"This month."

"Oh…"

He patted her arm as they reached the door, opening it to see a glum looking Yang sat on a seat next to a furious Emerald, who was sporting a lovely black eye and the biggest scowl he'd ever seen. The result of the fight was clear, if only because Yang sported a split lip at worst and some scuffed clothing, while Emerald looked like she'd been tied to the back of a Bullhead and dragged along an airstrip. Ruby was in the corner, wide eyes staring at the floor. Her panic only mounted when she realised who had stepped through the door. The teacher behind the desk coughed to draw attention to them, earning winces from both Emerald and Yang.

"Mrs Rose. Mr Ashari."

"Samantha," Jaune greeted. "The usual?"

"Oh yes, with aura and Semblances this time. It's not like we have sparring rings for a reason. Might as well hold your death matches on the playground. Close the door and take a seat. You're going to be here for a while."

"She started it!" Yang whined.

"Fuck you," Emerald returned.

Oh yes, he was the perfect father. Jaune motioned for a wide-eyed Summer to enter and shut the door behind them. While she might have been shocked at the language, it said something that neither he nor Mrs Greening batted an eyelid.

"Emerald, what have I told you about your language?"

"But you and the Bloody Lady swear all the time," she complained.

"Bloody Lady?" Samantha asked curiously.

"Winter," he lied, "Emerald and her still don't get on." He fixed Emerald with another stern look, both to tell her off and to make sure she didn't argue the point. He didn't need Raven being revealed here. "And I believe I've told you before that just because you see me do something, it doesn't mean you should. Don't do what I do."

"I didn't. She's still breathing…" Emerald muttered.

Summer laughed nervously, either not believing what Emerald had just implied or thinking she meant it about him being a huntsman.

"Not like she could hurt me," Yang grumbled, and she didn't even _try_ to be quiet about it. "I kicked her butt."

"Yang!" Summer rebuked.

"Well I did…"

"Lucky shot, bitch."

"Emerald!" he snapped.

Emerald and Yang ignored their respective parents and glared at one another across the small office. If it were at all possible, he might have imagined lightning flashing from their eyes, meeting in the middle in an explosion of sparks. Both nodded, and a silent agreement was formed between them, much to both his and Summer's despair.

Rivals for life.

* * *

 **Ah Emerald, you're so grumpy. Well, she's at least okay around Ruby, which I guess sort of makes Ruby her best friend, if only by default. Yang, though? Well, bad luck. Even so, Jaune has his next lead, a destination and a little help from Raven, but Ozpin has finally started to pay attention, and even offers a nice overture.**

 **Not much action took place this chapter but there were more than a few building blocks put in place for later.**

 **Festival begins next chapter.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 30th June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	14. Chapter 14

**Ah, another chapter. I would just like to say that although I don't want to get into an argument over it, I** _ **am**_ **writing Raven as close to character as I see her. Some have said I'm whitewashing her, citing that Qrow said Raven** _ **murdered**_ **the Spring Maiden. But I'd point out that a) The only one who knew what happened was Raven, and b) she** _ **still**_ **murdered the Spring Maiden here. That hasn't changed. The Maiden expressed not wanting to do what Raven wanted, and Raven killed her. That's murder. Sure, it's understandable in a way, given what the maiden wanted, but it's still murder. You'll notice Raven didn't try and talk her down, negotiate or ask Ozpin for help. She just killed her.**

 **And when someone mentioned that Miles confirmed that Raven in the show is the kind of person to act tough and not admit to weakness, well… look at last chapter. There were clear signs of more going on, and Jaune was frustrated that Raven wouldn't admit to them because she didn't want to appear weak in front of him.**

 **As for cowardice, being a coward doesn't mean shivering and jumping at shadows. In what way would Raven show cowardice to Jaune - A person she in some way trusts and thus does not feel nervous around? It's not like she's going to sit down and go "Give me a beer" and then scream when a beer is put on the table. I know some people tend to see these types of characters as one-dimensional, but Raven was perfectly capable of acting calm and cocky around Yang and Weiss, so why would it be odd for her to be capable of the same around Jaune?**

 **She wouldn't be very good at the whole "pretending to be strong" thing if she started showing complete and utter panic in an absolutely non-dangerous situation, now, would she?**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 14**

* * *

The crowd cheered as Winter brought down her final opponent. The two on two rounds, doubles, going in her favour, and better still after her partner was taken out early. None could doubt that it was Winter alone who won the bout for her team, and such an upset earned the adoration of the masses, who stood up to cheer and applaud her.

Jaune felt the urge to as well, but could do no such thing stood at the back of the VIP box, arms crossed behind his back. His presence was more display than actual guard, but with the likes of Ironwood and Ozpin in the same booth, it wouldn't do for him to show any emotion. His was to be noted but not noticed. Seen, but not heard.

But when Winter looked toward the box, he nodded to her, even if there was no way she could see it. To everyone else, it would only look like she smiled to the VIPs, or perhaps, to those who didn't know her as well as he, her father.

"An impressive display," Ozpin said. "You wouldn't think her fifteen, neither from her height nor her skill. The team from Vacuo fought well, but it's not every day you come up against someone so versatile."

"Winter is one of our best," Ironwood agreed, and Jaune preened a little under the praise toward his student. She deserved it all.

What he did _not_ preen at was how the man sat on the other side of Ironwood, easily within hearing distance, did not join in the conversation. He did not clap, either. Jacques Schnee watched the match with cold disinterest, a single glass of wine in hand.

Beside her sat a much more familiar figure in Weiss. She, like Ruby, was far too small to his eyes. Weak and frail in a way she'd never really been at Beacon. Weiss showed much more emotion than her father, but the first time she'd gasped at Winter taking a heavy blow, Jacques had fixed her with a fierce, recriminating glare. Weiss had remained silent ever since.

Jacques Schnee was as bad as he'd expected, which wasn't surprising, he supposed. A part of him had wondered if he, like Raven, Qrow and everyone else, would be wildly different from their future selves. He'd imagined a loving father slowly driven to a cold, clinical monster by the crimes of the White Fang, or perhaps just the pressure of business. It was not so, or if it was, Jacques had diminished before this time. He was as much a bastard as Jaune had ever seen him. His first daughter's impressive display in the quad and double rounds seemingly meant nothing to him.

At least in that regard he wasn't alone in feeling some irritation toward Jacques. Standing behind the dignitaries, Jaune had an unparalleled view of them, and their faces reflected in the glass in front of them. They might hide their thoughts and feelings from one another, but he caught everything, the forgettable guard at the back, unimportant to hide one's emotions from. As such, he caught the none-too-subtle glares James sent Jacques way whenever the man didn't respond to one of James' attempts to praise Winter.

Surprisingly, he also caught some annoyance from Ozpin, as well. Whatever Ozpin had and would do in the future, it was clear he did not approve of the cold shoulder a father offered his daughter. It wasn't hard to see the same reflected in the Atlas guards in the box, though the two SDC guards stationed behind Jacques and Weiss seemed unconcerned.

Bastards all, frankly. At least the butler behind and to the side of Weiss seemed a little less cold.

"I have to say, James, the festival is turning out to be rather exciting this year," Ozpin went on. "It's never fun to see one team dominate the competition."

"Hm. The teams are a lot closer than usual. Yours are doing rather well."

"Peter took it as something of a competition this year. I believe Bartholomew discussed with him the historic lack of wins Vale has had for the last five or six tournaments. I've never seen Peter so animated."

"Yours will have to defeat Winter if they want a shot at the trophy."

"That they will, though I'm not sure they will manage it," Ozpin said sadly. "Their best shot was to use teamwork to isolate and deal with her, and given that she's through to the single rounds, that's not about to happen."

"Yes, if that team from Mistral had taken her seriously in the first round, she might have been in trouble."

Jaune didn't think so. It was true the team had made a grievous error, noting that one member of Winter's team was fifteen and thus assigning the weakest of theirs to defeat her. It was understandable given the lack of information they had, but still, it wouldn't have worked against Ruby and it certainly hadn't versus Winter.

It had been funny to see Winter actually play at being the weakest link for a while. It looked to be a strategy their team had come up with, though he held no doubts it was her idea. The four had grouped around her, shielded her, and basically acted like they were terrified she would mess everything up. Winter played along, proving it a strategy and not bullying by shuffling meekly and even dropping her sabre at one point.

From anyone and everyone who knew her, she might as well have tried to convince them the sky was bright green. Students from Atlas looked at her like she was someone else and several soldiers had asked him if she'd been kidnapped and impersonated. The first match had proven otherwise, and soon everyone was laughing at the cheeky play.

It was good to see Winter earning the respect of the soldiers. She would need it going forward.

"Well, it's only normal for the home team to have the advantage," Ozpin said, a little childishly in Jaune's mind. Ironwood laughed back, easily catching it.

"I'll be sure to remind you of that when Vale's turn rolls around, old friend." James smile dropped off the face of Remnant as he turned to the other side. "What do you say, Jacques? Your daughter is presenting herself well."

"She is," Jacques replied, unable to ignore what was a direct question.

"A good reputation boost for the SDC should she win. People don't tend to forget champions of the Vytal Festival."

"Should she win," Jacques said. "It would be unwise to count one's blessings so early."

Ozpin found reason to drink his mug and frown into the beverage, and Jaune for once agreed with him. James took a deep breath and let it go, knowing there was little more he could say. It was enough that he was trying to speak on Winter's behalf. They were all aware of what might likely face her if and when she had to reveal to her father her career choice. Jacques Schnee didn't want a soldier in the family, let alone in position to inherit the company. Even being a huntress was bad enough, but he'd at least convinced himself, or Winter had convinced him, that it was a PR move designed only to last until she graduated, at which point she would return to being the good daughter and learn business matters directly.

They all wanted to help her avoid being disinherited, him, Ironwood and the Specialists. The problem was just that there was nothing they could do. _Not short of me killing Jacques anyway, and isn't that a tempting thought._ Emerald would probably tell him to go with it. Hell, Raven would probably offer to help.

But the future wasn't so simple, as he'd discovered with Summer, and he dreaded to imagine what kinds of changes might come about from essentially _murdering_ possibly the most powerful person – at least in terms of money and influence - on the planet.

Speaking of Summer, she'd agreed to look after Emerald for the duration of the festival that he was busy working on. It was better for Emerald than being cooped up with Mrs Greening and the entire class, and easier on the beleaguered teacher to not have to keep an eye on her. Emerald hadn't been thrilled, mostly due to Yang (and neither had Yang, of course), but they'd get over it. Or they wouldn't. Either way, he trusted that Summer could step in if needed.

He had no idea what she'd told her husband and Qrow, but he doubted they'd complain either way. Taiyang was a softy and apart from their poor encounter, he knew Qrow was good with children, especially young girls. He was a teacher from Signal, after all. Or would be in the future. Hard to tell what he was at the moment.

"There is one issue I did want to raise," Jacques suddenly said, turning away from the arena as more teams were being selected for the next fight, along with the changing battlefield. "I couldn't help but notice the addition of several undesirable elements to the festival this year. Would you care to explain that, Ironwood?"

James' poker face was absolute. "I'm not sure what you mean, Jacques. Could you state it more plainly for me?"

"The faunus."

"We have faunus competitors, yes," James said, deliberately missing the point. Ozpin chuckled silently on the other side of him. "Atlas Academy is open to people from all walks of life, should they have the skill and commitment. It is our goal to strive toward a better future, regardless of race."

"Spare me the sales pitch," Jacques sneered. "I was referring to those rabble-rousers outside. You gave them a platform."

"Ah, you mean the White Fang."

"Of course I mean the White Fang! They are malcontents and troublemakers."

"They are a civil rights group, Jacques. They're hardly criminals."

"They might as well be. Their presence here is a direct affront toward both the SDC and the Schnee family." He bristled as he said that, and Weiss did the same beside him, unconsciously feeding off her father's anger. Jaune had to hold back his disappointment.

 _She won't grow up like that,_ he reminded himself. _I can't expect her to be perfect now, when she's an eleven year old girl being raised by someone who hates the faunus._ Weiss had already proven herself in the future. She would in this time, too.

"Better, then, that they be in a position to make trouble where we can see them," James said firmly. "Or would you rather they be neglected entirely and have them protest in the streets or try to interrupt a match for their moment of fame?"

"I would rather they be barred entirely."

"They are citizens of Atlas. I will not stand for them being mistreated."

"They should be sent to Menagerie with the rest."

"But if they were, then where would you get your cheap labour, Jacques? I'm sure you wouldn't want to have to pay people reasonable wages for back-breaking work in dangerous conditions. It would just be _terrible_ if you actually became a respectable employer, after all."

Jacques bristled. "How dare you!"

The two SDC private guards behind them moved as well, only subtly, but their hands moved towards their weapons nonetheless. Jaune was immediately between them, a hand on each of their shoulders. He tried for a calm, peaceful face, but he was fairly sure he'd failed and brought out one that practically _begged_ them to escalate the situation.

"Now, now," Ozpin interrupted, rapping his cane on the floor. "Another round begins. I'm sure we can all agree it would set a poor example for us to squabble like children."

Jacques and James leaned back, though not without their own gruff assents. Jaune echoed his employer, fixing each of the SDC guards with a glare that promised more than a pat on the shoulder if they dared try that again. As a new fight began, Jaune took his position at the back wall once more, sighing at how frustrating this whole thing was. He hated playing nice, especially when he wanted nothing more than to be busy somewhere else.

Judging from the look on Ironwood's face, he was in complete agreement.

/-/

Summer smiled as Ruby went on and on about the last fight, chatting away to Emerald while animatedly throwing her arms around and making gunshot sounds. Her little daughter was adorable like that, though she wasn't sure Emerald agreed. She did tolerate Ruby, though, which appeared to be more than she did for most people. Even Summer.

"Precocious little squirt," Qrow whispered. "Who does she belong to again?"

"I've told you, she's the daughter of someone I know." Summer felt some amusement at the exasperated look on her teammate's face. While Tai had been willing to accept her excuse that it was a secret, Qrow was much less patient and always wanted to know what was going on. "And she's not so bad," Summer defended. "Ruby can be a lot for anyone to handle. At least she's willing to put up with her."

"Yeah, though it looks like someone is jealous." Qrow nodded to Yang and grinned. Her eldest was sat on the other side of Ruby and didn't look at all pleased to have her little sister gushing to someone other than her. Normally, it wouldn't have been an issue. Ruby could be too much for Yang at times, but the fact it was _Emerald_ of all people seemed to have set Yang into a fearsome pouting session.

"She's just not used to Ruby being that forward with someone else," Summer said. "I don't think she realises Ruby is just excited to have someone new to speak to."

"Ha. She looks like she thinks Ruby is going to abandon her." Qrow winked to her and shuffled over onto the seat next to Yang, snagging an arm around her shoulders while she wasn't looking and rubbing a fist into her hair. Yang went ballistic, as expected, but Qrow held on and had her giggling as he tickled her a moment later.

Summer watched it with a wide smile. Qrow was so good with his nieces. It really was a shame he hadn't found someone to settle down with, and not only so that she could be an auntie. He'd make someone really happy.

"Should I be worried that you keep looking at Qrow like that?" Taiyang asked, finally returning with some snacks.

Summer punched his arm and smiled. "Maybe I'm thinking of trading you in."

"Then I hope you'd at least go for a younger model." He leaned in to kiss her. Predictably, Yang and Ruby both saw and began to complain loudly. Kids. Taiyang leaned back and rolled his eyes, earning another laugh from her.

They settled down to watch the last few fights, some of which were excellent and one or two of which fell below expectations. That didn't seem to matter to Ruby, who watched every fight like it was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen. Yang eventually relaxed (or was distracted enough) to get lost in the fights, too.

It surprised her that Jaune's daughter didn't. Emerald would watch, but there was never any excitement in her, and on some of the less impressive fights she looked downright scornful. _I wonder if that means he's started her training already. Still, it's a little early for her to be dismissing them._

Summer wasn't an idiot, and she was fairly sure Tai and Qrow had figured out that not everything was right with Emerald. If she hadn't heard the line from Jaune about picking her up off the street, she might have been more worried. As it was, she could only assume the adoption was fairly recent, and that Emerald hadn't had the best start to life. Sometimes she didn't seem like a child anymore.

 _And then sometimes she does,_ Summer thought with amusement, as Qrow passed on some sweets from Taiyang, divvying them up between the three girls. Emerald looked startled to be offered any, but happily munched down on the candy, her eyes widening, and then closing in apparent bliss. Qrow caught Summer looking and winked.

Kids, she thought again, smiling the whole time.

/-/

Winter was on cloud nine as the third day of the tournament drew to a close. She didn't let it show, but anyone who knew her would be able to tell, if only because of how she moved; not with intense discipline, but with an excited haste.

" _A Schnee should not celebrate in so puerile a manner,"_ she could imagine her father saying. _"A Schnee is expected to succeed. Anything less is failure. Fulfilling your role is no cause for celebration."_

A few years back those words might have been enough to slow her down, make her pause and to bring a frown to her face. Now, they didn't register. She kept moving, eyes scanning the crowds leaving the colosseum. Since she was competing, she wasn't in uniform, which meant she didn't need to work or hold position, nor salute every dignitary that came by. She still did, showing what respect they deserved, but her eyes were focused more on the stairs from the VIP box than anything else.

And then she saw them. Her father came first, flanked by two guards with Weiss between them. She knew he saw her, but he didn't spare her so much as a nod and kept walking. Weiss tried to come over to her, but Jacques' hand clamped down on her shoulder. He whispered something Winter could not hear and Weiss wilted.

" _Later,"_ Winter mouthed to her little sister. _"I promise."_ She held out her little finger subtly. Weiss caught it, a silent code between sisters, and cheered up immeasurably.

It shouldn't have been enough; not at all. Weiss deserved better than that, and better than to be dragged around and denied a chance to connect with her sister. _I deserve more, as well,_ Winter thought, in a rare moment of rebellion. It was not just Weiss who suffered.

Winter saluted to Ozpin and Ironwood as they came down.

"At ease," Ironwood immediately said. He flashed her a quick smile once she'd lowered her arm. "Good work out there, Specialist. Keep it up."

"I will, sir," she replied. Hearing the title again, even if it wasn't yet official, made her stand a little taller.

"I'd like to extend my own congratulations as well," Headmaster Ozpin said. "Remnant has need of skilled huntresses like you."

"Thank you." Winter kept her smile up, even if his words brought a little discomfort. Remnant did need huntresses, but that was not the career she had chosen. Should that bother her? No. No, she didn't think so. Huntress or Specialist; she would still be using her skills to protect the people.

"Come now, Ironwood, I doubt Miss Schnee wants to spend her hard-earned free time posturing for us."

"I'm sure she doesn't," Ironwood said. He shot her a knowing look. "Very well, Winter. Should you mysteriously happen to see Ashari, tell him he is dismissed for the evening."

"I will, sir," Winter said, almost flushing at the insinuation. Yes, she'd come to see her mentor, but that wasn't anything to be embarrassed about, nor was it something she felt she deserved to be teased over. She was his assistant. It was expected she seek him out.

Shaking it off, Winter stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting with admirable patience. Once the soldiers tasked to guard the box began to leave, her eyes lit up. There, at the back, stood Jaune Ashari, offering some last orders to an Atlas Soldier as they came down the staircase. He caught her eye as he did, smiled, whispered something more to the soldier, and patted the young man's back. He strode over toward Winter, and despite that she was not in uniform, and his casual demeanour, Winter struck a salute.

"Sir. Captain Ironwood informed me that you are dismissed from duty for the rest of the evening."

"I should hope so. My legs are killing me after standing ramrod straight for four and a half hours." Jaune rolled his eyes. "Why are you standing to attention for me? Do I really need to tell you not to after how long we've been working together?"

"I suppose not." Winter relaxed, though only a little. Her stomach was in knots. "How was it…?"

"Hm?"

"The fights," she prodded.

"Oh, they were interesting. Were you asking about one in particular?"

Winter stood a little taller, the better to look down her nose at him. She wanted to stomp her foot but such an action was beneath her. "You are teasing me," she accused instead. "Stop it."

Jaune smiled. "I've no idea what you mean."

He was going to make her ask, wasn't he? It wasn't enough that he knew what she wanted, but now she'd have to say it out loud. Winter scowled and crossed her arms, trying to fight it off. She could just refuse to do so. She didn't need anyone's approval, least of all his.

But she wanted it. That was undeniable.

Heat crept up her neck.

"My fight," she whispered, hoping no one else would hear. "What did you think of my fight?"

"I think your teammate wasn't very good. She got taken down almost immediately."

"Our opponents were third year," Winter protested, feeling at least a small obligation to defend her temporary partner. "And I was not asking what you thought of her display. I… I was asking what you thought of _my_ fight. My performance."

Jaune's grin told her he'd gotten everything he wanted and more. Curse him for that, and for making her bare herself like this.

"I think you already know what I think, Winter. You know me well enough to guess."

She did.

She knew exactly what he'd say. There was no doubt, really, in which case it was strange she felt the need to ask, and that she felt nervous at what his answer might be. She'd accredited herself fantastically. Even Ozpin and Ironwood had said so. There was no way Jaune was going to come out and say she'd done poorly. Even if she had, he would have lessened the blow. Winter knew with one hundred per cent certainty that he was proud of her and pleased with how she'd done.

Theoretically, she did not need him to come out and say that.

It wasn't strictly necessary...

Winter glanced away, embarrassed. "I would have it said…"

"Fishing for compliments?"

Winter refused to be baited. It wasn't entirely like that.

Well… it was, but it wasn't.

"You were amazing, Winter."

Okay, never mind, she could feel her face heat up. The knots in her stomach had become butterflies now and she shifted awkwardly. Thank goodness her father wasn't here to see so shameful a display.

"You controlled the fight from the start, reacted admirably to being outnumbered, wore down your opponents and took them out only after you'd considered and analysed their style. Through it all, you were able to fend both off at once."

"A-Ah, it was no big thing…"

"It was. You've done more than I could at your age. In fact, you're better than I was at seventeen."

"You flatter me," she said, refusing to meet his eyes. She crossed her arms and pouted, embarrassed at the silly praise. "If you should continue, I'll only gain an inflated ego."

"I'm telling the truth."

"Even so, you did not have to go that far."

"I think I did. You really were incredible. I'm proud of you, Winter. I'm proud to count you as a student, even if I think you could have gotten this far without me."

Nonsense. Absolute fiction. In years perhaps, but only after experience gained through loss and heartache. Her mentor, her teacher, never understood how much his tutelage meant to her. Still, with him watching her with an amused smile, she couldn't help but glower at him. "You're enjoying this. Embarrassing me."

"You're the one who kept prodding me for compliments," he pointed out with a cheeky grin.

Blood rushed to Winter's face.

She could not deny the accusation.

/-/

"You know, I expected worse," Jaune said.

"I intended worse," Echo countered. "But then I realised how little energy I had left after all the shit with the festival, and I figured I couldn't be bothered." He took a swig of his bottle and pointed it at Jaune. "Count yourself lucky, ass-features."

"Your insults are losing their edge."

"Fucking festival. It's taking everything from me. First my time, then my energy and now my mojo."

The others laughed, and Jaune did too, along with Echo once he realised the stupidity of what he'd just said. The five members of Team November were elbows deep in a bar, sloshed beyond recognition and well on their way to an evening worshipping the toilet bowl. After a kick-ass dinner paid for and provided by Ironwood and a few rounds of pool at the local, he'd been dragged out on what had to be the cruellest game of pub golf he'd ever been on.

Not that he'd ever experienced it in the first place, what with him hitting eighteen around the time the whole sodding world was ending.

Still, given all the veiled threats from Delta and Echo, he really had expected a whole lot worse, like strippers, a lap dance and maybe even terrifying pictures that would haunt him as blackmail for the rest of his life. In a moment of drunken stupidity, he pointed that out.

"I vetoed the strippers," Foxtrot said from her seat beside him. They were hip to hip, though only because of the lack of room and the fact no one cared anymore. Delta was on his other side and was practically leaning on him.

"Because she's no fucking fun," Echo groused.

"No, because this was supposed to be a party for all of us. I told you if you found a male stripper, I'd be down."

"We don't want naked ding-dongs in our face while we're drinking."

"And I don't want saggy tits in mine," Foxtrot countered archly. "They may be the most exciting things in the universe to you, but to me they're back pain."

Charlie put his pint down and smirked. "Echo is only excited because he's never seen a pair outside of a porn movie."

"Oooh!" Delta laughed, giving Charlie a well-deserved high-five. "Shit, man. Burn."

"I have too seen a pair!"

"Your own don't count."

Jaune and the others laughed, especially when Echo pouted and cupped his chest like a porn star might – which to be fair was as flat as could be, given his fitness – and adopted what a drunkard might consider a seductive tone. "Fuck you. My breasts are beautiful."

"Don't listen to them, baby," Foxtrot crooned. "Us girls have to stick together."

They burst into raucous laughter again. In the dim part of his mind Jaune was aware the jokes weren't _that_ funny, but the dim part of his mind was swimming in alcohol and would have giggled at a fart joke. He threw an arm around both Foxtrot and Delta as he laughed, and Delta echoed it by lifting up his glass to Jaune's lips, chanting "Chug, chug, chug" until there was no more.

The rest all cheered when he was done.

It was his leaving party, and despite everything he knew would be coming, he had to admit he was going to miss these bastards. Somewhere deep inside, the logical part of him roused from its drunken stupid and _begged_ him not to get up on the table and give a heartfelt speech. He listened to it, but only because he wasn't sure he _could_ climb onto the table without slipping off and breaking his neck. It was covered with ashtrays, pint glasses and rows of shot glasses anyway.

He was surprised the proprietor hadn't tossed them out yet, though that probably had something to do with the fact they were a) Specialists and b) Spending more lien than anyone else in the whole pub. Didn't hurt that they were all fighting fit either, he supposed, since he'd seen more than a few girls giving Delta and Echo appreciative looks, and there were plenty of guys doing the same to Foxtrot. Delta noticed him noticing the people who were noticing them – Jaune's brain died for a moment as he tried to figure out how that worked – and elbowed him in the side.

"Thinking of taking someone home?" he quipped, not nearly as quietly as he thought he probably thought he was being. The Specialist almost fell across him as he said it, only rescued by Charlie catching him.

Jaune's cheeks flushed. Well, they'd been flushed before, but now they went a little redder. "W-What? No way."

"Why not? Some of them are pretty hot."

"You're drunk," Jaune said, pushing him away. "You'd call a lamp post hot."

"Atlas architecture _is_ pretty sexy. But seriously, live a little. I don't think you've even had a girlfriend since you joined us. You'll be leaving soon. Don't you want to leave some fond memories behind or something?" Delta wriggled his eyebrows. "Or have you been holding out on us and banging some hot babes without telling us? You realise that's a felony, right."

"Yeah?"

"It is," Echo confirmed. "When Charlie met his missus, we teased him for months. It's something of a law that you need to go through it."

"You still take the piss now," Charlie grunted, "And it's been six fucking years."

"Details, man. Details." Delta leaned on Jaune's shoulder. "So, how many…?"

"How many what?" Jaune asked.

"How many women you been with, duh?"

"I'll bring out the calculator," Echo teased. "Yo, Foxtrot. What's the rule again?"

"Divide by three," the brunette at his side said with a wide grin. "Whatever number a guy says, you divide it by three to get the truth. Multiply it if a woman answers."

"Ready," Echo quipped. "So, what's the answer?"

Jaune shrugged. "None."

Silence. Complete silence.

At least until Echo spoke. "Error? Shit, I think my scroll is broken."

"It's not broken, idiot," Foxtrot sighed. "You can't divide by zero. Outside of theoretical math," she hissed when Charlie opened his mouth to argue.

"Wait, not a single lay in two and a half years?" Delta looked horrified. "Dude, how backed up are you? When was the last time you even _had_ sex."

Jaune's silence was telling.

"You _have_ had sex, right?" Delta asked. "And not just with your hand."

Jaune's answer was to shove said hand into the idiot's face. His cheeks were burning even as Delta fell off the chair and Echo – along with two thirds of the bar – burst out laughing. It helped distract people from what he'd not said, though that didn't do much to protect him from his own team.

"Jaune, seriously?" Echo asked. "You have a fucking kid and you're a virgin? That's like… immaculate conception or something. You've got the worst bits of being married. You get the sleepless nights of having a kid and no sleepless nights due to broken bedsprings. You risk your life on every mission we go out on, and you what, come home to read and watch TV? Babysit your kid and go to bed?"

"Emerald doesn't cause a fuss."

"Stop changing the subject. What the hell, man? You risk your life on a daily basis. Don't tell me you're too _afraid_ to talk to a girl."

"It's not that…"

"Then what?"

"I just…" Jaune sighed and ran a hand over his face. He was still out of it thanks to the booze, and maybe that was what helped him continue speaking when normally he'd have brushed it all off. "I don't have the time. I never had the time."

"What about before Atlas?" Foxtrot asked. "Was there no one you liked?"

"There was, but like I said, there was never a good moment. There was this girl once… I liked her and she liked me, loved me. I didn't even realise it until the last second."

They weren't idiots. They could sense the tone. "What happened?" Charlie asked.

"Died. Killed. Kissed me and then went off to fight someone stronger than her. I never saw her again."

"Fuck," Echo said.

"There was never a chance for more after that," he went on, spilling his story without really thinking. "Next thing I knew we were out looking for the bitch who did it to her. Travelled a lot, grew stronger, fought people that were way too strong for us. There was another girl I might have come to have feelings for, had things gone better…" Ruby. Toward the end he'd though there might have been something there, that there might have been a hint of feelings beyond friendship between them, shared in brief moments where their eyes would meet or their fingers touch.

But it never worked out.

"She got killed as well. We never had a chance to see if it would work." He sighed and took another long drink. He was aware they were waiting on his every word, cigarette smoke lazily coiling around a table that had become deadly quiet. "After that, I… I don't know. Just never really felt any interest in that kind of thing. I've been wandering around trying to make things right. Trying to fix things. I picked up Emerald in Vale, came here to get my huntsman license and… well, you know the rest."

There was a long moment with no response as his team absorbed his words. Eventually, Charlie took a long drag on his cigarette and pushed the stub down into the ashtray. "You're still looking for the ones responsible. You're going to kill them."

Jaune shrugged.

"Fuck sake," Delta spat. "There's a lot of shit out there. No matter what we do, Remnant's still an absolute mess."

"It's the way things are," Jaune said. "It's fine. There's nothing anyone here could have done. Anyway, I'm not on some revenge warpath or anything; wouldn't be wasting two and a half years here if I was. I'm just trying to collect the pieces and move on, learn some skills while I'm at it."

Plan for the future, adapt, and then prevent it from happening.

"Makes sense," Echo said. "Sure I speak for everyone here when I say if you _do_ find something, you give us a call. Don't go losing yourself running into trouble when you could have us at your back."

"Thanks, but I don't think the people I'm looking for are going to be in Atlas."

"Doesn't matter," Charlie said. "We can take a holiday and come down if we need to. Delta's right. Once you're on the team, you never leave it. We'll have your back if you need it. You've done the same for us plenty of times."

Jaune's smile was watery. His eyes, too. He told himself it was just the smoke.

"Thanks…"

"To old friends," Echo suddenly said, holding a glass high. "Those here and those who have passed. Never forget them, but we're here having fun because that's what they'd want us to be doing. They're probably watching us even now, laughing as we make asses of ourselves." He waved a fist in the air. "I'm onto you, ye bastards!"

It was silly, dramatic, and designed as nothing more than a way to cheer him up.

But he was right, and they absolutely would.

"Cheers!"

/-/

Two hours later found the five of them drunkenly staggering down the street, arms looped around one another and singing horrendously off-key. A few locals gave them odd looks but wisely chose not to question lest they be dragged in for a chorus. It wasn't even that late, but they'd started drinking early, knowing they all had to be up the next morning for work anyway. The group parted at a corner with a taxi rank, working out their routes home.

"I'm not far from here," Jaune said. "I can walk it."

"Me too," Foxtrot added, still with an arm around him. She wasn't so much propping Jaune up as they were one another.

"Don't stay out too late, kiddos," Delta laughed, staggering into the taxi with the other two. Echo leaned out the back window and blew dramatic kisses at them as the car pulled away. The last they saw of him was with one hand out, waving a handkerchief like someone departing on a great journey.

It took another twenty minutes for the two of them to stagger back to his, laughing and tripping along the way, catching themselves on the odd wall or lamp post, and then giggling at imaginary jokes. They reached his apartment, somehow navigated the stairs and got to the door, where it took four or five tries to get the key into the slot.

"Want a drink?" he offered.

"Water."

A quick stagger to the fridge had them both with a bottle.

"No Emerald?" Foxtrot asked.

"Not with me going out all night. Winter offered to let her bunk over." Jaune slumped onto the couch and fell back, lying down with one arm over his eyes in an attempt to blot out the angry glare of the lights above.

A weight settled on him. Lacking any seat on the couch, Foxtrot chose to sit bodily on his stomach.

"Why?" he asked drunkenly.

"Comfortable."

He blinked. "Makes sense."

"I thought Winter and Emerald hated one another."

"Still do. Sort of." It was a bit complicated, but between her staying with Winter or Summer (or Yang, more specifically), Emerald had made the obvious choice. "I think she sees Winter as the lesser of two evils."

"Good."

"Good?" he asked, curious. "Good she's making friends?"

"No. Good she's not here." Foxtrot put the bottle of water down and shifted atop him, lying bodily beside him, their noses practically touching. Jaune swallowed, suddenly aware of how warm she was, and how her breath mingled with his. "I don't fancy walking home tonight."

"And you want to borrow Emerald's bed?"

She giggled. "There's no way you're this dense."

Jaune's words were tense. "I think I might be…"

"You're not. You're just nervous. Or worried you've got it wrong." Auburn hair, gently curling, brushed against his cheeks. Foxtrot leaned down with a smile. Her hair filled his vision, blinding him. Jaune gasped when something hot and wet settled on his neck. "You haven't got it wrong. Not if this is what you're thinking." Teeth grazed his skin as she dragged her mouth from the side of his neck to right over his throat, where she licked him and bit down.

His hands snapped to her shoulders immediately. "Foxtrot, don't-"

"Don't what?" She paused. "Do you want me to leave? Say so and I will."

He didn't. There was no way he could with the feelings raging through him. His body reacted in a way it hadn't for what felt like, and probably had been, years. He'd not even _thought_ about this since Pyrrha died, too lost in the battle against Salem. Now, all his hormones, which he'd long thought forgotten, were going wild.

But he didn't want her to stop.

"You're drunk," he said. "You don't want this. You'll regret it."

"You're such an idiot." She chuckled gently and leaned down again. She kissed and nipped at his neck, all the while running a hand down to his shirt, popping open two buttons. "I'm not some blushing virgin. I'm an adult. I've done this before."

"Pity, then," he gasped, entire body vibrating as she trailed her nails over his chest. "I don't want to be someone's pity."

Foxtrot sighed and pushed up. Not off him, just up enough that she brought her elbows down on either side of his face and propped her own above his. Her brown eyes were flat, her hair mixing with his and her perfume dazzling his senses. He couldn't quite take his eyes off her lips. They were wet, sparkling and inviting.

"I think you overestimate my sympathy," those lips said, forming each word softly. "I'm not that nice of a person. This isn't pity."

"Then what is it?"

"Desire."

Jaune choked on air.

Her gaze on him was suddenly very flat. "The girl who liked you before; she must have been tearing her hair out at how dense you are. I've been trying to catch your attention for almost a year now."

"Y-You have?"

"Fucking idiot…" Foxtrot leaned down and pressed her lips to his. Pyrrha's kiss had been chaste and filled with despair and love. This wasn't. This was hot, needy and filled with promise. Dark promises. What was more, her hands didn't settle on his cheeks, but rather roamed down his body, elicting all sorts of responses. Unbidden, his hands did the same, running down her back.

When she parted for air, her cheeks were flushed with colour. Her brown eyes were lidded dangerously.

"Bedroom. Now."

It was not a request.

/-/

His white ceiling stared down at him. Jaune stared back, challenging it. It won the staring match and he looked away, down to his right, where brown hair spooled across his chest and hot breath washed over his bare skin.

Holy shit.

Jaune idly noted he had a hangover, but that didn't bother him as it normally would have, not with a warm body curled up beside him, one smooth leg over and between his and an arm thrown across him. His right arm was under her and had pins and needles. It begged him to move it away. His mind begged him not to, since pain or not, he had a beautiful woman at his side.

Holy shit.

The alarm on his bedside blared angrily. He almost killed it then and there. Six in the morning was a gruesome time on any day, but especially after a long night drinking. He wanted to snuggle back down but knew better. The Vytal Festival wouldn't wait for him, or for Foxtrot.

She stirred beside him and groaned, digging her face into him for a few seconds before she slowly realised where she was. He could see the exact moment – first where eyes widened in panic, then, as she remembered, becoming lidded once more. She spooned a little closer and drew a deep breath, before she pulled back, trailing her fingertips over his chest as she did.

"Good morning," she whispered.

"Yeah," he replied stupidly. "It is."

Her smile said she'd caught that and thought it funny. The white bed sheets slipped down, exposing her fully to him, from her creamy shoulders to her perfectly formed breasts and flat stomach. His mouth ran dry, and then drier even still when she brought both hands up over her head and stretched luxuriously. It did… _interesting_ things to her body.

"Enjoying the show?"

"A-Ah… Well…"

"I don't mind if you look."

Good, because he was looking. Oh, but he was looking. Foxtrot slid over to the side of the bed and swung her long, smooth legs over the side. Still completely naked, she stretched again and followed it up with a long yawn. He heard her bones crack a little as she did. Somehow, he felt more awake just watching her.

"Help me with my hair?" she asked.

"S-Sure." He couldn't have hurried over faster, though he did hesitate on how to sit for a moment, before she tugged his legs over on either side of her, her body sitting practically in his lap. "You want it in a braid or a pony-tail?" He'd seen her wear both.

"Just a tail for now," she yawned.

Jaune nodded and fought down his libido, gently taking her hair and parting it, running his fingers through to tease out any knots. As he did, his eyes inevitably trailed down over her body, where from his angle behind her, he had a clear view of the swell of her breasts. She was beautiful, but her body was not smooth. There were scars that dotted her shoulders, and now that he looked closely a very deep one on her back, just under her right arm. It looked like a bullet had gone through, just missing her lung.

He had to remind himself she wasn't a student. She was a grown woman, a Specialist, and she had the experience of many years on the job – not to mention the scars to prove it. He doubted he was any better.

"You're surprisingly good at this," Foxtrot hummed, head tilted to one side to give him better access.

"I had seven sisters I had to help around the house. Sapphire, the eldest, always wore a single braid. Sometimes she'd let me help with it."

"Had?" she asked.

Jaune's hands stilled. His sisters were still alive now, but they weren't _his_ sisters. There would be another Jaune, a young and innocent Jaune, who even now might be helping to braid his big sister's hair. Even if they were still alive and happy, they would never be close to him, just like Pyrrha would never be _his_ partner again, and Ruby might never be a friend.

"Had," he confirmed, slipping the elasticated ribbon into place. Job done, he let his hands rest on her shoulders, his thumb running over her scarred, yet somehow still smooth, skin. "I'm on my own now."

"You don't have to be."

"I know." He laughed. "And I guess I'm not. I count all of Team November as a second family. An annoying and drunk one, but family nonetheless."

"You could have an actual family." Her head tilted, just enough for him to see one of her eyes. She leaned back into him. "I'd give you one. If you stayed."

"Foxtrot…"

"I'd give myself to you. So… stay?"

In his head, he could imagine a world in which he said yes. He could imagine a world in which he stayed in Atlas with her, with Team November, a world in which he accepted the joy he felt within, embraced the love.

Pyrrha and Ruby were urging him to accept it. He knew that. They had not sacrificed themselves so that he could live a tortured existence. They would want him to be happy. But that was unfair. It was selfish. Why were they allowed to give their lives for him, but he not in return? Why did everyone but he have to die?

He could imagine that world, and he knew it would make him happy.

"I can't. I'm… I'm sorry."

"I know." She pressed her face to his chest, cheek to his heartbeat. "I think I already knew, but… I'd have hated myself if I never asked. You have something you need to do. That's obvious. Everyone has seen it, even Ironwood."

"I'm sorry," Jaune repeated. It didn't feel like enough. "I really am."

Foxtrot turned with a sad smile. She stepped into him and pushed him back down onto the bed, her atop, one knee beside him as she leaned down to press her nose to his. "I am too," she said, breathing the words directly into his mouth. Her eyes flicked to the clock on the side. "We still have half an hour. One last time… for the road?"

He drew her down. Their lips touched once more, as did every part of their bodies. The night before, their kisses had been passionate, filled with need and lust.

Now, they were filled with sorrow.

Filled with goodbyes.

/-/

Nothing was sacred in Team November. Foxtrot and he had arrived at Amity together, and even though they'd cleaned up and hidden everything well, a single look at Echo and his dancing eyebrows told them it wasn't successful.

Luckily, they all had their places to hold and quickly hurried off, Jaune to the VIP box, Charlie to the White Fang still and everyone else to their own positions. He caught Foxtrot's eyes and smiled before she left, and was relieved when she returned it easily.

They were both of them used to pain, he supposed. As much as it hurt, nothing would come between them for it. Everything that needed to be said, they'd said. And what they hadn't had been proven in a far more effective manner.

Jaune reached the VIP box soon after, finding himself there early and alone. It wouldn't last for long, so he checked his scroll and wrote a quick message to Emerald, just asking if she was okay. He got a response back not four minutes later. The night with Winter had been `fine` and there was nothing more to say. He couldn't even tell if she was angry, happy or normal.

Was this what it felt like to have a child? He already dreaded the teenage years.

"Jaune," Ironwood greeted, the first to arrive.

"Sir."

They might have spoken some more but for several other people arriving, most members of the Atlas Council, though there were at least some guests from each Kingdom. Even Vacuo had sent a few ambassadors if nothing else. Ironwood went back to playing host to those, deflecting any praise as to Atlas' performance with easy humility and mentions of young talent.

Ozpin was the last to arrive and did so with Jacques Schnee. It appeared they'd been conversing beforehand, because Ozpin had an overly neutral look on his face that spoke of one forced to deal with something unpleasant for reasons of diplomacy. When Jacques chose to settle down next to Ozpin instead of on the other side of Ironwood, the headmaster's eyes twitched.

 _Poor Ozpin. I wouldn't wish that asshole on my worst enemy._

If the headmaster thought Jacques was bad now, he should see him in fifteen years' time. There were many who fell when the war dragged on, but there were some who saw _advantage_ in the carnage. Jacques Schnee was one such monster. Even his son had turned on him at the end.

And been killed for it…

Just another thing he'd have to change, but murder wasn't the answer. The SDC could be a force for good if someone other than him got a hand on it.

Luckily, it kept Ozpin's attention off him and on Jacques, or on the fights once those started. The one versus one rounds were always the most exciting, even if they weren't as visually stunning. Jaune busied himself in trying to recognise any of the competitors but not a single one jogged his memory, them being too far before his time. Some held promise, especially those from Beacon. Atlas held itself well though, and the others weren't overly outclassed.

But like the days before, it was Winter who truly dominated the competition. She tore through her first opponent in mere minutes, revealing no openings or mistakes anyone else could look to exploit. As the numbers dwindled, she fought again – a longer match this time, but still one heavily weighted in her favour. Her Vacuan opponent was strong and burly, requiring her to bring his aura down piece by piece until he was weak enough for her to strike a finishing blow.

It became increasingly obvious what one half of the finals was going to look like, and more than a few were sending his student wary looks. This year's festival looked to be firmly in the bag for Atlas. Jaune wondered if it wasn't just a little treacherous of him to root for that.

"It seems your student is performing well," Ozpin said, voice raised in a manner that made it clear who he was talking to. Jaune sighed and stepped forward, away from the wall and behind the headmaster. Ozpin could see him in the reflection of the glass, as could Jaune the other way around.

Jacques was watching, too. His face gave little away, other than a general sense of disdain. Even in his white and gold uniform, epaulettes on display, he was apparently not good enough to share the same air as the businessman. It was Weiss who amused him the most, however. She tried not to look at him but clearly was, and there was a mixture of surprise, pride, and also a little defiance.

He could imagine it being at the thought her `perfect older sister` _needed_ a teacher to be as strong as she was. Ah, Weiss with her worship. It was a sight worth coming back for.

"I'm proud of her," he said.

"As you should be. I'll say again that you would make a fine teacher."

"Ozpin…" Ironwood interrupted, eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't be trying what I think you're trying, would you?"

"Beacon is always on the lookout for new talent."

"Again, I appreciate the offer, but I have other plans in mind."

If he'd wanted to be a teacher, he'd have stayed here with Team November and Foxtrot. He would have made a life for himself.

"Can I not change your mind? I would be happy to show you around Beacon, no cost to yourself, of course."

Jaune almost said he was familiar with Beacon but held back. There was no telling how far back Ozpin's control over the school went. It was entirely possible he'd been the headmaster there for the last four or five generations, using his ability to take over each subsequent head, or growing his new host up to that skill level, leaving the in between years in the hands of trusted intermediaries like Glynda. He couldn't claim to be or ever have studied in Beacon. Ozpin would know.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "The life of a teacher isn't for me."

"Leave it be, Oz," Ironwood said. "Ashari has his plans and it's not our place to question them. And besides, if I thought it would be that easy, I'd have had him working in Atlas Academy months ago. It'll be a rare day when you can afford to hire a teacher out from under my nose."

Ozpin's smile gave nothing away. He bowed his head in apparent surrender. "As you say. Thank you for considering the offer either way."

"It's fine. I-" Jaune cut off, suddenly realising that the stadium was in near silence. Not the VIP box, but the audience itself. There was confused murmuring, the odd mumble and a general sense of unease.

The others saw it too and Ironwood rose to his feet, hand reaching for his scroll. Ozpin frowned and Jacques Schnee rested his hands in his lap, eyes narrowed. Down in the arena stood Winter and her opponent, a girl from Vale who would make up the semi-final match. Their bout had not begun, for the large, holographic screen which portrayed their names and aura was blank. It had switched off.

"A mechanical fault?" Ozpin enquired. Even to Jaune's ears, it sounded like the headmaster didn't believe his own excuse.

No. Amity wouldn't falter like that and everything was organised down to the tee. He knew it was, since he'd been one of the ones to handle that. The screen was run by an operator, and that wasn't something which could break down.

The screen flickered and came to life – but it was not with the aura graphs and emblems.

It was a blue screen with a white logo in the centre. An animal's head, the nose tilted down, surrounded by a white ring. The image shimmered and moved, as though it were a flag billowing. Before their eyes, the flag caught fire, burning away to reveal nothing but black.

And then, from the darkness, a new logo appeared – the same head, but snarling now, the teeth more numerous and sharpened to deadly points. There were three lines through it, like an animal's claws slicing down.

"The White Fang?" Ironwood asked, uncertain.

Jaune took a step forward, eyes wide. Ironwood wasn't wrong, but he wasn't right either. It was the White Fang, but not as they'd known them. Not as _these people_ knew them.

The White Fang had been born anew. Three years ahead of schedule. An impossible change in the timeline, one that couldn't be missed. One in which only one outlier could be the cause. Him. Jaune stared at the symbol as a terrible feeling tore into his gut.

 _What have I done?_

The explosions began a moment later.

The screams came soon after.

* * *

 **Edit: Since so many are asking, I'll just say that yes, I'm aware Jaune is still calling Team November by code names. There is a reason for that.**

 **Welp. That escalated fast. I always intended most of the festival to be skipped, which I'm sure surprised some, but has hopefully relieved more in that we won't be having a deluge of unimportant fights we don't really care about the outcome of.**

 **And hey, what does the cliff-hanger ending even matter when the real thing happened earlier? Jaune losing his virginity – travelling through time and space to do so.**

 **Salem: "THAT'S MAH BOI!"**

 **In before it turns out Foxtrot has a daughter, and that daughter is called Pyrrha. Minds Blown.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 7th July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	15. Chapter 15

**Oh Gods, I can't believe I have to say this, but that bit at the end of last chapter in the notes was a joke – an absolute joke. Foxtrot is not Pyrrha's mom and he hasn't just conceived of Pyrrha. It was just a little joke pointing out how embarrassing time travel** _ **could**_ **be.**

 **Also, just a reminder because a few forgot it, but it's actually been eight months since the protests scene with Adam and Blake, and almost three** _ **years**_ **since Jaune joined Team November. The chapters have been skip-heavy so we could move the timeline along, but what is two chapters for us is a long time for them.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 15**

* * *

It was happening again.

The Vytal Festival, the White Fang, the screams and the gunfire. Jaune's head pulsed with his heartbeat, sending vibrations through his entire body. Breathing was difficult. Thinking was worse. All he knew was that they were under attack, and that everyone was out there somewhere. Ruby, Yang, Emerald, Pyrrha…

No, that wasn't right. But Pyrrha was waiting for him. If he didn't get to her in time, she'd become the maiden. She would die. He took a step forward. He had to go. Had to get to Beacon. Stop Cinder. Kill Cinder. _Don't send me away, Pyrrha. I can fight now. I can fight with you. Don't send me away and die._

His second step was halted by a strong hand gripping his wrist.

"Ashari!" Ironwood snapped, breaking him out of his waking nightmare. The world came back, so similar and yet different. Atlas, not Vale. The past, not the future. "Snap out of it," Ironwood hissed, releasing him. He tapped his ear, which was right about the time Jaune realised his own receiver was going wild.

" _Jaune!"_ Charlie shouted. _"Jaune, damn it. Report. Report, for fuck's sake!"_

Hand shaking, he touched the earpiece. "J-Jaune here."

" _Thank fuck. I thought you were dead. Is the VIP box secure?"_

"It's secure," he replied, glancing around. The soldiers within had already blocked the entrances, weapons drawn and at the ready, and Jacques Schnee's guards had gone to each of their charges, standing a little in front and to the side, prepared to shield both of the Schnee family members if needs be.

Many of the dignitaries were in states of fear and panic – some desperately calling loved ones on their scrolls while others looked so afraid they might leap through the windows and to their own deaths. Judging from the smell, someone had pissed themselves. Ironwood remained calm, if stiff-backed in his seat. Ozpin sat with a wide frown and one hand on his chin, and to Jaune's surprise, Jacques was also calm, hands placed in his lap as he watched the carnage. Weiss was not, obviously. She gripped her seat and tried to find Winter in the mess below.

" _Good. Foxtrot is en route to the control room to see what happened with the broadcast. She has a team with her. Delta is handling evac of civilians, but Echo is in trouble in the main ring. The attackers are masked faunus claiming to be White Fang."_

Claiming, huh? Jaune wanted to laugh but couldn't. It was amazing how to everyone here, the situation felt so impossible, and yet to him it was the other way around. A peaceful White Fang was the alien being, whereas this monster was oh so familiar.

"I can support Echo."

" _No. You are to control the VIP box and ensure no casualties."_

"But-"

" _No buts,"_ Charlie snapped. _"We all have our roles. Charlie out."_

The call ended with a click.

Bile rose up inside him at the order. Stay, while everyone else was risking their lives? It reminded him of Pyrrha, of how useless he'd been there that she had to send him away with nothing more than a kiss. He'd never seen her again after that. If he'd been stronger, if he hadn't been useless, then she might have trusted him enough to watch her back.

But she didn't. And he was. And she died for it.

That was then and this was now. He hadn't trained so hard his hands bled to stand back and do nothing. The roles had been reserved in a sense. Instead of the student, he was now the teacher, and yet in either case – Pyrrha or Winter – he was left in safety while they risked their lives.

"Ashari." Ironwood's hand touched his wrist again. "They will be _fine_. They are professionals. We have contingencies for this. We _planned_ for this possibility."

"I should be out there. I can help."

"Someone needs to defend the people here."

"I'm not needed for that. You and Ozpin could defend this box on your own if you had to!"

It was a mistake and he knew it but he was too desperate to care. While being a headmaster implied strength, it didn't necessarily guarantee it and Ozpin kept his abilities close to his chest. Even now, Ozpin was listening intently, no doubt questioning how this soldier seemed to know so much about him.

"It is not about what can and can't be done," Ironwood said softly. "It is about the correct course of action. Believe it or not, leaping into the crowd and starting a brutal melee will _not_ help people. Our goal is to evacuate the civilians. Personal feelings come second."

Jaune bit his lip and remained silent. He watched the carnage through the glass windows before him. The bombs had done their business now, and to his surprise there weren't that many who looked to have been killed by them. They were much smaller than what the White Fang had previously used, or would use in the future. They were designed to frighten, not to kill.

And frighten they had, for people were rushing towards the exits in vast waves, pushing one another and trampling people aside in their haste. Atlas soldiers closed around them, white uniforms shielding the people and forming a barrier between them and the masked figures that roamed the stands. Their uniforms weren't complete yet, the white and grey of the White Fang absent. Instead, the aggressors wore normal clothing, shirts, jackets and whatever else came to hand, but always with the white and red mask that had become so distinctive.

The White Fang wasn't supposed to become active for a few more years. That they had spoke of a change, a variable, and he knew of only one that existed in this world – himself. Something he'd done, or something he'd influenced, was the cause of this. Everyone who fell here, no matter the cause, was his fault.

But what could he have done? It didn't make sense!

Jaune Ashari gripped his sword until his knuckles grew white.

/-/

Blake kept her head low as she and Adam were herded out with the civilians. Her heart hammered in her chest and threatened to break out. Her eyes were wide, afraid and watering profusely. Her entire body shook and she was covered in sweat.

Luckily, that wasn't so unusual that anyone called her out on it. Everyone was afraid. Just for different reasons than she.

This… This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

This wasn't what she'd thought it would be like!

"Blake," Adam hissed, catching her elbow. "Damn it, Blake, don't run off like that. I thought you were going to charge back in there!"

"I… I…" She swallowed and looked around nervously. They were in a crowd being pushed towards the Bullheads, surrounded by soldiers protecting them. She didn't deserve to be protected by them given what she was responsible for.

"Snap out of it," Adam said. He shook her violently. "Calm down. We did our job. We're done here."

"B-But all those people."

"Are no longer our responsibility." Adam's face twisted. He was angry, but she could also see a little doubt there as well. He hid it well, but he was as horrified as her, even if neither of them had really been involved.

All they'd done was distract people so that no one would see the other faunus drop their backpacks at key locations.

All they'd done was… kill people…

"I don't like this, Adam," she whispered. "This isn't what I thought it would be like."

"Look, I don't like it either," Adam replied, wrapping an arm around her. "But what can we do? You and I both know no one ever listened when we tried to be nice. We _wanted_ to be, but it didn't work. The only time they ever listened was when the faunus won the war. Humans only listen when you beat them."

She wanted to argue but couldn't. This felt wrong, so very wrong, but Adam was absolutely correct. They'd been exiled to Menagerie before the war, and even though they'd tried time and time again for a peaceful resolution, it never happened. Not until the revolution, until they _won_ their freedom at the tip of sword and spear.

And then when they'd laid down arms and accepted peace, graceful even in victory, the humans had cheated them again. How many times would they continue to do so? Was violence really the only language they understood?

It seemed so…

"I'm scared, Adam. I'm scared of what I might become."

"Don't be." He leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers. They held one another in the tight mass of people, she taking comfort from him, and he simply looking after her, like he always had. "Standing up to people doesn't make you a bad person. We've all got a choice, right? If you ever look like you're about to make the wrong one, I'll stop you and tell you. I'll bring you back. Okay?"

Blake let out a long breath and nodded against his chest.

"You can do the same for me," he joked. "If I ever go off the tracks."

She smiled weakly.

"Okay…"

/-/

"Behind you!"

Winter heeded the warning immediately and dove forward. She hit the ground and rolled back up, facing back. Echo's warning had saved her a nasty wound from a cleaver-wielding faunus in a mask. Winter gauged his stance for a moment and rushed in.

Sparks flew as her sabre met his cleaver, and her eyes widened as instead of trying to push back, he twisted and hooked the curved tip around the back of her weapon. He almost wrenched it out of her hand, and would have but for Jaune's training. Instead of resisting, she flowed with it, moving in close enough to drive a knee into his groin, and then her other hand into his throat. The faunus gurgled and fell back, swinging his cleaver to dissuade a follow-up.

He wasn't prepared for Winter's opponent – a student from Haven she hadn't had the chance to fight – coming in from behind and smashing the flat of a halberd into the back of his head. The faunus slumped.

Winter and her opponent turned ally barely had the chance to share a quick nod before they were beset once more. Their rag-tag group of two students, one Specialist and a few soldiers, some injured, were already surrounded down on the main ring, and Winter's early confidence in an easy victory was beginning to wane. She'd expected these terrorists to be untrained civilians. They were not.

"Fucking vets," Echo cursed in a moment of calm, bought at the expense of a faunus' life as the Specialist pinned him down under one boot and shot three bullets into his skull.

"Veterans?" Winter queried.

"From the faunus wars," he explained quickly. "Lot of people left over from that conflict and it was dark times. White Fang was founded after it to try and foster peace, and having no other prospects, the veterans from the war – the ones who knew nothing but fighting – joined it." Echo reloaded his handgun and scanned the area. "Looks like peaceful protests are off the menu."

"It certainly does," Winter replied, leaping into the fray once more.

Veterans explained why the White Fang were more skilled and organised than she'd expected. Though the faunus had won the faunus wars, or the Faunus Rights Revolution as it was more commonly known, it was widely accepted that their victory had proved hollow. They were allowed to live outside of Menagerie, but people did not take that gracefully, especially those who had lost family to the war.

Their side had its fair share of veterans, too, but the difference was that they'd been brought back into the military, given jobs based on their skills and helped to ease back into normal life. The faunus had not, and for those who left Menagerie to find a new home, they'd been faced only with further discrimination and mistrust. Ironwood had started an initiative to bring faunus veterans into the military in hopes of bridging the gap, but there was only so much he could do, and many of the Generals were against the idea. They still remembered fighting the faunus and didn't want any working under them.

And really, where did that leave someone who only knew how to fight? Slotting back into a civilian life wasn't easy, or so she'd heard. It made for a convenient pool for the White Fang to draw from. It was entirely possible she was fighting someone who had stood at Fort Castle and crushed Lagune's forces.

Funnily enough, Winter didn't feel too pleased about that. It was hard to do so when you were fighting for your life.

"How long do we have to fight here?" she gasped, falling back after disarming her last opponent. He'd fallen back before she could finish the job and she couldn't chase him or she'd put a hole in their formation.

"Reinforcements are en route," Echo said. "Just as soon as they evac the civvies."

"That could take time…"

"Best thing we can do is stay here and fight in the ring. Any faunus down here is a faunus not up there hurting civs."

They were to be bait, then. So be it. Winter drew a deep breath and let it go, recalling the lessons that had been drilled into her. She doubted that she would even be alive right now without them. Either way, she could not fall here. She still needed to prove to him that she was worthy of his time.

Dying would not accomplish that.

With a moment of thought, Winter brought her sabre up before her eyes and concentrated. She'd never grasped it before, at least not with enough skill to use in live combat, but people were relying on her now. She thought of Mr Ashari, Jaune, and the way he would teach her. She thought of his calm eyes and kind words.

Something shifted inside her.

And suddenly, the ring was filled with birds made of purest crystal.

/-/

Taiyang bit back a snarl and ducked under a knife. One foot slammed forward and he surged up, fist _slamming_ into the underside of the bastard's jaw and launching him up into the air. His other hand caught the faunus' ankle before he could be knocked away and hauled him back down. A single stamp was enough to knock the man out, and to shatter his mask.

"Tai!" Summer called, voice agonised. "I've lost them!"

"Shit!" It didn't take a genius to figure out who. In the panic, the pushing, the crowds and the idiots too afraid to pay any attention to their surroundings, Qrow and the kids had been separated from them. It was enough to make him scream in rage but he held back. Better to find them before someone else did. Qrow would lay his life down if he had to, but he was just one huntsman defending two kids. Three, he reminded himself, thinking of the new girl Summer had brought along.

"Split up," Summer gasped as she broke free from the crowd, stumbled and caught up with him. "I'll check lower, you go high." She didn't wait for his response and slapped his back, hurrying down the bleachers.

Taiyang did the same but higher. He tore his scroll free and dialled Qrow's number but there was no answer. It didn't mean much, other than that Qrow was too busy to pick up a call. Or things were too loud for him to hear it.

His eyes scanned the stand for any sign of yellow or green, those two colours being far more distinctive and Ruby sure to be with them. Red wasn't a good pick on account of the blood. Damn it. Damn it all to hell. At least the Atlas soldiers were giving it their best, forming a shield of bodies between the other people and the terrorists. Taiyang hurried up to one who was injured and quickly dispatched the enemy with a devastating blow to the faunus' ribs. Something cracked, quite a few somethings, and the bastard fell.

"T-Thanks," the soldier gritted out. He was bleeding from under his stomach but he tugged something out of a pouch on his armour and slapped it on the wound. He then drove a needle into himself, likely some form of pain relief.

"You gonna be okay?" Taiyang asked.

"Y-Yeah. I've signalled for a medic. I'll be good."

"I'm looking for my daughters," Taiyang explained, and the man paid attention immediately. "One has bright blonde hair in pigtails and the other has silver eyes and reddish-black hair. There's another with them, bright green hair."

"A-Ashari," the man croaked. "E-Emerald Ashari."

The name fit, even if Taiyang wasn't sure why some random soldier would know it off just the colour of her hair. Still, it was convenient. "Yeah, that's her. Have you seen 'em?"

"O-Over that way." The man tried to gesture but couldn't. Taiyang steadied him. "The exit tunnel a little further on," he explained. "There was a man with them, tall, black hair. He was leading them out."

 _Qrow, you magnificent bastard. I could kiss you._

"Were they okay?"

"Some White Fang, but they were a-alive." The soldier gritted his teeth and Taiyang helped prop him up. Another two soldiers hurried up, one with a bag of medical supplies and Taiyang stood, leaving the poor guy with them.

Qrow would be taking the girls out to safety as best he could, but the nearest exit to where they were included a spot where one of the bombs had gone off. There were also a few terrorists in between him and that spot, but that was more their problem than Taiyang's. He slammed his fists together and charged into them. Some wisely fled, recognising him as a huntsman. Others tried to slow him down.

More fool them.

Taiyang's fist crashed into the jaw of one and he kept moving. His hand caught the guy's shoulder and twisted, snapping bone and also hurling the body in the way of a knife coming in from his left. There was a gasp as it sunk into his unfortunate shield, before he kicked both him and the aggressor away and backhanded a hand-axe away from his face. His elbow crashed into the mask of the man who'd tried to cut him a head shorter.

Breaking through, he ran to the tunnel up ahead and quickly caught the sound of clashing steel from within. The first thing he saw was bodies. Bodies of Atlas soldiers covered in blood and White Fang terrorists who experienced a similar fate. Most were dead. Some were on the way to it. Taiyang caught sight of Qrow further down, but he was still on his feet and fighting off against another masked opponent.

But to Taiyang's surprise, his teammate wasn't winning. Not even close.

Qrow deflected the first blow and tried to slip low for a counter, only for his legs to be kicked out. His opponent, who seemed to dual wield knives, managed to twist one around Qrow's guard and stab it into his shoulder. Qrow's aura held, but a loud blast of dust earned a pained cry as the knives fired multiple shots straight into his best friend.

Behind Qrow, huddled against a wall, was Yang, tears streaming down her face. Qrow knew that, which was why even when he was being beaten, he didn't give ground. Qrow took the shots with a pained rasp and struggled to push his foe back.

Taiyang was with him without a second thought. He surged in quick but his opponent was quicker, somehow noticing his approach despite how quiet he was being. He flung Qrow back and dodged away, somersaulting twice and landing on the balls of his feet. Rather than chase, Taiyang caught Qrow and stood before his daughter, smiling at the relieved cry of `Dad` from his little girl.

"You okay?" he hissed.

"Been better," Qrow rasped. He shook his head. "I told Ruby to run."

Taiyang's heart froze. "What?"

"You don't understand. He keeps goin' for her." Qrow nodded to their opponent, who was even now watching them curiously. "As soon as the attack hit, I covered the three and once the bombs were over, tried to get them to the tunnels. Terrorists headed us off but the soldier and I dealt with them. Then this bastard appears. Went for me initially, but got one good look at Ruby and that all changed. He started trying to kill her and only her. I couldn't cover them all on my own. Told the girls to run, and the other girl helped get her out."

Taiyang's eyes slid to Yang. Qrow saw and shook his head.

"Twisted ankle. One of them got through and Yang had to hold him off until I could help her."

Damn it.

Damn it all to hell.

Taiyang wanted nothing more than to stay and care for his daughter, but his other one was still somewhere out there. Except that if he left now, Qrow and Yang would be stuck with this psycho, and he was _nothing_ like the faunus they'd faced before.

Seeing his indecision, Qrow grinned. "Take Yang and go. I've been going easy on him."

That was a lie and Taiyang knew it. Qrow wasn't going to last another five minutes.

There was a soft tap as someone stepped into the passageway. "Daddy?"

Yang gasped. "Ruby, no! Run!"

Taiyang swore and spun towards his youngest, stood in the entranceway with a terrified look on her face, one hand linked nervously with the older girl beside her with green hair. She was alive. She was safe – but Taiyang heard Qrow curse and charge forward, at the exact same moment he heard their opponent laugh wildly.

"There you are~!"

Ruby screamed as she saw the madman barrel towards her. She was too afraid to move - riveted to the spot - but the girl with her wasn't and _hauled_ Ruby out of the way, back into the stands. The faunus burst after them even as Taiyang followed, chest rising and falling in harsh pants. Why was he trying to hurt Ruby? Why did he want her? No, it didn't matter. The reasons didn't mean anything; only that he would not have her.

"Stay with Yang!" he shouted to Qrow as he dashed out of the tunnel. He caught sight of his foe a second later, the faunus pausing to aim both his weapons toward the fleeing girls. Taiyang screamed a warning and the green-haired one spun about.

Somehow, bizarrely, the faunus misfired – aiming a full two rows to the left and tearing several seats to shreds. The miracle lasted barely a second before the faunus realised something was wrong and shook it off. Taiyang closed the distance but it was still too far.

Ruby and Emerald, too busy looking back at the one pursuing them, crashed into someone else. They bounced back and landed hard, Ruby crying out and Emerald cursing. She was on her feet quickly, drawing two curved blades. She brought them up barely in time, preventing her and Ruby from being cut in two by a huge faunus with a sword bigger than Ruby. The blow knocked the girl back, however, slammed her down and stunned her.

The faunus, a bear of a man with a wicked smile, brought the sword up over his head.

Ruby screamed.

/-/

Ozpin recognised the voice immediately and surged to his feet, cane in hand, eyes wide.

"Ruby! No!"

He took a step toward the window.

Jaune passed him.

The glass shattered outwards as his body struck, arms crossed before his face to ward out the shards that sprinkled around him like flecks of diamond. Through a haze of shimmering light he took in everything below, a figure stood over two girls, sword raised. Another behind, in pursuit. Behind that, desperately crying out in pure rage, Taiyang Xiao-Long. Further down, trying to cover the distance, Summer Rose.

And then Ruby, one hand cast over a face not ten-years-old, shielding herself from certain death.

He'd changed the past, and from that changed the future. Everything was possible now. Everything up to and including the death of Ruby Rose, butchered in a White Fang attack before she would ever have a chance to step foot in Beacon; another tragedy in a world that seemed to collect them.

Enough.

This had gone on long enough.

His feet touched the floor and he was moving before the sound of broken glass had even finished. The faunus heard it, glanced back, but he had no time to react. Crocea Mors smashed into the small of his back, grated against aura for a fragment of a second, and then broke through it with a shimmer of light. The simple weapon carved through skin, muscle, bone and organs, until it did the same on the way out and exploded from the man's stomach, splashing blood all over Ruby and Emerald.

Jaune tore it free in a shower of gore, gripped the bastard's sword and lopped of his arms at the elbows just for good measure. The dying faunus fell back, eyes wide behind his mask.

Ruby, covered in blood, began to sob fitfully.

Jaune stepped past them. His eyes caught theirs briefly, Ruby's in fear and pain and Emerald, far too calm, far too uncaring of the fact she was covered in viscera. She smiled at him, a satisfied smile. His eyes went further, to the enemy all but upon them. To the mask which didn't fit him, to the white coat which did, to the cross-shaped scar on his chest, the twin blades, the manic smile and the black tail that fluttered under his coat.

"Tyrian," he wheezed, and surged forward, leaving the girls behind.

"There you are!" Tyrian Callows howled happily. "I've finally found you~!"

Jaune roared and swung Crocea Mors forward. It was a vicious strike that could have cut a tree in two. Tyrian was only able to deflect it with both hands but even that staggered him. Jaune stepped forward and returned it, another parried blow, a shower of sparks. He spun, sword-tip almost touching the floor as he came up and under, breaking through Tyrian's guard and forcing the monster back.

Taiyang flashed by in that second. He could have attacked Tyrian from behind but didn't. Blue eyes met blue for a fraction of a second, a moment in which no words passed but an understanding was reached. Taiyang nodded imperceptibly and hurtled by. He swept low, arms catching both Ruby and Emerald around the stomach and hauling them up onto his shoulders. Without breaking stride, he moved on, taking them to safety, away from Tyrian and the nightmare of Amity.

Good man. There would be no more distractions. Jaune brought his sword up before him and stepped forward, closing the distance as his teeth grated together.

"Oh, you recognise me. You remember me. You _hate_ me." Tyrian laughed and reached up for his White Fang mask, tearing it away. "I certainly recognise you. But _she_ doesn't. She doesn't recognise you at all but you bear her mark. Isn't that strange?"

"You did this," Jaune rasped. "You made this happen."

"I? Oh, no, no, no, I simply gave them the _push_ they required. The White Fang were already so very, very angry. All they needed was a little assistance from yours truly." He bowed dramatically, but ducked back when Jaune slashed at his face. "Ah, ah, ah, how rude! I think I'm starting to like you."

His sword whistled through the air as it sought Tyrian's neck. The first strike was dodged, the second parried. Tyrian swept in to bring his shorter weapons to use but Jaune hopped back, keeping him at range. Wide swings, reckless swings, the better to put him on the back foot and force him back with every parry. Jaune's arms rattled each and every time. He pushed Tyrian down a row, and the faunus disengaged and fled several rows lower, Jaune in pursuit.

Each time Tyrian paused in his flight, their weapons crashed against one another. Each time Jaune fought to keep the high ground, Tyrian gave ground, drawing him down to the flat of the central arena where such advantages would be lost. It was a fair strategy as neither wanted to give them other an advantage. He was fine to allow it, content because it would mean their fight was further away from the civilians, Ruby and Emerald.

"Oh, Her Grace was very interested to learn about you," Tyrian chuckled, swinging for Jaune's face. The blade of the knife skimmed his nose, almost drawing blood. He ducked even though it missed, and avoided the quick burst of gunfire as a result. Tyrian didn't even pause in his monologue. "No one has worn her mark for millennia, she said. No one. That you do isn't possible, but it's oh so interesting. Finding you was easy, so very easy. You were right where I'd last seen you! It was almost like you wanted me to find you."

Jaune locked blades with Tyrian, twisted the knives down and smashed his forehead into the man's jaw. Blood and spittle flew as Tyrian fell back, recovered mid-fall and leapt away. He landed on some seats a little further down and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. He laughed, amused at the anger that radiated from Jaune.

He'd been right earlier, about this all being his fault. He was the variable, the reason for the change, the one at fault for this attack and the White Fang coming to prominence earlier than intended. But it was not in the way he'd expected it. It wasn't in saving Summer, nor in adopting Emerald or training Winter or any of the other things he'd done. It was in what he _hadn't_ done.

He hadn't left Atlas after his fight with Tyrian.

He hadn't made finding him difficult.

He'd _stayed_ in Atlas, taken a job, formed connections – all the while the enemy were in the background, trying to understand who he was and how he'd interfered. Looking back, it was so obvious that Tyrian would report their fight to Salem, especially when he'd noticed the mark Jaune carried. Salem would want to know more, would want him captured or dead. She'd tell her people to hunt him.

And they didn't have to look very far, because he hadn't so much as strayed from the exact team he was on at the time. He'd made it so damn easy for Salem to find him, to learn about him. The attack… it was to draw him out. Tyrian had targeted Ruby, but had he? What if Emerald was the target? Everyone knew she was his adopted daughter. Harm her, kill her, and Jaune was sure to reveal himself.

He'd gotten complacent.

 _I should never have agreed to stay in Atlas,_ he realised, charging Tyrian once more. Sparks flew between them as their fight continued, he pushing Tyrian further and further down the stands. _I should have kept moving. I should have continued looking for information on the Relics. Agreeing to stay here another eight months for the festival, getting comfortable with my team, settling down… this is what it all led to._

If he'd left, none of this would have happened. No one would be dying here. The White Fang would still be peaceful. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it all!

"I'll kill you, Tyrian! I'll kill you!"

"You know me. How do you know me? Oh, it's all so interesting – such a mystery! My Goddess wants to know more. _I_ want to know more!"

Jaune's furious assault saw them clash once more. Jaune used the high ground to push down, adding more weight in an effort to make Tyrian's knees buckle. Something shifted under the man's coat but he was aware of it, prepared for it, waiting for it. When the tail shot out under Tyrian's right arm, Jaune shifted and left himself open.

Two knives dug into his body, one in each shoulder. He took them with a grunt, forcing Crocea Mors down two handed into the join just below the stinger of Tyrian's tail, which had passed by close enough to skim his uniform. There was a snap and a hiss as the limb was cut in two.

"Argh, you son of a bitch!" Tyrian roared. He fell back, suddenly limping and waving one dagger before him.

Jaune followed, eyes wild, breath coming out sharply. "It's over, Tyrian. You're over. I'll kill you now, so that you never have the chance to do more." His hand tightened on Crocea Mors, sweeping it up before him. "I'm not the same man I was. I won't make the same mistake again."

"See, that's what makes you so intriguing," Tyrian cackled, face twisted in pain. "You act like you've met me before this, before the last time, and this is only the second time I've ever seen you."

"It's also the last time you'll see me."

Tyrian grinned. "I don't think it is."

A shadow appeared for an instant on the ground between them. Instincts drilled into him by constant combat had him dodging back, even before the masked figure slammed down. Tall and muscled, wide in a way few men were. Jaune tutted, irritated. This had just gone from bad to worse thanks to the new arrival.

Hazel Rainart.

Jaune glared at the man, furious beyond belief.

"He recognises you as well," Tyrian exclaimed. "Look at his eyes. You can see the anger burning there."

"I see it," Hazel grunted.

"Have you met him before, or is it like me? Is it someone neither of us has ever met?"

"It is."

"Ooh, _she_ will be pleased to hear that."

"Jaune Ashari…" Hazel ignored his companion and took a single step forward, one hand extended. His eyes were calm behind the mask, his lips set in a thin line. "There is no reason for us to fight. You're outnumbered and cannot hope to defeat us both. Surrender, come with us, and no one else here need suffer."

A bead of sweat trickled down Jaune's brow as he looked between the two and weighed his options. Against Tyrian, he could hold his own – maybe even win – but Hazel was strong, and a two on one was out of the question. On the other hand, giving in to Salem wasn't an option. He'd be killed. _Or worse,_ he thought, eyes narrowed. What if Salem's mark somehow allowed her power over him, and by being close to her, she could take advantage of that. There had to be a reason the Salem in his time gave it to him.

After all, even she had said they were enemies. She sent him back on the chance he'd change things, but they were by no means working towards the same goal. Jaune took a step back and prepared himself.

"I see." Hazel's hand fell. "That is regrettable. No one had to die this day."

A white blur appeared beside him. "Hey. Mind if I step in?"

Summer Rose grinned cheekily up at him, her white cape flapping in the wind as she came to a stop. It was smudged in places and dappled with blood but she looked unhurt. In one hand she held a long and complicated-looking sword, curved to a taper at the tip, but clearly mechashift in one way or another.

Jaune shot a relieved smile back at her.

Tyrian and Hazel stilled.

"You… are alive," Hazel said slowly. His eyes narrowed.

Jaune panicked. He tried to cover Summer but it was too late – far too late. Hazel and Tyrian were staring at her in obvious shock, though Tyrian's face soon twisted in a mix of anger and fear, not toward Summer, but perhaps towards his own perceived failure and what Salem might have to say about it.

For they were the ones who had tried to kill Summer. Who _had_ killed Summer, before his arrival and a chance encounter.

Summer realised it, too. Her eyes hardened and her smile fell into a grim scowl. Her knees bent a little further and she adopted a much more cautious stance. It was the worst result. Not only had his interference brought himself and Emerald into danger, but now the news of Summer's survival would reach Salem.

"Today is a day just _filled_ with surprises," Tyrian said. Though he tried to sound as airy and confident as normal, his tone was just too sharp for Jaune to believe it. "First, someone who knows us all too intimately, and now someone who can come back from the dead… Shall we see if that can happen a second time?"

Hazel placed a hand on Tyrian's shoulder. "No. We leave."

"What?"

Hazel didn't answer but instead pointed upward, towards the sky, where several battleships had finally arrived. They did not open fire, of course, but the bays on the sides opened and Bullheads spilled out like angry rapier wasps. Each would carry a team of six men, and there were more than fifty of them in the air.

It was about time reinforcements arrived. If it wasn't for those same Bullheads likely being used to shuttle civilians away, he'd have accused them of being involved with the attack for taking so long. As it was, the civilians came first.

"Another time, Ashari," Hazel said, backing away. "Next time, try to fight us somewhere with fewer innocents."

Hazel stepped back and Summer made to follow. Jaune caught her cloak, however, and tugged her back. He met Hazel's eyes, the only sane one among them, and nodded. The burly man nodded back and turned, running with Tyrian up over his shoulder.

"You're just letting them go?" Summer gasped. "Why? We can still catch them!"

"What happens when we do? Even assuming we could fight them both, the damage they'd cause would be tremendous. Any soldier nearby would be killed, not to mention any civilians who chose to hide instead of flee."

And the risk of them, of course. Though there had been no sign of anyone else, he wouldn't put it past Watts to be here. Or Cinder, if she was really old enough to be a threat at this point. It was better to fight them alone, one on one.

"Just let them go. We've won."

Summer eyed the smoke all around them, the devastation and the bodies. "This doesn't feel like a victory. So much pain…"

Jaune spared a glance for her but didn't say anything. Summer wasn't wrong, but compared to the future he'd witnessed, this was nothing. It wouldn't have made a footnote in a history book. Maybe that said more about him than it did her. He could only hope that people better equipped than he were able to deal with it. People like Ironwood, and maybe even Ozpin.

With a sigh, he sheathed Crocea Mors once more and drew a deep breath. It was over, for now. But he couldn't stay in Atlas any longer. To do so would be to risk everyone.

He'd have to leave, and soon.

"So, um, wanna meet my family?"

Jaune stared at Summer.

"Now?"

"Yeah. Why not?" Her eyes narrowed. "You _did_ promise."

Jaune looked to the left, to bodies and broken stadium. He looked to the right, to more of the same but also medical teams finally entering the arena. Ahead of them, White Fang terrorists were surrendering and behind, the ominous VIP box with the smashed window he'd exited from, within which would be a curious Ozpin and an angry Ironwood.

And Summer wanted to hold a family reunion in all of this?

"You must be joking…"

/-/

Summer wasn't joking.

Jaune took an odd comfort in keeping his hand on Emerald's shoulder. She didn't complain, didn't say a word and hadn't when he returned for her. She'd just nodded, let go of Ruby and walked over to stand next to his legs in complete silence. There was no squeamishness at the blood all over him, or that on her.

Taiyang stood back where she'd come from, a complicated look on his face as he kept a hand on both Ruby and Yang, the latter of which was favouring one leg over the other. Taiyang was angry, but he had a feeling it wasn't directed at him so much as the situation. He likely blamed Atlas for what happened, even if he wouldn't say it out loud. That he wore an Atlas uniform, covered in blood as it was, just made things more awkward.

Beside him was Qrow, equally roughed up and staring at him with obvious suspicion. To the man's credit, he didn't call him out here, obviously knowing this wasn't the time or place for it. Winter sensed Qrow's antagonism and stood beside Jaune, one hand firmly on her sabre, ready to draw if needs be. It might as well have been a stand-off between two rival families in a crime drama.

And then there was Summer, poor innocent Summer Rose, looking about as awkward as one could in the middle. She bit her lip, eyes flicking between Ruby, Jaune, Taiyang and Qrow. As awkward as Ruby, she may have been, but no one could miss the strange tension in the air.

"O-Okay," she said, smiling weakly. "This isn't the meeting I was kind of hoping for, or the setting, or anything really, but better now than never, right?"

In the middle of the stands with medical teams still looking over the wounded and counting bodies wasn't what he would have called a good moment either. It was the best they'd get, however. They all knew that after what had just happened, there would be no peace. He, as a Specialist, would be drawn into meetings and debriefings. They would surely be going home as soon as humanly possible. It was, by any estimation, the only chance for this meeting they'd have.

He only agreed because of his promise to Ruby. He'd sworn to her he would, and so here he was, with an exhausted Winter beside him and Emerald in hand. It was a far cry from the meeting outside the weapon store.

"Summer," Qrow began, fingers brushing against his weapon. "You know this guy?"

"Yeah, of course. He's Emerald's father… and I did want to introduce you all earlier, but things were busy and he promised we'd talk after the tournament."

"You're babbling. How do you know him? What did he do to you?"

"Do?" Summer either didn't notice Qrow's tone or chose not to. "He saved me, of course." She smiled happily. "He's the one who healed me; the one I kept talking about!"

"Him!?" Qrow's snarl didn't quite slip off his face, but it was tempered somewhat. Made all the more complicated. He seemed to be struggling with what to say or do.

Taiyang on the other hand had it easier. Exhausted as he was, he sent Jaune a grateful nod and a warm smile. Yang didn't look surprised, showing that Ruby was as good at keeping secrets from her sister as she ever was in the future.

"You're the one with the Semblance that heals?" Taiyang asked.

"I am," he said. It wasn't just that and the truth was more complex, but for now it would do. He was all too aware that this conversation would be working its way back towards Ozpin as it was. Right now, he was safe. Ozpin, along with Ironwood and everyone else, would be busy assessing and dealing with the situation. Jaune met Qrow's suspicious eyes and sighed. "I can heal you if you'd like. You look like you could use it."

It wasn't a lie. Though Qrow managed to stay standing, he was littered with nasty wounds. In ten years' time, Qrow would be a match for Tyrian, but he wasn't now.

"Oh, let him," Summer cheered, desperate to make the meeting go well. "You'll feel better, Qrow."

It was painfully obvious she wanted them all to be friends. Another way in which she reminded him so much of Ruby. He could imagine her feeling crushed if it didn't. And so, apparently, could Qrow, for he visibly bit back on everything he wanted to say.

"I guess…"

"I only have to touch you. Your hand is enough." As a peace offering, he wasn't sure it would be enough. Qrow had questions he wanted answering. That much was obvious. But neither of them wanted to go through the dance now.

With a sigh, Qrow extended a hand. Namely, it was the hand not currently on his weapon. "Alright. Go for it."

Permission granted, Jaune stepped forward and took the hand as one might to shake it. His Semblance wasn't healing, not really, it was just that when he boosted the aura of others, it helped them to heal faster. It was enough for now though, and no one could really tell the difference. Qrow's aura was low but not dangerously so. Several light cuts had broken through due to lapses in concentration or attacks that caught him off-guard. None were dangerous.

Still, he flooded the other huntsman with his aura and offered what he could. Qrow's eyes widened, though not in any pain. He shivered for a moment. "Ugh. That feels weird. Not bad, just… weird."

"Does it?" Summer asked. "I can't remember it all that well. Just that it felt tingly."

"Y-Yeah. That's not a bad way to put it. Like ants made of solid ice under your skin." Qrow took his hand back when Jaune let go and wriggled his fingers. He was covered in blood still, but the wounds looked to have vanished. "I feel good," he announced. "My aura feels like it's back up to half. Thanks," he added gruffly.

"Would Yang like to be healed, too?" Jaune offered. He hoped he didn't sound too eager, but Yang was hurt because of him, because of his complacency. The least he could do was see her better.

She nodded shyly. Yang. Shy. The world was ending. The thought brought a weak smile to his otherwise worn face and he accepted her hand when she extended it. Taiyang kept a tight hold of the girl's shoulder, trusting him, but not trusting anyone enough to be alone with his darling girl. When Yang gasped the hand tightened, but it relaxed once the girl stepped back onto her injured foot gingerly. Finding that it didn't hurt, she grinned up at him.

"It's better."

Taiyang coughed meaningfully.

"T-Thank you, Mr Ashari," Yang added with a blush.

Jaune smiled. "It's fine. How about you, Rub-"

"NO!"

Ruby pushed away from him, slapped his hand out of the air. She struggled back into her father's legs, nearly knocking him down. Her eyes were wide, frightened, and aimed directly at Jaune. She sobbed and buried her face in Taiyang's leg.

She was afraid of him. Terrified of him…

Summer looked heartbroken.

Jaune felt it.

"I-I should go," he said, stumbling back. His chest felt like it was on fire. His eyes burned.

It was fair, he supposed. This was his fault. If he'd just focused on the task at hand and not let himself get used to Atlas, get happy and let his guard down, then none of this would have happened. She was right to hate him for it. He turned and brushed by Summer, who looked so desperately like she wanted to reach out and stop him, but who couldn't bring herself to put her daughter in such pain. The moment of hesitation cost her. He stepped past, reached Winter and kept going.

Winter hurried to catch up. "Sir, I-"

"It's fine, Winter. You did well out there. If you're hurt, I'll heal you."

"But sir, you… she…"

"Winter."

"Yes, sir?"

"It's fine. Everything is fine."

Winter bit her lip.

* * *

 **This chapter is about 2k less than usual, mostly because I don't want to continue next chapter past the obvious ending of Jaune leaving Atlas, and as such I didn't want to do a bad balance and have next chapter be only 6k words. I suppose I could have padded it by having some POV from Team November, but that's all it would be; padding. You'll see the results of their actions next chapter when Jaune does.**

 **Oh dear. So, as many rightfully noted, Adam and Blake's decision couldn't really have been enough to change everything. Oh, it changes little things about** _ **them**_ **, sure, and will do so in the future as well. But Blake is eleven and Adam couldn't be older than sixteen. Useful, given that Blake is Ghira's daughter, but not really enough to change an entire movement.**

 **But then again, they never were in the first place. Sienna was, or those behind her, who we never saw because they got killed off-screen. Anyway, since we know from Salem's dialogue that they have hands in the WF (Adam for one, but he was recruited by Cinder. Even so, I can imagine they could earn others in a span of three years if they really wanted to). As such, it's not too hard to imagine them being able to influence them, particularly in providing supplies and manpower.**

 **Anyway, w** **e're reaching the end of the Atlas arc now, last chapter of it is next week, at which point we'll be moving on. Either way, Jaune realises his mistake, and now knows that he is hunted by Salem and can't afford to stay in one place for too long.**

 **And in the meantime, it's time for everyone's favourite game - Pin the tail on the fallout!**

 **What long-term fallout is going to come from all this, I wonder?**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	16. Chapter 16

**To answer those who wondered why Jaune showed none of his newly gained Specialist skills last chapter, it's because I wanted to suggest Jaune fell into a furious rage when he saw and heard Ruby in danger. He didn't think, didn't plan, and the attack which so mirrored his own caused him to go into an almost flashback-like stake. As such, he mostly just forgot or didn't have the concentration, and leapt into the fight without really thinking about it.**

 **To those who complained there's been too much drama and angst, please remember that Jaune came to Atlas in chapter** _ **ten**_ **, and that the most "angst" he has had is Winter being adorable kohai and a little bit of parenting confusion. It's been five fairly pleasant chapters for Jaune, and three years with little to feel traumatised about. I don't think I'm being cruel to him at all with that.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 16**

* * *

The attack might have been over, with numerous news outlets across Remnant discussing it, but for the Specialists and Captain Ironwood, there was no time for sleep. The five members of Team November stood at attention, Winter only granted leave to be absent because he'd requested she be allowed to see Emerald to a shower and a change of clothes. With everything going on and Tyrian and Hazel showing clear interest in him, he didn't want Emerald out of his or Winter's sight.

Team November was still covered in grime, blood and dust, but as far as he could see, none of them had fallen. Charlie had a nasty cut under one eye and Foxtrot favoured one foot over the other – and all their uniforms were shot to hell – but they were alive and well, as was Ironwood and, from what he'd heard, all the other dignitaries.

"Ninety-six dead and two-hundred and forty-three wounded, forty-six of those serious, twelve not expected to survive," Ironwood said, reading off the report before him. "That is just the civilian estimates. Among the ranks, there are forty-one dead and seventy-two injured, with ten in critical condition."

Jaune cursed under his breath.

"That seems a little lower than expected," Charlie said.

"Yes, it often is. Many of the injured remained still to avoid detection or were knocked unconscious, so at first glance we identified them as casualties. On top of that, several backpacks reclaimed around the stands show that there were numerous explosives which failed to detonate."

"Shit, never thought I'd be thanking bad engineers," Echo said.

"An official statement has yet to be reached on the matter, but I am being called in to provide one to the higher-ups later." Ironwood's face said he wasn't looking forward to that. "Off the record, however, I want to say I'm proud of how you all handled yourselves. Casualties could have been much higher, and the emergency plans you all drafted helped keep civilian casualties to acceptable levels."

"Acceptable levels?" Jaune choked. His chest felt too tight.

"It means less than one would expect," Charlie quickly interrupted, grabbing Jaune's wrist. "It doesn't mean we think this was acceptable. It's just taking into account the number of people – forty thousand or more – and then considering how much damage _could_ have been caused by this if we didn't have plans in place. That we managed to keep the dead to fewer than two hundred is a miracle."

"Miracles don't exist in this world," Ironwood said, "Only good planning and swift execution. Reports indicate the stadium was cleared of civilians in two minutes twenty-six seconds. Bullheads were secured within two minutes fifteen, and all civilians were off Amity by nine minutes fifty-six. Military response was swift and defensive, protecting civilians and ensuring that bar the initial explosions and some early cases, no civilians were killed by armed White Fang terrorists. Anyone looking at those figures can see Atlas moved with admirable haste to limit the danger and protect those in need."

"Of course, it's probably not what the public is going to see."

"No, I'm sure it isn't. Public opinion can be as hard to predict as ever. PR thinks it's a toss-up between whether I'll take the blame or the White Fang." He managed to somehow look remarkably composed despite what he'd just said. It wasn't even Ironwood's fault, but that was the nature of the crowd. They judged the one in charge for anything and everything that went wrong.

"Will it cost you your promotion?" Jaune asked nervously.

"Ashari, I couldn't give a damn about that right now. We've more important matters to deal with than a medal and a pay rise."

Important to them, perhaps, but Remnant _needed_ General Ironwood. Damn it. Another change he'd made, unwilling or not, and there was no telling what impact it would have. Worse, he couldn't stay to try and influence things in the other direction or Salem would attack again, perhaps this time with Grimm. The only thing he could do to help Ironwood was leave. Even if that felt like he was abandoning the man.

 _It's not me leaving_ him, Jaune told himself. If _I stay, it'll just lead to another attack._

"Ladies and gentlemen, the White Fang have officially claimed responsibility for the attack as of one hundred and twenty minutes ago. This missive has come from a Sienna Khan, who claims to be the new leader of the White Fang. Naturally, she has been granted criminal status and is now officially on Atlas' most wanted. Should you ever see her, you have permission, and my encouragement, to kill on sight."

"What's that going to mean for Belladonna?" Charlie asked, and Jaune's head swivelled suddenly.

Blake!?

Charlie saw his confusion and explained, "Ghira Belladonna, the chieftain of Menagerie and leader of the White Fang – or ex-leader, if this is to be believed. He was working the White Fang stall on Amity."

"Did they take part in the attack?" Foxtrot asked.

"No. He looked as surprised as we did, like he couldn't believe what was happening and hated it. The soldiers almost shot him then and there, would have if the faunus with him acted up. He told them to surrender, though. Gave himself up to prevent any violence."

"He's innocent," Jaune said.

"That's to be decided by the Generals of Atlas," Ironwood interjected firmly. "He has been arrested with his allies, and some White Fang who were captured. He will be interrogated."

Oh shit, that wasn't good. Interrogation was bad enough, but considering what just happened, he wasn't sure Atlas would be feeling too forgiving. Even if Ghira was found innocent, they might try to make him a scapegoat. They might even execute him.

What would that do to Blake?

"Sir, you can't let anything happen to him. He's innocent of this – you know that."

"My opinion means remarkably little on the matter," James said, sighing heavily. He slumped back in his seat. "I've made my thoughts known already, but the fact I allowed him to set up shop on Amity is working against me. There are some, political rivals among others, who say I had a hand in allowing the attack because of that."

"That's bullshit!" Delta snapped.

"Bullshit or not, I have been suspended of my rank and placed on administrative leave until such a time as an inquiry can be formed. I will remain Headmaster of Atlas, as my actions in that role are not being judged, but as of right now, I am no longer your superior officer."

The breath was knocked from each member of the team. They traded suddenly nervous glances, none of them sure what to do or feel, but knowing they didn't like it. Jaune had a feeling there might be some resignations after this, especially if they had to trust their lives to a new commander. It would all depend on the results of the inquiry. But even so, this was his fault. If he hadn't messed up, this would never have happened. The future proved it.

"I'm sorry," he said, eyes clenched shut.

"Don't be," James replied. "I'm not. As I said before, you all acted admirably, and the relatively low number of casualties proves that. I'm proud of you all. As for what happened, no one could have predicted a peaceful organisation like the White Fang would turn violent, especially not in such a manner and at an event promoting co-operation and peace between the kingdoms. This is going to get worse before it gets better. I just hope innocent faunus don't pay the price for what only a select few did."

"Let's hope the public realises that," Charlie said.

"PR is already on it, I imagine," Echo said. "They know how to spin this. The inquiry will just be to go through the motions – show we're taking it seriously and being accountable. The boss will be back in charge in no time, I guarantee it."

The others agreed, laughing and trading their own confidence-boosting opinions, but Jaune remained silent, unable to hear past what Ironwood had so unknowingly said. No one could predict it, huh? He could have. Should have. If not the White Fang turning rogue early, then at least he should have predicted Tyrian would come back for a second crack at him. He should have predicted what the mark on his left hand was, not something to help him as Salem suggested, but rather a message to her past self, a signal. Something that would tell her unmistakeably that _he_ was a person to be watched and dealt with.

If he'd just thought of that, then he might have been able to react, but he'd been so distracted. Some of it was necessary, like digging up information on the Relics, but a lot of it had just been him having fun and allowing himself to relax, to let his guard down. Idiot. He'd been such an idiot.

The only thing he could do was hope the public didn't turn on Ironwood, and that Ghira would get the trial he deserved. None of that he could fix by staying, and he only put them all in danger the longer he did. Not only did he have to leave, he had to do so in a fashion that was noticeable. One that Tyrian and Hazel couldn't miss, and that would tell them in no uncertain terms that they could stop paying attention to Atlas.

"I shouldn't really be hosting this meeting as it is, but I wanted to assure you all that I will speak only the best of you, and that I am proud to have been in command of you," Ironwood said, standing. He saluted, and they echoed it, Jaune while feeling sick to his stomach.

This wasn't how the future was supposed to go.

When the members of Team November filed out, Jaune remained. Ironwood noticed and stay seated, willing at least to hear him out. He stood in awkward silence, unsure how to begin, only to be beaten to it by Ironwood.

"I take it you'll still be leaving."

Jaune nodded. "I will be, sir. I'm sorry."

"I've no problem with it. You told me you would be months ago. I'll make sure people know the recent attack had no bearing on your decision."

"You could let them think it did…"

"Are you asking me to use one of my own men as a scapegoat to protect myself?"

"…I'm just putting an option forward," he said cautiously. "Sir."

"Then I'll thank you to never mention it again. I am not, and will never be, the kind of person to accept such methods."

"I understand, sir."

"Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?" Ironwood asked, shuffling some papers on his desk. "Or was there something else?"

"There was…" Jaune bit his lip. His hands tightened into fists and he took a deep breath. Ultimately, no good way of saying it came to him, no matter how he tried to will it. "Sir, I am responsible for the attack. It was my fault."

Ironwood stilled. "How so?"

"Two individuals approached me during the attack, one Tyrian Callows and one Hazel Rainart. You might remember the former from a mission two and a half years ago."

"Your first mission with Team November. I recall it. You're saying they returned?"

"They indicated they might be responsible for the attack, sir, and that I was the target." Jaune ran through the words exchanged as best he could, leaving out the mention of his mark, Salem's name, and simply saying that `someone` wanted him.

It didn't feel like enough, even as he came to a close. Ironwood knew about Salem, or should do by now, but if he said that _he_ did, he'd be clapped in irons until Ozpin could examine him. That just couldn't happen.

"I see," Ironwood said, frowning at his desk. "And tell me, Jaune, did you know they would come for you…?"

"I… I should have, sir."

"But did you know for certain?"

"No." He cursed quietly. "But I should have. I should have been able to predict it."

"And I should have been able to predict consequences for our actions in cleaning up the last of Merlot's experiments, but I did not." Ironwood stood and stepped out from behind the desk, past Jaune and to a window. He motioned for Jaune to follow and he did, standing beside the Captain as he looked out over the city of Atlas.

"It is all too easy for those in positions of power to blame themselves," he began. "Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it can be frightening, too. It's tempting to look back over the attack and say what we could have changed, how we could have acted in another way, a step to the side, or forward, and how many lives that might have saved." Ironwood touched the window with one hand, his robotic one. "But such thinking can destroy a man, and ultimately, it saves no one. It is nothing more than a useless thought exercise."

"Perhaps those two came for you as you claim, but consider this, the White Fang was a problem of our making. No matter the desires of your enemies, the involvement of the White Fang was only possible because we enabled it. You cannot blame yourself for that any more than I can blame myself for the collected prejudice and racism of an entire kingdom."

"But they're hunting me," Jaune said. He turned to face Ironwood more fully. A part of him wanted to keep the information hidden, but he _trusted_ Ironwood. He'd worked with him for practically three years. "That's why I have to leave, sir. That's why I can't stay and help you with the inquiry. If I stay, I'll only draw them back."

"And if you leave, you will be forced to face them alone."

"Yes, but… I don't intend to face them. Not yet. I need to grow stronger. I need to figure out their weaknesses."

"Good." Ironwood flashed him a rare smile. "Patience will serve you well, along with caution. I won't stop you, Ashari. You've been a welcome relief to me and my forces, and a trusted ally. If there should ever come a time when you need me, my line will be open to you. And should you ever need work, you can always return. Once a Specialist, always a Specialist."

"Thank you…"

"Do you know why I joined the military?" Ironwood suddenly asked.

"Huh? No, I… I just assumed it was what was done."

"Not at all. I could have become a huntsman. I was certainly strong enough for it, but I chose instead to join the military and work my way up its ranks. Do you know why?"

"No."

"It was because I saw a future I wanted to march towards, and I saw potential. There are many who see an army and think of it only as a tool for conquest, or something to be used in war. I've known plenty a politician who would like to see all armies removed from Remnant. One of my closest friends shares the same opinion, citing them as a cruel reminder of a sordid past. The Great War. The Colour Revolution. The Faunus Rights Revolution. So much in which we have done wrong, and yet I refuse to accept such thoughts. I refuse, because I will not allow myself to be controlled by the past. Do you know what _I_ see when I look at the military?"

"What do you see?"

"I see opportunity. I see men and women who have not had the potential or opportunity to become huntsmen standing against the Grimm. I see a world in which we don't outsource our protection to children trained to be monster slayers. Or if they still wish to, I see them supported by citizens of Atlas. I see frightened villages and towns, but I also see the potential to train up those within them so that they can defend themselves if needs be. So that they can protect their loved ones rather than accept death like so many do. It is why I push our technological boundaries, and why I want to reach the rank of General. I want to be able to force Atlas forwards, not to dwell on the past, what happened or what might happen again, but to reach for a dream in which everyone prospers."

"That," Ironwood said, "Is the dream I have for Atlas. And it is the reason that whatever has happened here, whatever I may face in this inquiry, I will keep moving forwards. I will not look back and I will not question what I could have done better. Instead, I'll ask myself what I shall do next."

"Perhaps," he said, touching two fingers to Jaune's chest, "You should do the same."

Captain – No, General Ironwood smiled then and stepped out of the office, leaving Jaune alone with his thoughts and the words left behind. They echoed in him more than he'd expected they would.

Yes, the attack might have been his fault. Yes, Ruby and the others might have died because he did not gather the confidence to question Ozpin. And yes, Pyrrha fell because he hadn't been strong enough to stand beside her.

But that was in the past – or the future, but it was _his_ past, and it was gone. There was a chance to change it now, to fix it, and maybe he'd already started on that route. Emerald would never join Cinder, and Summer would be there to help Ruby and Yang grow. Small things, but there were more. There could be so many more.

Why, again, had he been so afraid to change the past?

Was it because he kept referring to it as the past, and not the present? Had a part of him been afraid of re-writing things too much, of causing a world in which certain things did not happen? Would it really be the end of the world if Team RWBY didn't happen, or if Sun came to Beacon instead of Haven? Things would change, but maybe they needed to. He was the only one alive who remembered a world in which those things happened. Maybe it was time to stop living in the past.

Maybe it was time to start changing the future.

/-/

Emerald didn't like Winter all that much, but she knew the situation was serious enough to push that aside. If the fact she'd nearly been killed wasn't signal enough, or the whole blowing up of the stadium, then the looks on everyone's faces would have been. She wasn't as bothered, but that was only because she only really cared for her own wellbeing, and as far as she was concerned the guy who tried to kill her had tried to do so in line of sight of the Smiling Man. He got the gory end he deserved.

Even so, she kept quiet as Winter hustled her to what had to be her own rooms and said thank you quietly when she let Emerald use her shower and cleaning products. The uniform Winter provided after was a little big, but it had a belt and she tied that as tight as she could to keep it on, and ultimately stayed out of the way while the older girl stalked left and right, eyes fixed to her scroll and the incoming news reports.

"That's not right," she would say occasionally. "It's the White Fang who are at fault."

Hmph, that much was obvious. It was those masked guys who set off the bombs and the masked guys who tried to kill her and Ruby. Emerald wasn't sure how some people could think the fault belonged to anyone else, but apparently, it could. Idiots.

A knock at the door a few minutes later had Winter hurrying forward. She opened it carefully, and then pulled it open fully once she realised who was on the other side. "Jaune, you're here," she gasped. "Is everything okay? What did Captain Ironwood say?"

"Nothing good, I'm afraid. He's to be subject to an inquiry."

"What!?"

"It's a required thing, but there's a chance some people might be motivated enough to work against him politically. There are a lot of upset and angry people." His attention flicked off Winter then and turned to her. He strode forward.

He was covered in blood and grime still, and she'd seen Winter shy away a little from that, but Emerald held her ground. No, she didn't even do that. To do so would be to suggest she felt threatened in the slightest, but for her, seeing him covered in blood and smelling like he'd just finished killing a lot of people was normal. What wasn't normal was the frown on his face.

"Are you okay, Emerald?" he asked. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Emerald blinked. "I'm okay."

"I can't believe you got stuck out there in all that. I shouldn't have left you on your own."

"I wasn't on my own," she said reasonably. "And I'm okay. I'm fine."

"Thank God."

Ah, there was the smile again. Emerald felt better the moment it appeared and almost smiled herself. She was surprised, however, when he continued moving, falling to one knee and reaching for her before she could really think to stop him. She froze up as he grabbed her, and then stiffened even further when he drew her in and pressed her against his chest and shoulder.

"Damn it. I was so worried about you. I thought you'd be killed."

"But I'm okay," Emerald whispered, not sure why he was acting in such a way, or what she felt about it. She couldn't move and that should have been scary, but she didn't feel afraid. How could she? The last person who tried to hurt her had been cut in two by the man holding her. It didn't make sense to be afraid when he was there. He'd just kill whatever frightened her.

Still, it looked like he wanted something, so Emerald reached up and patted a hand against his hair, like he'd done to her that one time she agreed to play nice with Winter. Her hand was smaller than his and she couldn't really cover his entire head like he did her, but she ruffled his hair a little anyway.

It worked, because he froze for a second and then laughed. Winter echoed him, looking away with one hand over her mouth.

Adults were weird.

"I wasn't able to stab him," Emerald said, more to break the laughter than anything else. "I tried to do what you showed me, but he knocked me away. I'm sorry. I was too weak."

"It's fine, Emerald. It's fine."

"Teach me more. Next time, I want to be able to kill him."

"That's a little much, isn't it?" Winter asked. Emerald ignored her. Winter didn't get a say on what she did or didn't do, and she waited for _his_ answer to her request.

He nodded. "I'll teach you. It won't be the same next time."

Good. That was good. She'd tried to protect her and Ruby – because even if Ruby was annoying, she was less annoying than Winter and Yang, which kind of meant she was Emerald's friend. Or at least she thought that was how it worked. Anyway, if Ruby died, Emerald would have been irritated. Winter was still looking between Jaune and her with a worried or distressed expression, no doubt more of her thinking that she shouldn't be wanting to kill people. That was just silly, so Emerald ignored her again.

Jaune pulled away from her with a smile and a ruffle of her own hair in turn, which Emerald bore with remarkable patience. Things might have been bad, but if he was okay, she had a direction and someone to follow. Nothing else really mattered.

"We're not sure what the public are going to think about Ironwood or us," Jaune said to Winter, simply resting his hand atop Emerald's head. Since he seemed to like doing it, she moved over to stand by his leg, so it would be easier for him. "PR is working to make sure people focus on how many casualties we managed to _prevent_ , and making it clear the ones actually at fault are the White Fang. Even so, there's no telling how this will go."

"Will you still be leaving? You could stay and help out."

"No, I have to go."

"Why?" Winter demanded. "Ironwood needs you right now. Atlas needs you!"

"It's the opposite of that, Winter. The exact opposite. There were some people supporting the attack that were looking for _me_. Those people killed several Atlas soldiers on their own, and they're going to keep coming back until they find or kill me."

The crazy man with the tail. Emerald realised it immediately. There was no way he'd gone after her by accident, and she remembered him saying something about having found him. It didn't surprise her at all that he had enemies. Powerful men like King often did, so how many would someone like the Smiling Man have? Emerald supposed that made them her enemies, too, which she found she was remarkably okay with. The crazy man had already tried to kill her and Ruby.

"Those people will only cause problems again if I stay, and to add to it, the media still recognises me as the guy who stood up in favour of a White Fang protest. They probably can't remember it since it was half a year ago but give them a day or two to investigate who was involved in the defence of this, and they'll find me, and it. Do you think that's going to reflect well in Ironwood?"

"No…" Winter sagged. "But if you leave, then all the people are going to turn on you. They'll say you ran away because you were guilty."

"Only for a while. The truth will come out and people will realise this wasn't anyone's fault. If they hate me for the short term, though, then so be it. I don't mind."

"But I do! You're my teacher, my superior, you-"

"Winter, it's fine."

"NO!" Even Emerald was surprised when Winter slapped his hand aside. "It's not fine. Stop saying it is! Everything is fine to you so long as I, or Ironwood or someone else comes out okay, but you never care when it's _you_ getting the bad end of it. It's not fine if the media pillory you and it's not fine if the military throws your reputation away to cover theirs." She poked his chest. "Think about how others feel for a change."

"I can't. I have to think bigger than that. There are more important things out there than me."

Emerald frowned and nodded when Winter actually snarled. They agreed on something for once. That was a nice change. Unfortunately, she didn't get a chance to do Emerald's work for her because another knock at the door was followed with it being opened, and a figure in an Atlas uniform stepping into the room.

"I'm busy," Winter snapped. "What is the meaning of this?" The soldier stepped aside with a bow, and Winter's face turned an incredible shade of white. "F-Father, I didn't realise. Forgive me."

"You are forgiven, Winter. I am sure your anger stems from the recent happenings." The way he said that made it clear if she disagreed, she would be in trouble. "May I come in?"

"Of course, of course. I apologise for the lack of room."

Emerald watched the man who claimed to be Winter's father. He was rich. That was the first thing she noticed. He was the kind of rich she'd often seen on the street – the kind you _didn't_ go for, even though they were rich. He was the type who was rich enough to have people looking after him, and rich enough to hunt you down, or pay people to do so. He was dangerous rich, and he watched Winter with a gaze that didn't feel quite as warm as the title of `father` indicated.

He also eyed Jaune and her dismissively, which didn't do much to endear him. Winter noticed and quickly stepped forward to introduce them.

"Father, this is Jaune Ashari, my mentor and teacher, and his daughter Emerald Ashari. In turn, this is Jacques Schnee, my father and the current head of the SDC."

"Charmed," Jacques said, holding a hand out.

"Likewise," Jaune echoed, shaking it.

/-/

Jacques Schnee was a dance he didn't want right now, but one he probably needed. He hated the man. Hated him more than he thought he'd ever hated anyone else before, but right now with all of Atlas chomping at the bit to lynch Ironwood, he needed all the support he could find. Jacques was a powerful man. Too powerful. Better he be on their side than not.

"Your daughter was a fine student," he said. "Had the Vytal Festival not been interrupted, I'm sure she would have won it."

"As, I'm sure, is everyone. Her performance eclipsed that of her competitors by a wide margin." It amazed him how Jacques managed to say that without an ounce of warmth. But this was a man who could see millions in profit and turn up his nose. "I understand you are to thank for such a sudden increase in skill. Is that correct?"

"Winter is talented and hard working. I merely offered my expertise. She was the one who took advantage of it and made it her own."

"Well spoken. Had this recent incident not occurred, I might have liked to speak with you for longer. Alas, my time is limited."

"That is understandable, Mr Schnee. I hope you were not harmed in the attack."

"Me and mine are well, Weiss included," he added with a pointed look towards Winter. She relaxed a little, shoulders softening. "We are returning to the Schnee manor to ride out the storm. Winter," he said suddenly, turning to her. "You are coming with us."

"What?"

"You are returning with us. This is not negotiable."

"Father, no, I can't. There's an inquiry and-"

"That is not our concern and you are not a part of it," Jacques snapped. "I will have a hard time enough suppressing and controlling the dissimilation of information to protect your involvement in this, but it will only worsen if you stay. The SDC cannot afford that."

The SDC could not afford, Jaune noticed, not Winter. This wasn't about her reputation or feelings, just another business transaction. Winter was a part of the Schnee brand, and like any logo, jingle or associated advertisement, she had a fixed value. That value could decrease if she was involved in a scandal, and the revelation that she was a Specialist involved in the defence of Atlas when it had been attacked would surely do that.

But Winter, of course, didn't care. Proud, stubborn and with a determination to do good that he'd seen in so few others, she rose to her full height. "Father, I have something to tell you. I have decided-"

"You should go with him," Jaune said.

Winter froze. Her eyes flicked to his, betrayed.

Jacques looked to him, too, but this time the man showed some emotion, just the slightest hint of surprise, and perhaps even interest.

"Your father makes a good point, Winter, and you're at the start of your career. This whole mess is politically motivated, as we already know. You don't want to be drawn into that. You don't need to be drawn into that."

"Mr Ashari speaks the truth," Jacques said. "I've already had several people approach me over a political coup against James Ironwood, requesting support or sponsorship from the SDC. I have rejected them, of course," he said with a faint huff. "It is not our place to get involved in this and I will not have our name tarnished or involved in a national tragedy. Not in an unfavourable light, anyway. Your use of the family's Semblance in the main ring potentially saved many lives. We shall have the media focus on that."

"B-But father…" Winter began. No more came and her attention turned to him. "Jaune, why…?"

"Because sometimes it's a teacher's desire to see their student do well," he explained kindly, "Even if it's not something the student necessarily wants." Jaune turned to Jacques, who was still regarding him with some interest, but now also a little favour. "Sir, would you allow me to speak a moment with your daughter? I'd like a chance to convince her, if you'll grant it."

"Very well." Jacques nodded and stepped back, half-turning away. "Perhaps hearing the truth from another mouth is what she needs. I will wait outside."

The moment he was gone, Winter rounded on him. She didn't cry, not Winter, but the look she shot him was filled with frustration, anger and even betrayal. He could understand it all, but he pressed a finger to her lips before she could shout out her feelings and expose herself to her father.

"Winter, listen to me," he begged – and he did beg. That alone was enough to make her freeze, and he took advantage of it before she could recover. "I'm not suggesting you give up on your dream to become a Specialist and I'm not saying you should go back and become the loyal daughter again. I promise you."

Winter relaxed a little. Still confused, still upset, but now not quite so furious. Her expression asked him for clarification and he was relieved to see a little more faith in them.

"I want to give you a mission," he said, and her eyes widened. "It won't be an official mission because I'll be gone, but it will mean a lot to me, and to you, I hope."

"I'm listening, sir."

"Jaune," he corrected, smiling.

"I… I'm listening, Jaune."

"Good. Public opinion is against us and Ironwood, as you know. It might go against you, too, if they find out your position, and if you thought your father was thinking of disowning you for _just_ being a Specialist, he'll do so doubly hard for this. You need the kind of protection only he can provide and being away from Ironwood will mean you're not associated with him."

"But there's more," he continued before she could protest. "When you get back to the Schnee manor and after your father sends out a message claiming his support for you, you can tell him that you _did_ work with Ironwood on the defence. If he's already thrown his support in for you he won't be able to rescind it, and if he finds out your fate is tied to Ironwood's…"

"Then he will need to support Ironwood as well," Winter realised. "He'll have to, at least to be safe. With the support of the SDC, there's a higher chance the inquiry will swing in his favour, or at least be free of bias."

"Exactly. You wouldn't want to be a Specialist before then anyway, because Ironwood will be suspended, and we've got _no idea_ who'll be in charge." He waited for her to nod to that. "You holding on until after it's out of the way won't cost you anything, and if you announce your intention after your father has already established you as heiress, then it will be harder for him to change his mind, especially if he does as he said and tries to put you as some kind of heroine that saved the day. Disowning you at that point would be terrible for the SDC."

"You're not wrong," she said, relaxing a little. Even so, she appeared frustrated. "I hate it, and I hate the idea of playing around like that, but you're not wrong."

"Politics needs politicians, Winter. Your father is a good one."

"I know. The best way I can serve the Specialists and Ironwood is like this." Winter stepped in to him, and Jaune was surprised by the action. Nervously, slowly, he put his hands on her shoulders in a hug. Winter never seemed like the type to want one and even now she didn't place hers around him so much as rest her forehead on his shoulder. Even so, he offered what support he could. "You're going it again, you know," she grumbled.

"Doing what?"

"Solving the problems everyone else has and ignoring your own. You're about to be torn apart by the media, and your first thought is to make sure I'm not, and that Ironwood comes out of this smelling like roses."

"Hey, that's a little unfair," he chuckled. "If Ironwood is safe, I'll be safe, too."

"That's true." Winter sighed. "I suppose you leave me no option but to accept. If it's the only way to ensure your good name isn't tarnished, I shall do it." She stepped away from him with, not quite a smile but something resembling it. "You have to promise me something, however. Do so and I'll go through with this. Refuse and I shall take the fall myself."

A promise? Jaune nodded, waiting to hear it.

"Promise me that this will not be the last time we meet. Promise me that you will come back at some point, if not to work as a Specialist again, then at least to see me, to visit. Promise me you will stay in touch."

Jaune smiled. And here he'd expected so much worse. There would be Weiss in Beacon, Winter around the Vytal Festival in the future, and even if he wanted to avoid Atlas to draw Salem away from them, it didn't mean they couldn't stay in contact.

"If you ever need me, I'll only be a scroll's call away."

"Do you promise that, Jaune?"

"I swear it."

Winter nodded, stepped back and stared at him. There was no telling what she looked for, but she must have found it, perhaps in his eyes or face, for she smiled and nodded once and only once. With the poise and grace of a princess, she made her way to the door and opened it, stepped outside and informed her father that she had seen his wisdom and would accept his support. Jacques Schnee complimented her decision, turned to Jaune and nodded once.

And just like that, they were gone.

/-/

"This isn't right! My dad's been arrested!"

Adam held onto Blake's shoulders, preventing her from breaking free and rushing to demand answers from this in command. The last one to do that – angry at so many innocents dead – had been beaten to within an inch of his life. While he doubted they'd do the same to Blake, he didn't doubt it enough to risk it. And besides, if they tried to hurt her, they'd have to hurt him, too. They came as a pair.

"It'll be okay," he whispered. "It'll be fine. They know he's not responsible for this. They know Sienna took over with the help of those people."

"Y-Yes," Blake shivered at the thought of them. Adam didn't blame her. He'd never seen the faces of either of them, but even he could tell they were powerful. The quiet one was especially so, but he'd heard rumours that the thin and wiry one was worse.

Apparently, he'd been so angry to see someone he thought was dead at the attack that he'd killed the first member of the White Fang he'd seen. Literally tackled the poor person to the ground and tore them to pieces with his bare hands.

That wasn't what the White Fang stood for, but Sienna wouldn't hear it. They needed support. Adam knew that, he really did, but this felt like it was too much a price to pay. Even so, he gave Blake the same excuses they'd given him.

"It's just for now, Blake. It's just until we're established. I've heard the plans Sienna came up with. She wants us to focus on targeting the SDC in the future. You know what they're like, how they treat our kind, and even if we do attack them they use those robots most of the time."

"That's true…"

"We can kill robots," he said, laughing. "I won't feel bad about that – other than how long it'll take someone to put them together again when I'm done."

Blake laughed. It was a weak one, worried as she was about her father, but it was a start. Old man Belladonna would be okay, or at least he hoped so. He really hadn't known what was going on, and hopefully Atlas would realise that. They'd probably cut him a deal where he had to call them traitors and monsters, and then let him go. He told Blake as much and felt her relax in his arms.

"It's not like they'll get anything out of keeping him. You'll see. And if the worst does happen and they want to kill him, we'll save him. How big a move do you think _that_ would be for us? It would put us on the map!"

"I think we're already on the map, Adam. I don't think we could be any _more_ on the map if we tried."

He knew what she meant, and if he was being personal, he agreed. He harboured the same rage and hate towards humans as anyone else, but it was hard to point that towards frightened parents and children. If it was just an attack on the soldiers, he'd have been okay with it. _Not to mention this isn't going to be liked by a lot of other faunus, either. What is Sienna thinking?_

Or what were her new friends thinking… She'd not been seen outside their company for the last month and a half, and her meteoric rise to full command of the new White Fang came as a result of that. Sienna was older than them, but still young by the standards of many in the White Fang. There were some who questioned whether she should be in control, or how she'd gotten to be, but those that did often found themselves disappearing. He'd heard rumours her `friends` pulled the strings, acting behind the scenes. Adam wasn't sure he could discount those. He looked to Blake and frowned. _I'll have to keep an eye on them._

For Blake's sake, of course. He'd promised Kali he'd look after her, and even if the kind old lady would be horrified at what they'd become, he'd still honour that.

"Come on," he said kindly, pulling her away from the nervously fidgeting White Fang. No one was calm after what had happened. Some were in awe; others horror and the worst were coming down off the adrenaline with faces that hinted they _enjoyed_ it. He made a note to keep Blake and himself out of their paths entirely. "Let's get some food," he urged. "Things will make more sense on a full stomach."

"Adam," a voice called.

"Sien- Ma'am," he corrected, bowing his head. The dark-skinned woman ignored his near slip and looked toward Blake.

"What is wrong with her?"

"She has the shakes, ma'am. Just working off the excitement from the attack, and she heard what happened to her father. That's all." Adam's gaze strayed beyond Sienna, to the burly man behind her. He was thick of shoulder in a way few others could manage, and from what little Adam could see of his mouth, he showed no emotion.

"Ghira has nothing to do with us, but the White Fang will make an example of Atlas if they try anything with him," Sienna said. "If she is _bothered_ by our actions, then perhaps she does not belong here."

Blake stiffened. Adam's hold on her loosened, one hand sliding down to the knife at his waist.

"The girl's presence offers the White Fang legitimacy," the normally silent man interrupted. They were the first words Adam had heard from him, and his voice was like gravel. Sienna stiffened, relaxed and then changed her tune entirely. She nodded toward Blake.

"Miss Belladonna stays. You will be in charge of her, Adam. Make sure she stays safe. If anything untoward happens to her, it will be you who pays the price."

"Understood, ma'am."

Sienna snorted and turned away. After a moment to stare at them both, the large man nodded once and departed. For a second, Adam thought he'd almost detected an odd note of sympathy in the man's eyes, or perhaps even longing.

"This isn't what I thought it would be like," Blake whispered.

"Neither did I, Blake. Neither did I."

They'd take things as they came, however. His job was just to look after Blake, and that was something he could get behind. Sienna, her strange shadows, and everything that had happened wasn't his business.

For now, at least. That might change later…

/-/

In the end it was saying goodbye to his team that was the hardest part, even if he'd already done it once officially. There were hugs, manly back pats and `totally not crying` all around. He promised to stay in touch, and to give them weekly updates of what he got up to, scroll connectivity providing. He was also suckered into a promise to come see Charlie's brat once it was born, though he warned them it couldn't be for long.

"We're thinking of taking a break from work anyway," Delta said. "Doesn't feel right for us to keep going with the big man being questioned, and we're all going to be asked to give our statements sooner or later. I'll probably see if he stays on or who replaces him and then decide if I want to keep on."

"I'll be going back to Mistral," Foxtrot said. "I'm not sure I'll be back, at least not as a Specialist. There's a... family situation back home."

Echo pulled a face. "I hate family gatherings."

"Me, too, but what can you do?"

"Break both legs and say you can't?"

"You've not met my family," Foxtrot drawled. "They'd expect me to drag myself back home."

"So yeah," Delta said, turning to Jaune. "Looks like you're not the only one running out on us. All of Team November is disbanding at least until we get Ironwood back. If not… well, we'll see from there." He wrapped his arms around Jaune and picked him up. "Look after yourself, man. And don't cry now that we're parting ways."

Jaune smiled. "You're the one who's crying, Delta…"

"Am not…" he sniffed. "I'm totally not."

"Sure, sure," he patted the bald man's back soothingly.

"Well, this is it," Charlie said with a hefty sigh. "It's been a good run, guys and gal. I was proud to work with you all."

"Don't pull an Ironwood, old man. I'm trying not to blubber here."

"Ha. I guess it would be poor form to rip the boss off." Charlie shook his head. "Anyway, since me, Delta and Echo will be staying on – at least until the inquiry is over, we'll give you two some time to talk." Charlie stepped forward to shake Jaune's hand. "It's been good, Jaune. It's been damn good."

"It has," he replied sincerely. "And I'll come back to see the kid. Just don't name it after me or I'll kill you."

"Ha. If I did, the missus would kill me anyway."

The three of them left with some final farewells, leaving Foxtrot and he awkwardly stood behind, Jaune with a single camping pack, the only supplies he intended to take with him, and Foxtrot two suitcases and a bag.

"So, I guess this is goodbye," she said.

Jaune swallowed. "I guess it is."

"Don't look like that. You made your choice. Live with it and don't regret it." She smiled kindly at him. It was more than he expected. "We had fun and we parted as good friends. I won't forget that. You can stay in touch, too. Gods know, I'll be bored in Mistral without any missions to go on."

"Yeah." He laughed, relieved to feel the awkwardness drift away a little. Emerald was still waiting nearby, a little out of place and patiently waiting for him to finish. "I'll definitely stay in touch, and you can send me any messages too. If you ever need my help, I'll come around."

"I'm a Specialist, Jaune," she said with a roll of the eyes. "If I need help, I'll dismantle the idiot making me require it, interrogate them, and then mail their body parts back to sender. Besides, I very much doubt I'll be needing help for what I'll be doing. The family wants me to help my little sister. She's starting out on being a huntress and the family wants her to do well, maybe even show off a little." Foxtrot rolled her eyes. "Our parents are _those sorts_. You know, the `be the best or be nothing` kind. Like the Schnee only less deserving of any of the recognition they think they deserve."

"They sound like hard work. Will you be okay?"

"Oh yeah, they gave up on me ages ago – said joining the military in another Kingdom was shameful or something. They don't expect anything of me." Rather than be upset about it, she looked positively thrilled, so he held off on the sympathy. Something did occur to him, however, and it kind of embarrassed him to say it.

"I never really asked about your family. I… well, I never even asked your real name."

"Even after we slept with one another," she teased. "So cruel." She laughed it off before he could apologise, waving a hand in front of her. "It's fine. I never gave you it, and neither did Delta or Echo, their own or otherwise. It's hard when you're a Specialist and you never know if the next mission will be your last. You get used to the code names. They're safer. They let you be whoever you want to be, and after a while it becomes normal. It stops you getting too close to someone who might not be around for long. It's going to take me a while to even get used to answering to my own. I guess I _should_ give you it, though. Be a bit weird if you call and ask for Foxtrot and no one back home knows who you're talking about."

"A little weird, yeah."

"Meh, it's fine. The name's Helena. Helena Nikos." She waved one hand before her. "Nice to meet you, Jaune. Let's be friends."

Helena Nikos…

The world was laughing at him, it really was. If not that, then surely Pyrrha. She'd be doing that little laugh she did when she turned away, embarrassed to show it, one fist over her mouth and her shoulders shaking. And now Helena was off to teach her little sister to kick ass and take names.

Somehow, he had a feeling she'd manage it…

/-/

"We need something to print _asap_ ," the Editor called. "People are chomping at the bit for something – anything – and if you can't get me inside knowledge or an interview with someone _in_ the White Fang in twenty minutes, we're gonna be sunk."

"Trying, boss," Sandlin Merrows said. His fingers flew over the keys, a list of calls to Generals and officers, most of which who had denied the opportunity to comment on his screen. "Soldiers are keeping their lips tighter than a virgin's legs at a frat party."

"Then sweet talk one of them and get 'em to open up. Fuck 'em if you have to!"

 _Yeah, I would if I could,_ the journalist thought sourly. This had all the hallmarks of a cover up on it, and that made sense given that the attack wasn't even yesterday. The whole of Atlas was desperately looking for answers, and they'd been pulling an all-nighter looking for them. Problem was, so had every other newspaper, magazine and news site in the whole Kingdom. No, on all of Remnant!

And Sandlin was out of leads, no matter how much the boss wanted to shout and scream. He was half-tempted to say fuck it and walk down to the military himself with a notepad, pen and a wad of bribe money, but the scroll on his desk rung before he could. Normally, it would go ignored, but right now everyone was on a trigger's edge, and the sound alone was enough to have everyone looking. Sandlin waved the nosey bastards down and answered.

"Hello?"

" _Is this the Daily Atlas?"_

"It is, yeah, sorry." He swore into his unshaven beard and stabbed his spoon down into his coffee, fighting for a voice that didn't sound like he'd been surviving off caffeine for the last twenty hours. "Daily Atlas here, Sandlin Merrows. How can I help you?"

" _You're covering the White Fang attack on the stadium, correct?"_

"Who isn't? You got something for me? I can make it worth your while."

" _I might have something, and there's no need to pay me anything. It's certainly interesting news."_

He'd be the judge of that, but Sandlin forced himself to sound polite and interested, despite that he'd taken over a hundred calls since yesterday and most were idiots trying to sell shit that didn't exist, or thrill-seekers who had taken close-up shots. Valuable, but not his sodding department. He was editorial, not studio.

But if this guy didn't want money, then it probably wasn't anything like that – and that made it all the more interesting.

"What do you have?"

" _There was a Specialist in charge of the security for the event,"_ the person said. _"He went by the name of Ashari, Jaune Ashari. Does the name sound familiar?"_

"Somewhat," he said. "I've heard it somewhere, but I can't remember it for sure."

" _He was involved in the newspapers a few months back for stepping in to defend the White Fang during a rally. He drew a weapon on citizens of Atlas in defence of the faunus. The same faunus who later turned violent and slaughtered so many."_

Sandlin hummed. That was unlucky on the poor guy, but it wasn't really conclusive evidence of much and the Daily Atlas wasn't a tabloid. "That's nice and all, but the White Fang weren't violent terrorists a few months ago. I can't do much with that."

" _Then perhaps you can do more with this. Jaune Ashari resigned and left Atlas not one hour ago. He has, for all intents and purposes, fled the fallout, and the inquiry, leaving Ironwood to take the blame."_

"He has? Can you confirm this?"

" _I cannot, but I'm sure you can. He was seen by plenty of people, and your own newspaper reported on the White Fang protest incident. I've also heard that due to his sympathies to the White Fang, Ghira Belladonna was granted a stall in Amity. That was a concession pushed by Ashari, not Ironwood."_

Interesting. Very interesting! Sandlin nodded, but quickly realised the man on the line couldn't see that. "You think he's involved, then."

" _I think the timing is a coincidence, and that as a concerned citizen of Atlas and soldier within the military, I would see the attention focused on the one truly responsible, and not Ironwood. You can look up the rest yourself. It shouldn't be hard to confirm his departure, or his involvement in the protest. From there, simply ask yourself why he would leave so quickly were he innocent."_

The call ended with a click, and when Sandlin tried the number he found it scrambled. Military tech, that, which meant it was someone with resources. The journalist's face lit up and he started typing out a story instantly, shouting for someone to bring him a report from eight months back and someone else to check official records at the Atlas HQ. Even if he couldn't _prove_ anything, all he had to do was point it out and let the people do the rest. Either way, the boss would be pleased.

The story practically wrote itself.

/-/

"Winter will be angry," Emerald warned him, stood before him with her backpack in place and her weapons hooked onto her waist. She looked ready for the journey ahead, eager even. But also a little frustrated, probably at what he'd just done.

"Only if she finds out."

Emerald's frown deepened, hinting that she might just tell on him. He wasn't sure if he was upset she'd turn on him like that, or amused she cared enough to put aside the legendary grudge she held against the elder Schnee. Either way, he laughed and ruffled her hair once more.

"It really doesn't matter if the flak falls on me since I won't be here for it. It'll be worth it if it protects them."

Emerald sighed again.

Yeah, he probably deserved that.

It was all he could do to back up Ironwood, though. Take the blame on himself, free Winter from any potential fallout by having Jacques shield her, and then depart into the wild, never to be seen again. Or at least not to be seen until the inquiry was over and everyone was cleared. Ironwood, Winter and the others could kick his ass after that. At least they'd be in a position to do so.

It was the best he could do - and everyone would notice his departure, Tyrian, Watts and Hazel included. It was the only way to make sure they didn't mistake him as still being in Atlas. Of course, that meant they'd be on the run, both him and Emerald, but that was perhaps inevitable. All they could do was try to stay ahead of their enemies and keep moving, at least until he - or they - were strong enough to stop running.

And if he could find out more about the Relics, what they were, and more importantly _how to use them_ , he'd have that power. That was the only real advantage he had; complete knowledge on where each and every Relic currently was and, in time, who the maidens would be. It was time to use that, for better or worse. They were what everyone wanted, and he only had six or seven years left until the war would hit.

"You ready?" he asked Emerald, patting her head with one hand and the book Raven had stolen for him with the other. It was hooked onto his waist with a bookmark in place, securing the page to the ruin with the same mark as the symbol on his hand on its door. A ruin that would hopefully contain the answers he needed.

"I'm ready," Emerald said. "Where are we going?"

"Vale. We're going back to Vale."

/-/

Ironwood looked over as his personal scroll buzzed. He answered it with a sigh, pushing away the day's paperwork and thoughts of what was to come. The caller was a familiar one, and where he might normally have thought of pretending he wasn't in, he appreciated the potential distraction.

"Ozpin. Not the best time but-"

"I need to speak to Mr Ashari."

"Not even a word for an old friend in peril?"

"James, you know you will have my full support in whatever may come. That is not even in question, but I _must_ speak with him. Immediately. It is of grave importance!"

"And why is that?"

"Because he is the one I've been searching for all this time - the one with the Semblance that heals. James, it's imperative I talk to him. The sooner the better."

"Well I'm afraid that won't be possible. Jaune Ashari departed from my service earlier today."

"What!?"

"He's already left Atlas."

The call ended with a frustrated growl.

* * *

 **And that's the end of the Atlas arc. Obviously, it's not the complete fallout and there's much more than will happen as a result of the festival, but Jaune puts in place some minor repairs where he can and sets out into the wild west once more. We'll see the actual fallout happening later.**

 **Some little things tied up, but others continuing to move in non-canon ways as a result of Jaune's actions. I know a lot of people would want to see Summer and Co's view this chapter, but I really wanted to keep this wrap up focused on events within Atlas and the immediate situation there. We'll see the others in time.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 21** **st** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	17. Chapter 17

**So, for the sake of clarification, and for my own peace of mind, I'll say that Jaune has been in the past now for about four years. That's not an exact, but it's close enough. That combines the time he lost travelling across Vacuo and Vale, time spent recovering with Raven, going to Vale, Atlas – time spent there as a Specialist, and also the extra eight months Ironwood requested on top for the festival preparations.**

 **That means the main cast right now is around 11, with Ruby at 9. Emerald is 12, mainly because I made her a year older earlier on (on the assumption Team CMEN were masquerading as a second or third year team, since Cinder doesn't exactly** _ **look**_ **seventeen).**

 **So, most of the cast is 11, Ruby is 9, Emerald is 12 and Jaune is about 24-25. Kid Jaune is obviously 11. Winter would be 16 or close to it (was 15 when she was made a Specialist in training, but then we skipped 8 months to festival).**

 **None of this is** _ **technically**_ **necessary to know, but I did see a few reviewers trying to work it all out, so I thought I'd help as best I can.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 17**

* * *

Bullets ricocheted off Jaune's shield, piercing down into the dirt on either side of him. Pushing through it, he swept the metal up onto his target – chasing after when his opponent disengaged. The figure cursed as the distance was closed and tried to bring blades to bear, only for Jaune to catch them near the cross guard of his own and twist. Weight alone helped him break the clinch and he hooked a foot under. The figure went down slashing wildly in an attempt to force him away, but a solid kick to the elbow sent their weapon flying. His sword came down to tickle a throat. They went very still.

"Not bad. You need to be quicker on your feet, though. I'm always going to try and close the distance and anyone bigger than you will go for the grapple. You're too small to have a hope of winning it." He stepped back and removed his sword from her neck. "Again."

Emerald didn't complain and instead rolled over, scrambling for the weapon he'd knocked aside. Any normal girl her age would have been in tears from the kick he'd given her arm, but she ignored it. When she had her weapon back, she tried to fall into a ready stance but faltered.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Do you need a break?"

"N-No," she panted. "I-I'm fine."

"You're not fine if you're that out of breath." He swung his sword up even as his other hand brought his shield back down, attaching it to his hip and sheathing his sword in the same, practiced motion. "Does your arm hurt? Come here and I'll take a look at it."

It looked like she wanted to argue, but not for the first time Emerald gave up without doing so, hooking her weapons back onto her belt and trotting over, hand extended. Even if some aspects of her personality were still a little off for someone her age, he could at least feel better in that she no longer mistrusted him, and was perfectly happy for him to hold onto her hand and run his up to her elbow. Her breath whistled through clenched teeth as he touched it.

"It hurt?" She shook her head but the way she gritted her teeth said otherwise. He pushed a little aura into her, just enough to bolster her reserves so she could begin the healing process herself. "There, that should do it. You're doing well, Emerald. Don't push it so much."

"I'm not good enough."

"You're twelve."

"No one will care about that."

"I suppose they won't…" Hazel might; the big guy had always been an enigma, and he didn't seem to like hurting people when it wasn't required. Sadly, he might still kill Emerald. He'd just do so reluctantly. Tyrian, on the other hand, would take pleasure in it no matter her age. With them chasing him, Emerald needed to be able to look after herself.

 _No time for her to have a childhood,_ he thought. _Not that I've given her much of one._

It was unfair, he knew. What he'd given her was probably better than what Cinder would, and more than she could have ever expected. Since leaving Atlas two months past, Emerald had grown another half an inch, but had also grown a little emotionally. He wasn't sure if it was just being away from Atlas or that with no one else to talk to, he noticed her rare words more. Either way, she seemed willing to actually hold conversations now, even if she'd defer to him on just about anything. On a different note, she'd also had her twelfth birthday, or what he'd decided would be the date for it – pretty much the anniversary of when he adopted her. While a forest in the middle of nowhere didn't offer much for amenities, he'd been able to buy a small cake from a village they'd stopped at for supplies.

Emerald even let him have a slice, too. One slice. She understood birthdays, it seemed, but the concept of sharing was beyond her. In her mind, it was a gift to her, and thus it belonged solely to her. He'd laughed it off, of course. It was all a part of growing up and it was probably the first time she'd ever had a birthday cake.

The two months weren't all great, of course. By this point, James would be well aware of what he'd done with the media back in Atlas. Seeing as he'd hurried to the coast to catch a boat back to Vale, and then taken to the wilderness, it wasn't like he'd had a chance to see the news. Luckily, that also meant he was outside of Ironwood's signal range, even with the CCT. The moment they got back to civilisation, Jaune had a feeling there would be several angry messages awaiting him, if not a furious Ironwood himself. He'd arranged for some letters to be delivered to Ironwood, Team November and Winter, partly because the signal didn't allow for much else, and also because they couldn't instantly respond to them. It was just to keep in touch, tell them he was fine and what he was up to. He'd gone light on detail of course, in case they were intercepted.

They were in Vale now, but the Kingdom itself and not the city. It was probably the last place anyone would think to look for them, seeing as the ass end of nowhere didn't really provide any safety or much to work with. Salem and her lot would no doubt be searching the four Kingdoms for him, but they'd start in the cities, likely using Watts to access encrypted systems or security. It would take them a while to figure out where he was, mostly because they'd have to dig through all the places he _wasn't_ first.

On the bright side, it would also spare him from Ozpin, who was almost certainly looking for him after Qrow not only told him that he was the person interacting with Winter, but that he'd also been attacked by Tyrian in front of Taiyang and Qrow, and then Hazel and Tyrian spoke to him _literally_ in front of Summer. So much for staying out of the limelight. Those two might as well have pointed a neon sign at him.

"Let's take a break," he suggested, leading Emerald back to their camp. It was a small thing set beside a river and atop some rocks. It was mostly just a large tent in which they could both sleep, with a camp fire outside and some defences set up. He had to thank Atlas for that, since their gear was top of the range, and the Specialists naturally got first pick. Gone were the days of keeping watch since he now had a three-tier alarm system that would detect and alert him to any approaching Grimm at over a hundred metres. It was the kind of tech the walls of Vale had, except smaller and a little more finicky to set up each and every night.

There was already a small stove burning away with a can of food cooking atop it, a simple pie with meat, mashed potato and gravy on the inside. It was the kind of easy camping food Ren hated, cheap, unhealthy and stodgy. Tasty though, and not everyone enjoyed Ren's herbal remedies. Like any twelve year old worth her salt, Emerald despised healthy meals. She watched him open the boiling hot container with narrowed eyes and a little drool on her lips. When he split it in two and put her half on the plate, it was painfully obvious she was comparing it to his, making sure it was fair.

With a roll of his eyes, he let her pick which one she wanted, and then picked up his own once she was satisfied she wasn't going to be cheated. _You're, like, half the size and weight of me. I'm fairly sure mine should be bigger anyway._

There was nothing like a hot meal after training. Jaune poured some boiled water into a mug to make some tea for himself, while Emerald squeezed some of her preferred cordial into some filtered water for herself. The training was something he put her through every day, two times a day if possible, and though the pace was gruelling, she took to it with enthusiasm.

Her life depended on it. She didn't know why, only that it did.

"You've never asked why those people were after me," he pointed out halfway through his meal. Emerald's eyes flicked up to meet his but she didn't stop eating, tiny fork digging in and spilling gravy all over the plate. He knew from experience she'd lick it clean.

"Doesn't matter," she said, speaking through a mouthful of food. She swallowed it after a few chews. "Still have to fight them either way."

"True," he said. "Also, swallow before you speak." He ignored Emerald's eye roll, knowing that as a result she'd likely just refuse to speak until she'd finished everything. Either way, Emerald wasn't wrong. She didn't necessarily need to know why they were after him, and the knowledge wouldn't do her much good.

Still, that was the same logic Ozpin used, and it didn't stop it being any more frustrating for him, Yang and Ren to try and deal with. Emerald was young, but she wasn't stupid, and as she grew older she might come to resent the lack of trust. And really, he did trust her. Nurture over nature, and this Emerald simply had no reason to be loyal to Cinder.

"Their names are Tyrian Callows and Hazel Rainart," he began. "They work for a woman – no, a creature – known as Salem. She is the Queen of the Grimm." He knew he had her attention there, since even as a street urchin she knew what Grimm were. Her eyes flicked to his and he nodded. "Yes, there's a figure behind the Grimm. She controls them, or at least spawns and directs them. That same woman has four people under her command, and she and I don't see eye to eye."

Emerald swallowed quickly. "Does she want to hurt you?"

"Right now, I think she wants to understand me. But to do that, she needs to capture me – and I'm all but certain once she does, I'll be killed at a later time. She might be interested to see if I'd work for her, but I won't. I'm a huntsman, Emerald. The Grimm are the enemy. Do you understand?" She nodded hurriedly. "Good girl," he said, rubbing her hair. "I can't tell you _why_ she wants me, not yet, but that's why I'm being hunted. It's also why you're in danger, because you've been seen with me by too many people. They know if they can get to you, they can lure me out."

"It wasn't Ruby he was after," Emerald whispered, eyes narrowed. "It was me."

"That… It gets a little more complicated there." This really was too much to lay on someone her age, but he could at least summarise it. "Basically, Ruby and her mom have silver eyes, which give them powers against the Grimm. Tyrian was definitely there for you, but if he saw Ruby's eyes, he'd have tried to kill her as well. You remember how Summer said I saved her life, right?"

"You healed her." Emerald was quick to catch on. "You healed her after _they_ tried to kill her."

"Exactly."

Emerald's brow creased as she processed all the things he'd told her, many of which were downright alien. At some point he'd tell her about the maidens too, but it didn't seem relevant for now and it was better she focus on the point of why they were in danger. If she understood that, and he meant _understood_ , not just being told about it, then she would better appreciate how careful they had to be. He already knew from the future Emerald could keep a secret and infiltrate a school right under Ozpin's nose. Her potential wasn't in question.

"I suppose this is about the time I say that if you want, I can drop you off in a city of your choice with some lien," he said. He didn't think she'd accept that, and true to form she rounded on him with wide eyes and food spilling from her mouth. "If you want," he stressed, one hand held upwards. "I won't force you."

"I don't want," Emerald hurriedly said. "I don't want."

"Okay, okay." He rubbed her head again, aware of how stiff her shoulders were. "I'm not trying to get rid of you, Emerald. I just wanted to let you have a choice in the matter. This is supposed to be about what _you_ want, not me."

She relaxed, though only a little. "I want to be stronger."

"And I'll make you stronger. That's why we're training so hard. Now eat up, you're a growing girl."

Emerald didn't need to be told that twice. Serious conversation over, she finished annihilating every crumb that might have lingered on her plate, and then did the same for his. If she hadn't been medically tested and given numerous jabs and boosters in Atlas, he'd have accused her of having s tapeworm. Maybe even a whole family.

"More training?" she asked, the very second she was done.

"Not on a full stomach and not straight after our last one," he laughed. "Go and draw some water from the river if you've that much energy. I need to check our maps against the one in this book." He tapped the tome Raven acquired, resting now on his knee. "We'll be moving again in the morning. If I'm reading this right, we should be close."

Emerald nodded and left to do her chores, and to wash the plates while he set up the security systems. She retired into their tent with a lantern and her new favourite book, while he waited outside with the maps until she was asleep an hour later, and then snuck into his own bag as well.

They were close. He was sure of it.

/-/

"Ozpin, have you-?"

"I haven't found him, Summer, no," Ozpin replied without waiting to hear the rest of the question. "Believe me when I say I'm looking. He's already left Atlas." The terminal screen before him recorded the names of any who had entered the city of Vale in the last few days, but for the life of him he could not find one named Ashari.

But did that mean he wasn't here, or was he simply using an alias? At this point it was clear to him Jaune Ashari knew he was being pursued, though whether he thought it Ozpin or Salem, there was no telling. Either way, the man would be wise to keep his name hidden, which didn't exactly help Ozpin locate him.

"You're sure of what you heard?" Ozpin pressed, not for the first or last time. "Hazel Rainart expressed a clear interest in him. Could you be mistaken?"

"He said Jaune was someone who `knew them all too intimately`. He also that he'd see him `another time`, and that there should be less civilians involved when that happened."

"Hm. That certainly sounds like Hazel." It was the confirmation he didn't want. "It's clear our mutual friend has some connection to Salem, but what that is remains a mystery."

"He's on our side, though," Summer said confidently. It was a confidence Ozpin didn't quite share, even if he wouldn't go so far as to call Ashari an enemy. There were plenty of reasons Salem might want him dead, and not all required him to be an ally to them. "Jaune wouldn't be hunted by them otherwise, and he saved me and Ruby." Her face fell a little at the mention of her daughter.

"How is Ruby?" he asked, content to take the distraction.

"Better, but… she's still shocked. And so quiet."

"Give her time, Summer, and don't be so quick to jump to trauma. Ruby's very life was in danger, and she witnessed something terrible. At her age, I'd be more concerned if she _didn't_ act like this. What does Yang think?"

"Nervous and a little jumpy, but she's older and is already attending Signal. I won't say she knows the risks, but she's been in a few spars and she knows what it's like to feel the adrenaline. It's affecting her, there have been nightmares, but I think she'll get over it."

"Good. Good. It might be an idea to have Taiyang bring Ruby to Signal with him for a day. Distract her, show her that she doesn't need to constantly fear an attack."

Summer nodded. "I'll float it by Tai. I'm sure he'll be willing to give it a go." She sighed. "Anything that can help at this point…"

"If that doesn't work, bring her here. I'll personally hire the finest therapists in Vale."

Ozpin finally closed the terminal when it was clear he wouldn't get anywhere. He dispatched a general description and image to the local police force, along with a request that they should politely request Ashari speak to Ozpin, and that they were under no circumstances to try and arrest him or some such nonsense. It would be just his luck for something like that to happen, or just Qrow's luck, as it were.

"Do you think we'll find him before they do?" Summer suddenly asked.

"I hope so, Summer. I really do. He's not having a good time of it in Atlas, or at least his reputation is not. I can only assume he's left the Kingdom, however, so he should be fine."

"I saw those reports," Summer spat. "They're not being fair."

"No, they're not, but such is the nature of tabloid journalism."

"Who would do such a thing?"

Ozpin hummed and didn't respond. He'd already had a call from Ironwood, the shoe on the other foot for once as James demanded to know if _he_ knew where Ashari was. It didn't take a genius to realise James was monumentally angry, and given the sudden bent of Atlas news, he could imagine why.

 _So, Ashari sacrificed himself to protect James' image. An admirable choice, though I'm sure James doesn't see it that way._ It alone calmed Ozpin somewhat, for even if Ashari's motives were unknown, it was proof enough that he wanted to prevent the consequences of Salem's actions in Atlas. Since James was an old friend and ally, Ozpin threw in his own support, and between that and the shifting opinion, it looked like James might come out of this in one piece. One very angry piece, but a piece nonetheless. It would be a relief to have James be angry at someone else for a change.

Ozpin's amusement faded as he noticed the worried look on Summer's face. She really was too kind, and far too involved in the wellbeing of a man whose loyalty they just weren't certain of yet. Still, he did not rebuke her for it. After saving both her and now Ruby, he would expect nothing less.

"You must relax, Summer. He evaded our notice for two years, and we must assume he did the same for Salem. If nothing else, take the lack of information we have as a sign of how successfully he is remaining hidden."

"You're right, Oz. I just wish there was something I could do. He saved my life – and Ruby's."

"If I hear anything, you will be the first to know, and the first I sent out to meet him." Not least of all because she was the one most likely to form a friendly rapport with Ashari. Qrow was out, given what he'd heard about Raven – and that was equal parts intriguing and alarming, but just not something he could deal with right now. "There are other concerns I have, Summer, concerns that I called you here to discuss. Tyrian and Hazel saw your eyes. They saw your face."

"And called me someone who rose from the dead," Summer snarled. "I guess that shows they don't know his Semblance, but yes, I'm in danger again. I know."

"As may be Ruby," he warned. "Qrow said the man he fought clearly focused on her."

"It might have been Jaune's daughter," Summer pointed out.

"It might have been, but do we really want to take the risk?"

Summer sighed. "No."

"We're already going to have to enact a means of keeping you from them, Summer. It won't take much effort to extend that to Ruby or your entire family. Might I start by suggesting you move to Vale?"

"But we're happy on Patch…"

"It would not be a permanent arrangement, just long enough for us to put more measures in place and to keep you and Ruby close until then. It would not be difficult for someone to find out where you live, Summer."

"I know. I'll… I'll tell them tonight. I guess we don't have a choice in the matter."

They didn't, though Ozpin would try to make it as painless a transition as possible. He wished there was another way, but Patch was just too isolated. By the time he might hear Ruby or Summer had been attacked, the enemy would be long gone before he could reach them. If Raven were still with them it might be different but…

Well, another thing to consider. Perhaps Ashari could help in that regard, if he and Raven were as close as Qrow's report suggested.

"I'll go and contact Tai," Summer said, turning away. "Unless you needed me for anything?"

"Not right now. Have a good evening, Summer."

"You too, Oz."

The headmaster smiled at his ex-student as she departed and shook his head once he was alone. She really was too emotional, but that was something he liked about her, and a reason why she was so much more loyal than Raven had ever been.

With a heavy sigh, he brought up the limited information he had on Ashari again, most of it borrowed from Atlas and based on mission reports – many confidential and thus their details were heavily censored, even for him – and also first-hand reports from people he'd worked with. The praise was glowing, citing him as adaptable, versatile, hard-working and focused. He was, however, noted to be over-worked and prone to skip or ignore mandated holidays, often requiring James himself to step in and basically suspend his team from missions. The reports brought a small smile to Ozpin's face, but even so, he focused on what it might mean.

Ashari was working towards something, the `what` being the big question that eluded him. It must have been aimed against Salem otherwise she wouldn't have risked exposure sending two of her agents to instigate a war between the White Fang and Atlas. That, if nothing else, piqued Ozpin's interest. Anything that could alarm Salem so was something he wanted on hand, and preferably in hand. _If I could just reach him, even for a conversation over a scroll, I could convince him to work with us. He needs protection._

And he probably needed guidance, too. Whatever his goal, Ozpin had to make sure it aligned with what the people required. It wouldn't do for the young man to recklessly endanger the fragile peace he'd spent so long protecting.

"What is your goal?" Ozpin whispered to the screen, dreaming of a world in which it might respond. As he did, he also brought up his left hand and moved his fingers slowly. He could remember the moment he'd shaken hands with the man, an odd impulse based on the way Ashari often kept his other hand hidden. He'd assumed it an injury or some such, but that was anything but true.

There was something there. Something… familiar.

"I've felt this before…"

But for the life of him, he could not remember where. Or when.

/-/

Summer took the first ferry back to Patch and found Qrow mock-sparring with Yang while Ruby watched. She hid on the outskirts of the clearing for a minute or two, enough time to let the spar end without her interference. Yang did well for someone her age but was predictably no match for Qrow, even when he held back as much as he could. She got a few solid kicks in, and like the adorable uncle he was, Qrow acted like it hurt him, hopping up and down.

"Damn, Firecracker. You've got a nasty kick on you."

"Hell yeah!"

Ruby giggled.

That was her moment to enter the scene, coughing meaningful and fixing a recriminating glare on her eldest. Yang saw it and quailed.

"U-Uh, heck yeah?" she amended. "H-Hi mom. I didn't realise you were back."

"Hi sweetie, and hey Ruby." Summer tried to act nonchalant with her youngest, despite that she bit her lip. Ruby was still skittish but getting better. Even so, she sometimes flinched when a person came near her too suddenly and would often back away when a weapon was drawn, even if it was her or Tai doing it.

"Hi mom," Ruby replied, waving.

"Where's your father?"

"Cooking."

"Well, why don't the two of you go make sure he doesn't burn the house down," Summer said. Neither made a move to initially, so Summer reached into her pockets. "If you do, and after dinner, you can have some of these sweets I brought back from Vale."

That got them to move – though not towards the house. Yang and Ruby clustered her immediately, eyes wide and smiles wider. She allowed them the packets and bounced her finger off Yang's forehead when she tried to open it.

"After dinner," she stressed. "Not before. Now go help your dad set the table."

"Yes, mom."

"Thank you, mom."

"Bribery, huh?" Qrow asked with a laugh once the two were gone. "What's next, you going to bribe Ruby out of her little funk?"

"Actually, I was thinking I might…"

Qrow's expression was flat. "You're joking…"

"Well I don't know anything about how to help her and you're just as useless."

"I'm a huntsman, not a therapist."

"And I'm a huntress," Summer grumbled. "Being a mom doesn't exactly come with an instruction manual downloaded straight into my brain."

"Heh. Some team leader you are."

"Watch it, buster." She lashed out with a fist, but he dodged like always. "I'm the best team leader to ever come out of Beacon. That's just a fact. Anyone who says otherwise is entitled to their opinion, but they're also wrong."

"Sure, sure," he laughed. "So, how does one bribe a child out of trauma?"

"I was thinking of just buying her something she's always wanted."

"A scythe?" Qrow asked cautiously. "I really don't think a weapon is a good solution to trauma caused by seeing someone cut in half."

"Not a scythe," she said. "A puppy."

"Oh… Heh, that actually makes sense. Don't some people get dogs to help deal with PSTD and stuff? You run this by Tai, or you planning to just surprise him as well?"

"Better to ask forgiveness than seek permission. He'll forgive me. Besides, I want it to be a surprise. I have my reputation as best present giver to cross Remnant to keep in mind."

"Another accolade you're adding to your own list?"

"Hey, I give good presents," Summer protested, eyes narrowed. "I got you that hip flask with your name engraved onto it for graduation, didn't I? Where is that? Don't tell me you don't even carry it around with you."

"Of course I do," he teased, turning to show his waist. There, strapped to his left hip, was a small silvery object tightly wrapped with bands. "It's safe and sound, but I don't drink on missions. You know that."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, keep the puppy idea a secret. I'll tell you when I get it, you can come see their faces." Summer grinned when Qrow winked and placed a finger against his nose. "Did you speak to Ozpin before I did, by the way?"

Qrow blinked. "Uh, I guess. Maybe? What about specifically?"

"Jaune. The attack in Atlas."

"I told him about the guy's Semblance, and about Raven…"

"Nothing about me having to move to Vale?" Summer pressed, eyes narrowed.

"You have to move to Vale?"

He didn't know. Qrow was pants at lying to her and usually didn't even try. Summer let out a sigh of relief and explained the meeting with Ozpin to him. She was pleased to see his eyes widen at the whole family having to move, if only until the heat died down.

"Ah, that's a pain," he said once she was done. "He didn't tell me, though. I'd have told you if I knew he was planning something like that. I wouldn't keep something so big a secret. What's this going to mean for Yang and Ruby going to Signal?"

"Tai still works there, so he can take them to and from easily enough. They'll just have to wake up earlier to get there…"

"I bet Yang will love that."

"Yeah." Summer grimaced at the thought of having to wake Yang up at six every day, which meant _she'd_ have to get up earlier, if only to ensure she could have a shower and not collapsed into bed _with_ Yang and end up making them both late. "It's going to take some getting used to, but maybe being around more people will help Ruby open up a little. It's not like they'll be going to a different school or anything, so they'll still see all their usual friends. They'll have more in Vale, too."

Qrow made a sound of agreement. He knew she was trying to make herself feel better about the idea. Vale was great, but Patch was the place they'd chosen to call home, and it felt terrible to leave that behind – more so because they were running away and abandoning it. Still, if her little girl was at risk, there wasn't much she could do. Tai would say the same.

"Better safe than sorry," Qrow said, echoing her thoughts. "I'll see if I can't keep an eye and ear out for those two that attacked you – and for Ashari," he added before Summer could open her mouth. "And yes, if I see him I won't attack him. I promise…"

"I'm sure you won't," Summer teased. "You already tried that once and we both know how that went!"

"He cheated, Sum. He threw dirt in my eyes!"

"There, there," she crooned, like one might to a baby. "It'll be okay, baby. Did the big bad Qrow get some dirt in his eye? Aww…." His fist came around but this time it was Summer's turn to duck and dance back, giggling the whole time. "Come on, Qrowbaby. Is that the best you've got?"

"I'm not a Qrowbaby! Damn it, Summer. Act your age."

She stuck her tongue out, and soon the two were sparring – Summer laughing the whole time. Things would get better in time, but for now they needed to be stronger, so that the next time she got attacked by those two, she wouldn't nearly die, or the next time Qrow got into a fight with the Callows guy, he'd win. If anything, after years of being one of the best teams at Beacon and kicking ass on missions, they'd gotten complacent. They'd let their edge dull, and her children nearly paid the price for it.

No longer. Summer grinned as she brought her sword around and into Qrow's guard, forcing him to deflect and twist aside, foot digging into the ground as he charged back in. Jaune had beaten Qrow, and he'd also fought Tyrian to a standstill. He'd faced down Hazel _and_ Tyrian with her aid and forced them to retreat, and that was more than _she_ could say about herself.

Next time, she'd be stronger. They'd all be stronger.

She'd make sure of it.

/-/

Jaune pulled Crocea Mors free from a decomposing Beowolf and glanced towards Emerald. She was fighting against her own Grimm, a small Boarbatusk. At only twelve years of age, the fact he left her to do so at all would have been considered child endangerment by most, but he was confident she'd be capable of killing it. And in a way, she perhaps needed it. She needed to see with her own eyes that she was improving, that the harsh training had a purpose.

With a grunt, Emerald fell back as the Boarbatusk tried to gore her. Aura flared but held, her concentration almost perfect. She kicked up with her small legs, which wasn't enough to launch the beast back, but exposed its soft underside. She planted both guns against its chest and opened fire at point blank range.

"Good job," he complimented, catching the dying Grimm before it could fall on and hurt her. The skill was there, but the muscle density to move something like this would come in time. "Your first Grimm in a one on one. Well done."

"Hm!" Emerald tried her hardest not to smile, which made it all the more precocious because she failed miserably. Her pride shone as clear as day.

"That looks like it's the lot," he said, scanning the area. "Keep your guard up, though. You never know with Grimm."

The lesson imparted, Jaune stepped back to get a better view of the bizarre structure they'd finally found. He brought out the book from Raven and cracked it open, comparing the sketched images inside with what stood before him. The ruin was a rather small thing made of carved stone and lined with moss, vines and other plant life. It was little wonder they'd missed it the first time they'd come through the area, and however long ago the book had been written, it must have been cleaner – or the artist had taken some liberties in ignoring how much of a mess it was.

It was squat and rectangular, about eighteen feet wide and some thirty long, collapsed at the back end – sealed away entirely. It was surrounded by forest on all four sides, although the trees never quite reached up to the stonework, creating a small patch of grass three or four metres long on each side. No one had tried to force an entry, which seemed odd. It couldn't have been that difficult to try and break through the rock. _Then again, maybe no one has bothered because of the noise. It would draw plenty of Grimm._

"Is this it?" Emerald asked quietly.

"Looks like it. The map was a little off, hence why it took us so long, but the image looks close enough." He showed it to her, just in case, and Emerald nodded after a quick check. "At this point I figure the person drawing the map just made a mistake. There aren't exactly a lot of visible landmarks to work with."

Emerald hummed again. She wasn't really all that interested, but she tried to sound it for his benefit. Jaune hid his smile. Really, all she cared about sometimes was training, eating and sleeping. Well, he didn't expect someone her age to like exploring old ruins in Grimm-infested territory. This was more Oobleck's kind of thing. The old man would love this, and news about it would be a good way to get into his good books if ever needed to.

Ultimately, all of this was a bit of a long shot and a pet project at the same time. The Relics were the main objective, but it wasn't as simple as him knowing where they were and how to reach them. For one, he didn't know how to use them, and secondly, Salem and her people were actively hunting him, which meant collecting the Relics now would be as good as doing her work for her.

The only person who did know how to use them was Ozpin, and right now, Ozpin would just take the Relics and hide them once more. He'd done it the first time and wouldn't see a reason to try and collect them until it became clear Cinder was collecting the maiden powers and putting the Relics in danger. Even if he could convince Ozpin that the threat was somehow there, he still wouldn't teach Jaune how to use them. Power was best kept centralised, and Ozpin had no reason to trust a mysterious stranger with such knowledge. Jaune couldn't even begrudge him it. The man would have to be an idiot to trust him blindly with such power.

Which left the only viable method of finding out how to use them – finding out _what_ they originally were. Salem called them relics of the past, and that small phrase made sense. They were Relics now, but once upon a time they weren't. They were just things, freshly made. Maybe they were tools, maybe they were weapons, but whatever the case _someone_ had to have made them, and for some purpose. If he could find that, he might be able to figure out what it was, and, if he was lucky, how he could go about utilising their power for himself.

Then, and only then, could he safely go after the Relics. For now, as painful as it was to admit it, Ozpin had the right idea. They were better off safely hidden away and out of Salem's reach. Tyrian, Hazel and Watts were all men, which meant Salem would have to wait for Cinder to grow old and strong enough to take the power for herself. It was ironic to imagine the one thing holding Salem back was the silly gender and age rule on the Maiden's powers. Salem couldn't just force or bribe a powerful huntress, because she might be too old. She had to home grown one herself.

But Cinder would be prepared in a little over six years. It was shocking to realise he was four years in, almost _halfway_ through the ten years he'd been given. It felt like he'd achieved so little. No, he couldn't think of it like that. He'd kept Emerald away from Cinder, saved Summer, alerted Ozpin to the danger of Salem's agents being on the move, and now finally found a clue that might lead him to the truth of the Relics. That was progress, no matter how small it seemed. He also had resources now, a healthy bank balance and extra training from Team November, not to mention allies in Winter, Ironwood and even Emerald. Those years hadn't been wasted.

And neither would the years ahead.

"We're looking for a door," Jaune said. He pointed to the image once more. "It'll have this symbol on it. Check to the left while I take the right. If you see any Grimm…"

"I'll shout," Emerald said, already moving off.

It didn't take long for her to find it. Jaune was busy inspecting the broken rock on one side when she called out, but he jogged over as quickly as he could. The door was well-hidden in the face in front of her, buried behind a thick wall of vines with only a fraction of the symbol visible beyond. Without a word, he moved to start pulling it down, drawing a knife and cutting where necessary. Emerald helped on the bottom bits, but even then, it took almost fifteen minutes. The plants clung to the rock like limpets, and even when he cut above and below a single segment, it would stick on, having to be pulled off with a sharp tug.

Eventually, however, the door was revealed – a flat piece of solid rock with no visible seam or mechanism. It could only be identified as a door because of its roughly central position and the fact it was indented into the rock face about an inch or so.

"Now what?" Emerald asked.

"I'm not sure. The book says they tried for a day and a half to open it, to no avail." And a few other things, such as a detailed list of what they'd tried, and some hypothesises on what the symbol represented, all incorrect because none mentioned Salem. "I can't see a lock or anything. I'm not even sure if it wouldn't be easier to try and dig our way into the back."

Emerald obviously didn't like the sound of that because she stepped forward and placed both hands on the door. She pushed with all the might a twelve-year-old could to no avail. When she stopped to pant, her eyes flicked back to his, flatter than he'd ever seen them before.

"Oh right, yeah, I'll help." Even if it wouldn't work – the explorers having tried it with twenty men – they still ought to give it a go, if only to make sure. Jaune stepped in behind Emerald, his hands reaching over her head to lay on the stone. "Ready? Three, two-"

An ominous click sounded from within. The door slid in and to the side.

Jaune and Emerald shared a concerned look.

"I'll go in first," he whispered, even if he was certain no Grimm could possibly have existed inside. Not without making _some_ noise in what was an obviously enclosed space. But there might be traps. He brought out his shield just in case, sheathing his sword in the top and holding it in his left hand while his right drew his scroll and activated the torch function. A beam of artificial light cut into the darkness, reflecting off dust kicked up by the sudden rush of fresh air they'd allowed in. The air that came back out was stale and hot.

Despite saying he'd enter, Jaune waited for a minute or two – and then tapped his shield on the door frame when nothing happened. The `tink-tink` sound echoed within but there was no response. Only when he was sure there were no surprises inside did he enter. His torch cut across the wall to the left, revealing great expanses of dust and chipped masonry. A scan to the right showed more of the same. Cautiously, he walked into the centre of the small ruin, and realised it was a cairn. There was a sarcophagus in the centre on a raised platform. Behind it, a chipped and half-broken statue stood. It had snapped at the waist, with the top half likely crashing down onto the sarcophagus, cracking it slightly, and then falling off to the side where it lay now.

"It's safe," he called to Emerald. "You can come in."

His adoptive daughter stepped in nervously, her own torch flaring in the dark. She hurried over, content to not be alone in the dark. Creepy or not, it was still safer inside than out. Or so he thought, until with a groan the door started to close once more.

"Shit!" he cursed, rushing past her. He reached out a hand to stop it, only to curse again when the door slammed shut. "Oh shit, this would be just my luck. Don't tell me we're trap-"

The moment he touched the door, it opened again.

"Or we're not trapped," he said, feeling more than a little stupid. "Right, because _of course_ the door wouldn't actually lock behind someone who stepped inside. That would be pretty damn stupid, and if it could open once, it could open again."

He'd watched too many movies as a kid – he'd knew that because even with the door now confirmed safe, he couldn't take his eyes off the sarcophagus. _The chances of something coming bursting out of that are literally zero,_ he told himself. _Life isn't a Spruce Willis movie._

It didn't stop him glaring suspiciously at the thing, though.

In the end, he realised his paranoia wouldn't stop until he dealt with it. "Emerald, keep your torch on me, please," he said, switching his own off and drawing his sword. He placed it down by the stone sarcophagus, close enough to reach if he needed to. The coffin was a simple thing, mostly just a stone box with a heavier slab laid on the top to seal it closed. It was that he placed both hands on, pushing with all his might.

For a moment or two it didn't budge, but eventually it shifted an inch with a sound of stone grating on stone, and then it became easier, loosened from its centuries of rest. Dirt poured down and the giant thing shifted to the side, until the weight overbalanced it and it crashed off the sarcophagus and shattered onto the floor. Jaune winced and Emerald's torch flashed away, watching the entrance in case of an attack.

"Torch here!" he yelped, struggling for his sword in the dark.

It came back – and for the second time, Jaune felt stupid. There was a skeleton in the sarcophagus. It was long dead, partially dust and obviously human in origin. The tattered remnants of cloth remained, brittle-looking and barely scraps. There was a sword clutched in the skeleton's bony hands, but it was old and weathered, not to mention broken at the middle. Obviously, the person had once been a warrior of some kind who fell in battle and was buried with his weapon.

But what he _wasn't_ was some terrible monster about to rise from the dead and challenge the interlopers who dared step foot in his domain. Too many movies. Far too many movies.

Something about the sword caught his eye, however. It was dusty – and he tried not to think of how that dust was literally decomposed person – but on the bronze cross guard, a shape drew his attention. With a shudder, he reached down and pried the skeleton's fingers aside, snapping one in the process. The sword came out easily, or at least the hilt and the foot or so of blade before it broke. Holding it away from the dusty sarcophagus, he blew on the cross guard and then rubbed it on his sleeve, cleaning it.

The result was unmistakeable. There, just below where the blade joined the hilt, was Salem's emblem, proudly displayed in elegant tooling a muted grey in colour. It might once have shone much brighter.

 _But why would a human have Salem's symbol on his weapon. Was this one of her old allies? No, that doesn't make sense. She wouldn't care enough to build a cairn for someone, even if they did serve her._ And in the unlikely scenario she did, it wouldn't be in the middle of Vale. This was human construction, albeit as the notes suggested from a civilisation that predated their own.

Interesting. Jaune placed it back into the sarcophagus with a whispered apology, then turned to the wall to the left, descending the steps and approaching with his own scroll activated once more. The walls were as dusty as everything else, so he brushed his free hand over it, and coughed when a cloud kicked up and almost suffocated him.

"I-I'm fine," he coughed, one hand held out to forestall any concern Emerald might have. Once the dust died down, he looked back to the wall and grinned at what he saw. There was a rough arch where he'd run his hand, the dust cleared from it, and on the rock that was now clear he could see words and images arranged. The cairn had wall murals. Just what he'd been looking for.

If it had Salem's symbol on the door, her symbol on the sword, and information on the walls – then he needed to decipher it. Or photograph it all and get it to someone who could. Maybe he'd be meeting with Oobleck sooner than he thought.

"We need to clean this place up and catalogue all of this," he said, moving to the wall and running his hand over it again, this time prepared to hop back so he didn't choke on the dust. "Emerald, can you handle the other wall and-" He cut off. Emerald was staring at him, eyes wide. "Emerald…?"

"Y-Your hand," she gasped, pointing.

He followed her attention to his left hand, the one with Salem's mark. There was an odd light coming from beneath his glove, diffusing out by his wrist. It was so low he barely noticed it, but in the dark of the cairn, it must have been obvious to Emerald. He quickly tore off the glove and held his hand before him.

Salem's mark was glowing a pale white, both on the back and the palm of his hand. When he moved it closer to the wall, the glow intensified. It seemed to originate in his skin, but no deeper, and he couldn't _feel_ anything about it. Not even a tingle. It was as if there was glowing ink on his skin and nothing more. Except that he knew Salem had _burned_ that mark into his flesh.

She'd done so as a message to her past self, he'd come to realise. Sort of a `notice me, deal with me` time capsule that would get him in trouble. He doubted she'd intended it to mean anything more, especially not for it to light up here, or for him to _be here_ at all.

His smile grew. This was proof he was on the right track. It confirmed that his suspicions were true, and that whatever the Relics were, they weren't as unconnected to Salem as she liked to pretend.

Cautiously, he touched his skin to stone, his palm flat against the wall, the mark touching it. He could see it shine brighter through the back of his hand, and flicker once, as if happy with his decision.

The cairn began to shake and crack.

"That's not a good sign…"

* * *

 **So, when I said "Vale" last chapter, Jaune meant Vale as in the Kingdom, not the city. Sorry for the confusion, but he did say he wanted to check out the ruin in the book Raven stole for him, and that wasn't likely to be in the middle of the city. Also, this sort of marks a new arc in the story. We've had the Atlas arc, and now we have a different one. Arcs won't be limited to locations, but will usually be limited to a theme, this one being related to the ruins Jaune is currently in.**

 **And speaking of, come on, Jaune. You shouldn't have dismissed the movie tropes so easily. We all know ancient ruins can't just be ruins. That's just normal. They're always booby-trapped in some way. Still, some more lore being revealed, and also some hints towards the origin of Salem's mark.**

 **Meanwhile, Ironwood is furious, and Ozpin is cautious.**

 **And Emerald has a birthday cake. Good for her.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 28** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	18. Chapter 18

**I've hinted at, and even stated this before, but because some people keep asking, here is a definitive answer.** **Yes, Young Jaune is a thing. He exists. There is another Jaune Arc in this world.**

 **Anyway,** **back to the adventures of Indiana Jaune and the Temple of the Cursed Cheesecake.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 18**

* * *

The moment the noise reached his ears, Jaune grabbed Emerald by the wrist and hauled her over to him.

"Get behind me," he instructed, drawing his shield and holding it slightly above, ready to block any rocks that might fall. He trusted his own aura control but couldn't risk Emerald's when she was still learning.

The floor shook and trembled, but it didn't feel like a quake. For one, the walls and roof seemed unaffected, and after a moment of the shaking he chose to lower his shield, content that nothing was going to happen. From the outside, the entire cairn was probably stood still.

 _It's a mechanism,_ he realised. He should have expected it, the door being a prime example that _something_ was at work to open and close it. It could have been magic, and considering Ozpin's past, he couldn't discount it, but whatever the case, this was an expected and planned function of the cairn. It wasn't a freak occurrence. With a groan and a crack, the sarcophagus behind him shifted and moved back, taking the statue with it. Revealed, was a dark staircase leading down.

"I've seen enough movies to know how this goes," he groaned. Maybe he was being paranoid but the thought of being trapped under there until he starved didn't really appeal, so instead of descending like an idiot, he instead told Emerald to give him some light and went to work inspecting the sarcophagus to find how it worked.

From what he could tell there was a groove of some kind at the sides of the opening, and a protrusion from the bottom of the sarcophagus which fit into it, allowing it to slide back and forth. It was dusty and cracked in places, which meant the shaking might have just been it struggling to open due to old age or dust getting into and sealing the mechanism. It was clear now, and probably much smoother.

Poking his head under and prepared to rear back at the very _sound_ of movement, he spotted two cogwheels under it, likely attached to whatever power source moved it. _So, it's not magic but technology. Basic tech at that._ He might not have been the engineer Ruby could be, but even he knew how cogs and such worked. What surprised him more was that these people did, and that they could install them into something like this.

But maybe it shouldn't have. This civilisation was ancient, yes, but no one had ever said they were backwards or primitive. Either way, motors and mechanisms like this weren't too difficult to work with, and by the standards of what Atlas had, this practically _was_ backward. That didn't mean it wasn't dangerous, however, so Jaune brought himself back out and approached the sarcophagus once more.

"Sorry about this," he said to Bob the Skeleton, before he placed both hands on the sarcophagus and pushed with all his strength. It was heavy, but not as much as it had first looked, since it had to balance atop a hidden passageway and not collapse under its own weight. Now with that knowledge, he continued to strain against it until he heard a tell-tale scrape of stone on stone. "Just… a little more…"

Again, another scrape – and finally some movement. The sarcophagus cracked and groaned as it was pushed backwards, beyond the motor and out the back a foot or so. There was a metallic clink from below as something fell out of the motor and clattered on the stone floor. Such wanton vandalism would have made anyone else shriek. At least with the door stopping anyone from entering unless they had Salem's mark, he could be assured no one would ever find out.

"There, that should stop it closing back up over us," he said, lighting up his own torch once more. "You want to come down?" he asked Emerald. "Or do you want to wait up here?" He'd have given her the option of outside, but if any Grimm arrived she'd have no way to get in and find help. She moved over to him instead, not quite willing to stay in the main room with a skeleton in the dark. He didn't blame her.

They descended slowly, Jaune in the lead with his shield in one hand, sword still sheathed in the top, and his scroll in the other. Illumination flared off enclosed walls and motes of dust possibly hundreds of years old. The air was stale but growing rapidly cleaner as the old washed up and out. All in all, the staircase only led down about two metres, with the ceiling so close he could have tiptoed and touched it with his head. It was a singular tunnel leading forward five or six metres, where it seemed to widen a little and open into a room.

He kept his eye out for traps as they moved down the tunnel, knowing that any people who could make automated doors or movement systems could probably do plenty of other things if they wanted to. To his relief, there were none. The people who made this either hadn't expected it to be entered or didn't particularly mind if it was. For all he knew, this was how families back then grieved and remembered their family members. Maybe this was _supposed_ to be accessible.

When the tunnel widened into a room, Jaune lit the inside and gasped at what he saw. It was empty for the most part, at least for dust, but the four walls that made up the room were covered in some of the most beautiful paintings and engravings he'd ever seen. When he was sure it was safe he moved over to brush his hand over one. The mark of Salem began to glow again, but this time there was no reaction from it. The murals were etched in like an engraving or masonry, but to make it clearer the lines were also painted into with colours that ranged from black to blue and gold and still somehow remained clear to this day. The walls themselves were dark-grey rock, unnaturally smooth and clean, even now.

"This is incredible. Em, help me clear the dust off all of this – but be careful you don't inhale any."

Emerald nodded and moved to assist, the two of them brushing the dust away but making sure to do so in the direction of the entrance. It took a few minutes, occasionally with them forced to retreat into the tunnel and let the dust settle, but soon they had the walls clean once more.

Jaune felt an odd longing to do more, to take a bucket of water and a brush to them and to really see if they sparkled as he imagined they might. Sadly, they didn't have the time. "We'll take as many pictures as we can," he said, drawing out his scroll. "Can you take the wall with the passageway and that one over there?" Emerald nodded and went to do so. "Thanks, Em." He turned back to his own and tried to make heads or tails of it.

The murals were split into two horizontally, with the top half being images and etchings, almost like a play or storyboard of some kind, and the bottom being characters that _had_ to be words. Language and writing, none of which he could decipher. Idly, he ran his glowing hand over it, but despite the mark, the words didn't magically translate themselves into his mind.

"Was worth a shot," he mumbled. Magic and all that.

Photographing the writing as carefully as he could, Jaune and Emerald worked their way around the room, careful to use their torch function to shine enough light to make the pictures clear. It would be hard to find someone capable of deciphering it, if such was even possible, but it might be something he could leave going in the background. Even if it took someone six years, that would still give him time to do other things. A particular mural caught his eye as he worked, and Jaune paused to consider it.

It seemed to depict a city, or a town, some kind of large settlement with tall towers and a great wall around it. The sun shone down on it, shown by a great orb with rays coming out, each painted with gold.

The next image was the same city, except ravaged and broken. There was smoke coming from it, and lightning bolts that struck down from the sky. Stylistic flames rose up from each side, likely not a direct representation of what happened, but a way of showing that whatever this place was, it had fallen. Jaune traced his fingers over it, and then further to the right. He saw a jagged crack in the ground, and lupine creatures crawling from it, hunting after figures that could only be people running away in terror.

The Grimm. Did this depict the first coming of the Grimm, or was it just that the Grimm had come out of a crack in the ground, much like the breach in Beacon? Too many questions. Not enough answers. He moved on. The scenes of devastation continued, but there was more, murals of people wielding spears against the horde, signs of defence and the people fighting. By the images, it went poorly, with the people overwhelmed soon after. More devastation, more fire.

And then, a lamp floating in the air.

The Relic of Knowledge. As if to prove its power, the lamp was raised above and between two figures, with golden lines reaching out of it in any direction, brighter and more concentrated than the sun had before, stronger, more powerful. On the left, the figure before it was kneeling and hunched, hands over his head. On the right, the same figure stood tall and alert, transformed, facing in the same direction as the first – to the right – yet unbuckled and obviously stronger. It showed in his pose and posture, straight-backed with one hand held forward in a fist.

Did these people harness the power of the Relics?

The next mural was different – tooled in gold and suddenly filled with valour, as tall figures like the first charged toward the Grimm, overwhelming _them_ for once and beating them back. Swords, spears and staves were raised, and though the Grimm did not in real life, the murals showed them fleeing, broken and defeated. Some were bowed, too, defeated and having surrendered. Like the fires before, he assumed that was more symbolism than fact.

The following mural depicted many people stood together, while one stood above, on a platform of some kind. It was a figure with a crown depicted behind them and a staff in hand. Behind the figure, floating above and around them, four objects, smaller than the lamp, but unmistakably the same. Each of the four Relics gave off its own light, seemingly protecting the people before it. Everyone in the crowd looked towards the lead figure, head bowed, but there was one who did not. On the far right, with subtle attention drawn to it, was a single figure who looked the other way, who stood differently, who clearly did not conform.

He was different in that he was painted black and blue, darker than the gold that inscribed the one with the Relics.

The next mural showed that same dark figure, this time speaking to several hunched ones, a hand held out, perhaps convincing them, or maybe giving them something. It was furtive somehow, suggesting that the meeting was not one of which to feel proud.

The final mural showed another battle – but this time there were no Grimm involved. The golden figure stood against the dark one, each of them on a raised platform, their hands outstretched as though giving orders. Before the golden one stood tall and radiant figures, charging forward with weapons drawn. Before the other, hunched and buckled people doing the same. There was a space in the middle, where one might imagine them clashing, but the mural ended there.

One thing Jaune did notice, however, was that in the final scene, each of the figures was in control of two Relics.

Amazing.

So, this must have been a cairn to one of the warriors who fought in this war, and obviously the winning side, since he doubted the enemy would have made it. There wasn't much to go on if one looked at the figures. All were shaped roughly like humans, but androgynous and blank-faced, lacking any detail that might distinguish man from woman. All were the same size, too. They were probably just meant to depict `people` without going into specifics.

Even so, it proved some things. Firstly, the Relics were something utilised by this civilisation, used as a means of empowering people somehow. Could it be the cause of aura and Semblances? Maybe the transformation from hunched and afraid to tall and strong was the result of people being given the power to fight against the Grimm. If so, that hinted that the Grimm _had_ come to Remnant suddenly, and not been a part of the world from its birth.

Which might have made some sense, given that if Grimm and humans had evolved side by side, the Grimm would surely have driven people to extinction. They could barely fight them off now with aura, Semblances, mecha-shift weapons and battleships. No one with spears and bows could have hoped to do the same.

Either way, the Relics had been created – or found – and these people made use of them. But something went wrong. Something not related to the Grimm, but some kind of treachery or civil unrest. From the way those with the golden auras and strong bodies were depicted, it was clear that they'd won. Did the defeated depict Salem?

Was Ozpin the tall figure with the four Relics? Quite possibly…

Or it could have been someone Ozpin had once answered to. It was impossible to tell. What mattered was that this showed that the Relics were a thing and that there was a way to use them to grow stronger. If that were the case, he could use them too. And the scripture beneath might provide the answers as to how.

Jaune finished taking pictures, both writing and the mural, and moved back over to Emerald's side. "All done?" he asked.

"Yes." Emerald showed him the scroll. The images were clear enough, or as clear as she could get them. He patted her head.

"Good job. We'll have to buy you some sweets to reward you, hm?"

"Don't have to," Emerald mumbled. She wasn't very convincing, however, not when she glanced up almost challengingly, as if saying that it was his chance to refute the statement and demand she accept the reward anyway.

Jaune laughed and rubbed her head again. "Come on, we don't find any sweets hidden in here. We'll need to find someone who can work on translating these things, and that means going back where there are a little more people."

"Atlas?" Emerald asked.

"Not Atlas. I think it'll still be a little too hot for me."

Taking a deep breath, Jaune led Emerald back up into the main chamber, and then outside, where the door grated shut behind them, locking away the secrets once more. Breathing in the fresh air, he let out a satisfied sigh, stretching his arms above him. He'd taken a chance on this, on the Relics being usable, but it looked to be paying off, now they just had to figure out what it all meant.

"Where to now?" Emerald asked.

"I think it's time we headed home," Jaune replied.

Emerald looked confused. "Home…?"

"Vale."

/-/

Adam rapped on the door twice and nudged it open with his shoulder, trusting that if Blake were indecent inside she'd have let him know. She wasn't, and was in fact on a bed, newspaper in hand. She looked up and made to hide it, only to relax when she saw it was him.

"News from outside?" he asked, moving in.

"Reports from Atlas," she replied, voice barely above a whisper. "Things are bad, Adam. People hate us, hate the White Fang."

"I'm not surprised, Blake. We weren't exactly subtle."

"That's what I don't like. We're supposed to be making a difference for faunus and fighting to show humans we want equality, but all we did there was hurt both sides equally." Blake glanced around furtively. "That wasn't right, Adam. It's not what we wanted."

"You should keep that to yourself," he warned, sitting down. "People who express their opinion around here don't do very well." There hadn't been another murder like the time the scorpion faunus attacked someone for questioning him, but he'd seen some `traitors` beaten by their fellows. People were angry, and the fanatics were coming to the fore, pushing for more and more violence.

Some faunus missed the war, and the victories they won in it. If humans wouldn't grant them their due, then they should go back to the war – where faunus had been the undisputed victors. That was what many felt, and in a way, Adam didn't blame them.

But even then, they wouldn't have killed civilians like this.

"Public opinion is pretty bad at the moment," he said. "Everyone knows it, Sienna too. Most faunus aren't convinced we're actually good for them, so I think Sienna is pushing for a change to our methods, make us a little more faunus friendly."

Blake's head perked up. "Really?"

"That's what she says. Racism has gotten even bad out there after what we did, and there are plenty of people using it as proof that faunus should be shackled." Adam saw the guilt on Blake's face and hurried to interrupt her, "And we're going to try and fix that. That's what the meeting I had to go to was about. Technically, recruitment is easier for us the more racism there is, since it means most faunus don't have a choice or are desperate. But we don't want to alienate them either by hurting or causing faunus to be hurt. If humans hate us and transfer that hate onto faunus, that's fine. Sick, but fine. At least we can say we're not making them do it. But if we go out and attack civilians again, they'll be _right_ to hate and fear us, and that's bad."

"That's what I meant," Blake said, relieved. "So, we're changing? We won't be attacking people anymore?"

Adam cringed. "Not quite."

"Adam…"

"I managed to push for better targets, Blake. The _correct_ targets. It's the SDC that hurt us the most, and I was able to get some people Sienna to listen to me. Hit the SDC, free faunus in bad shape, and then offer them food, healing and, if they want it, recruitment."

He was quite proud of the plan himself, not only because it would help faunus in need, but because it would show the world they were waging a targeted war, not involving civilians or lashing out at everyone.

 _We're not supposed to be terrorists. The White Fang was supposed to be liberating army, renegades and vigilantes fighting for the betterment of faunus kind._ Damn those two with Sienna, who twisted her as much as they did. If he was stronger…

Well, he wasn't. No use worrying about it.

"It's going to be dangerous, but there shouldn't be any people hurt. Maybe some SDC guards, but I convinced them prisoners and hostages were better than corpses. They can be ransomed back for supplies, food or dust."

To his relief, Blake seemed to cheer up. "That's a great idea."

"I'm glad you think so."

"I do," she repeated, rushing over to sit next to him. She was all smiles now and when she wrapped her arms around him in a childish hug, Adam smiled and returned it with one arm. "You should be the leader of the White Fang," she whispered into his shoulder. "You'd be better than Sienna."

"No one would follow me, Blake," Adam laughed. "I'm thirteen."

"Still a better leader," she mumbled.

Adam smiled and instantly felt a little better. And then he instantly felt a little worse, a small pit opening in his stomach as he considered what he'd have to say next. He knew Blake wouldn't like it. He didn't like it much himself.

"Thing is… Sienna and the others are only willing to try it on one condition…"

"What?"

"They said it's dangerous and reckless, and that if I want to do it, I've got to be the one to lead it. I have to run the mission."

Blake reared back, eyes wide. "Adam, no! You can't!"

"I have to, Blake. If not me, then who?"

"Someone else," she cried. "Adam, you're thirteen. You can't fight that well yet. W-What happens if you die or get hurt?"

Nothing, he wanted to say, because he'd be dead or captured. But that wasn't what Blake wanted an answer to. She was asking what would happen to _her_ if he never came back. The worst part was that he just didn't know. He really didn't.

"It won't come to that," he promised, holding her close. "I'll come back, Blake."

"Why you…?" she sniffled.

"Because if I don't, then the White Fang won't believe this is possible. Because if I don't, they'll keep on pushing for more and more violent attacks, against anyone and everyone, even those who might be on our side or treat faunus normally. Attacks that maybe even hurt other faunus, too. I need to show them that we can target the right people and send a message – a good message." He let out a heavy sigh. "That's why I have to go, Blake."

Because he had to make the White Fang something she could be proud of. Because, in the end, it was his fault she was here. He was the one to convince her this was a good idea, so he'd re-write the whole thing if he had to.

"I came here to tell you," he said. "I have to gather up some other rookies and go tonight."

"Tonight?" she asked. "B-But does that mean you're going _now_?"

Adam turned over the bundle of cloth in his lap, revealing the porcelain masked etched with red lines. A Grimm mask, disgustingly fitting after what the White Fang had done. Blake saw it, realised what it meant, and clutched onto him even tighter.

"I'm sorry, Blake."

"I… I understand. I don't like it, but I understand." She met his eyes, and he could see that she did, deep inside. "I'm just frightened, Adam. If something happens to you, I don't know what I'll do. And what if this changes you? What if all the fighting changes who you are?"

"Then you'll be there to snap me back," Adam said with a cheeky grin. He untangled himself from her arms, though not before giving her a desperate hug. He needed the comfort as much as she did.

"I will," Blake promised as he headed to the door. "If something happens, I'll bring you back."

Adam paused at the door and looked back. For the first time, his heart felt just a little clearer.

"I know you will, Blake. Thank you."

Stepping out the room, Adam brought the mask up to his face, hiding the doubt, the fear and the uncertainty that raged inside.

It was time to become the monster.

/-/

"So, we're back." Jaune glanced to Emerald, whose expression was a mixture of surprise and something less palatable. "How does it feel to be here again?"

"It… It doesn't feel of anything," she replied.

"It's not like returning home?"

"Vale isn't home."

He knew what she meant, and he wondered if he should be pleased by the answer or not. If Emerald didn't see Vale as a place to call home, did that mean she _did_ with him? It was hard to tell. _I'm really not cut out for this fatherhood business,_ he realised, not for the first time.

To be fair, he hadn't planned for it. Taking Emerald had been an impulsive decision to keep her away from Cinder. He didn't regret it. If anything, Emerald helped to ground him a little, remind him that this was a new life and not just a repeat of his last one. But that didn't change the fact he hadn't been prepared for the responsibility and that, if he were being honest, he hadn't really done a fantastic job of looking after her.

Oh, she'd disagree. Winter would too, he supposed. Emerald's life with him was better than what she would have had and anything she'd expected, but that was a poor excuse. He'd do better in the future. The birthday cake a few weeks back were but the first efforts.

As for him, he wasn't sure if he felt all that much coming back to Vale, either. He had the last time – but only because he'd still seen it as the past back then. Now, having accepted that he was going to change things, and that the future he wanted to make would not be a carbon copy of the last, Vale had lost some of its meaning. It was familiar, but if anything, he felt Atlas was homelier.

Then again, that might just be because he'd gotten comfortable.

"We'll set up in a hotel for now," Jaune said, scratching his blond beard with one hand. After two months or more in the wild it had turned into quite the wild fuzz. "We'll see about setting up somewhere more permanent afterwards."

"How will you access money?" Emerald asked quietly.

"I've plenty from my work as a Specialist."

"Thought we wanted to not draw attention…"

Jaune hesitated. "You're right. Good thinking, Em." Ozpin would certainly be looking for him and it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that he'd have surveillance over Jaune's accounts. Or if not him, Ironwood. Using his card would create a record of his presence. "I guess I'll have to go to the bank in person instead. I'm fairly unrecognisable with this beard, at least at first glance, and the bank tellers will be a lot more confidential than a machine."

He'd have to give Emerald a nice treat for figuring that one out. Then again, she'd probably be thrilled at the prospect of a hot bath after all their time bathing in rivers and a shower at the occasional inn they'd stop at. Emerald would also be the more recognisable of the two of them in the short term, which was why he'd bought her a dark green hoodie to draw up. The fact it was raining helped, since the streets were mostly empty, and it was dark enough for them to be obscured.

If Ozpin was looking for them to enter, he'd also be relying on watching the more common forms of entrance into the city, like the trains, bullheads or commercial flights. Very few people walked into Vale nowadays, and even less used some of the lesser known routes into the city, one of which he ironically only knew of _because_ Ozpin had shown it to them in the future.

They found a hotel without too much difficulty and booked in under a fake name. The hotel he'd chosen was the kind of place where no one cared to look deeper, the man behind the counter bored out of his mind and basically running off questions without even looking to see whether it was true or not. He tossed them a key for a large room, two double-beds, and indifferently ran through the times for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Jaune asked for some room service and food to be sent up and took the elevator. Despite the customer service, the room itself was serviceable enough. Emerald immediately kicked off her shoes and socks and chose her bed. It was the first taste of a mattress and pillows she'd had in months.

"Don't forget to have a bath before you go to bed," he warned.

"Mhm," Emerald opined into the pillows.

"I'm going to go visit the bank on my own. Your hair is a little distinctive and there's no need for you to get wet and then sit in a foyer for an hour or more. You okay with that?"

"Mhm."

"And if you need more room service you can order it. I'll leave some lien."

"Mhm."

"Emerald?"

"Mh-" She raised her head and yawned cutely. "Okay."

She really was too independent for her age. He wasn't sure why he even worried about her being left on her own for an hour or two, seeing as how she'd been that way for the first eight years of her life. "I'll bring you something back," he promised. Emerald perked up at that. "I'll be grabbing the first shower, though. Seriously, don't forget to have a bath before bed. You'll feel better for it."

Emerald didn't answer. She was already asleep, gently snoring away.

/-/

Even though it was late in the afternoon, the Vale Central Bank was still open. Marble steps led up to a glass-fronted building with metal grills behind it, detracting from the image somewhat. The interior was wide and open, with four square pillars around the central logo of the bank, and a back wall with six dark-wood teller desks. Only three were currently active. The left wall was covered with automated machines to take deposits or withdrawals, while an open archway on the right side led to what must have been the offices and back rooms where the employees worked.

There weren't many people out due to the rain, but Jaune chose a desk without a queue before it and silently pushed his Atlas ID card over the counter. "I'd like to speak to someone regarding my account," he said. "Privately, if possible."

"That should be fine, Mr Ash-" The computer beeped loudly, and the woman cut off. Her eyes flicked up to his.

Jaune stiffened. One foot slid back, ready to bolt. "Is there a problem?"

"I don't think so. I've just for a message that if you come in one of our business account managers would like to speak to you, that's all." She typed in some details quickly. "You said you wanted to speak to an account manager. Would you be willing to speak to the Director of our business preferred status accounts team?"

"I wasn't aware I _had_ a business account."

"You do, Mr Ashari, as well as your personal account. I believe that is what the meeting is about."

Odd. He'd have remembered setting up an extra account if he had one, but there had only been the one he made in Atlas once Ironwood gave him a job. Before then, he'd just carried all his lien on him. You couldn't quite do the same when a Government agency needed an account to pay your wages into, and the apartment you were renting required direct debits.

Still, this didn't feel like something Ozpin would do. It was much too convoluted. Ozpin didn't have any reason to think he was avoiding him, so he could have just left a message to meet with him if he wanted to. Not this.

"Alright, I'm willing. How long will it be until he can see me?"

"As a preferred status account holder, you can go through immediately, sir. You are a valued client. _We_ will make time for _you_."

As if summoned, a man who had to be fifty or so appeared from the archway to the right and strode over with a friendly smile, hand extended. Jaune met it, still a little lost but at least willing to play ball.

"Mr Ashari, is it? A pleasure, sir. My name is Alasdair. Alasdair Andrew Alabaster. Forgive the name. I fear my parents wished to play a cruel prank on me. If you'll come this way we can talk in my office. Would you like a cup of coffee? Tea, perhaps? If you're hungry I can have someone fetch you a steak or any meal of your choice."

"I, no, that won't be necessary." What was with this service? The last time he'd come for a bank meeting, and that was admittedly far in the future, he'd not received even a fraction of this care. "I'm not actually sure what this is about, Alasdair. I'm told there is a business account open in my name?"

"That's right, sir." He opened the door to a wide and opulent office, beautifully arranged with mahogany furniture and some tasteful pieces of art on the wall. "Please take a seat, sir." He sat across the desk and reached into a cabinet. "Bourbon?"

"I- Sure." Anything to stop him asking. Jaune accepted the glass and sipped at it. "So, a second account? I don't remember opening something like that."

"You would not sir. In fact, it was opened by someone else _for_ you."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Is that legal?"

"It would be illegal if it were a personal account, but the customer opened a business account and has signed its contents over to you, and as such there is no risk to you. Your role within the company is listed as a non-executive board member, and your earnings over the last few years have been paid in full."

"Are you sure you have the right person? I've never worked for anyone other than James Ironwood."

"You are Jaune Ashari, up until three months ago a Specialist of Atlas, no?"

"I am…"

"Then you are the correct person, sir. You see, although this lists you as a non-exec board member, the account was only created two and a half months ago when your name and image appeared in the newspapers. Our customer saw you, recognised you, and opened this account in your name – saying that your services up until that point had not been paid, and that you would receive that which you were owed."

Again, nothing came to mind. Jaune sat in silence, hoping something would make the answer more apparent.

"You might also be pleased to know that your legal team has been busy in Atlas. While I cannot comment on work not yet completed, we are convinced that your name will be cleared of any responsibility for the White Fang's actions within weeks."

"I have a legal team?" Jaune spluttered.

"Not you, sir, RTE's legal team. The CEO was quite upset to hear of your good name being besmirched. I hear he has put quite the pressure on Atlas to drop any charges, and considering the stranglehold RTE has on the market, Atlas is all but certain to fold."

"Sorry, but I've been out of the loop for the past few months," Jaune admitted. "I'm not sure I've heard of this RTE before, which is a little odd given that I apparently work for them now." Even if, as the man said, he'd been doing so unpaid up until two months ago. "Who is RTE?"

"Why, it's only the greatest electronics company in Remnant to date," Alasdair said happily. "Rashem Telecommunications and Electronics. They're a relatively new company, they came out of Vacuo two years back and have quite frankly _revolutionised_ the market. Their CEO Rashem Annar is one of the wealthiest men on Remnant."

Rashem.

Why did that sound familiar?

"And you said they work in electronics?"

"Scrolls mostly," Alasdair said, "Though they're moving into other electronics now considering the technological advantage they have over much of the competition. Why, their scrolls are considered to be the only ones anyone with a single shred of sense will buy nowadays. Look." Alasdair reached into his suit pocket and brought forth one such scroll, one that Jaune recognised immediately.

It was the same scroll he'd had in Beacon.

In Beacon a whole six years from now.

It was the scroll he'd sold to a simple street peddler in Vacuo, back before he realised he'd come ten years into the past. He'd been sent back, and literally given technology ten years before its time to some random guy.

 _You know, I really am bad at the whole `not changing the past` thing. I failed at that long before I adopted Emerald, came to Atlas or caused the White Fang to emerge early. Bloody hell…_

"I remember him," Jaune said hoarsely. "Rashem and I go a way back. I didn't realise he still remembered me, though. Or that he'd open an account for me."

This was good in a way. If his account was being watched, then suddenly having another would help him get around that. Since it was a business account, it wouldn't even be in _his_ name, but rather something like RTE or similar. How useful it was would depend on how much it had, since he'd accrued a good two-hundred thousand lien working for Ironwood.

"How much is in the account?"

"Currently, sir, there is six point four million lien."

Well… That was… a thing. That was definitely a thing. Maybe he could afford to buy Emerald more than just a cake for her next birthday. Maybe she'd like a fucking private Bullhead or something. Or her own personal island. Six million lien. What the hell.

" _You will not regret this, and I shall not forget it. One day you shall hear the name Rashem and remember that you helped him to greatness."_

"Well, this ought to make things easier," Jaune said, only just managing to keep his face calm. "In that case I'd like to make a withdrawal."

"Certainly, sir. How much?"

"Do you have a briefcase?"

Alasdair looked confused. "I have my own, sir…"

"Looks nice," Jaune said, nodding to the black, leather thing Alasdair brought out. He then looked up to the man, face deadly serious. "I'll give you five-thousand lien for it."

/-/

The man working behind the desk frowned as he heard a commotion outside. It was short and one-sided, and not in the way he normally would have liked. His hand reached under the desk and drew open a drawer. He pulled out a handgun and put it on the desk in front of him. Another he kept in the drawer, and the drawer open. It was sometimes a good idea to have a surprise at hand.

And then the door opened, and any such thoughts of his being in control of the situation fled.

Sweat beaded on his brow.

"Hello Hei," the man in the doorway said. The way he smiled was all wrong, like he was smiling at an old friend, and yet Hei Xiong had only seen this man once in his life. A brief encounter, but one that he would not allow himself to forget. The stains in the tiles had taken months to clean out.

He'd been smiling then, too, and even back then when he'd been so much younger, Hei had recognised that as the smile of a predator. Not one that aimed to be vicious, but rather one that tried to pretend it was not. A predator which put on a smile not to intimidate, but because it realised that its very presence intimidated.

It was like the Grim Reaper wearing a pink shirt in a desperate attempt to make its grisly business somewhat less terrifying. Much like it had back then, the smile failed to make Hei feel any less like he was dancing with death.

"It's Junior now," Hei said, unsure why he really did. The distinction hardly mattered and his survival instincts, honed from multiple attempts on his life since he took power, were telling him to accept whatever the man before him wanted to call him.

"I didn't think you'd still call yourself that. After what your father did."

"My father is dead." And they both knew who had killed him. "As for the name, it's a nice way to remind people that the name given to me as an insult is now the name they must bow down to. Keeps them humble."

"Not a bad reason."

Junior, or Hei, personally felt so, too. It was also pleasant to look those who had mistreated him in the past in the eyes and watch them flush whenever they addressed him. The seconds continued to pass and Junior finally relaxed, realising that if the man before him wanted him dead, he would be. There was no blood on his sword though, so it looked like his guards were unconscious.

He'd have to give them a raise for this. Standing up to this mad man was loyalty he wanted to keep, if they weren't so scarred that they'd run for the hills the moment they woke up.

"Can I help you? Ashari, was it?"

"Yes. Jaune Ashari."

It wasn't. Junior couldn't remember the man's real name – it had been years – but he could remember that it was something that began with A. But if he wanted to be called Ashari, then Ashari he would be called.

"Let me be frank, Ashari. Have you come to finish the job you started here?"

"I didn't even come for that the first time, Junior. If you recall, I wanted to walk away. It was only because your father tried to stop me that things went… south."

South. Well, that was certainly one way to term a massacre. "I'll make no such efforts to impede you or the girl." Junior said quickly. It was a ridiculous claim, of course, given that he was alone with the man with all his guards unconscious. The best chance he had of impeding Jaune Ashari was weighing his sword down with his own body or tripping him as the man stepped over his corpse. "Speaking of the girl…"

"In a hotel for now," Ashari answered. "She's tired and wanted to rest on a proper bed for the first time in a while. I take it you've taken over after your father died." He waited for Junior's grunt of assent. "I need a service from you. I'm prepared to pay."

"I'll be glad to help," Junior replied honestly. He finally relaxed completely, breath escaping his lungs in a whoosh of air. He was not a man used to being afraid but there was always a bigger predator out there. Business, however, this was more familiar. "What do you need? Territory, men, information?"

"A new identity."

"Again?" Junior asked, surprised. "Have you ruined the last one already!?"

"No, sorry, I don't want a new identity to replace mine," he explained. "I need an additional one."

Junior nodded, and with incredible care brought out a computer with which to work on. He moved slowly, so that no one action could be construed as a threat. If Ashari wanted a new identity then that meant he had business in Vale, and as far as Junior was concerned, he'd rather be in on that business than the target of it. A new player had come to Vale, and the criminal gangs here definitely weren't ready for him. One thing was for certain, Junior knew how _he_ was going to handle Ashari.

Politely.

Very fucking politely…

/-/

Oobleck looked up from the papers he was marking as his scroll began to vibrate. It was set to silent, as it often was when he was busy marking papers or perusing the syllabus ahead, but it was atop his wooden desk, which meant that silent or not, the vibrations caused it to rattle like an angry rapier wasp caught in a drawer. He considered ignoring it for a moment, before curiosity and a good deal of boredom – he'd been working for over an hour and a half now – won out.

The number was not one he recognised, but nor was it hidden, or the kind best associated with telemarketers or automated voice services. Realising that no answers would come without at least answering the call, he accepted it.

"Good evening."

" _Is this Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck?"_

The voice was rich and cultured yet tinted with something that bordered excitement. It was a man's voice, and he meant that in terms of age as well as gender. He would have put the caller as somewhere between the ages of twenty and forty, the timbre just a little deeper than the students he was used to dealing with. The person also had his title right, which was something of a personal delight. So many called him professor nowadays.

"It is, yes. May I ask who is calling? And how you came across this number?"

" _Of course, of course. I apologise for the suddenness of my call, Doctor. My name is Henry Waters-Brown and I am something of a… I suppose you could call me a collector and enthusiast."_ The odd pause while the man considered the right words piqued Oobleck's interest.

"A collector of what, Mr Waters-Brown?"

" _Why, of history, of course. I'm an enthusiast in the discovery of ancient history, with a particular fondness for long-gone civilisations. Your name happened to come up in certain circles I frequent as a rather well-educated man yourself."_

"Thank you," Oobleck said politely. He had written a book or two, though they'd never really taken off outside of those already interested in history. "But I'm afraid you have me at something of a disadvantage. I'm still not sure how you found my number, or what it is you would like from me."

" _Then I shall cut to the chase, Doctor. Your number was provided to me by someone who believed you could best help me. I'm afraid I don't pay too much attention to the details; I'm rather focused on my hobby, you see. Why, just this month past I was out with several teams of huntsmen investigating a ruin in the outskirts of Vale. A rather perilous expedition and certainly something of a hair-raiser, I can assure you."_

"It sounds like it," Oobleck said, half-listening, half-writing down some notes on a piece of homework that really ought to have been less blatant in its attempts to copy the work of a teammate.

The man he was talking to was wealthy, it seemed. Oobleck was not used to, but at least familiar with, their type. People who were well-off could have unusual hobbies like model trains, or collecting butterflies, but the obscenely wealthy, those who might never have to work again, tended to accumulate even more wild hobbies, as if they were all trying to compete with one another.

Once upon a time, archaeology had been similar – a rich man (or woman's) game. It was something of a sport for the wealthy, with little regard for knowledge gained so much as the joy of discovery or beating one's competition. While many had ceased to behave that way, he was aware that some still did, and it seemed this Waters-Brown counted among them.

And he had to be wealthy, of course, if he could afford to pay huntsmen to shadow him as he went out and poked about a ruin. It was something of a waste of resources, but Oobleck would admit to some interest. It wasn't every day someone new was discovered.

"And you found something, I take it?"

" _I did indeed, Doctor Oobleck. I'm going to send you an image through right now. I was wondering if you might take a brief look at it."_

"Very well. Go ahead." Oobleck opened the image once it pinged through – and almost dropped the mug he was bringing up to his lips when he saw it. "Goodness!" he gasped.

" _I know, Doctor. I felt the same way."_

Oobleck barely heard him. This… This was incredible. The image was of a mural, well-lit and in excruciatingly beautiful detail, though obviously old and warn a little. There was not too much to read from it at a glance, but the closest he'd ever seen of such images was on a tablet at least eight thousand years old. No record of history existed of that point and all they knew of it was that humans _had_ existed back then, and that they had some form of civilisation.

But this, these murals, they revealed so much more even in so limited a picture. He could see depictions of weapons, of organisation, of a hierarchy or religious order of some kind, especially considering the figure raised on a plinth of some kind, orating to those who watched. But more than any of that, he saw Grimm pull themselves from the very ground! It could be thematic and nothing more, but it could also be an idea of their origin, or perhaps of how they spawned if nothing else.

"Where did you find this?" Oobleck snapped, though he wished he hadn't and moderated his voice a second later. "Forgive me, I got ahead of myself for a moment."

" _It is no problem, Doctor Oobleck. I was just as excited."_

"Thank you for understanding." And he meant that, he really did. Though he could not make out much, the edges of the image made it clear there was _more_ to be seen, and this man had hardly found and called him just to tease – or at least Oobleck certainly hoped not. As such, he didn't want to upset or alienate Mr Waters-Brown in any way. "Well, you certainly have my attention, Mr Waters-Brown, and please, call me Bartholomew, or Bart. How can I help you?"

" _Thank you, Bart, and please call me Henry. As you can no doubt see, there is much more to the discovery than I can include in any one image. While I enjoy the adventure involved, I will admit to not being an expert on the theoretical side of things, and certainly not enough of one to decipher an ancient language."_

Oobleck's mouth became dry. "Do you mean the murals?"

" _Not just them, no. Even I can guess at images. There was more below that – a long list of characters arranged in an obvious pattern. Writing."_

His free hand gripped the desk so hard his knuckles went white. He feared for a moment he might break the scroll in his hand, but the latest models by RSC were particularly durable. Oobleck realised a second later that he was desperately trying to distract himself, and with good reason. His mind was awhirl. There was a burning in his gut. He wanted – nay, _needed_ – to know more.

"I-I am not an expert on languages," he admitted carefully, "But I can certainly liaise with those who are, and you will struggle to find any historian better connected than I. If nothing else, I believe I could help you depict the language… if that is your desire…"

Let it be, Oobleck almost begged. Let it be history, let it be discovery, not just the whims of a collector who wished to keep something locked away behind a glass pane in their mansion. This, at the risk of infringing on some copyright, belonged in a museum.

" _You read my mind, Bart,"_ Henry said, and Oobleck practically sagged with relief. _"I'll admit to being something of a recluse, and I need to sort through some property I am purchasing in Vale. That said, would you be amenable to a meeting in the coming days? I'm certainly not adverse to what you discover here being shown to the world, but I would appreciate it if we had a chance to discuss the finer details first."_

"Of course," Oobleck said. Book deals, non-disclosure, arrangements on who would be credited. There were plenty of things he could think of, none of which were well-suited for a late scroll call on a weekday. He still had his homework to mark, though he imagined that would be all but impossible now. He was going to be poring over the single image he had all night.

 _I dread how tired I'll be come the morning. Oh, who am I kidding. I'm going to be awake all night and I'm going to love it. The students can read from a textbook tomorrow while I pass out behind my desk._

"Where would you like to meet, and when?"

" _As I said, I need to sort out a permanent residence in Vale first, but I shall call you soon with more details. It should only take a few days and you have my number should you need me."_

"That's fine and I'll await your call with enthusiasm. Is there anything I should know?" Oobleck asked. "In regard to disclosure, I mean. You do realise I work for Beacon Academy, so I would be required to inform my employer of any additional work."

" _I understand. I'm happy for you to tell people who I am and what you might be working on, but I would ask that the content of any discoveries remain private for now."_

"Oh, of course. It would not do for someone to overhear and claim our findings as their own."

" _You read my mind again, Bart. It's been a pleasure, but I really must go."_

"I look forward to hearing from you, Henry." The call ended with a click. Oobleck sagged back in his seat. "Goodness," he whispered, still not sure if he wasn't dreaming or not. The image on his scroll suggested otherwise, and yet again the urge to throw everything aside and begin work nearly overpowered him.

But he had other responsibilities, one of which was making Ozpin aware of any such extra-curricular activities he had. It wouldn't do for him to try and juggle two jobs, especially when so many young minds relied on his attention.

" _Oobleck,"_ Ozpin greeted as he answered the call. _"Is something the matter?"_

"Not quite, Ozpin. It's just that I had an interesting call a moment ago, someone who would like to make use of my expertise on history to look into some rather interesting wall murals they've recently come across."

" _Oh, is that so?"_ Oobleck recognised the amused and patient tone Ozpin replied with. It was the kind of voice that suggested he didn't quite share the same excitement as he but was prepared to put up with it. Ah, much to Oobleck's regret, not everyone appreciated history in the same way he did. It was a shame, but it was what it was.

"I just wanted to make you aware of it and to ask if you had any objections to my accepting such an offer," he explained. "The work won't interfere with class or my term time here, and I'll be sure to notify you ahead of time of any meetings I need to attend. I'll also make it clear to the client that these will have to be held on the weekends or after school hours."

 _"Hm, I see. Out of curiosity, who is this mysterious client of yours?"_

"His name is Henry Waters-Brown. From what I can tell, he's a wealthy enthusiast and collector, the kind with more money and free-time than he knows what to do with."

" _Ah, one of those."_ Ozpin no doubt knew the kind well. Some of them even sponsored and donated funds to Beacon. _"Well, I wish you the best with it, and you have my permission. Be sure to inform Glynda and keep her informed as to any absences you'll need to take. She won't appreciate it if you fail to do so."_

"I'll keep that in mind – and thank you, Ozpin."

He couldn't end the call fast enough, and not because of any issue with Ozpin. Oobleck brought the image of the mural back, placed it down on his desk, drew out a notepad, pen and his favourite history book, and then thumped the entire kettle down beside him.

His mug went forgotten. He would drink from the kettle.

* * *

 **Typically, with this story I'm trying to time skip things that would make for slow or boring reading, which is why in the last chapter we had a period of two months or so where Emerald and Jaune just spent their time in the wilderness, and now in this one Jaune is returning to Vale with the information he has gleaned. Sorry for the jumping around, but it's mostly to keep Jaune and Emerald interacting with people and events.**

 **So, we're back in Vale. Enter Jaune Arc, aka Jaune Ashari, aka Henry Waters-Brown, aka The Smiling Man, aka, He Who Has Many Names, aka The Giver of Beer (to Raven), and Fuck-Face (to Vernal-chan).** **And possibly "That son of a bitch!" to Ironwood.**

 **Vale is not prepared.**

 **Oh, and Rashem returns! We all knew the savvy bastard would. Good old Rashem.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 4th August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	19. Chapter 19

**I've been rather ill this week, so this chapter is a little shorter. Not by much, but it's there.**

 **Glad to see so many people were pleased to see the return of the Rashem butterfly. Jaune really was doomed in his `not changing the future` strategy from the start.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 19**

* * *

When it came to Vale, it turned out you couldn't really buy a mansion. Space was too limited, the buildings pushed too close together, a lingering reminder of the over-population that caused Mountain Glenn. What money bought was simply a more ornate townhouse in a richer part of the city but give just how exorbitant living in Vale could sometimes be, that was still a huge sign of wealth.

If that were the case, then Oobleck felt that Henry Waters-Brown's new home made a particularly overt statement as to his wealth. The building he'd been advised to visit was three stories tall and stood a good five feet or so higher than any of its rivals, with ornate woodwork, bronze-clasped windows and a little driveway without a car, but with beautiful flower arrangements on either side.

In truth, the only other building Oobleck had seen with a garden in Vale was Beacon itself. But then again, he'd known the man he was to visit was obscenely wealthy. Only someone like that could have so vacuous a hobby as ruin diving in Grimm-infested land.

Only someone like that could afford to luck out and find something that would change history as they knew it. Not for the first time, Oobleck swallowed. Not a man used to nervousness in any degree, he felt like a schoolboy once again. If this went poorly, Henry would be more than capable of politely asking him to leave and finding someone else to look over his findings. If that happened, a lesser-equipped historian might make mistakes, and the thought of this never seeing the light of day due to the errors of an amateur pained him more than the lack of sleep did.

There was no use procrastinating, though. It was early Saturday and the weekend would not wait for him. Oobleck strode forward, took the gold-inlaid door-knocker and rapped it three times against the wooden door.

A small buzzing echoed him as an intercom of some kind – carefully hidden – flickered to life.

" _May I help you, sir?"_

"I'm here to see Mr Waters-Brown. My name is Doctor Oobleck and I am expected."

" _You are, sir,"_ the voice replied. _"One moment."_

The door opened a few seconds later and a man emerged, not Henry Waters-Brown, but an assistant of some sort. He was dressed in a crisp black suit with a red tie and sunglasses. He looked a little more brutish than one might have expected of a butler, so he was perhaps a bodyguard, too. Wealth attracted vultures, after all.

"If you'll follow me, I'll escort you to the study room. Mr Waters-Brown will be with you soon."

"Lead on." Oobleck smiled and nodded, but in truth his eyes were scanning his surroundings, taking in every detail and using it to piece together an idea of who his new patron really was. The décor was tasteful and in fashion, but undeniably not a new lick of paint as he could see dust in the corners and some fading in places. Henry's last call had said he needed to purchase a house in Vale, so this was a new buy. Had he not the time to decorate it himself, or did he simply not care? That might have spoken of laziness but given the man's apparent wealth and the fact he could buy an army of interior decorators had he wished, it was more likely he simply didn't care.

An eccentric, then. One who was focused solely on his hobbies to the point that he might neglect all else. Oobleck was not so much a hypocrite as to disparage that. He was much the same.

Through a long corridor and up an ornate flight of stairs they went, to the second floor – and past several rooms Oobleck caught a brief glance into. One held a large billiards table and several lounging chairs beside a fireplace, while another appeared to be a collection room of some sort, filled with old swords, suits of armour and other historical minutiae.

Oobleck was aware those doors had likely been left open for him to see, but the game went both ways and he noted the contents of each.

The study room was a medium-sized, oval room. Well, it was medium-sized by the context of the house itself, but larger than most bedrooms in Vale by at least three times. The walls, those that didn't hold full-length windows, were covered with bookshelves, each stacked with books that seemed to be brand new, never-read, and more for decoration than purpose.

In the centre of the room was a beautiful table with some ornate patterns carved into the top of it and a colourful flower arrangement in the centre. Six comfortable, high-backed chairs surrounded it, and the man led Oobleck to it, bidding him sit and asking if he would like any refreshments.

"Not to worry, I've brought my own coffee," he said, revealing his thermos, which was also his weapon. "I mean no offence, of course, but my preferences are awfully particular. It's often easier to handle it myself."

"That's fine, sir. I shall go and inform Mr Waters-Brown that you have arrived. Please excuse me."

Oobleck nodded and poured himself some coffee. Taking a sip, he cleared his mind. _He_ was the celebrated historian here, not the man he had come to see. The whole purpose of his being hired for this was because Henry needed his expertise, not the other way around.

Curse his shaking hands. This discovery was just too big!

The door to the study room slammed open. The man who appeared… was not what Oobleck had expected. Henry Waters-Brown – and it had to be him, for no one else would treat such a property with such casual disrespect – was actually a rather young and athletic man. He was around six feet or so, give or take, with a clean-shaven face and dark-brown hair that fell in a wild mop somewhat reminiscent of Ozpin's, except far less ordered. He had inquisitive brown eyes, a face weathered from travel, and the gait of someone not unused to fighting if required. That he looked to be trying to hide it only intrigued Oobleck all the more.

Not quite the fat, idle explorer, then, Oobleck realised. Henry was someone who liked to get down and dirty with his work, and Oobleck could well imagine him being the first to enter whatever ruin he'd found. It was a slightly more pleasant image than what he'd first held of the man, even if it raised questions of how someone so young had become so obscenely wealthy. An inheritance perhaps?

Either way, he dressed the part, in well-fitting tweed with patches, a high collar and a long brown jacket covered in dust and soot. If Oobleck had to describe it, he'd have called it a cross between a wealthy nobleman and a mad scientist.

"Mr Waters-Brown, I assume?"

"Yes, but please call me Henry." Henry's handshake was firm, firmer than some of Oobleck's own students. "And may I call you Bart? I'd like to get straight to the point and pleasantries and social rituals can be such a bore."

Oobleck chuckled. "I could not agree more."

"To business then," Henry said, sitting opposite him. "You already know what I want you for, Bart. The murals are interesting for sure, but it's the language below I would like deciphered. I can provide you a budget for any expenses you might incur in hiring people to look into it, but I do require a certain degree of discretion. From you and any you might involve. Ideally, I'd like to vet them beforehand."

"I'll be sure to run them by you."

"I'm also a man who values his privacy, Bart, so while I am fine with you informing people that you work with me, I would ask that any private details about myself or my life remain so. I hope that won't be a bother."

Security or someone who just preferred a quieter life. Either way, Oobleck nodded. Henry would not be the first or last person to appreciate his own company compared to that of others. And there were always potential rivals who might take a less legal route to acquiring information like this. "What of opportunities for me to go over the material?" Oobleck asked. "Shall I be allowed to take any off-site, or will I need to inspect it here?"

"I'll let you take a single copy of the existing file away, but the same rules adhere to it. This is a business arrangement between you and I. No one else is to have access, not even those you consider friends or colleagues."

"My fellow professors hardly share my enthusiasm for history," Oobleck said, images of Glynda and Peter coming to mind. "If I wanted them to see this, I'd have to handcuff them to a chair and show it to them. No, I think privacy will be an easy thing to manage."

"I'm glad," Henry said. "Forgive my paranoia."

"There is nothing to forgive. Now, there were a few other questions I had…"

/-/

Jaune watched Oobleck go an hour or so later, clutching a printed off sheet in his hands and already inspecting it with fire in his eyes. He'd always known the professor – sorry, Doctor – loved history, but to see it first-hand was another matter. His enthusiasm in lessons didn't do him justice.

"That didn't go so badly," he said, running hand though his hair and frowning at how itchy it was. The dye-job had been rushed, not that Oobleck noticed in the low light of the study room. It was literally store-bought dye applied over a sink and should wash out when the anti-colour agent was applied.

"Do you need me, sir?" Junior's helper asked. The man, an obvious member of Junior's gang, looked incredibly nervous.

"You can go," Jaune said. "Give Junior my thanks and tell him that I'll be visiting him in a day or so. I have some business deals to run over with him."

"Y-Yes, sir. I'll pass on the message."

Jaune rolled his eyes as the man departed a little too eagerly. He had no idea what Junior had said about him, but it was obviously out of proportion. Maybe he'd made too much of an impression the first time. Odd, since he'd only fought off some untrained mooks to help Emerald. It was no more impressive than what Ruby did at fifteen to Roman's goons.

Well, whatever. A little respect from the criminal underworld wasn't a bad thing.

But that was in the future. His new house was the now – and it really was far too big for him and Emerald. He'd not even seen her for the last hour or so before Oobleck arrived, not because they were avoiding one another, but because there were entirely too many ways to walk around in circles in the place. Rooms had doors to other rooms which ignored the central corridor, and the kitchens – which seemed big enough to fit three or more chefs – connected to a pantry, dining room, living room and even a smaller room for staff to sleep in.

"No single parent needs this many rooms," he grumbled. He was already missing his admittedly small, but very convenient apartment in Atlas. No confusion there. You got what you saw, and it was just enough for what you needed.

Alas, Henry Waters-Brown had to make an impact, and a lot of that was visual. Rashem might have wept if he knew Jaune spent two million on a ruse to make Oobleck think him a wealthy eccentric, but it wasn't like the place couldn't serve for other purposes. The future, in so far as he intended to let it be that, mostly took part in Vale. Might as well have his base there, and no one would expect him to be in such a wealthy area.

The sound of feet caught his attention from another room and Jaune made his way over. It wasn't a bedroom, so he knocked once on the door and pushed it open, finding a large, open room that looked to be a mostly empty room with a wooden floor. Emerald was in the centre, running though some exercises for her weapons. She saw him and paused, sweat glistening on her brow.

"He's gone," Jaune said. "Sorry about asking you to stay hidden."

Emerald shrugged. "They know my face."

"We can have an ID made up for you as well if you want. Little sister or daughter of Henry. But you'd have to dye your hair for it."

"Would it help?"

"Not really," Jaune admitted. "I'm just offering so you have a choice. You'd probably have to switch in and out of hair colours if you did."

"Then I'm fine without."

He should have expected as much. Emerald was hardly a social butterfly, so given a choice between uncomfortable hair dye _and_ having to speak to people, or hiding away with a good book, bag of sweets or a chance to train, he knew which she'd be picking.

"Do you want to spar, then?" Jaune asked.

Emerald's eyes lit up.

"Alright, alright. Let me grab my sword. We'll focus on footwork today. Now, I want you to try and trip me while we fight. Think about the distance between us and where your weapon's sweet spot is…"

/-/

Winter sighed. Not for the first time. The Schnee manor was as oppressing as it had ever been, and her mother's continual descent into alcohol hardly helped. She'd sworn she would never come back here again, or at least not as a pawn of her father.

If only Jaune hadn't pushed her into it. Curse him.

And curse her too, for agreeing with him so easily. It was just hard not to. Years of him as her superior ingrained a natural response of following his orders into her, and the work he'd done mentoring her, training her, well, after all that it was hard to get out of the habit.

A sigh escaped her as she realised she was thinking about him again. _It's been three months,_ she told herself. _Get over him already._

Easier said than done.

"Winter." The voice from the doorway was cold and frustrated, though not, for once, aimed at her. Her father strode into the room and looked her up and down. He nodded, pleased to see she was presentable and at attention.

"Father," she returned with a polite nod. "How goes the inquiry?"

"Ironwood will get away free, I'm certain," Jacques replied. He moved to a drinks cabinet and pulled out a small glass and a bottle. Unlike his wife, Jacques drank to moderation, only ever one glass at a time and no more than three in a day. His tastes, however, were more exotic, and he enjoyed the finer and rarer brands. "Would you like a glass?" he offered whimsically.

"I'm fifteen, father."

"It's only a glass."

"Then yes, I suppose." The offer was so rare that she didn't dare say no. Winter had long since sworn to never become like her mother, but a single glass wouldn't hurt, and she wanted to hear what had her father in such an odd mood.

Jaune often drank with his friends in Team November, and once or twice, she'd been allowed to accompany them. Never to drink, of course, but to have a meal with them as they did. They'd always seemed to love their drink, and Winter could admit to some guilty curiosity there. There'd almost been a time when Echo bought her one, but Jaune overheard and gave the man a piece of his mind.

Well, Jaune wasn't here to stop her now, so Winter brought the glass to her lips and took a long drink like she might some cordial. The drink was bitter. Winter had tasted wine before and this was nothing like it. It burned and caused her eyes to water, and she had to fight to prevent herself buckling over.

Jacques, against all odds, laughed. "It's rather strong."

"I-It is, father," she spluttered between coughs. "I-I apologise."

"There is no one else here, Winter. It is fine."

Had someone abducted and replaced her father with another man? Would that technically be a bad thing? Winter coughed to clear her throat and took a smaller sip. The same sensation was there, but muted, manageable. The alcohol tasted of sweet wood somehow. Winter wasn't sure how that was, or how she knew what `wood` tasted like.

"With our support behind Ironwood, few of the Captain's rivals are prepared to move in an overt manner," Jacques said. "While there is still some public opinion against him, many still choose to blame Specialist Ashari for his actions."

Winter's hands tightened.

"I am not one of them," Jacques pointed out meaningfully.

"I-I'm sorry, father."

"You are defensive when his name is mentioned, Winter."

"He helped train me. He was – is - my mentor."

"Yes. It is understandable that you would take poorly to his name being dragged through the mud. Despite, I must say, that Ironwood believes Ashari himself had a hand in this."

Oh, it wasn't just Ironwood who thought that. Knew it, in fact. Winter's lips peeled back as she imagined Jaune throwing himself under the Bullhead the _moment_ she was out of the way. The moment she would be safe from any of the backlash as his apprentice. She hadn't realised just why he pushed her back to the SDC, but had she remained in the military, some of the blame might have fallen on her, if only by association.

That fool. That absolute, damnable fool. Did he think he would get away with this? Did he think that she would forget, or perhaps that she would understand and be okay with it? Every day, she'd woken to news articles blaming him for all those who died. Every day. There were late-night shows discussing just how much of a coward he was.

Winter had almost stalked out, sabre in hand, to have a one-to-one chat with some of those hosts.

"It also seems that his schemes went a little deeper than even I expected," Jacques chuckled.

"Hm?"

"With the blame firmly placed upon himself, the pressure on Ironwood has been lessened, but I've just come from a rather interesting council meeting."

It was unlike her father to find those interesting lately, especially since the SDC had a grip on most aspects and could, if required, call in a host of favours to have just about any bill pushed in a direction of their choosing.

"What happened?" she asked.

"It seems that some of the newspapers that ran the story about Mr Ashari have run afoul of several laws and are currently being dragged through the courts for it."

Winter perked up. "They are? How?"

"A team of expert lawyers, I would assume. My contacts have spoken of at least five different firms operating out of both Mistral _and_ Atlas, some of which we use ourselves. It appears that the media have chosen a poor target for their ire. Mr Ashari has some very powerful friends." Jacques' eyes met her own. "Tell me, Winter. When did you intend to inform me that Mr Ashari works for one of the wealthiest men on Remnant?"

"He… what?"

"You didn't know?" Jacques held her gaze, but Winter could only shake her head, utterly lost. "I see. There is no blame, then." He chuckled. "I suppose he kept it hidden, though one has to wonder why. Regardless, your Mr Ashari is actually Jaune Ashari, non-exec board member of RTE. You know of them, correct?"

"Newly emerged technology giant," Winter responded automatically. Jacques expected his children to know of each and every potential competitor or supplier, especially those who were of great importance.

Compared to the SDC, the RTE was still relatively young, and their wealth made up but a fraction of the Schnee family's. However, everyone was calling Rashem Annar the next Nicholas Schnee, and so far it looked like the moniker fit.

"Indeed. Its CEO, Rashem Annar, has come out of nowhere, with no background in the industry, to dominate his rivals. His rise has been meteoric, suspicious even, and there are many who have tried to discover just how he came to be so far ahead of the competition. His electronical devices are even now being tested for military applications in Atlas. It is quite the success story for a simple man from humble beginnings."

"It is," Winter admitted, "But I'm not sure how this involves me or Jau- Mr Ashari."

"Jaune, is it?" Jacques asked. "You are on a first name basis with him?"

Winter winced. It wasn't the done thing, nor was it proper – and her father cared greatly about that. And yet, he didn't seem upset. In fact, he almost looked pleased. It was that which gave Winter the confidence to speak, "Jaune and I spent years training together. He was a friend as much as a mentor, father."

"You grew close?"

"Y-Yes." Winter's cheeks darkened. "Though not that close."

"I'd hope not, Winter. You are fifteen, and he at least twenty-five."

Yes, she knew that. He didn't need to rub it in. Ten years was a lot when it was two thirds of your life, though that percentage would get smaller the older she got. Winter tried not to pout, and instead hid the action in another drink of the amber liquor in her glass.

"However," Jacques said carefully. "Ten years. It is not so great a difference…"

Winter choked on her liquor.

"It may feel it now, but when you are twenty and he is thirty, the difference will not be very different. Your mother is eight years younger than me, and there are plenty of people who marry ten years above or below."

She slammed a fist against her chest. It didn't do nearly enough for her breathing.

"He seems a respectable man, and an intelligent one. You are already close, and I know well enough how little you socialise with people your own age. Likely because your maturity rises above theirs. It is hard when you cannot see your peers as equals." Jacques sounded proud of the fact, as he often did when she proved her superiority.

"F-F-" Winter tried to speak and failed. "What? I… I don't…"

"Such a union would be beneficial to the family, as well. Ashari has been declared a board member of RTE, and a close confidante of the CEO. He is, despite how he may have acted, both incredibly wealthy, _and_ well-connected."

Jaune was…? But… but… The logic. Where was it?

"He is also ruthless, as shown by the manner in which he has brought those who dare besmirch his name to heel. I can respect such intelligence, and such drive. It would also unite the SDC and RTE, ensuring they never move against us." Jacques swirled his drink about his glass and smiled a cold smile. "You are my heir, Winter. You understand this?"

"Y-Yes, father."

"That comes with certain responsibilities. You are coming of age, and it is expected that you liaise with men you have taken an interest. I will see about providing you an opportunity," Jacques decided, not even once asking her thoughts on the matter. "You have an advantage over many other women of age who will take an interest in him. You have worked with him. You know him better than any other, and though you are young now, you will not always be. In three years, you will be of age. It would be to our advantage if you had him wrapped around your finger by then."

Winter began to breathe heavily.

"Or eating from the palm of your hand."

"Grbl…"

"Winter," Jacques rebuked, eyeing her as liquor dribbled from her lips. "Control yourself. You may not appreciate this now, but in time you shall. I do what is best for the Schnee family, and for you. Whatever your feelings for him, you shall not sabotage this. You _will_ pursue him. Am I understood?"

"Yes," Winter replied, eyes glazed. "Okay."

"Good. If you'll excuse me, I shall go and have some of our finest solicitors speak out in Ashari's defence. The overture shall be clear." Jacques didn't wait to ask her opinion, or to see if she agreed. He stood and placed his empty glass down on the table, already moving. As the door slammed shut, Winter was left along, trapped inside with her thoughts.

Treacherous, treacherous thoughts. Winter's cheeks burned.

She downed the glass and reached for the bottle.

/-/

Adam came back shaken.

He wouldn't tell her everything that happened, only that the mission went off and they'd struck at an SDC convoy, fighting against trained guards and not civilians. In return, they'd come away with trucks filled with processed dust, which Sienna was thrilled with.

"It's a blow against those who oppress us, and a clear sign that we can take the fight to the _real_ enemy and not innocent civilians."

"That's good," Blake said.

"It might mean more authority for me, too. I'm young, and it's obvious Sienna only agreed because she didn't care if I was killed or not, but we've proven this course of action now. I've proven myself. Raids instead of attacks will keep things focused, and we'll come away with resources for it."

Blake took Adam's hands in hers. They were shaking horribly, so she held them tight. "And it means less chances of us hurting people who don't deserve to be hurt."

His shaking stilled a little. "Yes. Yes, it does."

"You did great, Adam. You're a real hero."

"I don't feel-" He cut himself off. A smile came a second later, a fake one. One for her. To try and convince her everything was okay. "Maybe I am."

"You are," she insisted. Gods, he looked exhausted and she could still feel his trembling in her hands. Something had happened on the raid, something bad. His clothing was torn in places and there was blood. But Blake couldn't see any wounds.

Adam's breathing was heavy. His eyes were closed, his brow creased.

"You need to rest," Blake whispered. She took his mask off slowly, revealing his handsome face once more. The scar from the rock he'd taken for her was as clear as day, but she ignored it like she always had. In its place, she saw the stress and strain of what he'd just done.

And she realised that Adam's knife was missing. Gone.

Oh…

It wasn't too hard to realise what had happened. What he'd done. Why he was so shaken. Blake sat up and drew him in, wrapping her arms around him. Without hesitation, he pressed into her, not crying, never Adam, but simply placing his face to her neck, drawing in strength with each and every breath.

"It was necessary…"

"I know."

"I couldn't stop him. He wouldn't stay down. I wasn't strong enough to stop him safely."

"Adam…"

"But it had to be done. If I didn't, if we hadn't, then the White Fang would just attack again like the Vytal Festival."

"Better they attack the SDC," Blake agreed. "Steal from the rich to give to the poor."

"Yes."

But in trying to push the White Fang in that direction, Adam had forced himself to cross a line. One that he couldn't step back over, and with consequences he could never take back. And really, he did this for her. For them. To make things better.

Even if it meant he would suffer.

"You won't do it again, will you?"

"I have to, Blake. If not me, who? Those monsters that have Sienna's ear?"

Blake bit her lip. It would be another Vytal Festival if they called the shots. But if the only other option was that Adam continue to do that which he hated, bloodying his hands more every time, then Blake wasn't sure what she wanted.

Why did both choices hurt so badly?

The two faunus slept together that night. In their pyjamas, side by side, huddling for warmth and comfort. And if Adam held her a little too tight, hiding his face in her hair, then Blake didn't call him out on it.

It was the only thing she could do for him…

/-/

"You want to join my gang!?"

"Not quite. I'm suggesting we become partners."

"Partners, huh…" Junior didn't look convinced, or rather he was suspicious. Something Jaune could appreciate. There was that old saying about not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but a more applicable one might have been that if someone sounded too good to be true, it probably was. "And how would this _partnership_ work? You rule, and I become a mere underling? I've been there once. I don't intend to do so again."

"It's nothing like that, Junior. I'm not all that good at details and I don't know how to organise, run or keep a gang afloat like this. We'd be partners. I'd like to steer the gang in a certain direction, but I don't have much interest in being in charge."

"A shadow power, then," Junior realised. "The man behind the scenes."

"Pretty much."

Junior leaned forward. "Why? What do you have to gain?"

"Apart from power, money and influence?"

"I doubt you need any of those. If you wanted power, you'd just kill me, and then kill the other gang leaders and take control of the city. Don't insult me by pretending you couldn't."

To his credit, Jaune didn't. "That would draw a lot of attention."

"Ha. That's the crux of it, then? You want to subtly take control of the entire city, and you're willing to give me a stake in ruling it so long as I comply."

"I'm willing to give you a stake in the underworld," Jaune corrected. "I'm not looking to be crowned King or something here, just to have my hands in the less savoury elements of the city. Crime is going to exist whether I want it to or not. Even if I eradicated every last pocket of criminal activity in the city, the void would be filled within months."

That was the nature of criminality, after all. Not everyone became a criminal because they wanted to, which meant that unless the actual problem driving people into such a life was dealt with, you couldn't get rid of the criminal underbelly of the city.

The police knew that, as did Ozpin. Qrow certainly had, being the one to teach him and Ruby all about it, mainly as a result of Ruby asking why Torchwick had been allowed to get away with what he did, for how long he had.

It just wasn't in the best interests of the city to expend resources trying to fight a war against every crook in the city. For one, it would be exceptionally bloody, and secondly, it would only buy a period of calm, not total peace. For the most part, as long as those in power kept their operations quiet, didn't involve innocents and avoided being so stupid that the police _had_ to deal with them, then the city was content to leave things be.

Better efficient and intelligent crime lords who were content to keep the status quo than rampaging psychopaths. The nails that stood out got hammered down, if not by the police and huntsmen, then by other criminals first.

Ironically, for crime and those involved in it, it was better if the city was doing well – both economically and socially. Misery just wasn't profitable.

Of course, Ruby couldn't understand that, or maybe it was easier to say she refused to understand it, to accept it. No matter how many times and however many ways Qrow tried to explain it, Ruby always had her black and white view of the world. It was what made her so incredible, so sweet. But Jaune wasn't. He'd conned his way into Beacon. He'd lied. He'd cheated. While he'd have called himself a good guy, and he liked to think he'd proven it on occasion, he could see where Qrow had been coming from.

"If I can't get rid of crime in the city, I'd at least like to have a hand in it. In the biggest and most powerful gang."

"Which we are not," Junior pointed out.

"You could be. I could make you it."

Junior's shoulders tensed.

"What is it you need, Junior? Money, men? One takes care of the other and I can provide it. I can back you financially. I can back you with information. And if any of the other gangs look to cause trouble, I can end it."

Junior's gang could – would – become the greatest in the city, far larger than it had been in the last lifetime. It needed to be, because when it came back to Cinder's arrival, he'd need all the help he could get.

"You're putting me in a difficult spot, Ashari. If I accept, you'll be strong-arming me into a gang war that will shake the very foundations of the underworld. If I refuse, I invite you to go and try this with someone else, making me a target."

"If I don't just get rid of you and take over directly," Jaune offered.

"I was hoping to keep that implied," Junior snarled. "Thank you for pointing out how much I'm at your mercy. It really makes me want to work with you."

Jaune winced. "Sorry."

"No. I…" Junior sighed and ran a hand down his face. "I owe my position to you. I owe the fact I'm free of my father's influence to you…"

"You'd have broken free eventually…"

He had in the original time line, after all.

"Eventually being the operative word. Every day would have been fresh torture. Fine. I know a good deal when I hear it. You could do this without me either way, and I've got a feeling you will if I say no. Might as well benefit from it."

"And you will," Jaune said, honestly relieved that Junior agreed. "For all intents and purposes, nothing will change. You're the boss. You handle the money. You call the shots. Just think of me as a shareholder and occasional problem solver."

Junior laughed at that, probably remembering how he'd solved the problem of King. Jaune didn't call him out on it. In truth, he could have done as Junior said and destroyed every gang in a campaign of a week or two. Finding their assets would take longer than crushing them, but with everything he'd learned working with Team November, he knew it would be doable.

But this was supposed to be a long-term plan. It had to be sustainable. A little bit of gang activity would be accepted so long as they kept it quiet and didn't hurt anyone. If the other gangs were pushed into a corner too quickly, they'd become desperate, and their actions would soon draw the attention of the city, and probably Ozpin, too.

He had time. Years, in fact. Why rush it now and burn his bridges forever? Vale was where everything was going to happen in time, which meant he needed to be at his strongest here. If that meant working with Junior, so be it. The added benefit would be that he'd be weakening Cinder's future base at the same time.

Hell, she might even come to _them_ for Intel. If they took over the whole city, who else could she go to? Just like with Emerald, he had to cut down on her allies.

All of them.

"I'll wire you some additional funds for now," Jaune said. "I'll leave the first target to you, but it should probably be subtle."

"I know how to do my own job," Junior snarked. "I'll have the boys infringe on the territory of our closest rival, make it clear we're making a move. Play it slow, natural, maybe even convince them to declare on us first. This won't be quick, though. Not if you want to go as far as you're suggesting."

"We have time. Be as cautious as you want."

Junior hummed, shoulders untensing just a little. "Right. Well, I guess that means we're in business. What do I call you? Boss?"

"I'd prefer Jaune, but I suppose that might cause problems if it gets overheard."

"You'll need a street name."

"I feel like I've got too many names already," he grumbled. Specialist sounded nice, but had way too many connotations, especially with Ozpin. Anything related to his name was obviously out, as was the Arc name unless he wanted to lead his enemies to an innocent family who didn't deserve it. "I'll leave you to come up with it. My imagination really isn't very good."

"Fine. I'll get the ball rolling. We done here?"

"Seems like it," Jaune said, more amused than anything. What would the others think of him trying to take over the gangs of Vale? Ruby would be horrified. Pyrrha might laugh. Nora would probably demand he rename them after her.

Junior pressed a button on the intercom, asking for someone to bring `the kid` back in. A few seconds later, the doors open, and a pair of red and white girls came through, dragging an exasperated green one between them. Emerald did not look amused. Probably because the Malachites had been chatty and eager to learn more about the guy who could demand – and receive – a private meeting with Junior.

Even so, Jaune couldn't help looking between Emerald the twins with a small grin. And then to Junior, now flanked by two teenage girls, opposite him with one beside him.

Jaune's grin turned teasing. "It's not a competition, you know."

"Get the fuck out of my office, Ashari."

/-/

The first signs of violence came two days later.

It was slow at first, and there were few on the street who realised, let alone who weren't directly involved. An argument over drugs or drink led to insults being thrown, and later fists. Angry promises were made. Some were kept.

One of the Red Axe Gang, Junior's gang, got stabbed in the stomach. He'd recover, but the first blow sent a ripple among the assembled criminal factions in the immediate area.

Several of the upper echelon of criminal families in the city gathered in a restaurant to discuss it, a restaurant well-known for being something of a neutral location, pre-agreed and arranged years ago. Food came and went, along with chatter that, while not innocent, bordered on it for what consisted of a meeting of some of the most dangerous men and women in Vale.

Eventually, the discussion turned to more pressing concerns.

"Conflict is bad for business. I don't like it when smaller groups start to get ideas."

"It's relatively self-contained at the moment. The Red Axe Gang have kept the fighting to deserted areas."

"Junior runs a tight ship. One of the few lessons he learned from his father."

"King is gone," a woman drawled. "The days of his reign are over, and Junior is but a shadow of the man _he_ was."

"That's good for us, no? He knows his place. That makes him valuable."

More wine was poured. The waiters and waitresses did so hurriedly, with the obvious determination of people who didn't want to hear or remember anything they weren't supposed to. Men in suits stood around the table, sunglasses in place, hands in pockets or under jackets.

"The Locusts struck the first blow. They did, at least technically, invite an aggressive response."

"The Red Axes did a deal on their territory."

"Don't we all?" A large man chuckled. "A little push and pull is expected. The response from the Locusts was… ill measured."

"It complicates matters," another agreed. "All this attention is bad for business."

"Junior's kept it to the industrial district."

"Then at least he has a head on his shoulders. More so than the Locusts."

"Are you suggesting we leave this be?"

"As soft as he is, Junior knows he cannot back down if his men are harmed in such a manner. His position would be usurped within a matter of days. He is locked into this course of action, his only recourse to take from the Locusts. Or crush them."

"Do you think he can? They're both small time gangs."

"The Locusts are drug dealers at best. Half of them will be high, the other half cold turkey. While I'm sure it won't be an easy campaign, if Junior has even a fraction of his father's intellect, he will emerge victorious."

"Even if he does, he will still be little more than a two-bit street gang," the woman from before laughed.

"As it should be, my dear," another chuckled. "Let the children play. The squabbles of such small groups are inconsequential to our operations, and even should one side consume the other, they will hardly qualify as a threat."

"Gangs come and go. So long as they do not draw undue attention, I see no reason for us to interfere. If it gets worse, we might consider sending one, or both sides, an ultimatum. Until then, I see no reason for us to waste resources."

"Then we turn a blind eye and allow this to take its course," a taller man with hawkish eyes said. "Are we in accord?"

"Aye."

"Of course."

"For now."

"Good," the tall man said, waiting to see if any raised an objection. "Now that the small talk is out of the way, why don't we get back to the matter of our little master thief, flamboyant showman that he has become."

A wave of grumbles shook the table, and soon the emerging war between Junior's gang and a rival was forgotten.

/-/

Junior closed the door with a smile and sat down in his comfortable chair. Drawing out a bottle of his finest and pouring a glass, he leaned back and let out a contented sigh.

"Things going well, old friend?"

"Fuck!" Junior almost fell off his chair. He whirled around, eyes wide, only to relax when he saw who it was. "Oh, it's only you. Gods, Roman. You nearly have me a heart attack."

"Only me? I'm hurt, Hei. One would think me appearing in your office uninvited would be a bad thing." Roman held out a cigar with a coy smirk. "Got a light?"

Junior rolled his eyes. Normally, he'd tell Roman where he could stick that, but he was in a good mood. The Locusts were on the down and out, and he stood to inherit a whole lot of land, resources and men. Some of the latter would have to go, of course. Druggies didn't make for good henchmen. But some of the upper echelons could stay, and perhaps those who hadn't become so dependent.

"Yes, it's _only_ you," Junior said, lighting the cigar for Roman. "Believe me, in the grand scheme of things I need to worry about, you have dropped several places."

Roman's hand came up to his heart. His eyes were wide, hurt.

"Oh, screw your theatrics, Roman. I'm in a good mood. Tell me what you're here for."

"I can see the good mood, friend. I really can. I didn't think this little spat would have you so pleased, but I'm guessing you had a hand in starting it." Roman tipped his hat. "Well played. As for why I'm here. Well, a little information, but also to introduce someone."

There was a flicker of light by the back wall, and Junior realised a second later just how Roman had managed to sneak in and remain hidden. An illusion-based Semblance. Convenient. And dangerous. Such a person would be valuable, too valuable. If the families learned about them, they'd be hunted and killed so that they couldn't be used against them.

Of course, Roman would be just ballsy enough to not give a shit about that. Reminded him of someone else in that regard, though Roman was perhaps a little less capable than Ashari when it came to backing up said threats.

"Introducing my new accomplice, the delightful Neopolitan. Or Neo for short."

Short had it right. The girl was tiny – though her age might have played a part. Strange hair split between pink, brown and cream, and eyes that were same, albeit with an edge Junior wouldn't have expected to see in a child. She wore a pretty white dress with pink frills on the edges. She was also somewhere between ten and thirteen, which brought a hand to Junior's face and a heavy sigh.

"Fuck me, is this a trend or something? He's going to laugh himself silly at this."

Roman pouted, displeased to see the introduction hadn't merited the correct awe. "I'm wounded, Hei. I come all this way to say hello and introduce my protégé, and you react like this? I'd have expected at least a little surprise."

"I've become pretty inured to that lately. She's not the first girl her age I've seen in this job."

"No, but she's certainly the most dangerous."

To Roman's surprise, Junior laughed. "I think I'd put her at number two on that list."

Roman crossed his arms.

Neo stomped a foot. It was more adorable than intimidating.

"She _is_ dangerous, Hei."

"So's the other one, and not just for what she can probably do. I won't have to worry about her killing me if something happens, because I'll be wiped out with every other fucker in the city when her father finds out. Believe me, you don't know scary like I do right now."

"Huh. Sounds like things are shaping up to get interesting around here."

Junior chuckled. "You don't know the half of it."

/-/

"Heard there was some violence down by the industrial district."

Ozpin paused in his paperwork to look up and sigh as he spotted Qrow letting himself in through the window. He really needed to lock those, or perhaps bar them. Especially around term time. "Good evening, Qrow. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Came to ask about what's going on downtown."

"Nothing of any real excitement."

"Not what I heard in the news."

"The tabloids will make a meal of what they can. It draws viewers." Rather than accept the point, Qrow strode over and sat down opposite him. Ozpin sighed, realising that he wasn't going to get rid of the man so easily. "It really is nothing to worry about, Qrow. Two small-time gangs are having a little bit of a turf war. They've contained it to the industrial district themselves, often late at night, and there has not been a single innocent harmed."

"Can't the police do anything about it?"

"They are. Warnings, patrols over areas with more civilians and an increased presence to make it clear any more overt action will not be appreciated. Not all peace-keeping is about arresting criminals. Sometimes, it's better to send a message. Prevention, rather than a cure."

"Yeah, I get it." Qrow sighed and slumped down a little. "It's just the girls being here, you know? It's easier to turn a blind eye when they're in Patch, but Ruby and Yang are just little. I don't want them getting dragged into something like this."

"I very much doubt they will be, Qrow. They spend all day back on Patch, in Signal, and the rest of the evening with Summer and Taiyang." Ozpin smiled. "And that new puppy you and Summer bought them, I hear."

"Heh. Cute little thing. They named it Zwei."

"Either way, while I'm sure it's normal for an uncle to worry about his nieces, they are far removed from any danger. This little spat will burn itself out in a day or two. One side will make a big enough point to end it, or another will come in and swallow both."

"You don't think it'll get any worse?"

"I very much doubt it." It wasn't in their best interests to make it any worse, after all. Police and huntsman presence aside, the fighting couldn't be good for business. Hard to offer protection, push drugs or make shady deals, if you had to watch your back at every moment. "If it does, you can rest assured we will step in to shut it down. I'll even put you in charge of the push, if that's what you want."

"If it gets worse," Qrow agreed, relaxing a little. "Guess I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill."

"Somewhat. The situation among the less legal elements of the city is finely balanced. Those who stand out tend to disappear. Ironically, the more families and gangs there are, the better things are for us."

"Because it keeps any one getting too strong. Yeah, I know."

"Good. Relax a little, Qrow. I know the gangs. I've spent the better part of the last ten years watching them, and I know how they operate. They're cautious, defensive, and quick to crush anyone who might rise to threaten them."

"So, things will sort themselves out?"

"Yes. The last thing any gang wants is for this to escalate."

/-/

"The Locusts are pretty much done for," Junior reported. "The leaders are dead, their weapons taken. All that's left is to clean up the stragglers and take what territory we can into ours. We might lose some to opportunistic neighbours grabbing what's available, but we'll come out with a profit."

" _I'll leave that to you, Junior."_ Jaune Ashari replied. _"You'd know more about it than me."_

Junior hummed, pleased with the decision. The partnership wasn't shaping up to be all that bad so far. His empire was still nothing like what King had once ruled, hardly fit to be called an empire at all, but it was double what he'd had.

"So, what's next?"

" _We escalate."_

* * *

 **Funny thing about the status quo is that it only looks good if you don't know what the future is. Any normal person would want to keep the peace, so Ozpin can't even imagine someone wanting to do anything different. Ah Jaune, in his city, messin' with his plans.**

 **Oh, and Roman. We all know everyone has been waiting for the loli-off between Roman and Neo, and Jaune and Emerald.**

 **THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE.**

 **Meanwhile, Jaune tries his hand at becoming a Kingpin. Adam does what has to be done. And Winter's brain dribbles out her ears.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 11** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	20. Chapter 20

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 20**

* * *

Of all the things he thought he'd be, a criminal never quite made the list. Oh, he'd broken the law a few times – the forging of his credentials one such example – but there was a difference between cheating on an entrance exam and taking part in a gang war.

The Red Axe Gang was making waves and taking ground. He half-wished it could take a new name too but asking that might be a little too much of Junior. In a way, the childish name helped to make them seem less intimidating, or at least that was what he assumed Junior had been thinking when he came up with it. No one could think it a _good_ name.

Jaune's addition to the gang had, until now, been something of an open secret. The members knew _someone_ had joined, and that they were behind some of their more recent gains, but they'd never seen said person, and most knew better than to question. If the boss wanted them to meet the new enforcer, they would.

And soon they would.

"In position," Jaune whispered, touching the comms device in his ear. "Looks empty."

" _It's not,_ " Junior replied. _"Or it better not be for what I paid for this intel. You should be looking at the main storage cache and meeting spot for the Mong-San."_

"What does the name mean?"

" _Damned if I know. They specialise in violent crime; think mugging, extortion and kidnapping, but I've heard they don't mind a little human trafficking if they get a chance."_

Jaune scowled at the squat building, a two storey ex-office block of some kind, with the windows smashed out and the lights off. The bottom half was brown brick, with the top being a mix of brick, mottled grey plastic and wooden boards. There was a corrugated metal garage door on the front, and unlike the rest of the place, it looked to be in good condition. The place was in use.

"How big a message is this going to send?"

" _Ripples for now. The Locusts were subsumed yesterday, so everyone will be expecting the violence to end. This… It'll escalate, but it won't be immediately obvious."_

"People will be worried."

" _Of course, but they'll think it opportunistic."_

"A ballsy move by a gang on the up and up."

" _That's the hope. If I can offer some advice, I think we should let everything die down for a little afterwards. I'm not saying to stop, but a week at least, just to make it clear we're not insane. If we act out too much, the other families will call a truce to destroy us."_

"Like I said, I'll leave the decision to you, Junior. I'm not an unreasonable person. Just tell me it's a bad idea and I'll listen. A week won't cost us much," he added. "Hell, we can make it two if that'll calm you down."

" _Two would be nice, yeah. Give me time to consolidate. Thanks."_

Junior sounded relieved, like he'd expected Jaune to argue, and like he'd been prepared to capitulate if Jaune did. It was odd to imagine how much Junior seemed to fear him, especially since he didn't think he'd done anything that impressive. Take out a few of King's goons the first time, and Junior's the second, but that didn't really take much skill. In their first meeting, Yang would do the same, except to an entire nightclub of them _and_ two teens with huntress-equivalent skills, all at the same time. She probably made it look a lot better than he did, to boot.

Compared to that, his showing was downright pedestrian. Junior had to be aware of that, and yet he bent over backwards to accommodate him. It was convenient, but strange. Then again, maybe he was put off-guard because Jaune kept knowing things he shouldn't. It must have made him come across as omniscient, which was ironic since he didn't know much at all about Junior, the gangs or anything related to them. He was just working on the information he had; that Junior would remain at the end, and that Vale had been mostly free of gang crime in his time.

Someone had cleaned it up, or something happened to clean it. Maybe it was Cinder, maybe it was someone else. This time, it was going to be him.

"I'm going to cut off now," Jaune warned. "I'll signal the others in when I'm done. Are they in position?"

" _Ready and waiting for you. Good luck."_

For people like this, he really shouldn't need it. Jaune stood and hopped down from the fire escape he'd been sat on, falling the final twelve or so feet to the ground, where he landed in a crouch. Black combat boots flexed but held, as did the mesh armour he wore over mottled charcoal combat trousers. Two straps ran across his right leg, holstering a sidearm, while his chest was covered in a black plate carrier with a few attachments. The look was designed to make him appear military, the only sign he was a ganger being in the blood-red cloth he'd tied around his mouth, which fell in a V-shape onto his chest. His dark-grey hood was pulled up, hiding his hair and leaving only a small amount of his eyes and forehead visible.

No Crocea Mors here, the weapon being too distinctive. No sword at all, just a single combat knife and a handgun, along with a submachine gun bought off the black market. It, at least, was an Atlas model, meaning it was wonderfully familiar in his hands.

Been a while since he had to do a standard breach and clear. Specialists tended to have a wide range of options, so he could rely on Crocea Mors whenever he needed it. Charlie took to forcing him to go through drills and test runs without, though. You never knew when you'd be without your weapon, he'd often say.

 _They're just normal crooks,_ Jaune thought, approaching the building. Nothing he couldn't deal with, armed or not. The important part of this was selling the possibility that he _was_ just a normal guy, a very skilled and dangerous guy, but not one the Council or Beacon should feel the need to look further into. Gangs tended to make use of crooked huntsmen where they could, but they tried to keep those quiet. If they were too obvious, people would panic, and then Ozpin would have to step in. It'd be good to avoid that for now. Ideally, forever, though Jaune didn't hold much hope of that working out.

Jogging up to the metallic door, Jaune pressed his back to the brickwork beside it and slid along, poking one head around the corner towards a door at the back. There were two at it, both smoking and one chatting to the other. Two shots would down them, but it would cause some noise, not to mention their absence would be missed. He ducked back instead, walking over to the garage door and testing it.

It was unlocked. One of those roll-up garage doors that made way too much noise when they were used. He crouched down and pushed a finger under it, nodding when he found it an inch open already. They must have shipped something in, which meant they were probably filling it now. Opening the door even enough to roll under would draw attention, even ignoring the fact they might be waiting on the other side, loading up a car.

He couldn't wait for it to leave and slip in, either. The whole point of this was to cut the Mong-San down in one night while their bosses were here. The chance of one going out with the car was too high.

Can't go in the door, can't go in the back door – and can't go in hot or they'd get out. Jaune sighed and stepped back, looking up toward the roof. It was a flat-roofed building, so there probably would be a door up there, but it would be guarded too. Ventilation shafts were visible three-quarters of the way up, but Echo had told him how loud those could be. Crawling in thin metal tubes wasn't nearly as quiet as the movies made it sound. Beside them, however, was a broken window.

Getting up to it was a pain. Jaune shimmied up the side of the drain pipe, hoping it would hold the whole time and trusting his dark grey outfit to blend in with the night. The area was deserted anyway, run-down in a way that let gangs take over. But there was always a chance some more members of the Mong-San would come along, so he booked it up as fast as he could.

When he reached the window, he pushed some aura into his hands and used it to clear the pane of any sharp bits of glass. They broke under his aura-enhanced skin, and the black combat gloves prevented any fingerprints being left. His boots hit the ground inside, glass crinkling quietly underfoot. He hooked the SMG back around in case anyone heard and breathed a sigh of relief when no alarm was raised.

The meeting was taking place on the first floor, or so Junior's information suggested. They were meeting in response to the Red Axe Gang taking over the Locusts' territory, since that now made them neighbours. Junior thought it was a precautionary meeting, just to decide what it was the Mong-San would do, but it wasn't worth taking the risk and opportunities like this didn't come around every day. As well as the second-floor meeting, there was an ammo and dust cache on the ground floor, along with whatever merchandise was being shipping into vehicles for transit. Information said weapons and drugs, since they wouldn't bring trafficking victims to their main HQ for fear of them bringing news to the police.

Jaune's left hand crept down to his belt, where two charges were connected. Each on its own would have the force necessary to take out a supporting column, but if he could find the dust cache, it could take out the whole building.

It wasn't hard to find the merchandise. As expected, there were two vans downstairs with ten or so people lifting crates into them while another two watched. Jaune poked his head over a first-floor gantry to see it but leaned back when he couldn't identify any of the bosses. The meeting must have still been on.

Jaune crept to the next corner, an interconnection between two different walled-off offices, and paused when he heard voices.

"We should move while we have the chance! We won't get a better one."

"And then what, Rickard? We invite our neighbours to do the same on our flank?"

"This upstart gang needs to learn its place."

"Not at the expense of our own."

"If we don't act, we'll be seen as weak."

"I'm not suggesting we do not act, only that we do so with caution. I have a plan of my own, one that might draw untoward attention to them. Listen well, for I won't repeat it."

He wouldn't get a chance to. As the man droned on, Jaune brought forth one of the charges and attached it to the wall, dialling in a command and connecting the blue wire. With the push of the central button, the screen flashed once and held. Demolitions wasn't as simple as putting a bomb on a position and hoping for the best, and there were few who could match up to Delta's expertise. As he put it, demolition was an art and a science all in one. It was in knowing just how much, or how little, was needed to both destroy a building, and to only destroy a certain part of it.

Jaune hadn't really learned enough of the math to get that specific, but when it came to erasing a given area, he knew how much would be overkill. This was overkill.

Ducking back, Jaune took a left and quietly descended a staircase at the back, SMG before him. Dust and munitions were heavy, which meant bottom floor for sure. No one wanted to carry all that up and down a staircase.

It didn't take much longer to find it. The Mong-San weren't careful, too confident in their superiority, or at least the fact they couldn't be struck right now. The munitions were kept in the centre of the building, in a reinforced room with a metal door and two guards. One was knocked out the moment Jaune's handgun connected with his skull. The other turned and tried to open fire, but Jaune's hand caught the gun and pressed the safety back in before he could. When nothing happened, he made to scream, only to go silent as a hand clamped across his lips. It took less than twenty seconds to choke him out. Properly, that was. A blood choke cut off blood flow to the brain and put him under in seconds.

Jaune did feel bad about that, mostly because these guys wouldn't be waking up. Knocking them out was no more a mercy than killing them.

The Mong-San weren't a thing in the future, though. He'd never heard of them. Which meant that him or not, someone would destroy them. The fact it would be him didn't do much to assuage his guilt, but it let him push through. At the end of the day, kidnappers and traffickers were no better than Grimm. If it were extortion and drugs, he might have found a more merciful way to handle this.

Another charge went down, this one on top of a crate he pried open, resting among cartridges of dust, all sparkling like glitter. The crate had the SDC logo on the side, proving that even now, Jacques was skimping on adequate protection for his shipments.

Jaune slipped out without a single person seeing him. Back in the alleyways and a safe distance away, he brought out a small pen and flicked a switch.

Heat washed over his back as the building detonated.

"Junior. Send your men in. The Mong-San are dealt with."

As men in black suits and red ties watched in awe, Jaune strode away from the burning wreckage, eyes focused ahead. The Red Axe Gang parted for him, whispering their shock, awe and fear. News of Junior's enforcer would spread, of what he looked like, how he fought.

Just as intended.

/-/

As the morning dawned through rain over Vale, Qrow kicked aside a scorched brick and looked toward the wreckage of what had once been a warehouse.

Seven was too early to be up on a Saturday, but Ozpin wanted eyes at the scene. Not that it would do much good now, Qrow considered. The fight, or what he imagined entailed a fight, was well over now.

"Not much evidence to work with," an officer reported. "We've found signs of weapon casings and weapons themselves, but they're badly burned. It's possible something went wrong, and the dust and ammo ignited."

Possible, yes. But it was also possible this was a continuation of the gang violence Ozpin said _wouldn't_ continue, and this warehouse – abandoned as it had been – bordered the area where said fighting had occurred a day earlier. It was right on the edge of what must have been the original gang's territory.

Qrow didn't believe in coincidences.

"If it _wasn't_ an accident, what does that tell us?" Qrow asked.

The detective seemed surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered. "It would mean the person who did this was able to blow the whole place up without alerting anyone inside, without starting any fights, and with no one seeing them come or go."

"How hard would that be?"

"The Mong-San were druggies at best, but they weren't stupid."

Qrow hummed. It was what he'd thought, but those on the street often knew better. Most gangs were fairly innocent, if you could call extortion, crime and drug-dealing innocent. They weren't well-trained or dangerous was perhaps a better way of putting it. You got the occasional huntsman turning to crime, but they were usually dealt with quickly. Before they could become a threat.

This? This didn't feel like a huntsman. A trained huntsman could have gotten in, beaten everyone down and then stole away whatever they wanted. This person had gotten in, avoided trouble and blown the whole place sky-high, Mong-San included. This was a professional job. Way too professional.

This was an execution.

"Keep looking. And let me know if you find anything of interest."

"Will do."

Qrow nodded and turned away, drawing out his scroll to send a report to Oz. As he did, he couldn't help but shake his head. What the hell was going on? First the White Fang, now this.

"Whole world is going crazy…"

/-/

The drizzly weather provided both an excuse to cover themselves, and an opportunity to go out while the streets were mostly empty. Pedestrians hurried across the streets while others travelled at a more mundane pace, huddled under umbrellas. Either way, the rain forced their eyes low and no one paid attention to the tall man with an umbrella, and his shorter sidekick, each wearing raincoats with the hoods up.

Emerald had her hand in his, though like every girl her age it was on incredible sufferance. She didn't complain about it because she was getting what she wanted, the impromptu shopping trip being part a day out for her, and part apology from him for leaving her alone the last few nights for Junior-related business. He'd asked her this morning what she wanted to do – promising the entire day to her – and she'd quickly brought out a list.

Adorable…

They were half-way through it now, Emerald having assuaged her curiosity and visited a cinema. She didn't like the movie. And them having stopped at no less than _three_ different diners, none of which she'd had a proper meal at, unless you counted cakes, ice-cream and dessert a full meal. One day, she was going to have to visit the dentist, and then he would have his revenge. Until then, he let Emerald drag him around Vale.

She'd spent the first nine years of her life here, but was seeing it anew now, eyes darting left and right as she took in what was _inside_ of the stores instead of the trashcans outside. Now that she could afford to stand inside of them and actually purchase what she wanted, or get him to, Emerald had found new appreciation for the city.

It was that appreciation which had her pause outside of a store, Jaune not noticing until their hands went taut and he almost dragged her along. He came back with a patient smile, watching as Emerald pressed her face against the glass.

"We can go inside, you know. You don't have to stand out in the rain and look."

With a brief look up and a nod, Emerald tugged him towards the door, pushing it open as a bell chimed above. Rows on rows of shelves faced them, each covered in books and magazines. Little signs highlighted the sections, from sci-fi to crime, romance to healthy living, and even an education case in the back, which had probably been the focus of no teenager ever.

"Welcome to Tukson's book trade," a deep voice boomed. "How can I help you?"

Tukson, huh? The name was familiar, and it took Jaune a good few moments to figure it out. He was sure he'd heard of a murder with that name, though given that he didn't recognise the man's face, he was probably the victim. There was something disconcerting about looking at a dead man.

"I'm just here for my… my daughter." The latter was said awkwardly, Jaune unsure whether Emerald would like that or not. She didn't seem bothered, but then again, she was already off by the children's section, lost in her options. "She likes to read," Jaune added.

"I can see that. It's a good hobby to have, especially so young. Keeps the mind active."

Jaune and Tukson exchanged some small-talk, mostly about the news and the weather, though it eventually strayed into what happened in Atlas. Tukson didn't recognise him thankfully, but he still got plenty of information on what had been going on for the last few months since. Enmity against the faunus had increased ever since, with most anti-faunus groups using the attack as evidence against the faunus, and others who were on the fence on the issue being pushed to their way of thinking.

As accidental butterflies went, it was a horrible one, even more so to consider _he_ was the cause of it. Yes, the White Fang would have become what it was now eventually, but they'd not been bold or crazy enough to do an attack like this until Adam took over. Before, it was always small things, usually aimed against the SDC. Through his meddling, he'd not only made the White Fang worse, but shifted discrimination in the wrong direction. People were being racially attacked and that was technically his fault.

It was a harsh reminder that not all the changes he'd made had worked out.

The door bell chimed once more, interrupting the conversation, and probably at a good point. Jaune bowed his head and stepped away, back towards Emerald. As he did, he passed a familiar woman, tall and stern with blonde hair done up in a bob and thick-rimmed glasses on her face.

Miss Goodwitch – or he supposed it was Glynda now; she looked too much his age to call her `Miss` - scanned him briefly, and then did so again, eyebrows drawing together as she tried to place his face. He'd shaved the night before, the better to not leave any hairs behind at the crime scene, but that unfortunately meant he looked just like his photo from Atlas.

While the teacher made her way to the counter, no doubt to collect an order for Beacon, Jaune stepped over to Emerald and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "We have to go. We'll find another book shop or order some online. I promise."

Emerald glanced towards Glynda, confused.

"She works for Ozpin," he explained.

She nodded once and pushed the book back onto the shelf, no doubt memorising the title. Jaune took her hand and tugged her away, making a mental promise to pay her back for the loss. It wasn't like they were in a difficult position for money.

"Excuse me!" Glynda called. "Hello. You there-"

Jaune pretended not to hear her. Tugging up his hood and fanning out his umbrella, he dragged Emerald back out into the rain and away, ignoring the muffled curse from behind and the sudden rush of feet.

Damn it. They couldn't run. Not without making it obvious he was avoiding Ozpin. He drew Emerald in front of him instead and hunched his shoulders, subtly changing the shape of his silhouette, and removing Emerald from it. From behind, Glynda would be looking for a tall man with a kid about waist height.

Glynda cursed loudly a second later, and he heard the chime of her entering the bookstore once more. His shoulders relaxed, a breath of air escaping him.

"Sorry about that, Em," he said. "We can come back tomorrow. _And_ we'll order some books online tonight. Is that okay?"

"Yeah…"

Emerald let it go like she did everything else, but Jaune found himself frowning nonetheless. This really wasn't fair on her, and as time went on it would only become less and less so. She couldn't even go out alone for fear she might be spotted and her appearance traced back to him. She couldn't have a social life, go shopping or even eat in a café without some excuse to cover herself.

It was a pain in the ass now, and it would get worse as time went on. But what was he supposed to do? If Ozpin knew where he was, he'd be approached, cornered. Challenged.

But then, he was going to be in Vale for a long time. Could he keep up the charade indefinitely? Was it even a good idea to try? The longer he went without making himself noticed, the more suspicious Ozpin would be when he was eventually found – and Ozpin would be _right_ to take note of that. Only someone with something to hide tried to hard to stay out of the spotlight. Jaune had more than his fair share of reasons to do so, but did he want to make it obvious that he did?

And would it be much of a life for Emerald?

The thought continued to haunt him as they went shopping. Though they found another bookshop and Emerald came away satisfied, with a small carrier bag and four new books to read.

/-/

Thoughts of what to do didn't leave him even later, after a long and arduous spar with Emerald – which he won, naturally, but in which she more than held her own – and a retreat to the shower. Their new townhouse had four bathrooms, and there was no telling why the architects felt that necessary, but it did mean they could both have a shower at the same time, which was a blessing.

It was while he was washing the soap out of his hair that he heard the door to the bathroom click shut. Jaune turned off the knob and cut the water-flow, listening for a second, but there was no further sound, and no one tried to enter.

"Emerald?" he called, wondering if she'd tried to come in and backed out when she realised he was in there.

There was no answer, but then again, he doubted he would if he'd been in her shoes. With a shrug of his shoulders, Jaune turned the shower back on and finished washing off the sweat from their workout and any last shampoo from his hair. Stepping out, he towelled himself dry and pulled on a fluffy white robe hanging on the back of the door. The rest of his clothes got dumped in the wicker wash basket.

Stepping back out into the corridor and thankful for the warm slippers that kept him safe from the tiled floor, Jaune made his way to the stairs, only pausing when he heard clinking from the kitchen area.

"Are you cooking something?" he asked.

"Do I _look_ domesticated to you?"

Jaune froze. That wasn't Emerald. Hand reaching for a sword that wasn't there, Jaune strode up to the kitchen and poked his head inside, sighing heavily when he saw the open fridge, and the rear-end and feet parked in front of it, poking out.

"You're out of beer," Raven reported.

"I have a four pack in there somewhere."

"Had. You had one."

"Damn it, Raven…"

The tall woman stepped back, tossing her wild hair behind her and sending him the smuggest grin he'd ever seen. Not much had changed in the year or so it must have been since they'd last seen one another. If anything, she looked a little calmer, a little more in control of the power that bubbled under the surface of her cherry-red eyes.

"You've moved up in the world," she said. "Again. This is a nice place. I especially like the couch. I didn't think it possible, but it's even comfier than the last one."

"Do I want to know what you're doing here?"

"Came to visit," she said offhandedly, stepping over to the cupboards and opening them one after the other. On the third, she took out a glass, but the rest all earned frowns.

"Try the one above the fridge-freezer."

"Ah." She opened it and smiled when she saw a bottle of white wine. "That's more like it."

Jaune sighed again. He couldn't even bring himself to be surprised, let alone concerned. He had no idea what Raven was to him other than occasional squatter and drinker of his booze, but he didn't think she would do anything dangerous.

"I'm going to get changed," he said. "Try not to drink me out of house and home until then."

"Why bother?" she called. "Already seen you in less."

He flinched. The shower, the door. She'd opened a portal behind him mid-shower, and probably got more than a fair view of his bare ass. For the love of… Why did she have to say that? They could have all happily pretended it never happened.

"Tai is bigger."

Jaune's burning cheeks haunted him as he dashed up the stairs, chased by Raven's laughter.

He came back down five minutes later, still a little damp but now in black jeans and a light-grey t-shirt with the symbol of Atlas over his heart. Raven had retired to the couch with the bottle and had her bare feet kicked up onto it, her black boots resting on the floor nearby.

"Comfortable?"

"Very. Like I said, this place is an upgrade."

"I'm glad you approve of my life choices." He sat down with a sigh, accepting the offered glass. White wine wasn't his first choice, but it had come with the house, left behind and unopened by the previous owners. Given how expensive this place was, it was probably some rare and vintage label never to be opened and worth a mortgage. Not the kind of thing you'd knock down on the couch with a bandit.

Not that it would stop them.

"So, Vale," Raven said. "Didn't expect you'd be over here. Didn't expect I'd be here, either."

"The road of life has many twists and turns."

"Certainly seems to for you. I heard about what happened in Atlas." There was no sympathy there, just a statement. "Surprised the White Fang had the balls for it."

"They didn't. It was Salem."

Raven flinched.

"She was just using them. Through two people, Tyrian Callows and Hazel Rainart. You might want to keep an eye and ear out for them," he warned. "They're not the kind of people you'll want to let anywhere near you. People who have... spontaneously picked up new, unusual, seasonal powers."

"I'll keep that in mind." Raven inspected her drink with clear frustration, and then downed it in one, pouring herself some more. "You sure know how to kill the mood."

"It's an acquired skill."

"More like a Semblance in your case," she grumbled, and Jaune snorted.

They sat in silence for another minute or two, close enough to share body heat but not touching. The electric fire on the other side of the room crackled away, heating the room while also displaying a 3D hologram to make it look like a lit fire.

"What are you doing here, Raven?"

"What? Can I not come visit?"

"You can," he said. "I can hardly stop you. But you only come when you need something. Or want to know something."

"And beer and wine doesn't count?"

"You could steal that if you wanted it. What's bothering you?" he asked. "I'll answer any questions if I can."

Raven scowled. "You've got a real interesting way of messing with a person's mind. You know that? Knowledge you shouldn't have, insight you pull out of your ass, and the right words to make me want to tie you down and demand where you learned those things about me. Now you can read me like a book? What's next, reading my mind?"

"Nothing like that, and no, you're not obvious."

"Then how?"

How did he know? Because if he was in her shoes and some random person came out of nowhere, knowing things no one else did and all around doing what he did, he'd be burning with curiosity, too. Raven had helped him out, no doubt to try and figure out his motives, but she must have been at the end of her chain now. She'd run out of leads and gone for the direct approach.

"Common sense, I guess. What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"I can't tell you everything," he said. "Why don't you tell me what's really bothering you and I can work out an answer from there."

Raven's eyes narrowed at him. She sipped at her wine before she spoke, "I'm not used to being denied, Jaune."

"And I'm not used to having a portal-opening bandit-Queen on my couch."

"Oh, am I your first?"

He was at least a little relieved to see the teasing tone return. "You could say that."

Raven smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I suppose there are a thousand things I can ask, and I do want to know about your past, but I doubt you'll answer that." She shot him a look and sighed when he nodded. The past was out of the question. "Fine. I'll ask what it is you intend, then. You're not on Ozpin's side, that much is obvious. I take it you're not on _hers_ either if she attacked you like that and you feel the need to warn me about her. Whose side are you on?"

"Mine. Or Remnant's."

"Which?"

"They're both kind of the same."

"Why is she after you?"

"Curiosity." He waved his hands when her eyes narrowed. "I'm telling you the truth. She doesn't know me or think I'm a threat, but she wants to know the things I know. I don't think she counts me as an enemy on the same level of Ozpin, but I'm enough of one to warrant being captured. I want to avoid that. Obviously."

"Why not work with Ozpin? He'd protect you."

"For the same reasons you won't."

"Tell me what those are," she demanded. "Let _me_ decide if they're the same reasons."

Jaune sighed but did so. "Because I don't trust him. Because I won't put my life in his hands. Because I think I can do a better job doing things my own way. Those three, mostly."

"Hm. Not bad." Raven eyed him cautiously, though not quite with the same suspicion as before. "One final question, then. Why trust me?"

"Huh?"

"Why tell all this to me," she said. "Why trust me at all. I rule a bandit tribe. I couldn't care less about Remnant, let alone any battles for it. Is it because I'm a maiden?"

"I knew you before you became the Spring Maiden," he pointed out.

Raven relaxed the slightest bit. "True…"

"As for trusting you. Well… I guess I don't."

She stared at him.

He smiled guiltily back.

"Hear me out," he said, before she could get angry. "What I mean is that I didn't seek you out or anything, and I didn't trust you at all. You found me. You found me on the verge of death and helped me, and for that I owed you. We spent time together. We talked. And I enjoyed it, I guess. It was relaxing, even if we didn't always agree on things. But as for trusting you, it's not so much that I have this great faith in you, but that I know you won't betray my secrets for other reasons."

"Those being…?"

"That the only ones you could betray them to would be Ozpin or Salem. Neither of which you want anything to do with."

And that was it, really. The only things Raven knew were his real name, the fact he mistrusted Ozpin and that he was looking into the Relics. She could tell Ironwood, but he wouldn't care or trust the word of someone like her. Only Ozpin would.

"Sure, you show up randomly, steal my couch, take my beer and generally make a mess-"

"Oi."

"But even if you're not on my side, you're even more not on theirs, so I don't mind telling you a few things. Besides, you've helped me out once or twice."

Raven shook her head and finished the rest of her glass. "You're insane."

"Were you expecting me to say I trusted you because I know that deep inside you're a good person, and that you want to do what's best for the world and me, your new best friend who you love with all your heart?"

"I _was_ kind of expecting that, yes," she said. "I even had a wonderful sarcastic laugh planned for it. I guess I'll have to save it for another time." Her smile turned vicious. "Maybe the next time someone asks me about how big you are down there."

Jaune groaned into his hand. "Can you not-" He paused. "Wait, _next_ time?"

"The Tribe may have made up their own minds on why I visit you so much," Raven said casually. Far too casually. "It's safer for all involved than knowing I am the Spring Maiden, and that you have your own machinations in play."

He groaned again.

"Well, I guess I'm satisfied for now," Raven said. "That's a first with you."

Another groan. Did she really have to keep going like that...?

"I would like to ask what you intend with that book I stole for you, and for the Relics, but I imagine that's a question you won't answer." She waited for his nod and snorted when he gave it. "I thought so. As long as I know you don't plan anything to my detriment, I don't care what you do. Though even then, isn't staying in Vale cutting it a little close? Ozpin is no fool. He will notice you eventually."

"I know. I have things I need to do here, though. It's going to take a while. I'm not even sure what to do about Ozpin." Or Emerald. Or Glynda. Or any of the other people he could run into, all of which would lead to his being discovered. He couldn't leave Vale until Oobleck was finished, however, and until he and Junior had taken over the underworld as they needed to.

Raven leaned back with her refilled glass and took a sip. Her eyes were lidded, her pose comfortable. What stress had rattled her before was now gone, or at least well-hidden. "Why not tell me what you're up to and let me chip in," she said. "Can't hurt to get an outside opinion."

"You just want to know more of what I'm planning."

"Sure." Raven shrugged, unafraid to admit it. "But like you said, I'm hardly about to tell Ozpin, and I'm not going to try my luck with Salem anytime soon. Who am I going to tell? Vernal? Qrow?" She laughed. "If you want an honest opinion, I'm your best shot."

The worst thing was, she was right, and funnily enough, he didn't think she would turn on him. Not least of all because she had no one to turn on him _to_ , but also because he knew enough about the way she saw the world.

And so, he started to talk, not just of what he'd been up to since he came back to Vale, but also what he planned, and his uncertainty on how to hide from Ozpin.

/-/

When he was done, Raven laughed. "So, you're going to take over the entire criminal underworld and turn it into your own private army to deal with Salem's agents?"

"Pretty much. You think it's a bad idea?"

"I think you're a man after my own heart," she teased. "Are you trying to one-up me, or just to impress me?"

Jaune realised what she meant a second later and laughed. "Don't worry, my `tribe` won't be in competition with yours. We'll be stuck in the city for one, and we're not going to be quite as flashy. Or I hope not, anyway. I don't want my name associated with it."

"I have to be visible in my tribe, but you can avoid that, and you probably should if you intend to do this under Ozpin's nose."

"That's the plan." He shrugged and finished his drink. "So, advice? Criticisms?"

"It's not a bad idea. Salem has been unable to take the Kingdoms because they have organised their defences, or Ozpin has, so if you do the same with the criminal elements of the city, you may be able to keep her agents out. More so because they will go to said criminals to find information on you in the first place. But as for your other problem, I think you're going about it the wrong way."

"Which one?"

"Keeping your identity secret," she said. "You're not thinking it through properly."

"How do you mean? I've covered my tracks, not drawn any money out that Ozpin knows about, and avoided his people up until now."

"That's the mistake." Raven pointed the glass at him for emphasis, and although he felt the urge to argue, he nodded and let her speak. "You're thinking about this in terms of you having to stay hidden when you don't. You're not like me. Ozpin is curious about you, but he doesn't want you under his thumb. Or at least he doesn't believe he _needs_ you under his thumb. Not yet. You can afford to be seen, even approached."

"Hiding from him will only reinforce his concerns," she went on, "And make him increasingly desperate to find you. As time goes on, the thought of letting you go afterwards will become less and less appealing, until he hunts you with the same vigour he does me." Raven's lips twisted as she thought of that, and no doubt of Qrow's constant attempts to make her return. "Nothing you're doing is illegal, or at least the things you're seen to be doing, so you don't need to hide. Reveal yourself. Negotiate from a position of strength."

Negotiate…? Approach Ozpin first?

He'd not considered that, and if he were being honest he didn't like the idea of it even now.

"That'll make hiding from him a lot harder in the future."

"It might," Raven allowed. "But it will also make him less likely to spend all his time hunting you down. How hard to you think hiding will be when he has Qrow, Summer and Taiyang all actively searching for you?"

Very – and if Glynda did recognise him, she'd be passing the message of his presence on to Ozpin right now.

"You can control how you reveal yourself, but only as long as it takes him to find you," she warned. "If he finds you, he does so knowing you tried to avoid him. If you reveal yourself, you can set the narrative. You can make it seem like you were never hiding in the first place."

Debunk his suspicions, or at least make it seem more like paranoia. If Ozpin felt he had the upper hand, the ability to find and talk with him whenever he wanted, then the hunt would stop. Sure, Ozpin would keep an eye on him, but it would be from a polite distance, and they'd both know about it. Jaune could work his way around it.

It would also mean freedom for Emerald, who wouldn't have to sneak around like a criminal. She could go to a school in Vale if she wanted (not that he thought for a second she would). Still, it would be a much better life than being cooped up in a townhouse all day pretending you didn't exist. And like Raven said, Ozpin would find them eventually. It was all just a matter of time.

At least this way, he could control how he was found.

"You're probably right."

Raven raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Sorry. You're definitely right."

"More like it."

"I just need to figure out how to do it, or in what way."

"Make it big," Raven advised, and for once gave him the mercy of avoiding the obvious joke there. "The bigger the reveal, the more noticeable, the more likely it is Ozpin will put aside his concerns. If you make it absolutely clear you have _nothing_ to hide, he will believe it. Or at least he'll be more likely to."

Take refuge in audacity. Act like there was nothing to hide, and if Ozpin called him out on it, laugh in his face and say so. Jaune Ashari didn't need to have any big secrets. It was enough to say he'd just wanted some time alone to reflect on what happened in Atlas. Time away from civilisation. Ozpin might still be suspicious, paranoid guy that he was, but he couldn't act on it.

It wasn't a bad idea. An unpleasant one, but the best shot he had.

"Thanks, Raven," he said honestly. "You've really helped me out."

"Then I guess you'll owe me another one."

Give nothing without taking something back. Jaune rolled his eyes but nodded anyway. He should have known she'd not give him advice for free, or even for the wine. It wasn't a gift if she stole it first, after all.

"How about I pay you back with your very own room? The couch is comfortable, but this place has better."

"Oh? Tell me more."

/-/

Raven luxuriated in the cool, soft sheets, laid naked atop them as she was, clothing and underwear draped across a nearby chair. Her sword lay nearby, closer, in case she needed it. The door had a latch which she had locked, even if she didn't expect Jaune would dare enter without knocking. Odd, given how much of a killer he was.

Jaune was a strange one, however. That she knew. Raven had grown up with killers, so she thought she had a good approximation for what they were like. Qrow was a killer, for all that he tried to turn his back on it. He was still paranoid, twitchy, on edge. Much like her. Much like everyone in their tribe, and much like Jaune was.

And yet somehow, they were able to let their guards down around one another.

Raven pursed her lips and crossed both arms behind her head, closing her eyes for a moment. She'd noticed the strange ease he had around her before, at the tribe. It was the main reason she'd kept him close, teased him about his sword, taunted and prodded him. The promise of a fight was attractive, but it was the strange way he'd looked at her which truly caught her attention.

Not anger, not fear, not even lust as some had – and why should they not? She was beautiful – but rather an odd familiarity. Like he knew her. Like he knew who she was, what she would do, and perhaps even the kind of person she was.

" _Not your strength mentality again,"_ she remembered him laughing.

After the _first_ time she'd expressed to him her beliefs.

He acted like it was the tenth, and the easy way he fell into talking with her echoed that sentiment. Jaune acted like he already knew her or knew of her. It was maddening to realise that and not have an answer.

But it was also strangely relaxing. Because however he'd found this out, however he knew her, he didn't put his guard up around her, and her instincts recognised that. They recognised him as someone she could let her own guard down around, and she could count the number of people she could feel that way around on one hand, and have three fingers remaining.

Jaune and Summer.

No one else. Not even Vernal. Not even Summer now, since her old friend would immediately try to drag her back to Taiyang, with not a thought for how her reappearance might drive a wedge between her own marriage. Summer was an air-head like that.

Was that why she found herself drawn back time and time again? The drink was nice, as were the creature comforts, but was it the company which tugged at her? The ability to let loose, drink to excess and throw about witticisms like she once had with her team, back when life was so much easier?

Perhaps.

If so, it was a weakness of hers.

She despised weakness.

But she did not despise him, nor blame him for it. _It's my problem to deal with._ Raven sighed. He would not become another Taiyang, another mistake. Another painful error. She'd seen what happened when she let her guard down too much.

Gods, she blamed him for that too. Ten years she'd gone without thinking about Tai, but then Jaune had to appear with hair and eyes that reminded her all too much of simpler times. Raven grumbled and rolled over, resting the side of her face on a bare arm. How long had it been since she felt safe enough to fall asleep with a stranger nearby, without even barring the door or having a guard? Three years, really, and the irony was that it was when she and Jaune got drunk in their tent. Before that, it had been almost ten years.

Raven mumbled under her breath as sleep took her. Muscles eased in the soft mattress, body wrapped in the warm sheets. Luxurious, decadent, and oh so comfortable.

"If only I could form emotional bonds with a bed…"

/-/

Raven was gone the next day, though she'd left a little note on the dining room table thanking him for breakfast – and remining him to have more beer next time, and maybe some red wine. Jaune noted it and scrunched the note up, tossing it away. She'd get her beer, if only because she really had helped him out.

When Emerald came down for breakfast, she seemed pleased to see Raven wasn't there, sitting down opposite him as he put down a plate of scrambled egg and bacon in front of her, and another in front of himself. She devoured it like she did everything else, only pausing to chew when it was an absolute necessity.

Junior's work was going well, and they couldn't make another move without spooking the other families for a week or two. If anything, they'd be busy reacting to anything that happened, or waiting for the public to relax and the police attention to die down.

This was as good a time as any to make himself noticed, and maybe to extend a hand to Ozpin, even if it wasn't in the way the headmaster wanted. Negotiate from a position of strength. He really should have expected such advice from Raven of all people, but she had a point. He wasn't like her and Ozpin hadn't yet decided how to treat him. Rather than let the old man come up with his own ideas, Jaune should step in and help mould them into what _he_ wanted.

A working relationship, maybe. If Ozpin wanted to use his Semblance for healing, he could agree, on the provision that he was paid for it. If Ozpin wanted answers, he could control what Ozpin found. Meanwhile, Junior and his new `mysterious backer` could continue unimpeded in the background.

But for that, he had to decide how to reveal himself. He could just go to Ozpin, but that would make it obvious he considered Ozpin a problem. An innocent person wouldn't do that. A completely normal guy would have his own reasons for being in Vale. His own motives.

Picking up the morning newspaper, Jaune's eyes widened as he saw an advertisement on the front page. His smile grew.

"Hey Emerald. You want to get more practice fighting, right?"

Emerald chewed and swallowed, quickly downing some orange juice. "Yeah," she said when she was done. "Why?"

Turning the newspaper around, he showed the front page to her, finger pointed to the advertisement, which detailed an event coming up in just a weeks' time. A tournament, with different age brackets, competition prizes and how to buy tickets not only to attend as a spectator, but also to compete.

Despite her normal lack of interest in most things, Emerald's eyes lit up. Winter had won a tournament under his training, and he knew Emerald chafed at that. She'd always been competitive, and the chance to find out if she was as good as kids being trained to be actual huntsmen? It was too much for her.

"Can I…?"

"Absolutely. But if you want to _win_ , we'll have to up your training."

Emerald had never finished breakfast quicker. She picked up the plate, shovelled the eggs into her mouth, bit off a big chunk of toast and chewed it all down, swallowing with obvious effort. Jaune had barely gotten halfway through his own when she sat there, hands on the table, eyes wide, lower lip jutting out.

He put the knife and fork down with a sigh.

"Fine. Let's get started."

/-/

"Is she ready?"

"Her training is coming along well and she's a quick learner."

"I didn't ask how hard she's working. I asked if she is ready."

"Yes. Yes, she's ready. Not as good as she could be, but good enough. The rest is just experience, and a little more training to round her out. I can handle that in my own time, but this can't hurt. It'll be good for her."

"Will she win?"

"It's hard to say. You can't predict these things."

"I'll ask again. Will she win?"

The woman sighed. "She should. At the _worst_ , she'll come top three."

"That will be enough for now. I'll leave you to tell her. We make for Vale in three days' time. Ensure her training is up to par until then. She can rest on the flight over." The man stood and walked to the door, though he paused at it. "While I know your sister does not do well under pressure, make sure she knows how much rests on this. The family has a reputation to maintain."

"I understand, father."

"Good."

The door closed, the large man walking away, leaving her behind. The woman brought a hand up to her face and pinched the bridge of her nose. Fuck politics and fuck the family who relied on it. Her poor little sister really was under too much pressure, not that their father accepted that. But a Nikos did not lose. Their name stood for victory, and that was all it could ever stand for, no matter the career she or her sister chose. Helena sighed and sat back in her chair.

She'd have to up Pyrrha's training.

* * *

 **Things and stuff. Raven makes a return and this time with burning questions, to which she receives a few answers, enough to tide her over for now. Meanwhile, Jaune is planning to become active and reveal himself, opening himself up to more danger, but also opportunity.**

 **And if you want to make a big splash, what better way than a tournament?**

 **LET THE LOLI-WARS BEGIN!**

" **One hundred loli's enter. Only one gets Sempai's attention. Coming to a fanfiction near you – The Sempai Games."**

 **Anyway, this chapter is more gearing up for big events upcoming and is a bit of a slower one as a result. At least fridge-raider Raven makes a return. Keep your men and your alcohol safe!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 18** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	21. Chapter 21

**Here we are again. Mentioned it in Captain Dragon, but Kegi Springfield did some cute art about SmolEmerald and the way she's depicted in this fic compared to others. It's very cute. Check it out by viewing his DA or googling "Kegi Springfield". I can't post links.**

 **Anyway, here's the chapter.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 21**

* * *

Summer watched with fondness as Ruby alternated between shy, excited to see Yang compete and concern over their having left Zwei behind. Her face flicked between different emotions and she could barely contain her excitement. A far cry from what she'd been like right after Atlas. She was lucky the puppy idea worked so well.

"Do you think he'll-"

"Zwei will be fine," Summer said, with a patience and calm that belied the fact Ruby had asked the question numerous times before. "We left him with Mrs Armstrong next door, and you _know_ she loves Zwei. We couldn't have brought him here, Ruby. He's a puppy. He's not used to being around so many people, let alone sitting still for hours on end." Summer saw the chance for a distraction and pointed. "Look, there's your sister."

"Where!?"

Ruby was gone, leaning forward in her seat to try and catch sight of Yang down below, who – in truth – Summer hadn't seen at all. The competitors were probably all still getting ready at this point and there would be an introduction speech from the organisers before everything started.

The seat next to her flexed as Taiyang sat down, pushing a small box of popcorn into Ruby's hands, not that their daughter noticed, too eager to find her big sister. Summer wasn't sure who was prouder of Yang; Tai, her or Ruby.

And that brought its own melancholy, of course. Raven should be here to see her daughter compete. This was the kind of thing she'd always loved.

"Something wrong?" Taiyang asked, nudging her.

"No. Nothing." Summer smiled the lie away and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, ignoring Ruby's protests and disgusted sounds. "Have you finally gotten over the idea of Yang having to fight, or will I need to hold you down?"

"I've gotten over it," Taiyang grumbled, face a little red. "You can't blame me for being protective. She's only twelve."

"Like you weren't fighting at twelve. And besides, she was put forward by Signal to compete here. You know they wouldn't do that if she wasn't good enough."

"Tch. Those bastards nominated her without asking me."

"There, there," Summer crooned, stroking his arm. Taiyang meant well but he could be a real baby where _his_ baby was concerned. She dreaded the day Yang or Ruby brought a boy home. Summer's view on the tournament was a lot more relaxed, mostly because she knew the organisers wouldn't let anything go too far but also because a part of her felt Yang needed to learn her limits. So few people tested her at Signal and going against the Grimm with a chip on your shoulder was a good way to get hurt.

It wouldn't get to that, of course. If no one here could nip Yang's budding ego, she'd have to do it herself. Confidence was fine; overconfidence was a liability.

"Is that her? That's her! Go Yang!"

Of course, Ruby was just excited to see her big sister be awesome. Idolisation didn't even begin to describe their relationship. Ruby was obsessed with showing off her sister at every opportunity. Not that Yang disagreed; she loved having Ruby's adoration.

It was so cute that Summer didn't even have the heart to point out that it wasn't Yang Ruby was cheering at, but some random girl now looking a little confused.

She hoped the fights started soon. Otherwise, Ruby was going to explode.

/-/

Emerald was normally a lot more patient. Whenever he spoke, she listened. That was just the way things were and she wouldn't have it any other way. He took her off the street, fed her, clothed her, kept her around and made her strong. For that alone, he deserved her absolute obedience. Maybe even her loyalty. And _normally_ she'd have hung on his every word.

But this was not a normal situation.

This was her chance to be _useful_.

"And remember that the arena will be different from how we normally fight. There won't be any environmental hazards to take advantage of. It's a pure skill-fight. Nothing more."

Emerald practically groaned as he went over this again. They'd been through it _five_ times now. Did he think she wasn't paying attention? She _always_ paid attention. His words were law, even if he never acted like she'd be in trouble for ignoring them.

"Keep momentum on your side and remember to keep your-"

"My Semblance hidden unless I need it," Emerald finished for him. "I know, D- I know. You keep telling me."

He laughed and rubbed a hand through the back of his hair. "Just making sure you remember."

"I remember."

"Okay, okay. I guess you're excited. Can't say I blame you." He grinned and ruffled her hair, which she allowed with more patience than he really deserved. If anyone else tried that, they'd get a foot to their knee, or maybe somewhere a little higher. "Get in there and do your best. But remember, it's not the end of the world if you don't win. I'm not going to be disappointed if you don't come first."

Emerald nodded but didn't answer. If she didn't come first, it wouldn't make much difference if he was disappointed or not, because _she_ would be. He'd given her a task. A goal. This was the first time ever that he'd relied on her for anything important. He couldn't compete here. It was age ranked. Only she could fight.

This was her chance to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that she could be useful. This was her moment to prove he was _right_ to take her along, and to invest so much time and energy into training her.

There could be no failure, and as Emerald left him and stepped into the women's changing rooms, she _glared_ at the others already there. Those who would dare to stand between her and her rightful victory.

One or two met her eye and quickly looked away. Emerald dismissed those immediately. If they didn't have the guts to look her in the eye, they wouldn't be able to beat her. Of those that remained, Emerald ignored the girls obviously older than her. They'd have their own tournament, and they'd be fighting after her. There were two short tournaments taking place, first the 12-13 bracket, which she was a part of, and then a 14-15 bracket. Each tournament would take about two hours, with an hour between for an intermission.

None of them looked too special. Muscle wasn't there, but then again it probably wouldn't be when they were twelve or thirteen. Maybe some of the boys would, but she couldn't go in there. A redhead caught her eye, not for any specific reason. The girl avoided Emerald's gaze and focused on her bag. It was the equipment Emerald fixated on. Bronze greaves and a chest plate, along with a round shield. It looked well-made. Expensive.

The doors to the changing room slammed open. "Champion, coming through! Excuse me. Sorry."

That voice.

Emerald recognised it.

Her eyes narrowed instantly, and a hiss escaped her. The word `nemesis` floated in her head hut she dismissed it. This girl didn't _deserve_ the title. Yang Xiao-Long was just an annoying girl who wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Hey, thanks for coming, I'll go easy on you. Don't mind me, I-" Yang bumped into Emerald's back. "Oops. Excuse me, I-" There was a gasp. Stupid hair. There was no way Yang would recognise her from behind without her green hair. "Emerald!?"

And now she'd been addressed. Crap. Jaune would look at her disappointed if she ignored the girl, so she turned around and grunted what might have charitably be called a greeting.

Yang didn't seem to notice it. "Oh my God, it _is_ you. I can't believe it!"

Emerald grunted again, and then a third time – this time in shock – as Yang stepped forward and dragged her into a bone-crushing embrace. Emerald kicked her feet, knocking her forehead against Yang's.

Damn it. Yang was cheating. They weren't supposed to fight now.

"Let. Go!" Emerald managed to place her toes into Yang's inner thigh, earning a squawk and her freedom. "You're annoying," she grunted, trying to pick up her bag and leave.

Yang caught her arm before she could. "Whoah, whoah. Where you going? Is your dad here? Mom's been trying to find him for ages. Where is he?"

"He's not my dad," Emerald gritted out. "He just picked me up."

"Same difference. Oh wow, I need to tell mom you're here."

"No, no, no." Emerald grabbed onto Yang's arm before she could leave, and growled when Yang didn't seem to notice, dragging her across the changing room. It was only when Emerald hooked her other arm around a cubicle door and was pulled taut that Yang realised and came to a stop. "You can't," she said. "Not now. The tournament is about to start."

And the whole point of this was to announce their presence. Yang would ruin it, just like she ruined everything. Often with that big mouth of hers.

"I guess…"

"Your mother will know after."

"Yeah. Alright, fine." Yang stopped struggling and grinned at Emerald. "So, you're going to be competing? Maybe we'll meet in the finals. Well, as long as you don't get knocked out by my earlier, I mean."

"What? No. I'm going to win."

"Heh?" The look Yang gave her said she didn't believe a word but also didn't want to say anything lest it upset her. It pissed Emerald off. "Well, if you say so. You didn't do so hot against me the last time we fought."

"That was a brawl in the schoolyard," Emerald snapped. "And I didn't lose. The teachers interrupted us."

"Yeah, but you were bruised and cut all over and I didn't have a hair out of place."

"That's irrelevant!" Emerald crossed her arms and adopted her best Winter Schnee look. She used big words, so Yang knew just how serious she was being. "I've changed since then. I've been training and growing stronger."

Yang's head tilted to the side. "And you think I haven't…?"

"I think it won't matter. _Jaune_ trained me."

"Yeah well, my _dad_ trained me," Yang said. "And Uncle Qrow."

Emerald recalled the scruffy looking man with a snort. "Pft. That loser? Jaune could take him any day."

"Uncle Qrow's not a loser! He could beat your old man!"

"No way."

"Yes way!"

"Nuh-uh."

"Yuh-uh!"

"That's not even a word," Emerald growled.

"Is so. And you're just afraid I'm going to beat you. Makes sense. _I_ go to Signal. Do you even go to a huntsman academy?"

"Like I need one." Emerald stabbed a thumb into her chest. " _I've_ killed Grimm."

"W-What!?"

Yes. Victory! Yang's face twisted in shock, and a few other girls in the changing room looked suddenly interested. Most of them probably didn't believe her, not that she cared. They weren't worth worrying about. The only real threat here – as much as it _pained_ Emerald to admit it – was Yang Xiao-Long.

Damn it. Why did she have to ruin everything? She'd even ruined the maturity of the situation, making her look like some kind of _kid_ in front of all these people. Some of the older ones were watching them and giggling.

At least _he_ wouldn't know.

"W-Well, it's not like that matters," Yang said, and Emerald grinned, knowing she'd won. Yang knew it, too. "I'll fight Grimm too, and we're not fighting Grimm here. You're fighting me."

"And all the other people here," Emerald quipped, fighting to sound a little more mature.

"Oh please, they're just warm-ups." Yang waved a hand, only pausing when several other girls voiced their complaints. Yang snorted. "What? It's true. When one of you beats me, you can say I told you so, but we all know it's not going to happen."

Her words didn't do much for the offended girls, but Yang ignored it like the bull-headed idiot she was. Emerald considered Ruby lucky for not turning out like her. At least she hoped Ruby hadn't. She was one of the few people Emerald could be bothered to put up with.

Which still kind of made Ruby her best friend. Even if the affection didn't go any further than Ruby's classification as `not quite as annoying as Yang or Winter, nor as scary as the drunk couch thief`.

Weird, that.

Yang grumbled but gave up on trying to one-up Emerald. _Admitted your loss, more like_ , Emerald thought with a smug smile. The blonde made a `watching you` gesture with her fingers and eyes before she slipped off to get changed. Emerald, meanwhile, pulled on a simple pair of grey pants and a cream vest that showed a bit of her stomach. It wasn't as impressive as what some people wore, but it allowed freer movement and she was still growing. Once she'd hit her full height, Jaune promised they'd get her something better.

Honestly, Emerald was just glad to be out of the oppressively bland Atlas uniforms. Those things sucked. Her weapons were attached to both sides of her hip in gun form. One thing she'd learned watching him fight was that it wasn't always a good idea to show off what your stuff could do. If someone was impressive enough to warrant her sickles, they'd get them. Until then, she'd make do as she was.

The announcement came through the speakers that they were to assemble outside. Emerald took a deep breath and let it go, flashing a predatory smile.

It was time to win this thing.

/-/

"There she is! There she is!"

This time, Ruby had it right. "I see her, sweetie. Wave for her."

"Yang!" Ruby waved her hands furiously. There was no telling if Yang heard or not, but she knew her big sister duty and waved in the direction of their seats anyway. Ruby cheered and bounced up and down in her seat.

 _She's finally started to feel normal again after what happened. Thank the Gods for that._

"Mom. Mom. Do you think Yang will win?"

"I think she has a good chance," Summer said carefully. "She's still new to this, though. Some of the people here will have done tournaments before and a few will be older and bigger than her."

Inexperience, basically. That would be Yang's biggest hurdle here. Summer let her eyes wander over the competitors for any she might recognise. She hadn't paid as much attention to the competition scene as she had when she was younger. Watching huntsman fight lost some of its appeal when you spent your days killing Grimm, and she enjoyed spending time with her children more than she did sitting in front of the TV. A big change from when she'd arrived in Beacon. She and Raven used to be glued to every tournament. Good times.

Many of those down below looked nervous; new like Yang, but slightly less confident. Summer felt some sympathy for them, especially with how loud the crowd was. With snapping lights, cameras and heady chants, it couldn't be easy on them. Well, except for Yang, of course.

 _She really inherited your `couldn't care less` attitude, Ray._

There was someone else along the line-up who seemed to not notice the crowds. She was steadily calm, eyes focused ahead, expression bland.

Summer's eyes widened.

"Tai!" she hissed, tugging on his arm. "Tai! Is that-"

"Hm?"

"There!" she pointed, voice low so Ruby wouldn't hear.

"What do you-?" Taiyang followed her finger. He drew a sharp breath. "Oh. I think it is."

"Think? What do you mean, _think_?" She'd never seen someone with hair quite that shade, not matched with skin so dark. "It's _his_ daughter. Do you- Do you think he's here?"

"He'd have to be. Unless she's on her own."

Which wouldn't happen, obviously. Summer bit her lip and forced herself to remain seated. She wanted nothing more than to leap up and find him. Maybe make a call to Ozpin while she was at it. Summer whined through her teeth.

"Relax," Tai said, rubbing her leg with one hand. "We can find him after. It's not like he's running away from you."

"It feels like he is…"

Taiyang laughed. "You're being paranoid. You know what happened in Atlas. And people were blaming him. I'd not want to stick around in his shoes, and we had to get back to Vale."

Summer knew Tai was probably right, but that didn't do anything for the unsettling feeling in her gut. She wasn't normally one for wild conspiracy theories, but ever since she'd been healed, she'd been looking for him. And then she'd found him, just like that, only to have Tyrian and Hazel attack and split them up once more.

Hell, even Ozpin couldn't find him – which was ridiculous since Ozpin had contacts _everywhere_.

If Jaune Ashari wasn't _trying_ to hide from her, then he was doing a very good job by accident. And that was driving her nuts.

 _Not this time,_ she decided. After this tournament, the moment it was done, she was going to hunt him down. He'd not only saved her life now, but Ruby and Yang's, too. He would be a part of their life if she had to _nail_ his feet to the floor.

And if Qrow was right, he might even know where to find Raven…

/-/

Jaune's experience in tournament situations wasn't the best. Okay, he'd only been to two in his life, but both involved White Fang invasions, so it was two for two. As such, he felt he could be forgiven for feeling a little paranoid, and for waiting on an explosion that never came.

Even when the fights began, he expected the worse, only relaxing as the early fights passed and nothing untoward happened.

The first few rounds of the tournament were over in a flash. There were plenty of combatants who just weren't ready, lacked that killer-edge or otherwise didn't represent themselves as well as they could have.

It was fair, he supposed. Even if this wasn't to the death – a fact for which he was grateful – that probably didn't mean much when you were twelve. All too many of those here hesitated to give their all, afraid they'd hurt one another.

Those compassionate souls were knocked out early by those more prepared to play hard, fast and loose with the rules.

Emerald was one of them. Her fights had been over in seconds.

He supposed it wasn't really all that fair a competition. Most of the kids here were just that, whereas Emerald had probably cut her teeth on people's arms and knifed one or two in her time. With his training added on top and her own cunning thrown in, she was a force to be reckoned with. Not strong, at least not at her age and size, but quick, sharp and vicious.

Emerald had no qualms about fighting dirty, and it showed. Her last opponent had been a boy thirteen years old, and quite skilled with his two-handed sword. Sadly, he'd made the same mistake most his age did, in that he focused _only_ on his weapon. Emerald had gone in aggressive, forced him to block, and then abandoned her weapons entirely to grapple the sword out of his hands and beat him into submission. If the kid fought back, he might have had a chance, but he wasted time – and aura – trying to get back to his sword.

 _Then again, he's still better than I was at his age._

Not that it said much, other than being a reminder of just how trash he'd really been.

Well, not like it mattered now. Different person, different time. The important thing was that Emerald was kicking ass and he got to watch from the privacy of a private room he'd hired before the tournament. It wouldn't have done for Ozpin to notice him, after all.

And Ozpin _was_ here. This kind of thing was far too related to huntsman business, and the headmaster of the most prominent school in the area would naturally be invited. There were some competitors here – mostly the older ones – showing off to try and catch his attention. That and sponsorship into Beacon.

Seeing Yang was a surprise, but not a big one. She'd always been strong, and he had no idea what she'd done in her life prior to Beacon. If she'd ever mentioned a stint on the tournament scene, he'd not been around to hear it. The whole thing obviously hadn't lasted.

He had to wonder if that was because of Summer's death, Yang perhaps giving up because her father was grieving, and she had to help look after Ruby. Maybe a benefit of his interference here would be giving Yang the chance to pursue her own dreams for once. It was a nice thought.

But it wasn't Yang who caught his attention, nor was it her to had him gripping his seat so hard his knuckles turned white.

 _She_ was here.

"Pyrrha…"

Gods, she was so young. And short! Pyrrha had been taller than him, yet now she would reach up to his chest at most. Her hair was the same vibrant shade of red, but shorter and pulled into a tighter bob. Her armour was a similar design to what she would wear in the future, but she didn't fit it quite so well. It was obvious she wasn't used to it.

Not that it seemed to be doing her opponents any good. If Emerald tore through her competition, Pyrrha _danced_ through hers. The showmanship was clear, but behind it laid a clean edge. Pyrrha was being theatrical in her style, but never enough to leave an opening. Carefully considered flair. He had the feeling she could drop it in an instant if she ran into a skilled opponent.

"Did Pyrrha always fight in a Vale tournament…?"

He wasn't sure. Again, by the time he knew Pyrrha she'd been tired of the tournaments and eager to avoid them. That included any mention of them, and he's been equal parts chivalrous and oblivious in fulfilling that wish. He knew she fought in a bunch of tournaments and earned the title of the Invincible Girl, but that was all he knew. When it started, where, and how it ended, he had no idea. This was outside the realm of his future knowledge.

Or at least, most of it was. There were still some things he knew about her.

But this was Pyrrha, his teammate, his partner, his… his first love.

And yes, that felt sickening to say about a twelve-year-old, and he couldn't ever be that again with her, but she was _still_ his best friend. She'd still died protecting him.

Could he really interfere here?

Should he…?

If he told Emerald how to beat Pyrrha, or at least all Pyrrha's secrets that she wasn't showing, then Emerald would have a good chance of toppling Pyrrha before she ever got started. If Pyrrha were seventeen, that would probably be a good thing.

But she wasn't. She was twelve.

Judging by the look on Pyrrha's face, she didn't yet hate what she was doing. Pyrrha wanted to win, which meant him stepping in to prevent that was pure sabotage. If it were anyone else, that would be fine.

But could he really betray Pyrrha like that?

His hands gripped the armrests tighter.

If he _didn't_ say anything, he was betraying Emerald instead.

No matter what he did, someone was going to come out worse for it. At least with Emerald, he could personally ensure she didn't feel bad. He wouldn't be disappointed, she wouldn't get in trouble and he could take her out for food and cake after and spoil her with whatever she wanted as a silent apology. There was no promising the same with Pyrrha.

But then, Emerald was effectively his daughter. She _trusted_ him. And he knew that meant a lot because Emerald didn't trust easily and was only just starting to. If he betrayed that trust and she found out? It wouldn't be pretty.

Emerald was against a familiar face in the semi-finals. Sky Lark, of all people. Pyrrha, on the other hand, got matched against Yang, and for a moment, Jaune dared to hope Yang might win. That she might take Pyrrha out and spare him the terrible decision.

He should have known better than to bet against Pyrrha Nikos.

/-/

Yang never saw it coming. One moment she was ahead, pushing, on the verge of a victory, and the next, her opponent's weapons transformed before her eyes, shortening, leaving Yang exposed, over-extended.

She hadn't seen anything more, other than a quick grin on the redhead's face.

And then the ceiling, and the lights that flashed above.

But she could _hear_ the gasps and the shock of the crowd. She could _feel_ Ruby's eyes on her, no doubt begging for her to get up and fight. Yang made to do so, slamming a hand down, but froze when the tip of a sword tickled her throat.

Pyrrha Nikos smiled a little challengingly.

"What is it I'm supposed to say? Oh yes. I told you so."

Yang gritted her teeth, accepting her own words thrown back at her. It tasted bitter. When the sword pushed in a little harder she fell back and slapped her hand against the mat three times, signalling her surrender.

"Damn it."

/-/

She'd made the finals.

It shouldn't have been in question, not with _his_ training, but the fact she'd done it didn't stop the excitement from building up inside her. She'd _proven_ herself. Or at least she hoped so. No one out there could doubt her, but she didn't care about anyone out there. They didn't matter. What mattered was the man before her, who didn't look quite as thrilled with her progress as she'd have liked.

"Was it not good enough?"

"What?" He looked down at her and quickly smiled. "No, you're doing great, Emerald. Not that I thought you'd do otherwise. I'm just concerned. You saw Yang get taken out, I assume?"

"Hm." She nodded. The redhead from before, the one with the expensive weapons and armour. They were as good as hers, with two different forms – a spear and a sword. It was a little odd to have two melee weapon variants, but it obviously worked to take down Yang. "I won't fall for the same trick," Emerald said. "I know how her weapons work."

"You don't," he warned her. "It's a gun as well. A rifle."

A _third_ form? Emerald wasn't sure where he'd got the idea from but the thought of him being wrong didn't even trigger. If he said it was so, it was.

Emerald wasn't going to go easy on her, nor after she'd beaten Yang so quickly. For all of what she thought about Yang, there was no doubting her strength. If this Pyrrha girl beat her that easily, she had to be strong.

Stronger than her?

Emerald refused to believe it.

"You need to be careful around her. Make a mistake and she'll take advantage of it. Make two and you'll be lucky if she doesn't put you down. There won't be room for three."

Did he not think she could win?

That hurt.

Had she not fought hard enough? Had she not tried hard enough? Did she not deserve even a little faith? Emerald told herself it was because he wanted her to do well, but the look on his face bothered her. This girl, this Pyrrha, she was an unknown. He shouldn't have been so sure she'd lose against her.

"I'll beat her."

"Not if you don't take her seriously."

"I'll beat her!" Emerald said again, louder this time.

"Why are you so angry?"

"I'm not!"

She was. Emerald bit her lip, frustration warring with guilt and shame in her stomach. She shouldn't be shouting at him. She owed him everything. But at the same time, _he'd_ trained her. He knew how strong she was, while he'd never met this other girl before.

The bell warned of the fight starting in five minutes. Emerald turned away, hiding her shame. "I should go."

"Emerald, wait. There's something you need to kno-"

/-/

Emerald refused to listen, storming off with her hands in fists besides her, shoulders hunched. She'd ignored him. It was the first? Yes, definitely the first time she'd ever done that. He had no idea what to make of it.

"What the hell was all that about?"

"Good to know you're as clueless with children as you were back in Atlas," a familiar voice teased.

"Fox-" He cut off with an awkward laugh. "Helena."

"Old habits, huh?" The brunette looked as beautiful as she had the last time he saw her, but her outfit was somehow more formal, a mixture of auburn hues that reminded him of autumn. It was overly feminine, and unlike what he was used to seeing. "You going to stand there or say hello?"

"Ah. Hi." He stepped forward and she met him half way, only for him to freeze as he tried to figure out what to do. A kiss? But they'd parted on the understanding of nothing more. Was a hug too much? Should be offer a handshake?

Helena beat him to it by hugging him. "Don't be an idiot, Jaune," she whispered.

His hands settled around her back. "Sorry."

"It's fine. It's good to see you."

"You too." And it was. "What was that you said about me being useless with children?"

"I said clueless, not useless." Helena laughed and stepped back, spreading her arms and smiling innocently. "I call it like I see it. I didn't want to interrupt your conversation, so I stayed out of it. I caught the end, and Emerald's response. Honestly, I'm kind of relieved to see her lose her patience for once. It's not normal for someone so young to be so calm all the time…"

"Emerald didn't have the best childhood."

"I know. You've told me. Still, it's not a good sign for a girl to latch onto someone so much, especially to the degree she did with you. Understandable, but not ideal. It's a relief to see her feeling open enough to _get_ angry." Helena smiled. "It shows she trusts you."

"Enough to get pissed off and throw a temper tantrum?"

"Sure. Subconsciously, she must trust that you wouldn't hurt her for it. Whether she realises that or not. A wider range of emotions is good for her, even if it's not pleasant to put up with."

She was probably right there. He liked to think he was doing an okay job looking after Emerald, and she _had_ started to display a little more independence since they left Atlas. She was almost thirteen now, which meant some teenage angst probably was to be expected.

That she dared act that way with him was a reason to celebrate. Sort of. Celebrate that she felt normal enough to feel that way, and then mourn that he'd somehow pissed her off. Couldn't they have started with something cuter?

"I guess you're right. Not sure what I did to upset her though."

Helena laughed. "I don't think talking about my little sister helped."

"What do you mean? I was just trying to help." He realised who he was talking to a second later. "No hard feelings, of course."

"None taken. This is a competitive tournament. But you could have stood to compliment her a little more, or at least act like you had _confidence_ in her. I appreciate the faith you seem to have in my teaching ability – it does a lot for my ego – but you acted like you were sending Emerald to her doom. She probably worked really hard to get this far and you started talking about someone else, without even acknowledging her effort. How is someone her age supposed to react to that?"

Not poorly, he wanted to say. It didn't really work, even in his head. The fact Emerald clung onto him so much probably made it even worse.

Was it really that strange to focus on Pyrrha considering who she was, though?

Ugh. Of course. Pyrrha wasn't _anyone_ yet. Emerald didn't understand why she had to be so careful, and the delivery of his warning obviously needed more tact. He must have sounded like he didn't care about how hard she'd fought.

" _Was it not good enough?"_

Gods, that should have been an obvious sign. Emerald must have been waiting for him to praise her, and he'd instantly started talking about Yang and then Pyrrha. What an idiot.

"Advice?" he pleaded.

"Make up for it later. Don't bother apologising; that'll just make it clear you doubted her, and kids don't care for apologies as much as adults do. Words are cheap to a child, just show your apology by spoiling her. If she wins, celebrate and make sure she knows how much you're pleased with her. If she loses, celebrate the same way. Make it clear you're proud and impressed." Helena shrugged. "That's how I act with Pyrrha, anyway. Seems to work."

"I already planned to take her out for a meal either way."

"Good start. Try to dedicate tomorrow to her as well. Whatever she wants to do, do it."

"Alright." The advice was good, and he ought to start making it up to Emerald. "I didn't expect you to be here. When did you decide to put Pyrrha into this?"

"A week ago, and why would you expect it? I told you I was training my little sister, but I don't remember mentioning anything about what we'd be doing."

Future knowledge, he didn't say. "Lucky guess. You don't do things half-way."

"Flatterer. Neither do you, I think. I heard about the mess you left in Atlas. Did you know that Ironwood got in touch with me? Asked if I'd seen you. Asked me to get in touch if I _did_ see you." She smiled innocently. "He sounded angry."

"Uh. Any chance you might _not_ tell him?"

"I don't know. I was pretty angry when I found out you took the blame, too. Furious, even."

"In my defence, I knew I'd not be in the line of fire…"

"Interesting apology," Helena said. "Let me try. In my defence, I'm really upset about what you did. So, if I murder you, no hard feelings. Think that'll work in court?" Her head cocked to the side and she smiled kindly when he flinched. "I thought not. Yours doesn't work much either."

"H-How about dinner?" he offered.

"Oh, and now you're trying to play with my heart to get out of trouble. And when I'd just started to get over the fact we decided to part as friends. That's _certainly_ going to calm me down. No way that might piss me off even more."

Yeah, he could see how that might work. Jaune swallowed his guilt.

"S-Sorry."

"An apology is a start. You really ought to call Ironwood, though. Preferably before _he_ calls on you."

"I was hoping to leave it until things calmed down."

"Jaune, he is the commander of a team of enforcers, and there are rumours he might be promoted to General. General of the largest military on Remnant. You, on the other hand, are one man whose only advantage was being Gods know where in the wilderness and effectively untraceable. You've now entered your adopted daughter in a tournament that _will_ reach the ears of enthusiasts in Atlas." Helena giggled. "If I were you, I'd start planning your grovelling now, and I'd make the call before Ironwood finds out and sends a fucking _armada_ to collect you."

He would as well, wouldn't he? Shit.

"I'll make the call…"

But first, he had to deal with Emerald.

/-/

 _Why you?_

Emerald glowered at her opponent.

 _Why was he so confident about you?_

A hand was offered as a polite gesture. Despite the frustration that bubbled beneath the surface, Emerald took it. The crowd would turn on her if she didn't.

 _Why not me?_

"Good luck," Pyrrha said.

Emerald snorted. "I don't believe in luck."

 _I'll make him look at me. I'll show him he can believe in me._

A loud electronic countdown sounded in the air, blaring four times as the number on the screen descended, the crowd chanting along with it. On two, Emerald's legs tensed. On one, she crouched low.

The second the Z was pronounced, she tore her handguns free and opened fire.

Pyrrha saw it coming and rolled to the side, crouched low and brought up her shield to block the next barrage. She held the position, making it clear she would if Emerald kept firing, until she ran out of ammo.

Emerald cursed and ran left instead. It was the only option. Yang got her ass kicked in close, so charging straight in was a bad call. She had to pick her moment. Learn the opponent's style. Don't take anything for granted.

When she flanked the crouched figure, Emerald opened fire again, but this time she kept moving, scoring a mere third of her shot on target but at least forcing Pyrrha to keep her shield up. All the while, Emerald analysed their surroundings.

The arena was small and square, with the edges raised off the ground and constituting a loss by ring-out. It was cushioned but hard, giving way enough if someone fell on it with great force, but not so much that it was difficult to manoeuvre on. The bigger problem was how sparse it was. It was perfectly flat but for a few depressions her feet left. Nothing to take cover behind and nothing to use to her advantage. At least if there were some high ground to take, she could use her mobility, but right now Pyrrha had the edge just sitting in the middle tanking shots.

It wasn't a fair approximation of a fight at all. If this were out in the world, she could see several ways to take advantage of it, from simply bypassing Pyrrha for whatever her objective was – if she didn't want to move, then whatever – or bringing something a little more heavy-duty along to deal with her. She could also climb a tree to get a better angle, hurl dirt and dust over the shield or any number of things.

None of that here, though. The battleground was sterile and clean. It was like fighting in a void.

Most of Jaune's lessons didn't cut it for that. The Smiling Man was a dirty fighter, though Emerald meant that in the best way possible. If you weren't looking to cheat, you weren't taking life seriously enough.

Was this why he'd doubted she could win?

Emerald's skin burned.

Inferior.

She felt inferior to this girl who the only person that mattered had spoken of with such hidden emotion. She hadn't even felt this way about Winter, who pushed into her training time and took his attention away. At least Winter shared it.

Pyrrha stole it.

"I'll show him. I'll prove I can do this."

It was a bad idea, but she was out of good ones. Pyrrha would sit there until the cows came home, or until Emerald ran out of ammo. She charged in instead, squeezing off several shots to mask the sound of her footsteps. At the last second, she leapt forward, planting both feet on the bronze shield.

Pyrrha saw it coming. The girl reared up suddenly, twisting and pushing so that instead of her being launched back, Emerald was knocked up into the air and off-balance. The shield came back, the sword coming forth. It was a short-sword and didn't have the reach to catch her, but it started to change and grow longer. A spear would – and did – do it, stabbing into Emerald's stomach and knocking her back.

Emerald landed hard, gasping for breath. Even through the pain, she rolled away, which saved her from the follow-up stab that would have took off even more aura. She tried not to look at the scoreboards. It was a lesson he'd taught her.

" _Getting distracted will kill you. If you're low on aura, you'll know. Anything else, any other metric, it just doesn't matter."_

This was just a tournament. It wasn't even to the death. She'd just keep fighting until she was unconscious, or the officials told her it was over. What was _more_ of a concern was the time limit. According to what she'd been told, no one quite trusted people their age to be able to end fights properly, so to prevent any going on forever, there was a match time limit of eight minutes. It wasn't aura remaining which determined the winner, but rather a panel of judges. Aura would be among the things they considered, but it would also be with aggression, hits given and taken and overall strategy and fighting style.

Right now, Pyrrha was winning that. The one hit wasn't all that big a deal, but she'd been in control of this from the start. That had to change.

Emerald came in hard and transformed her guns into sickle form, probing a few times but keeping her distance. Pyrrha blocked each with either her shield or sword, footwork impeccable as she skated a circle around the ring, drawing Emerald in. It was an attempt to wear her out, she quickly realised. Evading and blocking consumed less stamina than an all-out attack.

The judges probably realised that, too. This was so unfair.

And the impenetrable defence was up again. Pyrrha huddled behind it with her sword poking over the top, ready to stab. The greaves made sense now, providing a mostly forward degree of armour but leaving her rear exposed. Pyrrha simply didn't turn her back on her opponent.

Four minutes had elapsed.

She was losing badly. Just like he thought she would.

 _Inferior. Inferior. Inferior._

"I'm not," she gritted out. "This fight isn't fair."

Just another way this wasn't like a proper fight. Who ever heard of punishing patience? No one in Atlas would think twice of you stepping back to buy time and strategize, but this format was rushed and focused on being the aggressive one. Pyrrha obviously planned to punish that in the same way she did with Yang.

Wait…

Hm. And she'd thought Yang was useless. Maybe she could take a leaf from the brute's book.

Backing away again, Emerald unloaded a full magazine into Pyrrha's body, forcing her down into her hunched position again, just like when the fight started. Again, Emerald ran in, using the same strategy as before – but this time she kicked off the shield harder, creating more distance.

Enough distance that Pyrrha's spear just wouldn't cut it.

Despite that, Pyrrha smiled and brought her weapon forth once more. The sword was too short, and the spear wasn't enough, either. She needed a different weapon. Something with longer range.

Emerald brought both guns forward, leaving herself open.

Pyrrha couldn't ignore the invitation. She dropped low and whipped the shield onto her back, cocking the hilt of her sword, which shifted and clicked as the blade rolled sideways, forming the base of a rifle. The crowd gasped – shocked at the sudden reveal. Emerald might have been too, except for one small detail.

She'd been told.

As the sword clicked into the shape of a rifle, the annoying girl flashed a pleased smile and brought it up, prepared for a single well-placed shot.

She wasn't prepared for Emerald's weapon to curve and snap off, forming a chain between the blade and gun – nor for it to wrap around her rifle and upper arm. How could she be? Pyrrha had been certain no one knew about her rifle form. She hadn't used it in the tournament. No one could possibly know.

Except that _he_ did. He always knew.

"Hah!" Emerald dragged her arm down, forcing the barrel away and letting the round blast off the protective shields around the arena stands. Landing a second later, she pulled again, forcing it off centre once more and a shot down into the mats. Her other weapon came in, now in the form of a bladed sickle.

There was a whirr and a clunk as Pyrrha transformed her weapon back to defend – or tried to. The shifting mechanisms pulled Emerald's weapon out of her hand, but she allowed it, smirking as one of the chain links caught in a mechanism and halted the shift with an angry whirr of servos. Pyrrha gasped as Emerald's other weapon scored a blow on her left shoulder, dropping her aura by a quarter. She kicked back and leapt away, looking down at her weapon.

The club – for really, it was no use as much else now – was an amalgamation of rifle, sword, chain apocalypse and a gun hilt. Emerald's weapon, or one of them, had gotten itself well and truly tangled up in the mechanisms, rendering it not quite useless, but awkward and unbalanced. Pyrrha tugged on the chain to try and free it but the workings of her own weapon worked against her, dragging the chain back in hungrily as it tried to shift into another form. It wasn't something that couldn't be fixed with a few minutes careful prying, but Emerald wasn't about to give her that.

Pyrrha got her shield up in time but barely. A shot pinged off it, and then one lower, glancing off Pyrrha's leg and knocking her down onto one knee. Even if it chipped a miniscule amount off her aura, it still had force behind it. Pyrrha huddled behind her shield once more, trying to buy time as she worked to untangle her weapon.

Third time was the charm. With Pyrrha's weapon ruined, she'd have no counter-attack and Emerald rushed in once more, kicking off the shield – and this time knocking Pyrrha back a pace. Only one weapon now, but Emerald brought it high, ready to end this once and for all. Pyrrha brought her entangled weapon up to block but it was clumsy and heavy.

She'd never get it up in time.

Pyrrha gritted her teeth.

Emerald roared her victory.

The chain wrapped around Pyrrha's weapon rattled. Of its own volition.

It was the only warning she got. The chain of her own weapon, which she _knew_ was tightly entangled with Pyrrha's, suddenly uncoiled like an angry snake, lunging out at her so suddenly that she had no defence ready. It caught her in the chest with an angry crack, aura flexing as she was hurled back.

Emerald fell hard and gasped for air that wouldn't come.

"W-What…?"

Her second weapon clattered down nearby. But how-? It had been stuck on Pyrrha's. There was no way she'd gotten it off – not without using so much as a single hand.

Pyrrha charged in with her sword raised, "It's over!"

 _Like fuck it is._

She wouldn't lose. Couldn't lose. She'd promised him she would win. She wanted to win. She wanted to be more than a burden. She _would_ be more than a burden.

 _No more games!_

Emerald _stabbed_ a hand out towards Pyrrha, snarled, and hurled her Semblance forward.

It would only last a second. The bad illusions never lasted, the victim quickly figuring out that what they were seeing was impossible. Good ones could trick someone for longer, but that required pre-planning and patience. Time she didn't have. She had seconds.

Normally, she tuned and decided on what her target would see ahead of time, but here, she just tossed the whole thing at Pyrrha and poured her negativity into it. Emerald had no idea what her opponent saw. It was probably one of her _own_ memories. Some subconscious event from the past she'd thrown Pyrrha into. Whatever it was, Pyrrha's face turned ashen white and her charge faltered. Her eyes grew wide.

Pyrrha dropped her weapon.

And started to scream.

* * *

 **So, my initial plan was to have the entire tournament done in one chapter, but that didn't work out due to the amount in it, specifically with the many PoV's. So, split into two it is. Pyrrha makes her appearance. Yang bites off more than she can chew, and Emerald has her first instance of a child's temper, just in time for her to hit her teenage years.**

 **And one wonders what it is Pyrrha saw.**

 **Poor little Emerald is also a little bag of insecurities. Jaune has took her off the street and looked after her, but he's by no means an ideal father, as plenty of reviewers have noted. Better than nothing. Better than Cinder. But not perfect.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 25** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	22. Chapter 22

**So, there appears to be some minor confusion re Helena, which I will clear up now. She is Pyrrha's older sister, not her mother. The mother thing was a joke I threw into an author's note. She is Pyrrha's older sister, and as for why she appears here when she has no mention in canon. Well, it was supposed to be implied that she and Team November were killed in Jaune's first mission. As such, Pyrrha lost her sister when she was but a child.**

 **They ran into Tyrian, after all, and only survived because Jaune held him off. A team like theirs without his help would have been massacred.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 22**

* * *

Pyrrha's screams were horrifying. In part, it was because he'd never heard her sound so afraid, even when she'd died, but in truth it was probably because she was a child, and no child should make sounds like that. Jaune clutched his armrests until his knuckles went white. The crowd were completely silent.

A part of him wanted to run down there and help her. A big part of him.

But he refused to.

He couldn't.

All of this was his doing. His changes. He'd made this happen, and so he had to accept the consequences. Live with them. Save Pyrrha now and he might make himself feel better, but he would also put her on the path to the same future he lived through. One where her reputation as the Invincible Girl worked against her, not only in making friends, but in making her the Fall Maiden.

This was just a tournament, he told himself. Pyrrha's screams now might prevent worse later.

It was a blessed relief when Emerald struck, sliding under Pyrrha's guard and landing a blow under her chin. Pyrrha sailed into the air and collapsed back onto the mat. Her aura remained around the halfway mark, but she was unconscious. A clear sign she'd lost control of her aura in the panic at what she'd seen. Whatever she'd seen.

This could be bad.

"A-And there we have it folks," the commentator said, fighting for the same cheer and excitement he'd wielded all tournament long. "Winner by knockout, and our new under-thirteen's champion, Emerald Ashari!"

The applause was scattered at first but soon picked up. It was born from polite awkwardness more than anything else, people clapping because others were, and they didn't want to be left out, though it soon spread.

Semblances weren't banned from tournaments no matter the age. Some fighters relied on it. Pyrrha used hers, though only he and maybe her family could tell. Semblances were perfectly acceptable weapons, and no one could complain about Emerald's win.

It was just that Semblances didn't usually leave their victims screaming like they were being drawn and quartered.

"We'll take a quick break before the awards ceremony," the commentator went on. "And then it's on to the under fifteen's, where we have-" The commentator got lost in the upcoming tournament, relying on the promise of more fights to distract the audience, even as a medical team rushed out to take Pyrrha away.

Emerald was going to need him. He stood and headed for the door, pushing out and into the corridor beyond. He was relieved to find Helena nowhere in sight. She was probably off to check on Pyrrha.

Jaune found Emerald waiting outside the women's changing rooms. Since she had to be out for her trophy, she hadn't bothered to get changed. She saw him coming, his expression, and her own dimmed a little, eyes flicking away.

"You won," he said, reaching her slowly.

Emerald offered him nothing more than a shrug of a single shoulder. Her eyes didn't meet his.

"Nothing to say…?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"…" Emerald stared down at the floor, scowling. "Used my Semblance. You said not to."

This again? What was she-?

Helena's words came back to him and he felt a sigh escape him. Without so much as a warning, Jaune knelt on one knee and reached out. Emerald flinched as his arms took hold of her shoulders, and stiffened even further when he drew her in.

When he hugged her against him, she went unnaturally still, unsure what to do.

Did Emerald really think that little of him? No. He knew she didn't. The life she'd had was one where a failure to follow every word of what someone said could earn her a slap at best, a knife at worst. She was judging him by the only standards she knew, and he… he hadn't done enough to create a new one for her.

"It's okay," he said, reaching one hand around to push her face into his shoulder. He gently stroked her hair. "I said not to use it unless you had to. I didn't think winning this would mean enough to you that you'd feel like you had to use it, but maybe I was wrong. It's _your_ Semblance, Emerald. It's yours to use whenever, and however, you want." He pulled her a little closer, rocking his body slightly. "I'm not angry, Emerald. You don't have to worry about that."

As if she were a balloon that had just been popped, Emerald deflated in his arms, practically collapsing into him. Some of it might have been the exhaustion from her arduous fight, but most of it he recognised as being relief.

She shouldn't have had to feel that, but he knew better than to get angry about should and shouldn't have's. She did, and that was all that mattered. Her face brushed against the bare skin of his neck and her hands slowly, tentatively, snaked around his back.

"I won," she whispered.

This time, he knew what to say.

"I'm proud of you, Emerald. So proud."

There was no response from her other than to bury her face in his neck a little more and take a deep breath. He let her, remaining on one knee until she started to poke and push herself away, out of his grip. Allowing it, he stood with one hand resting atop her head. He grinned down on her and gave it a little rub.

"I guess that makes you the new champion. How does it feel?"

Back to normal, Emerald huffed. "No different."

"Ha. I guess it wouldn't. You still showed everyone how hard you've been working, though. That has to count for something."

"Hm." Emerald's eyes flicked to his and away again, driving home Helena's point. Emerald didn't care for what other people thought of her. She wanted _his_ approval. He rubbed her head a little more to show it, pulling her against his side so she could lean on him.

That the fiercely independent girl allowed it was reason enough to feel good.

But such thoughts quickly drifted away as several footsteps approached. Jaune's eyes scanned the hallway, quickly spotting the corner they came from a second before Helena and a much larger man, upwards as well as sideways, stepped out.

Helena looked like shit, obviously concerned and fidgeting with her hands. He had the feeling she'd prefer to be with Pyrrha, which raised the question of why she was here at all. It was answered immediately by the man beside her, who was at least six foot four and carried a barrel chest and a stocky frame. He was a big man who would have intimidated any normal person. His eyes were a piercing green, his hair a reddish-brown. His lips were pulled down into a frown which only grew in intensity when he spotted them.

"Father-" Helena began.

"You. Ashari." The Nikos matriarch – for he must have been both Helena and Pyrrha's father – strode toward him. The man's eyes fixated on Emerald for a moment and he sneered.

Jaune stepped forward, subtly pushing Emerald behind him. "Can I help you, sir?"

"Your daughter," He sneered the word. "Has cheated in a match against mine. I demand that she forfeit."

"I'm sorry?"

"And you should be, but an apology is not-"

"No, you misunderstand," Jaune said. "I'm not sorry for Emerald winning. I'm asking what you're talking about."

The Nikos patriarch stood taller, drawing in a deep breath that made his chest balloon outward, a feat almost certainly designed to intimidate. "Pyrrha was in complete control of the fight from start until finish. The fight was hers. Until _she_ did something," he snapped, pointing at Emerald again, or trying to. Jaune knocked the man's hand aside before it could get close.

"Yeah, until _she_ won. That's the nature of fighting, Mr Nikos. It doesn't matter who is in control or not, only who wins."

"And you would accept a victory through trickery?"

"There was no cheating here."

"Your daughter used her Semblance on mine!"

"And Pyrrha used hers on Emerald," he said, earning a wince from Helena, who had remained unusually silent throughout the exchange. If anything, she looked ashamed of what her father was saying. Or more likely what he was acting like.

"Nonsense!" the man boomed. "You might try to write your daughter's failings off as a Semblance, but-"

"Pyrrha is skilled, but we _all_ saw that chain unravel."

Mr Nikos scowled.

"When something unnatural happens, it's easy to tell if it's a Semblance or not. Unless you're suggesting someone _else_ interfered in the match to try and assist Pyrrha. That, I'm afraid, would definitely be cheating."

"No one assisted," Helena quickly said. "You're right. It was her Sem-"

"Silence!" Helena flinched as her father's voice boomed out through the corridor. "My daughter is not the one in question here. This tournament was to be a test of skill, fortitude and honour. You and yours have sullied it and that will not stand. Surrender the tournament or I will have this matter taken to court."

"You can try."

Mr Nikos puffed up, "Do you believe I won't? I am Alexander Nikos. You would be wise not to cross me."

Jaune shook his head. "I believe you'll do whatever you want to. Just as I believe I'll meet you in court if I need to. Emerald did nothing wrong. Pyrrha lost. That's life. She's good, and she might grow into something incredible in time, but everyone has to lose eventually." His eyes hardened. "Better Pyrrha learn that lesson now than later, when her life might be on the line."

"You're walking a thin line, Ashari."

"Walking it? I _live_ on that line."

"Will my sister be okay?" Helena suddenly asked, voice a lot quieter. Jaune's frown faded as he turned to her.

"She should be fine. Emerald's Semblance is the use of illusions, or more specifically to make the victim see things that aren't there." He'd intended, and still did intend, to keep that hidden, but they would know the second Pyrrha woke up and told them what she'd seen. "Once she's awake, she should be fine. Just tell her it was all an illusion and that whatever it was didn't happen."

Relieved, Helena nodded.

Her father scoffed and turned away. "Come, Helena. I would not breathe the same air as this fraud. You will hear from my solicitors in time, Ashari."

"Nice to meet you, too," he called back.

Jaune waved until the large man rounded the corner and disappeared, at which point his smile fell and he rolled his eyes.

"Dick." He ran a hand through Emerald's hair. "You ready for the awards ceremony?"

She nodded. "Mhm."

"You remember that thing I asked you to say?"

"Yes."

"Atta girl."

/-/

Summer found it hard to stay still as everyone waited for the tournament to continue. The commentators had started to replay some of the final fight, obviously not the ending, but everything in between. It didn't stop her feeling anxious, though. She wondered if Jaune would come out onto the stage or if he'd send in Emerald alone. She wondered if she could find him afterwards, or whether he would run away and hide again.

More than that, Summer wondered why the thought of such had her in such a tizzy.

Hell, even Yang was handling it better.

"I'm fine, Dad. I'm kinda glad she won. I wanted the girl who beat me to win but seeing her taken out like that makes me feel better, too. I can beat Emerald, so that means I can beat Pyrrha if I had to fight her again. I just got caught by surprise."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed, with the simple belief of a girl besotted with her big sister. Yang's words were always fact to Ruby. "Yang could win if she went again. Yang's the best!"

"Aw. Thanks, Ruby. Love you too."

"Love you!"

Summer simultaneously rolled her eyes and giggled. Those two could be diabetes inducing sometimes. At least she wasn't taking the loss badly. If anything, Yang looked fired up to start training again. Desperate to get her own back on the girl who beat her, as well as Emerald, who despite not even fighting, Yang seemed to consider as the _real_ threat.

And maybe she was. Summer wasn't blind to how the fight ended, nor the Pyrrha girl's reaction. That wasn't just shock or fear, but mind-numbing terror. Semblance-related for sure. There was no other explanation for it.

The huntress in Summer wondered what the Semblance was and whether Emerald had unlocked it on the spot. It might explain why the effects of it were so brutal; because maybe she didn't have the fine control over it to know how much force was too much.

The mother in her simply pointed out that this was now _two_ traumatised children thanks to Jaune, her youngest being one of them.

The lights in the stadium dimmed, torches spanning down onto the arena, and onto the three figures walking out from a side door. One of them was Emerald Ashari, her green hair obvious even from such a distance. The other two were tournament officials, one of which carried a large, golden trophy in his hands. It was an ornate and pretty thing with blue rock shaped like a person with a sword held high balanced on the top. Yang grumbled unhappily next to her. It was clear she wanted to be down there receiving that.

 _Maybe next year,_ Summer thought. If this was what Yang wanted, it wouldn't hurt to offer her a little help.

"Thank you for your patience," the official below said, holding a microphone before him. "Before we move onto the under-fifteen's brackets, we have to crown our new champion for the year, one who fought her way through the harshest competition, and participated in one of the most exciting finals from recent years. I want everyone to put a hand together for our new under-thirteens champion, Emerald Ashari!"

Summer clapped, along with Tai and her daughters. The crowd were much more ecstatic now, the horror of the poor girl's screams an already fading memory. People might gossip about it later, but most would forget it ever bothered them before the day was over.

They kept clapping as the other official, a middle-aged woman in a suit, knelt and presented the trophy to Emerald, who struggled with the size of it for a moment, before she managed to grip it before her with both hands. Her smile wasn't a giant thing, but it was there, almost shy, and the cameras caught it. Her face emblazoned the main screen.

"Would our new champion care for a few words?"

To his surprise, and to Summer's as well, Emerald nodded. Most children her age were too shy for that, or too excited to want to. Knowing what she did about Emerald, Summer would have thought she'd not care.

The main speaker held the microphone before Emerald's face, realising that she couldn't hold it and the trophy at the same time.

"My name is Emerald." Her voice carried, a little too loud at first – the mic making a whistling sound – but the people in the sound booth dealt with it and after a moment of pause, her voice became clearer. "I've only been training to be a huntress for about three years now, back when I was adopted off the streets of Vale." There was some silence. Some confusion. This didn't sound like a winner's speech. "I'm glad to be back in Vale and pleased I could win this tournament."

Relief from the crowd, and a few cheers. No one wanted to deal with difficult truths.

"But I'd have never gotten this far without my training, which came from Mr Ashari, the man who adopted me. In a little over two years, he got me where I am now, and he trained Winter Schnee, as well, who would have won the Vytal Festival if the White Fang didn't attack."

More mumbling, this time interested. Anyone who was here had undoubtedly watched the Vytal Festival, if not in person that on the television. By the end of the day, the news he'd taught Winter would be verified. The SDC would step in if it wasn't true. Summer, of course, knew it to be true.

"This is my first tournament and I've won it, and the Vytal Festival was Winter's. Jaune Ashari helped teach us both and get us where we are today. And he can help you, too."

Summer's eyes widened.

"Next week, the Ashari Specialist Huntsman Gym will be opening. A preparatory school for huntsman and huntresses, available for extra-curricular training and development, here in Vale."

Emerald's head bobbed as she spoke, making it clear she was reciting the words from memory.

"There will be training courses from children of any ages from eleven to seventeen, all designed towards helping huntsmen and huntresses in training develop and prepare for their lives as huntsmen. It will not be a school, but an after-hours training initiative to build on what you learn in Signal or any other academy." Emerald bowed her head. "Please consider visiting when we're open."

"There we have it, ladies and gentlemen," the announcer called, taking his mic back when Emerald nodded to show she was done. "And what a fine way to make a statement, no? A trainer of champions opening their own school here in Vale. With those kinds of credentials, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of future competitors from there."

Summer's mind was awhirl. Another school here in Vale? No, not a school – a gym of sorts, including lessons and additional training. It sounded like an intensive prep-school for Beacon, and Summer _knew_ Ozpin would be interested. He was always calling for more training in Signal, more life-skills, more combat-knowledge and not just the academics.

And it would be here, right in Vale. Which meant Jaune _wouldn't_ be leaving anytime soon. More than that, it meant she'd have an address at which she could find him. Plus, they were stuck in Vale now until Salem's underlings could be caught.

Yang tugged on Summer's sleeve. "Can I, Mom? Can I…?"

"W-What…?"

"Attend," Yang practically whined. "I want to go there when it's open."

"O-Oh, of course. After school. I mean, if your father is okay with it?"

Yang rounded on Taiyang, eyes wide and pleading.

Taiyang laughed. "I've no problem, sweetheart. You know I'm always telling you to train after school as well, so I'm not sure why you're acting like I'd say no. Ruby, do you want to have a look, too?"

Ruby smiled weakly, uncertainly. "Maybe…"

"We can decide later," Summer said, pulling her youngest in close against her. "They said it would be next week, so there's no rush. And you don't have to come the first time if you don't want to."

Ruby nodded, relieved with the compromise.

Yang cheered, "Yes! I'll go and get his training, and _next time_ I'll beat Emerald."

/-/

Ozpin's hands linked before him. Sat in a private booth with several council members, he smiled at the screen, and the girl on it, ignoring the frantic mumbling and complaints from the councillors. They weren't sure what to make of the news, nor the upset win.

A preparatory school for huntsmen, though?

Well, that might just be something worth looking into.

"You never fail to draw my attention, Mr Ashari. I foresee interesting times ahead."

/-/

A Prep School.

Him, in charge of a Prep School. Somehow, he didn't think Raven had this in mind when she'd put the idea of him coming out in a big way forth. He doubted anyone would have. Hell, he could just _imagine_ the look on his friends' faces if he told them he was going to be training children.

" _Um. Are you sure that's safe?"_

" _You, with kids? Arc, the thought terrifies me."_

" _You will go easy on them, won't you? Jaune? Jaune?"_

He'd been looking for a career that would be open enough not to raise suspicions, yet still relevant to his plans for the future, getting involved in stopping Salem. He also wanted something that would let him be somewhat close to Beacon, and something that would let him look after his friends. If not overly, then at least from the shadows.

But then, why? Why not just look after them even more obviously? And Ozpin _had_ complimented his teaching skills back in Atlas. Numerous times, in fact. With how many times Ozpin none-too-subtly invited him to teach at Beacon, would it be any surprise if such compliments went to his head? Gave him ideas? This was all Ozpin's fault, or so he could claim.

Win the tournament and he'd be noticed. Open a school and the aspiring huntsmen would come, in small numbers at first, but more and more if he could keep bringing results. It could be anyone at first, but if he could make even the average student at Beacon stronger, it might make a difference when Cinder attacked. And if he could get one of his _friends_ as a student? Well, that might change things.

 _This might let me train them directly. Yang, Ruby, Pyrrha, maybe even Ren and Nora. They'll all be coming to Vale eventually, and if I can grow my reputation internationally, I might have a chance at training them up before Beacon even starts._

All the while, his cover in Vale would be kept and he could continue working with Junior to take over the less savoury parts of the city.

And yes, Ozpin would know where to find him, but as a trainer helping ready students for Beacon, Ozpin would have little reason to want to be rid of him. The distrust might still be there, but he would be _useful_ to Ozpin. So long as he did good work, that was, but he _intended_ to train his students up as best he could, so he didn't think there would be any complaints on that end.

By this point, the bank should have already come through on the lot, and the contractors would be gutting the inside of the building he'd purchased. A gym didn't need much other than bare walls, mats and some fitness equipment dotted around. The bigger renovations would be changing rooms, but those he could leave to various contractors.

A door to his left opened and Emerald stumbled in, the trophy held before her. Jaune dispelled all plans and moved over to her, patting her on the back with one hand while steadying her trophy with the other.

"Great work out there, Em. You did it all perfectly."

"Hm." She nodded, smiling slightly.

"So, where does my little champion want to go for tonight, eh?" he asked, earning a surprised look from her. "Anywhere you want," he said with a grin, "My treat. And since we don't have to keep our cover anymore, you can have _anything_."

"A-Anything…?"

/-/

Emerald stepped away from the cabinet in her room, a huge, glass-fronted thing with numerous shelves, within which now stood an ornate, golden trophy with her name carved onto the plaque on the front. It was the only thing in the brand-new cabinet Jaune bought her, and it made the rest of it look empty, but despite that, Emerald couldn't stop smiling.

This was _her_ trophy. _Her_ trophy cabinet. _Her_ victory.

Once, she'd been an urchin on the street struggling to find food to survive. Now, she had her own bedroom in a huge house and had won something under her own strength. Jaune's training, of course, but she'd been the one to learn it.

And he was proud of her. He'd said so.

Closing the cabinet door softly, Emerald stepped back and inspected it, nodding only when she was convinced the trophy was aligned perfectly central. She then headed to her bed and the shopping bag of fantasy books, eight in total, and picked out the one she wanted to read, carefully placing the other seven on the other main furniture piece in the room, a large, mahogany bookcase. It, too, was slowly filling up.

Kicking off her shoes and falling back onto the bed, Emerald cracked the book open and started to read.

Life was good.

/-/

Life was not good in the Nikos family.

"I didn't know he would be there!"

"His presence should not have mattered. You told us she was ready. You said she would win this."

" _Could_ win this," Helena corrected. "I said she _could_ win. Should win. I didn't expect Jaune to be there and if I'd known he would be, I wouldn't have let Pyrrha come. He's been teaching Emerald for a lot longer than I have Pyrrha. He's a better teacher than m-"

Her father's palm cracked across her cheek, knocking her face to the side.

"We do not use that term here, Helena! Better? No one is better. To accept the possibility is to accept defeat, and a Nikos does not lose! Say it."

Cheek smarting, Helena sneered her response, "A Nikos does not lose."

"Control your tongue, daughter. I'd have thought your time in Atlas would give you a little more discipline. I didn't raise a failure."

 _You didn't raise anything,_ Helena wanted to say. She refrained, if only for the sake of avoiding another argument. Her father's focus on family honour and the Nikos slogan `A Nikos Does not Lose` had always been a sticking point.

It hardly helped that it applied to verbal disagreements, too. Even between family. If she argued, he would simply argue back louder, more violently, and do whatever he had to in order to win. It was just the kind of man he was.

 _You're a Specialist, Helena. Don't rise to the bait._

"She will need more training," he spat. "See that this dishonour is wiped from our name. I will see to punishing that fool for cheating us out of what is ours."

"Emerald only used her Semblance, father. No one is going to take a case against her."

"Perhaps not, but we shall at least see the legitimacy of her victory called into question. If we cannot win, we shall ensure that no one wins."

"That-" Was disgusting, pathetic, childish. So many more things she wished she could say. "Do as you will, father. I'll see to training Pyrrha. She was only caught off-guard. She didn't do anything wrong."

"Excuses are made by those who fail, Helena. Do better."

The door slammed shut behind him, leaving her along in the adjoining room of their rented house, nursing her anger and the remains of stinging pain on her cheek.

A door creaked behind her.

"Helena…?"

A sigh escaped her. "Pyrrha. Don't tell me you heard that?"

"I'm sorry, Helena. If I'd done better…"

"It's not you that's the problem, little sister. It's _him_." Helena strode forward and drew her sister into a warm hug. "You did _wonderfully_ , Pyrrha. I've never been prouder."

"B-But I failed."

"Nonsense. Failure is not taking part. You won your way to the finals, only to be caught out by someone using an unknown Semblance on you. It's a technical victory at best. No one blames you for losing to that, least of all me."

"Father does…"

Helena's expression fell. "No one other than him. No one that matters."

Pyrrha's hug became a little tighter, a little more desperate. "I've missed you so much…"

"I know. I shouldn't have left you to go to Mistral. It's just…"

"You wanted to get away from him."

"Yes."

"I understand."

Pyrrha probably did, but that didn't excuse her for leaving her little sister behind. She'd thought her leaving, the disgrace of it, would show their father the error of his ways. Teach him that he had to be less of a hard-ass bastard or risk losing his daughters.

It hadn't. He'd become even worse.

"I'll do better next time," Pyrrha promised.

"I'm sure you will. I'll help, of course. If you ever face her again, her Semblance won't catch you unaware." Helena felt her sister tense. "It's illusions, I'm told. Jaune, her father, was willing to tell me. She made you see things that weren't happening to you. Nothing you saw actually happened, Pyrrha."

"I saw Atlas."

Helena stilled. "What about it?"

"I saw the attack. The White Fang. I… I was being chased. There was a man after me, a terrifying man who wanted to kill me." Pyrrha took a deep breath, and when Helena remained silent, continued, "I couldn't fight him or even move and had to get away. Then someone got in front of me, hit out at me. I tried to block the attack but… he was so strong. I was knocked down. He… He was going to kill me."

It was too specific a tale to be false. "And then what happened?" Helena asked.

"There was… I think there was blood." Pyrrha's face twisted. "It's getting harder and harder to remember it all. It's fuzzy."

"Probably because it's not an actual memory." Pyrrha was just trying to remember something she'd seen, and that would fade. It sounded like a memory from Emerald, who would have been in the crowd during the attack.

That was good, since it meant the memory wouldn't stay with Pyrrha. Or she hoped not anyway.

"It was horrible, I remember that much. The man was killed in front of me. And… And maybe he deserved it. I know he must have been White Fang and attacking all those people – but it's not the killing that made me scream. I knew he deserved it. I knew he was doing it to save me. Or the me in that illusion. That person was protecting me."

"Then what made you scream?"

"W-Well, it was the being chased at first," she admitted. "Thinking I was going to die, and I screamed in shock, and again at seeing the faunus die. But then when he died, I was calm for a second – until I felt it."

"Felt what?" Helena dared to ask.

"Satisfaction. I… I wanted him to die. I was happy to see him die. I _enjoyed_ seeing him die. There was the man behind him, covered in blood, angry, murderous." Pyrrha shivered. "A-And I didn't feel afraid of him, even though I should have. I _liked_ that he killed that man, not because he was a bad man, but because he killed the person _for_ me. Like it was proof of something. I… I think I loved him for it. For killing someone." Pyrrha's face fell into her hands. "What's wrong with me?"

"It's not you," Helena said, hugging Pyrrha again. "There's nothing wrong with you, because it wasn't you feeling that way."

It was Emerald.

Somehow, that didn't leave Helena feeling any better.

/-/

Two days later – a day of letting Emerald do whatever she wanted – Jaune finally found a moment to visit Junior, who made space for him in his schedule with the haste of a man who had something on his plate he needed solving.

"What's the issue?" Jaune asked, sitting down.

"Pressure from the local gangs. The Red Axe Gang has started to make a name for itself, but we're progressing too quickly. At least from the point of view of our competitors."

"They would say that."

"True, but we're setting speed records here, Ashari. People have started to take notice."

"Isn't that what we want?"

"To a degree, sure, but I'm a little concerned how far this is going." Junior motioned for him to come around the desk and opened up his terminal, displaying a map of Beacon, zoomed in on their current area by the docklands and warehouse districts. It was highlighted in red. "This is the current territory we control, and these are our neighbours."

Six more zones appeared in various colours. Their territory was possibly the largest, but there was another rival to the south in a shade of bright yellow. Their borders shared a fair stretch of territory, which made things awkward. Or at least Jaune assumed that was the problem at hand. Junior pointed at it, proving his instincts correct.

"These are our biggest rivals at the moment and they more than have the means to put a stop to our growth if they feel they need to."

"You sure? I could pay them a visit."

"You're only one man, Ashari. They lack in quality, compared to you anyway, but they have numbers, and their people aren't half-bad at what they do. They're organised, experienced and have a reputation. They're known as Union 46."

Jaune pulled a face. "Seriously?"

"It helps them keep a legitimate face, and no one that thinks it a joke lasts long enough to learn their mistake. Point is, they're more organised than what we've faced before, and even if we could take them it'd be a protracted fight and _these_ _bastards_ ," he indicated the others, "Would carve us a new asshole while we were distracted."

"Makes sense. I take it you've got a plan then? You wouldn't have called me here otherwise."

Junior huffed, but the smile on his face said he _did_ have something in mind. "We can't afford to take them on yet, and we might not have to. The Union has requested a meet. A meeting between equals, as they so graciously put it."

"Do you think it could be a trap?"

"Not likely. Gangs – the bigger ones, anyway – live or die on their reputation. No one would trust someone who betrayed a fellow gang like that. If the Union thought they could take us out in an ambush, they might as well just attack now. That they don't, suggests they want something more. Or are amicable to the idea of working together."

"Hm. You know this better than I do, Junior. I'll take your word for it. When's the meet? I assume you're bringing me along."

"Yeah, of course. Wouldn't have told you we needed to talk if I didn't plan to. I think they expect you, too. Told me to bring my `latest asset` to the meet."

"When?"

"Tomorrow. That's why I needed you today."

That close? Well, there was nothing to say how criminals should act and it was probably as much a test as anything else. By making so sudden a demand, the Union was questioning the Red Axe Gang's ability to respond. If they showed up, they'd gain some face and the Union would lose none. If they couldn't make it in time, they'd look stupid and the Union would be seen as respectable for not making a meal of it. Win-win either way, for the Union at least.

"Alright, I'll be there. You need me to do anything or just play the bodyguard?"

"Bit of that but answer if you're addressed. If in doubt, refuse to answer. It's considered ruder to try and lie, and everyone knows shit has to stay secret in this line of work. It's no offense to say you can't tell them something."

"So, there is honour among thieves, huh?"

"Not as much as you might like, but yeah, a little. Onto other business, I heard about your latest idea. Figured I'd know before you had it broadcast over the tournament coverage, but I'll survive. Good idea on having it away from this area. Makes it less likely we'll be associated."

"It wasn't just for that. A gym has to be at least somewhat close to the safer parts of town."

"Sure, sure. Thing is, if we're going to keep making the waves we're making, might it not benefit us to have a few more people like you? Or at least trained up to your standard?"

"I think I can see where this is going. I'm not running a charity here, Junior."

"I can respect that. Two people. Both young."

 _Not the Malachites. Not the Malachites. Not the Malachites._

"Miltia and Melanie."

 _Fuck_.

"The two girls from before?" Jaune asked, not even having to hide the haggard tone of voice. He did have to at least pretend he didn't know who they were, though.

"They're quick learners and loyal," Junior said. "What's more, they're just the right age for what you're looking for, so they won't stand out or give off any gang vibes."

"Their constant swearing notwithstanding."

Junior shrugged. "Hey. No one's perfect."

Ugh. He hadn't really planned to pick up those two, but Junior did have a point about their forces. He couldn't be everywhere, nor handle every fight that went on, and as their fame increased, so too would the danger. If another gang struck while he was busy giving lessons, or worse, in a meeting with Oobleck, then the Red Axe Gang might be wiped out, wasting all their hard work.

The Malachites did have a foundation to work off, too. Yang told him about them. They weren't huntress quality, not even at eighteen, but they were somewhere close. Maybe huntress-aspirants who hadn't made Beacon or something similar. They'd at least be better than the average man or woman, and certainly better than he'd been at their age.

"Fine, but only those two for now. I have my own ends for the gym and it's not related to the underground."

"Fair enough. Call me when it's up and running. I'll have them show up bright and early. They can help with any lifting."

Jaune sighed. "Sounds great…"

/-/

"Winter. You've been mentioned in the news."

Her father's words caused her heart to still for a moment. She hadn't _done_ anything in the past week or so worthy of being mentioned, not unless someone had found out her plan to continue in the military, in which case this meeting could go very poorly, very quickly.

"May I ask in what way, father?"

"A positive, I believe." Jacques said, not really answering the question. To him, of course, all that mattered was the outcome. He pushed a news report across the table, however. It appeared to be a print-out of an online article.

Winter read it through, eyes widening as she caught sight of Emerald's face. Her eyes softened a moment later, an uncharacteristic sense of pride suffusing her. Emerald had won her first tournament. How fitting. She wished she could be there to compliment her on it. Perhaps she should send the girl a letter.

The rest of the article intrigued her, however. Jaune was setting up a prep school in Vale. An interesting concept and something Atlas already had within its main academy. Not so much a school, but since their 11-16 and 17-21 training schools were in the _same facility_ , they could organise training sessions that helped students grow faster.

At the bottom, she read a section highlighted in red, probably by her father.

"Ah, I see." Jaune was claiming that he'd trained her for the Vytal Festival, and there was a little snippet explaining her performance both within the tournament and the subsequent attack – all of it glowing, naturally. Below that, a comment saying that the SDC had been asked for comment and had provided it, confirming Jaune's words. "I see you've already responded, father. I'm glad you did. I wouldn't want anyone to doubt Jaune's words."

"Indeed, Winter. It would not do for his efforts to be impeded by inaction on our part. His own miniature huntsman academy. It is… pedestrian for one of his wealth and influence, but I suppose the positivity of it will bear its own fruit. The PR alone would paint him a hero dedicating time to aiding the next generation and protecting the Kingdoms. Should he do well, of course."

"I believe he will," Winter said, coming to the defence of her mentor.

"We do not deal in `beliefs`, Winter." Jacques hummed to himself as he twirled some wine around a glass. Winter wanted to interrupt but chose not to, content to let her father think. He'd been odd of late, focused almost too much on Jaune, Rashem and the RTE. She knew their growing power weighed on his mind.

Hands cupped in her lap, Winter let out a long sigh, sitting still while her father considered his options. Eventually, he perked up, having decided on a course of action.

"We shall see this venture of his well-received, Winter. I'll have our people contact him and perhaps offer him a similar sponsorship deal to what we do Beacon. Less, of course, but still generous given the circumstances."

Winter caught her surprise before it could show. The SDC sponsored all four of the major academies, proving a not-insignificant stipend to each in exchange for the favourable press it generated. The SDC's reputation was bad enough under Jacques that not even funding all future huntsmen could fully fix it, but it still helped. Image was everything.

"We shall fund his prep school and offer what support he needs, and in exchange we shall host a ball in honour of both his daughter's success and your own."

"Mine, father?"

"Your performance in the Vytal Festival," he explained. "The entire world knows you won it, Winter, for all that the attack invalidated it. He has called out as much, and now no one doubts that you, my daughter, won the Vytal Festival despite being _two years_ younger than any other competitor."

Ah, no wonder he was in such a good mood. Winter felt pleased with Jaune's validation herself, but that was on a personal level. All Jacques cared about was that their name was synonymous with success. Better still, one of the influential backers behind the RTE had been the one to call her out for her success.

Whether Jaune knew it or not – and she was sure he didn't even consider it – his words had forced Jacques' hand, practically ensuring the SDC's favour in this regard. With what had been so carelessly said, the SDC _had_ to respond. And generously.

"Do you believe he will accept our patronage, Winter?"

"If I was allowed to speak with him, I'm sure he would."

"Or you could convince him," Jacques said.

Winter inclined her head in agreement.

"It would be suitable, given what you may be to him in the future," Jacques somehow managed to miss her cheeks heating up. Winter fidgeted with her fingers. "For you to be at the head of this initiative. Yes, it would work well." Jacques smiled at her. "Of course, as both his daughter and you are being equally celebrated, it would only make sense that he be the one to accompany you on the night as your date."

"A-As you say, father."

"Whitley can chaperone his daughter."

Oh God. Maybe she could warn her little brother.

"I believe Weiss has expressed her interest in becoming a huntress as well," Jacques said, with an alarming amount of neutrality. "Having a road in with him might get her some private training. It is an avenue to explore."

Winter looked for the lie in his words but found none. It confused her. Their father hadn't been happy to hear Weiss' plans to follow in her sister's footsteps. No more than he had when _she_ first announced it herself.

"I thought you were against Weiss becoming a huntress?"

"I was against it because you expressed your own desire," Jacques explained. To her surprise, he didn't sound upset. Almost nostalgic. "The SDC needs an heir, Winter. Or an heiress. With you gallivanting around playing soldier, that fell on Weiss, and her desire to do the same was unwelcome news. Now with you back, the same pressure does not fall on her. If she wishes to become a huntress, so be it. But as a Schnee, she must become the greatest huntress she can. You won the Vytal Festival. I will expect similar success from her."

It was odd how she could feel happy and unhappy at the same time. Weiss would be thrilled to see her opportunities expand, and to have father acknowledge her dreams. It would be a dream come true for her.

But only so long as Winter herself remained as heiress. Remained here under her father's thumb, and possibly gave up on being a soldier.

Was that what she wanted?

Well, no. Obviously.

But was it fair to run away and offload that responsibility onto Weiss, and maybe poor Whitley, who was but a boy himself? Not even eleven years of age. No. It wasn't fair. They would suffer under that pressure, especially with mother married to the bottle.

"I shall do my best, father." And really, it wasn't all bad. This was perhaps the closest she and her father had ever been. He was smiling more, as well. Not as much as Jaune did with Emerald, or any father with a child, but more than he ever had before.

And then there was the possibility of a date with Jaune. Her cheeks heated up once more, red creeping up to her ears.

It would just be a polite thing from Jaune's point of view, she was sure, but she was sixteen now. She was of age, and a little older, a little more mature. Some people even said she looked and acted closer to eighteen. In a full-length dress with heels, she might easily be mistaken for a young woman.

 _I'll have to make sure it's the perfect dress._

"I'll leave it in your hands for now then, father. If you need me to talk to him, please let me know. I can do so at any moment."

"Very good. Should you need a new dress for the ball, have it arranged tomorrow. Given the lack of time, we may have to hold it in Vale to accommodate Mr Ashari. It would be rude to expect him to travel so far just days before his new business opens. I will make arrangements for a venue, food and guest list."

Winter nodded and excused herself even as Jacques picked up a scroll and began to call his secretary. The hawk-faced woman passed Winter as she headed back to her room, nodding respectfully en route. Winter returned it politely, even if she didn't like the woman much.

Things had changed since the festival. Since meeting Jaune, really. Ironwood was practically clear of the inquest, it being in its final stages and only just deciding who to blame (almost certainly the White Fang), and soon it would come to time for her to decide what she would do with her life. Stay with the SDC or join the military and become a Specialist.

The latter would mean angering her father and subjecting Weiss to his attentions. It might also mean losing easy access to Jaune for now, since her time in the military would be taken up with various missions and administrative duties.

And really, did the Specialists appeal anymore? It might have, if anyone she knew remained. Team November had all but retired, however, and with Jaune and Foxtrot gone, it would never reform. It was always inevitable she might have to work on a different team if she went that way, but she'd gotten used to them.

The door before Winter slammed open and were it not for her harsh training under Jaune, she might have been hit by it. As it was, her hand slammed out to catch it an inch from her face. A head poked out a second later, paling as he saw her. Winter sighed.

"Be a little more careful, Whitley. If I'd been mother, or gods forbid father, you'd be in for an earful."

"I-I'm sorry," the little boy whispered.

"There's no harm. What are you doing up so late, though? You should be in bed."

Whitley's face flushed with colour. "I had a nightmare…"

A nightmare? At his age? Well, eleven wasn't that old but she couldn't remember ever going through the same at his age. Then again, she knew why.

" _I had a nightmare, father. Can I sleep with you and mother?"_

" _A Schnee does not subscribe to such foolishness, Winter. Go back to your room."_

" _Y-Yes, father…"_

Winter let out a long breath, fighting the urge to sag. Childhood had… not always been pleasant. Father was busy, mother… well, losing herself. Diminishing. Abandoning them. Whatever you wanted to call it. And Whitley was still looking up at her nervously, like he expected her to dismiss him. It was what father would do, and it was clear Whitley knew that already.

"Do you want me to sit by your bed a little?"

Whitley bit his lip. "N-No. I'll be okay. I'm a Schnee."

That hateful rhetoric once more. Winter reached a hand down to his shoulder. "Even a Schnee needs help every now and then, Whitley. I had nightmares when I was younger, and don't tell anyone, but so did your sister."

"Weiss did…?"

Of course. And who else but she listened to the girl shiver and shake, offering what comfort she could? Father certainly wouldn't care enough to do so. She hadn't done the same for Whitley, but only because she'd spent the last few years boarding at Atlas Academy. She'd half-hoped Weiss would take over for her and offer the same sympathy, but that was unfair. Weiss was only twelve.

"Come on," Winter said, leading Whitley back into his bedroom. It was late and she had things to do, but a little less sleep never hurt anyone. "Tuck yourself in and I'll read you some poetry. Do you have any favourites?"

"Don't like poetry," Whitley mumbled, so quiet that she almost missed it.

Winter paused, one hand on the bookshelf. It was filled with text books, poetry and other ancient works of – in quotation marks – art. The kinds of things it was expected of them to enjoy. Winter's room had been filled of the same, as was Weiss' now.

"I'll tell you a secret, Whitley. I hate them, too."

Abandoning the shelf, Winter sat down beside her little brother's bed and crossed her hands in her lap. She wasn't used to making up stories on the spot, but then again, he wasn't used to hearing them. Maybe the quality didn't matter as much as the effort. Winter hoped so.

"Once upon a time, there was a castle in a faraway Kingdom…"

* * *

 **You know, technically speaking Jaune has already managed quite a bit for his friends and all cantered around one theme; family. Thanks to him being in Vacuo in time to save Summer, Ruby and Yang have their mother. Thanks to him being in Atlas for the mission, he saved Team November and Pyrrha gets her sister. And because he pushed Winter into staying with the SDC for her own safety, even temporarily, both Weiss and Whitley have someone they can rely on.**

 **And "aww" Winter. Showing us all that maternal side. Don't let Emerald see it, she might stab you before you can make a play on Jaune.**

 **Jaune `many names` Arc, now adding `Family-Maker` to the list.**

 **Oh, and the mini-combat school. I've tried to explain it in the chapter well enough, but the idea is that it's more like a gym with classes. Kind of like if you went somewhere to learn a martial art, etc. It's not a school and Jaune isn't going to become a professor or anything like that. It's out of school extra training. Kind of like what he did for Winter in Atlas.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 1** **st** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	23. Chapter 23

**Here we are; here we go.**

 **I realise that there hasn't been much in the way of precise descriptions of Jaune's outfits lately and his appearance. This is partly because it keeps changing. His own at first. Tribal Ashari gear. Full Specialist regalia (think Winter's outfit) and now a new one.**

 **However, once his gym opens and we have a scene there – in two chapters, I think. After this and the next – Jaune will settle on his final outfit and I'll describe it in more detail there.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 23**

* * *

"He wants to what!?"

"He wants to support you with additional funds," Winter said, her voice a little tinny over the scroll call patched through the Atlas CCT. There was a delay in their speech, Winter's lips moving for a few nanoseconds before the words came through. The call had come as a surprise, albeit a pleasant one. The news came as a genuine surprise, however.

"Jacques Schnee, CEO of the SDC, wants to support _me_?"

"It's not so unusual, Jaune. The SDC in part funds all of the major academies. The schools run on funds from the local Governments, but businesses, celebrities and even past students often make donations. It's in the best interests of everyone that the schools produce top-tier huntsmen after all. Think of this as sponsorship."

"That makes sense, but I'm a little surprised he'd do the same for me, seeing as a) I'm only opening a small gym, and b) it won't have any proven success."

"I'm sure it will with you at the helm."

Well, it was nice of Winter to have that much faith in him. "I guess I can't really say no, can I?"

"You can, but it would be a little pointless. You'd offend my father and not really gain anything for it. Rejection might even hurt my position." Left unsaid was that it might hurt her too, but Jaune caught it and let out a heavy sigh.

"Then I graciously accept. Tell your father… well, tell him whatever he wants to hear."

Winter chuckled. "I'll do so. There is one other thing, however…"

"There always is."

"As something of a symbolic gesture, father wants to give the funding to you directly. Not in cash, obviously, but a handshake and agreement moment, more for the press than anything." Jacques _was_ a businessman, after all. No charitable act could exist without a press shoot. "Obviously, with you just starting up, we don't expect you to come all the way to Atlas. Jacques actually suggested we come to see you in Vale and do it there."

"Okay. I guess that's not so bad."

"With a small SDC-funded event to make it official."

"Sounding worse," Jaune groaned. "What kind of event?"

"A ball. Just a small one," Winter assured, though given this was the SDC, the word `small` might have meant anything. Only four-hundred guests, an orchestra and an indoor roller coaster, perhaps? "We'll handle everything. You only need to show up, smile and accept the offer from my father. Maybe hold the handshake while a load of journalists take pictures. The usual."

The usual for her, maybe. "I'm not really great at ballroom fashion, Winter."

"Leave that to me. As your assistant, I have most of your records on file. Assuming you haven't been through any growth spurts recently, I can have a suit tailor made for you." A pause. "Emerald, however. I'm sure she's grown a little. Could you maybe send me her measurements?"

"Emerald has to come…?"

"She _did_ win the tournament and is related to your gym."

"Yeah…" It wasn't the idea of Emerald going that bothered him. It was the idea of him having to broach that topic with her, both of having to wear a fancy dress, and having to dance, smile and interact with strangers.

"If it makes you feel any better, father suggested my brother Whitley act as her chaperone."

"Isn't he, like, ten?"

"Yes, so you can rest assure he would never try anything untoward. I'll ask Weiss to keep an eye on them too, keep Emerald out of the limelight and ensure no journalists try to talk to her."

Well, it was better than nothing. Emerald would still be furious. Doubly so when she realised he'd set up a date for her – even if it was just a play-date. On the other hand, she could stand to make some friends with other people and maybe Weiss would be a good one. He didn't hold out much hope on Whitley, but if the boy was young, then he probably hadn't been influenced by his father all that much.

And with Jacques being one of the biggest problems of the future, maybe it couldn't hurt to be involved with him. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

"Alright, I'll send you her details through. And I agree to the ball."

"Wonderful." Winter sounded genuinely relieved. "I'll handle everything, Jaune. I will send you a time and venue as soon as I have them. All you need to do is put on the suit I'll mail to you and show up at the specified time. Let me look after everything else."

"Huh, sure. I appreciate it, Winter. Good to hear from you."

"You too, Jaune." Winter smiled and reached down to end the call, the screen flashing black a moment later.

A fancy ball, huh?

Not something he'd planned, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He had to think of a way to meet with Ozpin that made it look like he was acting natural and not avoiding the man, and maybe this ball would do just that. As one of the most important individuals in Vale, there was no way he wouldn't be invited.

It would also be more free press and legitimacy for his gym, which might draw the attention of the students he wanted. Ruby, Yang, Blake, Ren, Nora – and if he could wing it, maybe even _himself_.

That could get confusing fast, but it was something he had to consider.

Now… he just had to break the news to Emerald.

Jaune hesitated.

"Or on second thought, maybe I'll leave it until after the meeting with Junior's criminal friends."

That would be the easier meeting, after all…

/-/

Union 46's territory was quiet. It consisted of a stretch of land off the docks, including one or two warehouses, but also a stretch of a shopping district known locally as the "Seaview Front". That consisted of several independent boutiques, as well as a fancy restaurant called `CVU`. It took Jaune a second to figure out the name, and then a second longer to sigh, because clever or not, it really wasn't funny.

The entire restaurant seemed to have been rented out for their meeting; a show of power, perhaps? There were two men in suits by the entrance – full charcoal grey with black ties over a lighter grey shirt. They tipped their heads to Jaune and Junior as they approached. In unison, they stepped aside, one hand on each side of the glass doors which they pushed open between them.

Junior had opted for his usual attire, sans a jacket – the better to show off his muscles. He wore a tight-fitting white shirt with a black waistcoat, red tie and black trousers. Jaune, on the other hand, had opted for something that concealed his identity a little further. Namely, a black suit with a jacket, a red tie over a white shirt, a red cloth that covered his face from his nose down, and a black fedora. It was a look from the movies, which might have left some to laugh at him, but his reputation – murky as it was – prevented that.

The two of them stepped into the restaurant to be greeted by a nervous-looking waitress, who led them to a large, round table set in the centre of the main floor – all other seats having been pushed to the side. Sat at the table were two men, behind which stood two more – a man and a woman, ramrod straight and obviously bodyguards. There was an empty seat opposite them, along with a silver bucket on the table with two bottles sticking from it, numerous glasses stacked nearby, and a glass pitcher filled with iced water.

"Hei Xiong. On behalf of the Union 46, I greet you." Both men stood and Jaune got a better look at them. They wore similar uniforms to the guards, but subtly different. The one on the left had a long button-down coat that reached his knees, a light-grey shirt underneath with no tie. There was a cream-coloured scarf that fell on either side of his open coat. His face was youngish, maybe twenty-five to thirty, and he had a single canine ear atop his head. The other torn off.

The other, the speaker, was older. Perhaps fifty to sixty. Not a faunus this time, but a wrinkly face that somehow managed to remain firm and dangerous. He wore a full three-piece suit, replete with a small white rose tacked onto his left breast. His hair was greying but streaks of black hinted at its old colour.

"Roger Lumens," Hei greeted in return, holding out a hand. The old man shook it. "And your adopted son Sebastian, I presume." The faunus nodded and mumbled a greeting, extending his own hand which Junior shook. "A pleasure."

"It is always a pleasure to have a peaceful meeting between businessmen like ourselves," Roger said, making to sit down. The woman behind him moved quickly, shifting his seat for him. "All too often children run around waving their weapons around like it means something. Violence only begets more violence, unless you crush your opposition in one fell swoop. A you did with the Mong-San."

"You have our congratulations for that," the faunus, Sebastian, said, also taking a seat. Junior did so as well, while Jaune moved to stand behind his `employer`. "The Mong-San were scum. If not you, then we would have had to deal with them eventually."

No hard feelings for what they'd done, then. That was interesting. Either that, or Union 46 was making a show of it to make the meeting run a little smoother. Roger and his adopted son certainly _looked_ the part of the sophisticated pair, but they were still criminals. Little more than gangsters. At the end of the day, money and power were what mattered.

"The Red Axe Gang's rise has some nervous," Roger said. He gestured toward the bottles in the centre of the table and the waitress hurried to uncork and pour them, offering one to each person and pausing before so that they could choose between red and white.

Jaune held up a hand and shook his head when she made to offer him one, imitating the actions of Roger and Sebastian's bodyguards. Only their employers drank, taking small sips where appropriate and complimenting the vintage. Junior was on unusually good behaviour, not even challenging them when they called him Hei.

"The Mong-San were a problem as you say," Junior said. "Our rise as you put it was simply us taking out a problematic threat. We seized their territory, but had we not, it would have been divided between gangs fighting for it. I personally thought this would be a way to keep the bloodshed limited."

"A wise precaution. We did not border the Mong-San, so Union 46 lost nothing. It is my understanding that your new borders are somewhat… tenuous."

"We have more neighbours than we did before. That is a common problem with expansion. I wouldn't say we have any problems defending what is ours, however. The Red Axe Gang has a number of assets which keep our more _enthusiastic_ neighbours at bay."

"So I have heard, Hei. Rumours of your companion have reached even my ears." Roger paused to look directly into Jaune's eyes. To Roger's credit, he didn't look intimidated. Merely intrigued. "Huntsman training if I'm not mistaken. It must be for what he achieved, but perhaps also a background in military operations. Men and women like him don't last long in the underworld. Too flashy. They're often arrested before they can make a name for themselves, or a rival gang has them dealt with."

"I have faith in him."

"I am pleased to hear that. One should always trust those under their command." Roger indicated the woman behind him. "How else can you turn your back on them? Your associate, though. He has been noticed by some of the other gangs. By some of the major families. So, too, have you."

"So soon? I didn't think a simple gang fight would draw such attention."

"It is not what you did that is the issue, but how you did it," Sebastian cut in, leaning forward a little. "Territory shifts daily. Gangs come and go, especially those who tiptoe over the line like the Mong-San. But there is an expectation of how this is done. That expectation is not that a gang will be eradicated in a single night, in a single operation. Brutally cut down with military precision. Such execution makes people nervous."

But not the faunus, Jaune noticed. Roger Lumens was difficult to read, but Sebastian was a little easier. Younger, more headstrong, but with a sharpened edge that spoke of experience. This wasn't a reckless young man, though he might once have been. Something had tempered him; perhaps the same event that took one of his ears.

Junior noticed it too. "You don't sound disapproving to me."

"My son may not be," Roger said. "And neither am I. That does not change what the other families see, however. If you can destroy even a small-time gang in a single night, then eradicating a major family simply becomes a matter of logistics. With more resources, more men and more time, you might be able to destroy anyone. In theory, that is. Nothing is set in stone, but the major families did not get to their current positions without some degree of paranoia."

"Is this a warning, then? You're telling me to watch my back?"

"You would be a fool not to watch it as it is," Roger chuckled. "I do not think you are that. This meeting was for us to meet you, and to understand your character. Despite your gang's name, your methods are not wasteful."

"I don't like to play with my boys' lives. Though I don't mind getting my hands dirty when required." Junior nodded to Jaune at that. "As you've no doubt seen."

"Indeed. King, for all his faults, was a ruthless crime lord. Many doubted you could match him. After this, I believe you might have the potential to surpass him. If you have the right friends, that is. It would not do for you to be targeted while you are still weak and growing into your own."

Ah, so here it was.

"And how," Junior said, "Will I know who my true friends are?"

Roger Lumens smiled. "Why don't we discuss that right now?"

A loud sound from outside interrupted them. To Jaune's ears, it was a gunshot, though one silenced. The movies didn't tell an accurate story on what that was like. It wasn't silent but worked more to suppress the sound. These sounded like car doors being slammed shut, thought the regularity of it proved otherwise. The two guards behind Roger and Sebastian stiffened, while those outside moved away from the door.

"Friends of yours?" Junior asked.

"It seems our meeting did not go unnoticed," Roger said.

"Father, allow me to deal with this," Sebastian said, standing. "This slight against our family name should not go unpunished, and you were ever the diplomat. I'm sure I can leave the negotiations to you."

"Of course, my boy. Do be careful, though."

"Yes, father."

"Goldilocks. Go with him." Junior said.

It took Jaune a good five seconds to realise who the instructions were intended for and when he did, his eyes narrowed. Jaune was grateful for the mask covering his shocked expression from view. Goldilocks? Seriously? That was the name Junior had come up with? What the hell!? He'd expected something intimidating, or at least respectful.

Damn it. This was what he got for trusting his naming to a man who called himself Junior, his gang `The Red Axe Gang` and a nightclub `The Club`. _I clearly didn't think this through, but Goldilocks, seriously?_

With a forlorn sigh, Jaune nodded. "Yes sir."

"Take them with you," Roger said, gesturing to the bodyguards behind them both. "I will not sit at a table with armed men behind me while my guest has none. See this threat dealt with and remind them why they should not dare to encroach on Union territory."

"As you say, father." Sebastian nodded and stepped around the table, pausing by Jaune to nod again. "Shall we dispense with pleasantries until this is dealt with? I'm not one for standing on ceremony."

"Me neither," Jaune said. "You armed?"

Sebastian nodded, reaching into his black coat to draw out two handguns. Both were custom-make and clearly had a dust-feed system in place. Not mecha-shift, or at least he didn't think so, but better than what any casual gang member could ever hope to own. Jaune nodded, revealing his own simple handgun in one hand, and a long knife in the other. He'd have felt more comfortable with a sword, but the last thing he wanted to do was get Crocea Mors associated with gang warfare.

The bodyguards moved ahead and pushed the door open, but to Jaune's surprise they allowed Sebastian to exit first. There was no fear in the faunus' movements and he kept his handguns pointed upward, scanning both directions. Jaune followed and took in the scene at a glance.

The two Union members were huddled behind a parked car trading fire with a group of people with no discernible uniform. Six or seven, with four more flanking around the side, clearly trying to get around the back of the car and shoot on the two. One of the Union members was holding them off, albeit barely.

On the other end of the street there was no threat – though Jaune noticed a van approaching at speed. No civilian would drive into a gunfight.

"Sam, Alex, relieve our associates and deal with the gunfight," Sebastian ordered. "Goldilocks and I shall introduce ourselves to our new guests."

"Yes sir."

"On it, sir."

"Disciplined," Jaune noted as the two rushed off, following orders without complaint and entering the gunfight with no regard for their personal safety. Jaune wasn't sure they needed it to be honest, as both had some degree of training, evident in the fact they didn't seek cover nor shied away from gunshots. Only someone with aura and the skill to use it effectively could do that.

"I'd by lying if I said all our men were as them. They're my personal guards. My most trusted associates."

The best of the best, then. Little wonder Sebastian trusted them to deal with a group twice their number. "Leaves us to deal with the van, then," Jaune said. "I trust you've got a plan if you chose them."

Sebastian smirked and brought both guns down to aim at the vehicle. "I might have an idea," he quipped, thumbing a switch by the trigger. It wasn't a safety, not if the whir and _click_ of the dust chambers changing was any indication.

Shooting two guns at once was another movie fallacy, but Sebastian didn't try and split his focus, instead unloading both at the same target, and a large one at that. The shots all hit centre-mass at first, but shifted lower, aiming for the tyres and radiator. Regular bullets might have pierced through and damaged them, but these ones exploded on impact – not with fire, but ice and frost.

The radiator slowly froze, the engine inside freezing over, too, and the wheels chipped and shattered ice beneath them, skidding to an angry halt as the engine spluttered and died. The van kept moving, skidding angrily down the street before it came to an ungainly halt not fifteen paces away from them. With an almost casual grace, Sebastian stopped firing with one handgun, aiming with the other as he put two shots into the windshield, killing the driver and the man beside him.

In unison, Jaune and Sebastian stalked toward the vehicle, right as the side-doors were thrown open and armed men and women leapt out. Their only defining characteristic was their shaved heads, even the girls, who had odd patches of hair brightly coloured purple or red, but everything else a skinhead. Their outfits, in so far as they had them, were a mess of leather, hoodies and tee-shirts. Each was armed with a weapon, most of them small or compact in one way or another. Handguns, SMGs and the like. One of them pointed their SMG at Jaune, only to fall as his handgun barked, hitting the man centre-mass.

The next second, Jaune was among them. Gunfights were something he'd gotten used to with Team November, but the melee would always be where he excelled. The long knife – something between a short sword and a dagger – was not his favoured weapon, but it was close enough, and these gangers were uncoordinated, all with their guns out, prepared to shoot through the windows of the restaurant and kill both Junior and the Lumens. They hadn't been prepared for an assault like this and Jaune tore into them.

On the other side of the van, Sebastian walked purposefully forward, firing with one gun and then switching to the other, placing each shot with casual ease, one at a time, swaying to the side when someone opened fire. When a ganger charged in to cut him down to melee, Sebastian caught the man's axe on one handgun, gripping it in a reverse grip. He twisted it down, pushing the man in front of him and using him as a human shield while he opened fire with his other.

All in all, the fight took less than two minutes from the van stopping to everyone inside being dead or dying. Sebastian sighed when he realised it was over, twisted his human shield around and shot him once in the back of the head. Blood splattered onto his coat and Sebastian scowled down at it.

"All clear," Jaune reported, dusting his own suit down. There was blood everywhere. Knight-fighting hadn't been as kind on that front.

"Dull and uninspired," Sebastian said with a sigh. He turned when footsteps echoed behind them, but both he and Jaune lowered their weapons as the other members of Union 46 came running back. Or Sebastian's bodyguards anyway.

The other two were still at the car they'd been using for cover, one injured and gripping a small wound in his stomach while the other patched it up. Sebastian stood still as the woman hurried up, one hand inside her coat. She brought out a case, quickly pulled out a cigarette and placed it in Sebastian's mouth. He held it there as she lit it with a gold-encrusted lighter.

"Cheers Alex," Sebastian grunted, puffing on it a bit while he kept it gripped between his teeth.

"We took a prisoner, sir."

"Appreciated. I didn't."

"Knew you wouldn't, sir. You never do."

Sebastian chuckled and holstered his weapons back under his coat, one holster under each armpit. He then pushed one hand into his pocket on the outside of his coat and took his cigarette in the other. "You know me." He looked to Jaune and nodded. "Want to witness this, or are you content to trust me with the interrogation?"

Jaune shrugged. "Might as well figure out who my next targets are."

"A man after my own heart. I like that."

The interrogation, if one could call it that, was predictably short and brutal. Sebastian stood on the survivor's wounded leg, pressing down with increasing force until the man squealed. It wasn't one gang involved, hence the medley of outfits and colours. An alliance had been called between two gangs whose territories bordered the north of the Red Axe Gang's. They'd seen the writing on the wall and the possibility of their gang allying with Union 46 and decided to head the possibility off.

In their minds, either they killed both leaders and the alliance fell through, or they killed one – either one – and the survivors would blame one another, leading to a conflict between the Red Axe Gang and Union 46. Not a bad plan, if a little heavy-handed.

Once Sebastian got the names out of the man, he sighed and put one final bullet in the man's skull. By this point, Jaune was beginning to wonder why no police had come by to investigate. They must have been paid off – or whomever was supposed to pass on a report about this disturbance.

"VDB and the Claws," Sebastian listed. "Idiots and morons both."

"VDB? I'm not familiar with them."

"Vale Dock Boys. With a Z," Sebastian added with a roll of the eyes. _Boyz_ , then. "Small-time, violent and run more by fear than organisation. Last I heard the Claws had been taken over by a new boss, some faunus that fancies himself a supremacist. White Fang-lite, now with a dose of drug dealing and petty race-crimes to add to their resumé."

"Ah." Nothing the city would be sad to see go, then. That was good. Jaune wondered if this kind of gang violence had always existed in Vale and if he'd maybe just never noticed. He mostly stuck to Beacon, after all. Maybe the White Fang's actions in the future simply masked it from view. Faunus criminals were just assumed to be because of them.

The doors to the restaurant opened. Junior and Roger Lumens came out side by side, the latter lighting a cigarette as he looked left and right, checking the bodies and blood with a casual air of dismissal.

"I see you've had your fun, Sebastian."

"It was a momentary distraction, father. Goldilocks helped." Jaune winced again at the name and fixed a glare onto Junior. "It was the VBD and the Claws. A quick alliance of convenience aimed at preventing us from forming any ties."

"Hmph. Rushed agreements always fail to bear fruit. A true alliance takes time and trust."

"Perhaps we'll have time to work on that," Junior said. He nodded to Jaune. "As of right now, the Red Axe Gang and Union 46 have agreed to work together. We'll cover one another's backs and offer support where necessary. I hope you're okay working with Sebastian, G. You're going to be seeing a lot of one another."

"Not so unpleasant a suggestion," Sebastian quipped. "I'd like to pay the VBD a visit for this insult."

"Fine with me," Jaune returned. The Union were at least more approachable than the Mong-San or anyone else he'd dealt with. So long as they remained diplomatic and didn't cross any lines, he was sure he'd be able to work with them.

As they departed, Junior shaking hands with Roger and Sebastian once more before they did, Jaune turned his head to look at Junior from the corner of one eye.

"Goldilocks. Really?"

"What? I thought it was a good name."

Jaune could only sigh.

/-/

"Another shootout, Ozpin, and right in the middle of Vale!"

"I wouldn't call the Seaview area the `middle of Vale`, Qrow. And really, this isn't a matter we need to be involved in. Need I remind you that I am the headmaster of a school, not the man solely responsible for all law enforcement in the city."

"Well… I guess…" Qrow hid his embarrassment in a little cough. "But still, this is an issue. Atlas was just attacked by the White Fang and Salem. We don't want Vale to be in the grips of gang warfare. What if they try to take advantage of it?"

"If they do, I will then act, but that time is not now." Ozpin was reading through some mail and not giving Qrow his full attention. Not exactly an uncommon occurrence, as much as it irritated Qrow to admit it, but today Ozpin seemed unusually fascinated with the letter he was currently reading.

"Anything interesting?"

"A communique from Jacques Schnee."

"Ugh. Boring, then."

"Not quite." Ozpin chuckled at Qrow's instinctive dislike of Jacques Schnee and anything related to him. It wasn't an unusual phenomenon. "I've been invited to a little soiree taking place in a few days. Short notice, but I do believe I shall attend."

"Another one of his charity events?" Qrow asked. "Or is he desperate to show off his wealth again?"

"A little bit of both, I'm sure. It seems Mr Schnee wishes to announce the SDC's decision to sponsor the new training facility opening in Vale. The event is to commemorate that, and to celebrate the opening of the business."

Ozpin had chosen to be purposefully vague on the details, but any hope Qrow would miss the implication was unfortunately misplaced. "You mean the Ashari gym?"

Ozpin sighed. "Yes Qrow…"

"I'm coming."

"Do you have an invitation?"

No, of course not. "I'll come with you."

"I appreciate the gesture, but I will respectfully have to decline." Ozpin formally folded the letter and sipped some coffee. "It is not you, Qrow. It's me. I do not believe it would work."

"Ha-fucking-ha. You're hilarious as usual. Look, that guy is suspicious as anything and if he's working with the SDC then he's only become more suspicious in my eyes. You need me there in case any shit goes down."

"Qrow, it is precisely because of your suspicion that I do not need you there. Mr Ashari has, despite his association with your sister, made no hostile movements towards us yet. In fact, considering his antipathy with Salem and her minions, I believe he may be firmly on our side. The last thing we need is for you to push him away. I will be going alone, or with Glynda."

"Not Summer?"

"The second-last thing I need is Summer trying to set up play-dates between his and her daughters all evening."

"Heh. That's fair."

"Summer will have a chance to meet him when his gym formally opens but considering students of his establishment may well make their way to mine, I think it's only fair he and I discuss teaching methods and what skills many of our current students lack."

"You're not going to pitch him for recruitment?"

"Not initially, no. For one, paranoia or not, we're not aware of his full loyalties. But mostly, I would rather we have a working relationship before we push for anything more. Like it or not, Qrow, we need skilled huntsmen and huntresses in the future. If Mr Ashari can help prepare even some young men and women for that, I would be grateful."

"Hm, alright." Qrow didn't like it, but Ozpin wasn't going to give and he supposed he could corner the guy along with Summer and Tai. Not like he could run away once he had a gym to be tied down to. "What about Hazel and Tyrian? You think they'll make a move for him like they did in Atlas?"

"I'm sure they will try, but I doubt it will be as overt a motion as Atlas was. Attacking a city is no laughing matter. The Vytal Festival made it easier, with them only having to attack Amity Colosseum, but moving on Vale itself would be a foolhardy endeavour." Left unsaid was that Ozpin had already put additional defences in place the second Ashari's name cropped up. Even the threat of Ozpin would keep Salem's minions from trying anything reckless. "It's more likely they will try to move through criminal channels – perhaps an attempted abduction or blackmail."

"Isn't he a Specialist?"

"Yes. Hence why I am not too worried about that. Still, I shall put some feelers out. It doesn't hurt to be prepared."

"And this gang warfare?"

"Certainly isn't Salem's doing," Ozpin said with a sigh. "You're welcome to look into it, Qrow, but until the police request my aid, my hands are unfortunately tied."

"I've heard rumours of a huntsman involved."

"As have I, but again, until the authorities asked for my assistance, I cannot give it. It's not that I don't see the danger, Qrow, but that I have no recourse but to wait. Should this man be proven to be a huntsman, or equivalent to one, then the authorities will seek help and I will move in. When that happens, you will be at the forefront of the investigation. This I promise."

"Fine." It wasn't enough to make him happy, but it was a start. "I'm going to do a little digging of my own, though. Might as well have some information on hand for when they get their act together."

Knowing Qrow wouldn't be dissuaded, Ozpin waved a hand. "By all means."

/-/

Further down in Beacon, Oobleck once again looked over the images taken by Henry Waters-Brown. They were strewn across his desk and a common feature of it, but this time his own notes surrounded them, erratic scrawl across the pages, with numerous photocopies which had been defaced, circles drawn around specific aspects of the murals and notes scribbled in the margins.

Picking up a recorder off his desk, Oobleck thumbed the button. "This is Bartholomew Oobleck beginning what I believe to be the final translation of the depicted murals provided by Henry Waters-Brown, discovered in an abandoned cairn in North-East Vale." Henry hadn't given any more specific a location, but the truth of the matter was that with much of the Kingdom lost to wilderness and the Grimm, there often wasn't much to work on. "This is an expected translation of the murals only, with the language continuing to remain a barrier."

He'd already gotten in touch with an expert in the field and asked them to weigh in. She was an old friend of his from college who had settled down to raise a family a few years back, but her children were old enough to be in school now and she'd been excited at the prospect of what the language might offer.

"I will be running through the translation as though it were a story, as the murals are no doubt designed to depict. This is a preliminary run-through. Further analysis will be included at a later date."

Oobleck shuffled some papers and brought the pictures forward once more. It helped to look over them as he worked. There was the temptation to fall into a story-telling voice with old legends, but Oobleck kept his voice firm, his cadence slow and measured.

"The first mural depicts a successful settlement, setting the people for whom the murals depict. The settlement is a clearly established civilisation with access to architecture and a clear Governmental structure, as indicated by later murals. It would seem that the group were successful in building a life for themselves, but that something went wrong." Papers shuffled.

"The cause of the disaster which struck the city is undocumented, but the murals clearly show that the resulting symptoms included environmental disasters, fires and attacks by the Grimm – which appear to crawl from cracks in Remnant's crust. No information on whether this is the first recorded sighting of Grimm or symbolic, but whatever the case, the city was put under siege."

"The people of the city attempted to fight the Grimm, but were for the most part unsuccessful," he continued. "The citizens, clearly humanoid in shape and with no clear faunus features shown, were pushed back and became desperate. All hope, it seems, was lost. Until _something_ was discovered."

Here, Oobleck paused, brow crinkling as he looked at the odd lantern-shaped object depicted in the murals. Dazzling lines shone from it, as if it glowed a light of its own.

"An object was discovered – or perhaps the object is a symbol that signifies something else, an organisation or religion – whatever it was, this lantern-like object is revered and powerful. The next scene clearly shows a hunched and broken figure being _transformed_ into someone who stands tall and powerful. Transformed by the object, or perhaps enlightened. Ascended." Another pause. "This may be the unlocking of one's aura, but could also depict a spiritual uplifting, as later scenes do suggest a religious tone. Either way, with the strength – be that physical or of faith – granted by the object, the people are finally able to beat back the Grimm and defend their Kingdom."

"From there, it would seem that the threat has been avoided – and the following scene is vibrantly coloured in gold, a clear indication of grandeur and splendour. It shows a mass of individuals looking toward one speaking on a raised platform. The speaker has a staff in hand and light shines from four symbols above him, the lantern being one of them. This scene has religious overtones but might also depict a figure of some royal bearing. The scene seems to indicate that after the Grimm were fought back and the people freed, they banded together, uniting behind a single figure who saved them." Oobleck's eyes trailed to the lone figure looking away, who shone with dark blue paint. "All except for one. A traitor."

"The figure on the far right looks clearly away and is coloured darker. His form is the same as the others but appears more sinister. In the following scene, this figure is seen offering something to stooped and inhuman figures – or perhaps convincing them of something. The final image depicts a battle between the two sides, the golden horde on one side with their staff-wielding leader, and the traitor's forces on the other." Oobleck's eyes narrowed.

"However, there is a marked difference. The inhuman and stooped creatures now stand taller, indicating that whatever power was used to aid the first has now been used on them. Similarly, the four objects that granted this ability are now split, two for either side. A civil war. The Kingdom's saviours, against the traitor and his own forces. The results of the battle are not shown, leading me to believe that the war had not been concluded at the time of this cairn being created. The entombed is likely a warrior or person of importance for the protectors of the Kingdom, the ones tooled in golden light."

With a sigh, Oobleck turned the recorder off, setting it down.

"Goodness. How exciting."

He'd have to send a copy of this to Henry soon, but he was holding off, wanting to have at least some news of translations on the written language before he did. Henry hadn't pushed for anything yet, so he could afford to wait until he had some more good news and not just this.

There were other hypothesises Oobleck had. That the city might have been an early depiction of Vale – or even Vale itself, but a history long forgotten. There were no recorded instances of a civil war before the faunus wars, but this clearly wasn't that. Those were recent, and this language was entirely unknown.

Another theory Oobleck did not yet dare offer was that these might be the _first_ recorded instance of man on Remnant. Or at least the first recorded instance of human civilisation. One that had fallen to the Grimm, and perhaps the first civilisation to _meet_ the Grimm.

Scholars always disagreed on that. What came first, humans or Grimm? Some argued both evolved together, but Oobleck was not convinced. Humanity needed time to band together and learn to co-operate, and even more time to build up defences, cities and to learn how to unlock aura. The Grimm needed no such time and would surely have annihilated humanity in its early years had they existed side by side.

Somewhere, at some point in history, the Grimm must have appeared, and if humans were still here fighting them, then it must have been at a point when civilisation was already established and capable of defending itself. This might be that. The words might contain secrets that could shake the foundation of their world.

Which was why they continued to frustrate him so!

Curses! If only he'd spent less time on archaeology and more on ancient languages. Oh, how he regretted those years now. The biggest discovery of the era and he was helpless to do anything but stare at it and hope the inscriptions would somehow translate themselves before his eyes. They didn't, and no amount of coffee would change that.

He had to wonder, though, what kind of situation it would take for someone to turn on his people like the traitor in this mural had. People who had, only two scenes ago, fought together against so unifying a threat as the Grimm.

What could drive a person to do that…?

/-/

Never let it be said Jaune wasn't the kind of person who could hide from a problem if he didn't have to face it. Emerald hadn't brought up the ball – naturally, seeing as she didn't know about it – and since she didn't know about it and hadn't complained, Jaune didn't see the reason in addressing the issue.

Until his suit arrived. Along with a pale green dress for her. Since it was addressed to her and she'd been ordering a few books lately, Emerald took it and opened it – and then confronted him a few minutes later with the largest pout he'd ever seen on her face, dress in one hand and a tiny pair of fake-heels in the other.

"I can explain," he said.

Emerald waited.

Jaune looked for an explanation.

In the end, there wasn't one he could give. At least not one that excused him. Emerald's reaction to the news was… unhelpful to say the least. An older person might have been upset at being given no warning, but Emerald just sulked at the prospect of not only going to a formal event, but at the fact Winter would be back in her life, if only for a short time.

"It's not so bad," he said, sat beside her on the front room's couch. He pulled the dress out of her hands before she could think to destroy it. "And I don't see what you have against Winter anyway. She likes you. Even asked about you and complimented you on the tournament win."

Emerald mumbled some response he couldn't quite make out but which no doubt wasn't entirely flattering of Winter. He really wasn't sure what her problem was. At first, he'd thought it the issue of sharing his training, but with Winter now back in Atlas – apart from for this short ball – she shouldn't have felt threatened.

"It's just for the one night," he eventually said. "Winter promised to have her little brother and sister help keep you away from anyone who wants to ask any questions. If they come near, just refuse to say anything."

"Why do I have to go with her brother? Why can't I go with you?"

"You will be going with me, but you wouldn't want to be with my all night. I'm going to have to meet with and talk to a load of important people. It'll be boring."

"I guess…"

Jaune smiled and hooked an arm around Emerald's shoulder. Unlike the previous times he'd tried to do so, Emerald didn't pull away. He tugged her in against his side. "Look, it's not something I'm looking all that forward to either, but it has to be done. The Schnee family is too important to alienate, and they _are_ offering to help pay the costs of the gym. It won't be that bad."

He wasn't sure he managed to convince her entirely, but Emerald agreed to give it a go.

He just hoped Jacques wouldn't try anything between her and Whitley.

/-/

James Ironwood let out a long sigh and sat behind his desk, grateful that for once his every action wasn't being monitored. Despite his co-operation, both in the letter of the law and in spirit, the inquest had taken a lot from him. Not in terms of respect; he had come out squeaky-clean. But in terms of the respect he held for others.

"Never again," he muttered. Hell didn't begin to explain it. Truth was, you never knew who your friends were and not until you were backed into a corner. Some superiors he'd genuinely respected turned on him, while others he'd not held the best opinions of stuck dogmatically to the law, surprising him by refusing to condemn him unless they were sure he was guilty, which he was not, obviously.

The SDC had come as a far greater surprise. But even that was nothing compared to the RTE. And why would a frankly esoteric mega-corporation based out of Vacuo want to protect _him_ , he'd wondered.

Turned out there was more to Jaune than he'd been told.

 _If you were still here Ashari, I'd have you cleaning latrines for a month over this. No. My latrine. And I'd make sure to have the spiciest curry of my life the night before, just to spite you._

Still, it was over now. Oh, there would be lingering doubts and the petty backstabbing he was used to, but now that he'd been absolved of guilt in the handling of the White Fang attack, the focus would naturally shift to asking how much _good_ he and his Specialists had done in mitigating it. The favour would fall both ways, and he'd only take a _little_ glee in seeing those pompous assholes who turned on him wallowing in their own misfortune.

Just a little.

More irritating was the paperwork that had piled up on his desk. A part of the Inquest was that his work was frozen, with not even his assistants being able to take over for fear they might be complicit or might try to hide or destroy evidence. Sensible in theory, less so in practice now that he had a month and a half's work sitting in front of him, taunting him with the prospect of carpal tunnel and thus a _second_ cybernetic arm.

He wasn't going to deal with it today. Today was a day for gloating and relaxing – possibly a few beers while he was at it. One letter atop the pile caught his attention, however. It was a sealed letter for one, and ornately decorated – clearly not a work report in any way. Idly, James took it and slipped a robotic finger under it, slicing through the envelope.

 _James Ironwood,_

 _You are cordially invited to a celebratory ball…_

"Hm." James scanned through it, not really all that interested but weighing his options nonetheless. It was from the SDC and they _had_ helped him. This might be what Jacques expected in return; association and a handshake moment for the masses. He supposed he owed the SDC that much.

A line in the middle made him pause. He read it again – and then lowered the letter, rubbed a knuckle in both eyes and read it a third time.

 _With guest of honour Jaune Ashari._

The letter crinkled in his hands, torn practically in two. James' lips peeled back into a vicious smile, eyes glinting. Whoever said the SDC never did anything nice? Not him. Certainly not. Ironwood casually checked his personal scroll and noted the lack of any grovelling apology from a certain ex-Specialist. With a pleased nod, he brought out some pen and paper.

 _Dear Jacques Schnee,_

 _Thank you for the invitation to your sponsorship event. I would like to formally RSVP my position. It will be a… pleasure to see my old friend and employee, Jaune Ashari, once more. Perhaps you could do me the small favour of not informing him of my attendance, as I would enjoy the opportunity to surprise him with a friendly greeting._

 _Yours Sincerely,_

 _James Ironwood, Captain, Director of Specialist Forces_

James regarded the letter once more, nodded, and sealed it into a new envelope that included his stamp and insignia.

"Let's see you get away from me this time, Ashari."

* * *

 **There we go. More gang activity, the ball is on us and Ozpin will be in attendance. Jaune should also be looking at a different duo if he expects a marriage arrangement from Jacques, lol. Jaune also makes a gang buddy – and an alliance.**

 **Oh yeah, Goldilocks. Shout out to Orion there. You know what you did.**

 **Yep. Everyone was guessing the good names, but this IS Junior. Look at his naming habits so far. He's the kind of guy who would call a dog "Dog".**

 **And Ironwood finds Jaune at last. Vengeance shall be swift.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 8th September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	24. Chapter 24

**Another note to say that Kegi Springfield has sprung another piece of fanart of small Emerald – looking not so small, and quite a bit badass. Teenage rebellion stage. Check it out on his DA. Do wish I could link images here but alas.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 24**

* * *

The suit Winter provided for him made it clear the Schnee family were staking a claim, if not on him then on the presence he'd have at the event. It was pure white, with a pale grey waist-coat and a shirt a periwinkle blue in colour. It was nothing he'd have normally worn, the colours far too bright for his liking, but since he'd essentially given Winter free reign, there wasn't much choice.

On the brighter side, the jacket had an almost military cut to it, likely a compromise on Winter's part and a nod to their history together. The epaulets on the shoulder with the symbol of Atlas helped, and the black lines running vertically down the outside seam of each leg made it feel, if not any less formal, something akin to a dress uniform.

He wore it well, at least, which was more than could be said for Emerald.

"You look beautiful," Jaune said, tussling her hair. Cute would have been a more accurate descriptor, as Emerald wore a conservative pastel-green dress with a pretty cream bow on the back. Childlike and innocent, it almost managed to detract from her fearsome scowl. Almost. At least she was young enough to not be expected to wear heels. With how much she hated shoes in general, Jaune dreaded to imagine what he'd have to do to earn forgiveness if she had to stumble around on two-inch heels.

There was a limousine waiting for them outside of a spare apartment Jaune had rented to play as cover for when he couldn't be Henry Waters-Brown. It was as white as everything else the Schnee family dealt with, and a man in a grey suit – a miracle – stepped out and opened the door for each of them, greeting them by their names.

"Mr and Miss Ashari, I believe. Greetings. If you will, we shall bring you to the venue."

"Of course. Thank you." Jaune let Emerald in first and then slid in beside her. The door closed gently, and the man walked around to the front of the vehicle, stepping in next to the driver. A divider separated them, allowing Emerald and Jaune to speak in peace.

"You can speak to anyone you want at the party but remember that if a reporter tries to bother you, it's fine for you to say you don't want to talk to them. They'll just assume you're nervous." Emerald nodded at his instructions. "And _please_ try to be nice to Winter's little brother and sister. I'm sure they don't want to be here anymore than you do. You might even find you have some things in common."

Emerald clearly didn't believe she would but nodded nonetheless. It was about as much as he could hope for. A speaker buzzed to life and the driver informed them they were approaching the Marina Centre, a research and biology centre that the Schnee had rented the conference rooms from, partly because they were new and high-tech, but also because the view out over the ocean lit by torches and strobe lights made for quite the view. There were already photographers awaiting outside, far more than the invitations had suggested would be present. He could only assume some would be kept out, as there were uniformed bouncers at the front entrance doing their best to appear both intimidating and sophisticated at the same time.

As their door was opened and Jaune stepped out, offering a hand to help Emerald out beside him, the cameras flashed and flickered. It was much too much for someone just opening a gym, but this was more for the news of the SDC's interest than anything else. They could have been supporting a dinky bakery and the media would have been out in force. It probably helped that a host of famous and well-known individuals would be in attendance tonight.

One such individual awaited him toward the entrance. A little taller than he recalled, though that was probably the heels, Winter stepped towards him. Her dress matched his suit, a white number – naturally – with decorated birds flocking up the left of her gown in embroidered silver beads. There were two simple straps on each shoulder, crossing over an open back, and she wore white gloves that reached from her fingers to her elbows, the rest of her arm and shoulders bare.

It was a much more mature appearance than Emerald, designed, he felt, to accentuate the fact she was a beautiful young woman and not a teenager. With her hair done up and a light application of make-up, she could have passed for twenty with ease.

Her hands reached out to take his and she held them between them, smiling up at him for a moment. "It's good to see you again," she said.

"You too. Winter, you look amazing."

She giggled. Not a sound he'd have associated with her, but pleasant nonetheless. The cameras surrounding them flashed wildly. "Not so bad yourself. Do you approve of the cut?"

"I like that it's more military than tux."

"I thought you might." Winter released his hands for a moment and moved over to Emerald, bending her knees slightly and lowering herself. "Hello again, Emerald. It's been a while. I heard you won the tournament recently. I'm glad you kept up with Jaune's training."

For some reason, the fact Winter was interacting with Emerald drew even _more_ attention from the journalists, who shouted and began to take more shots, jostling with one another to capture the three of them in a single image. Any other child Emerald's age would surely have balked at it, but she was made of sterner stuff – or she just didn't care – and shrugged.

"Yeah…"

"That's good." Winter wasn't bothered with Emerald's lack of an answer. She knew that was just how Emerald was. "Maybe we'll have a chance to spar again together. And you, Jaune," she said, glancing to him. She held a hand out and he, catching the hint, took hold of it, the three of them walking toward the entrance side by side. "Father decided it would be best if you and I attended together. You don't mind, do you?"

Winter and he, as a couple? No, more likely to make sure no one interfered and took attention away from this being the Schnee family's little event. It was probably just a PR move. "Not at all. I guess it saves me having to dance with anyone and everyone who asks."

"And me," Winter said. "Things are easier in Vale, but I can't so much as attend a charity ball back home without someone trying to earn my favour." Her lips twisted. "Or, to be more precise, my father's favour through me."

Jaune laughed. "Well, if you want to use me to scare off any potential suitors, feel free."

Winter's eyes lit up. Her lips curved into a dainty smile.

"I think I just might…"

/-/

Ozpin stood by the guest list attached to a seating plan and sipped at a flute of sparkling wine. He was early; an intentional move both to scout the venue and see if he could have a word with the guest of honour before more guests arrived. The Marina Centre's conference room was a relatively standard affair, a large, well-decorated room split into a circle, with doors leading to kitchens and storage rooms at the back, a raised platform that could act as a stage for a band or speaking point, and a side wall of full-length windows looking out over the bay. The docks, commercial and industrial, were off to the side, hidden from view.

There were two bars, each with three staff members working behind them, and eight or so round tables seating ten each. Ozpin was both pleased to find that he had been given a position of honour at the main table with both Jacques Schnee and Jaune Ashari. A calculated move, no doubt. Jacques would want to fill his table with the most influential people he could, the better to make his power clear when news of this broke tomorrow. To see him surrounded with influential figures would only remind the world – if the world could even forget – that Jacques was powerful and wealthy beyond belief.

Normally, Ozpin would have despaired at the power-play and the necessity of his being a part of it, but at least he would be close enough to interact with Ashari. The other names on the table he recognised for the most part and has business with some. The Schnee children – and Ashari's child, Emerald – had a table of their own, along with what Ozpin assumed were other children of similar ages. There was also a table set aside for journalists.

Ozpin wondered how tense _that_ would be. Just like Jacques to amuse himself by sitting ten cut-throat competitors next to one another. Perhaps there would be blood sport tonight. Ozpin chuckled at the morbid, if exaggerated, thought.

The doors opened and the noise from outside came through, muted somewhat by the corridors separating the main entrance from the conference venue itself. Jaune Ashari entered with his daughter, and Winter beside them. That their outfits matched, and their hands were linked did not escape Ozpin's attention, though he had the oddest feeling it had Ashari's.

So, Jacques was staking his claim, hm? Ozpin sipped at his wine, content to allow Jacques and the Schnee family a moment to speak with the guest of honour in privacy. This was their event after all and it would be rude not to. As for what the media would no doubt report as a relationship between Winter and Ashari on the morrow… well, that was none of his concern. Given the age of Winter Schnee, nothing would happen now, and Ozpin's interest in Ashari didn't extend to his marital status.

In reality, the only reason Ozpin chosen to accept the invitation at all was to speak with Ashari. The man had made far too many waves lately, not just with his interaction with Raven and Qrow, but also in Atlas with Hazel and Tyrian. Ozpin watched the man.

Ashari and the Schnee family conversed for a few minutes. Ozpin could not hear much, but given the motions and the gesturing, it was clear that Jacques had greeted him and then taken to introducing his children, going so far as to push Whitley towards Emerald. The poor boy looked out of his depth and terribly nervous, though he comported himself well, bowing and introducing himself in his little tuxedo. Ozpin cracked a small smile and wished the boy some good luck.

The middle child was a little more forward, holding a hand out and saying something to the other girl. Emerald either didn't respond or did so quietly and after a look toward her father for permission, left in the company of Whitley and Weiss Schnee. Ozpin noticed a nearby journalist watching them with hawkish interest and made a mental note to step in if necessary. To his relief, it wasn't necessary. A butler Ozpin recognised as being Weiss Schnee's personal butler hovered nearby, fixing the journalist with a look that suggested his position at a table could yet be amended. The journalist went back to fiddling with his camera.

Movement from the corner of his eye brought his attention back to Ashari in time to see him approaching, being led by Jacques and with Winter still beside him. It seemed Jacques wanted to introduce them both, a pleasant coincidence.

"And you have met Ozpin of course," Jacques said once they were close.

"We have," Jaune Ashari said, extending a hand. His right hand. "We met in Atlas." There was a wariness to the ex-Specialist's gaze, something Ozpin noticed immediately. His instincts demanded he investigate, and yet he wasn't sure. Did not the man have the right to be wary after what had happened? Atlas had been attacked, and then the people attempted to castigate him for it.

Some apprehension now was reasonable, and to Ozpin's frustration, he could not discover whether it was just that or something more personal. Ashari was one of the least expressive individuals he had ever dealt with.

"I do remember asking you if you would consider a career in teaching," Ozpin agreed, shaking the man's hand. No reaction. But then, it wasn't his _left_ _hand_. "You told me no at the time, so you can imagine my surprise when I discovered you'd come here to open a school."

"More of a gym. Or a training hall. And besides, I didn't lie. You're the one who put the idea of teaching into my head."

Convenient if it were true, but also perfectly reasonable. Nothing he could find a hole in. That was the issue, really. Despite his best wishes – and despite Qrow's constant paranoia – there just wasn't enough reason for Ozpin to be suspicious. Oh, he was anyway. The interaction of Hazel and Tyrian did enough to draw his eye, not even counting the fact Ashari knew Raven personally. It was all very interesting, and he wanted to demand answers, but lacking the means to corner or pressure Ashari into giving them, he had no option but to be polite.

Perhaps if Ashari committed a crime, things might be different, but as of yet there was no trust between them and little reason for Ashari to answer any personal questions. Ozpin would not, if their situations were reversed and it was _he_ hunted by Salem.

As loathe as he was to admit it, patience was perhaps the key here.

"I shall have to leave you for now," Jacques said. "I have to meet and greet all of the guests as they arrive. You know how it is." He rolled his eyes and smiled charismatically. Jacques could do that if he needed to. Act the perfect and friendly host, that was. It was just that he rarely did nowadays. Ozpin was relieved to see it wasn't just him put off by the act, for both Ashari _and_ Winter looked like they didn't know what to do with a friendly Jacques Schnee.

Pleasing in Ashari's case. All too sad in Winter's.

"I'm sure we can entertain ourselves," Ozpin said. "There is much Mr Ashari and I can discuss. Similar occupations and all."

Jacques nodded, the mask falling for a brief second before it was back and he marched toward some new guests, politicians from Vale, and greeted them with a wide smile. Ozpin noted the subtle relaxation from both Ashari and Winter but didn't call them out on it.

"You can call me Jaune, by the way," Asha- Jaune, said.

"Thank you." Ozpin nodded. "Call me Ozpin, please. I have to say, it will be interesting to see how your training regimen effects our incoming students. Schools like this have been attempted in the past, but they tend to be very small and elite. With costs to match. More often than not, skilled huntsmen in your position opt to offer their training as personal instructors on a one to one basis instead. What made you decide to do it this way?"

"I wanted to reach a wider audience," Jaune said, accepting a champagne flute from a passing waitress and handing it to Winter, taking another for himself.

Winter smiled, either pleased with the gentlemanly action, or perhaps just pleased her date offered her alcohol in the first place. Whether Jaune realised it or not, it suggested he didn't consider her childlike at all.

"The problem with going private is that few people can afford it, as you say," Jaune said. "I'm planning to be a lot more affordable. I want to make a difference, not money."

"That sounds wonderful." Ozpin meant the compliment, even if he was still cautious. The sentiment was deserving, and Vale could certainly use an influx of new talent. "Would you be averse to some advice on the matter?"

Jaune appeared surprised. Ozpin was subtly pleased he managed that. "What kind of advice?"

"Just some aspects we – Beacon, that is – would like to see new students have a grasp of. We take the best of applicants made available to us as you no doubt know, but it's no secret the life of a huntsman or huntress is a difficult one. There are some areas where our applicants are, to put it lightly, severely lacking. I'd appreciate the chance to make you aware of that, in the hopes you might be able to address some of them."

A measured move on his part. It would open channels of communication and co-operation between them, and even if little came of it, the concerns he planned to raise were legitimate. Glynda and he often complained of them. If Jaune could help instil even the slightest discipline into their future students, it would be worth the time.

"That sounds fine to me," Jaune said. "I'm going to be focused more on practical skills than academic, though. Mostly fighting, though I'll cover strategy and critical thinking."

"You're already speaking my language. If you could teach students to _think_ before they fight at all, then Glynda would be thrilled. My assistant," he explained, "Glynda Goodwitch. She is my deputy at Beacon."

"Yes, I know."

Ozpin nodded and took a sip of his wine, idly filing that note away. Though Jaune might not have intended it, the fact he `knew` without ever meeting Glynda did intrigue him. Had Jaune done his research on Beacon and its professors? If so, why? More questions he couldn't yet get an answer to.

"How about a meeting, then? I imagine it would be poor form to talk shop here, and if we're going to discuss academics, then Glynda really should be involved. Would you care to meet with us at Beacon? Or if not Beacon, any other locale?"

"That's fine with me. But… given how close I am to opening up, would you mind if we held it at the gym instead? You're bound to be busy during school hours, and I'm bust after school hours. It doesn't give me much of a chance to come to Beacon."

"Understandable." And a good sign that Jaune was willing to meet in private at all. "How is next Thursday for you? Say, seven?" Ozpin fished out a card from his pocket and handed it over. "If anything changes or you need to reschedule, let me know."

"I will. And seven on Thursday is fine."

Ozpin's smile was, for once, genuine. "Wonderful. I look forward to a fruitful meeting, and hopefully some truly exceptional students in time." Ozpin's eyes slid to the side, towards the children. "Out of curiosity, should I look forward to your daughter joining us at Beacon?"

"No." Ashari's voice hardened. "No. She won't be."

Sensing he might have stepped on a landmine, Ozpin bowed his head and retreated. "That's fine. I was merely curious. Have you heard about Ironwood?" he asked, changing the subject. "He's been acquitted of all complicity in what befell Atlas."

"I heard!" Jaune said, and his anger was forgotten, replaced by a smile that both he _and_ Winter Schnee shared. "It's wonderful news. I always knew he was innocent, of course, but you never know with public opinion…"

"I agree. Still, I was quietly confident. James has always been an old friend of mine."

"Ironwood spoke of you occasionally," Winter said.

Ozpin smiled at the girl. "Nothing bad, I hope?"

"Of course not!"

"Ha. Well, I'm glad to hear it. But don't let an old man like I distract the two of you. I'm sure we'll have time aplenty to speak once we sit down. If either of us has the energy left for it after listening to Jacques' opening speech."

Both Winter and Jaune groaned at the prospect. Ozpin smiled, wished them well and left them to catch up with the children, no doubt checking on his daughter, and Winter with her younger siblings. As they did, Ozpin allowed his smile to fade just a little.

The meeting was a promising start and a sign that co-operation might yet be possible, but there was no mistaking the look in Ashari's eyes. The man was guarded. Guarded beyond all belief. The whole time, it felt like he'd been talking to someone who might leap into action at any moment. Again, forgivable given what happened in Atlas, but concerning either way. Was it just the White Fang and Atlas that made him that way?

Or was it something deeper? Something darker.

For once, Ozpin wasn't sure.

/-/

Jaune breathed a sigh of relief as he and Winter escaped Ozpin's clutches, even if only for a moment. Ozpin's interest was as clear as day – as it had been back in Atlas – but the worst part was that he didn't even have to hide it anymore. It was expected for Ozpin to be interested in a training facility that might supply him future students, just as it should be expected that Jaune accommodate any meetings between them.

 _Raven was right, though,_ he thought. _It's best I control how we meet than he does._ At least this way, their interaction didn't appear suspicious.

Winter and his approach towards Emerald the younger Schnee siblings was cut off at the pass by a woman with pale lilac hair and bright yellow eyes. Dressed in a black suit with a purple shirt pinned with a flower to her vest, Lisa Lavender smiled like the shark she was, a recorder in hand.

"Good evening. Mr Ashari, isn't it? And Winter Schnee? Are the two of you together at tonight's event?"

"We are," Winter answered, smiling demurely. "He is my date for the evening."

Uh…

Kind of?

"I see, I see." Lisa's eyes lit up, but she refrained from asking further about it. "Do you mind if I ask a few quick questions? It would save me having to hound you after dinner." She made it sound like a request, but with the hidden threat that she'd get answers either way, it really wasn't.

Luckily, Winter was more composed than he, "Of course. Jaune and I reserve the right not to answer, however."

"Of course, of course. A question for Mr Ashari, then. Sorry, may I call you Jaune?"

"Uh. Sure."

"Wonderful! So, Jaune, you're opening a new training gym in Beacon – one which Jacques Schnee and the SDC have now chosen to fund. Can you confirm the rumours that you entered your daughter into the tournament specifically as a means to generate publicity for this?"

As far as questions went, it wasn't an invasive one. Jaune answered honestly. "It wasn't just for that. I'd been training Emerald for a few months before that and she wanted a way to test herself. After she'd already decided to enter the tournament, I then came up with plans for the gym. The timing was convenient, but the choice was hers first."

"I see, I see – and you must be proud of what she achieved."

"Absolutely. I had faith in her, but the competition was a lot better than I expected."

"And your daughter claims that you taught Winter Schnee before her performance in the – sadly interrupted – Vytal Festival. With both of you here, can you both confirm that?"

"We can," Winter said. "Jaune Ashari was my mentor for over two years."

"Is that where the two of you became close?"

Jaune didn't quite gather the meaning of the question, nor the reason for Winter's sudden flush, but he answered regardless, "Yes."

"Y-Yes, it was," Winter echoed.

"Oh, how exciting! Do you expect closer ties between the Ashari name and the Schnee family in the future?"

"I-It is too soon to say on that," Winter interrupted.

"Of course, forgive me. How about training, then?" Lisa smiled and diverted the conversation, giving Winter room to breathe. "News is, your younger sister intends to become a huntress, Winter. Do you intend to have her study with Jaune Ashari?"

"Again, it is a little too soon to say, but I certainly hope so. If Jaune will have her."

"I'd be pleased to," Jaune said. Getting Weiss among his student pool would be great. She had a few problems he could iron out before Beacon, and frankly, her potential was amazing. Assuming she got on the same team, Team RWBY would be in a much better place if he could get her even a fraction of the way to Winter's level.

"We've all had a chance to see your proposed price lists as of two days ago," Lisa said. "They are far below that which personal trainers normally state. Can you comment on this?"

Now _that_ was a staged question if he'd ever heard one, but a question designed to be easy for him to answer and easy to sound good with. Was she trying to butter him up? Possibly. This _was_ supposed to be a happy news piece, so maybe she was trying to keep it that way.

"I'm going to be teaching classes somewhat larger than normal, so the price is subsidised by how many students I can have at once. My intention is to make this affordable, so that more families can allow their children a chance to excel. I'll still offer one-to-one training, but it will be outside of class time, and for now I'm going to reserve the right to choose what students I extend that offer to. I'll likely do it at no extra cost."

"Truly? That sounds remarkable if, and you'll forgive me saying it, not great business sense."

Another loaded opportunity. Jaune smiled and took it, "I'm trying to make a difference for Vale, Lisa. I'm not in this for the money."

"Great." Lisa clicked off the recorder and put it away. Her voice changed immediately, becoming more casual, a little faster and less staged. "Thanks for that. I'm sure that'll be enough for someone to jot up an article tomorrow morning. I'm guessing the SDC will be providing images?"

Jaune had no idea what she meant but Winter nodded, "Father hired some photographers. The images will be made available royalty-free to all news and media establishments. The usual links and access information will get you in."

"Great. Saves me the trouble." Lisa grinned as she spotted someone likely more famous than Jaune and gripped her camera. "Ooh. Thanks for the interview, you too. If you ever want to advertise your gym, give us a call." Lisa handed him a card before darting off, cornering her quarry before he could reach the safety of a group.

Jaune blinked down at the card, a little surprised at how fast that was. "Is she always like that?"

"Most professional reporters are. They're here to do a job and they're going to do it. No point riling up the interviewee. The questions would have been harder if this was a sandal, of course, but you're opening up a training gym to help people. This is a puff piece."

"A puff piece?"

"Happy news," Winter explained, "Like a news article that's just about happy things to make people feel better. The questions in those types of things are always flattering and to the point. Imagine charity events and the like."

"Right." Jaune pocketed the card, putting it beside Ozpin's. "Shall we catch up with Em and-" Jaune trailed off when he saw a new party approaching, another man holding a camera in his hands with a lanyard around his neck identifying him as a photographer.

Winter smiled apologetically. "We _do_ need to have photos taken together. It might be easier to get those out of the way now. I'm sure Emerald will be fine. Weiss is _very_ mature for her age."

"Alright. Let's get this over with."

/-/

"I heard you won the whole tournament. That's incredible."

Emerald nodded to her `date`, eyes drawn into thin slits as she watched Winter draw _him_ away, posing for several photographs with her hand on his chest or their bodies close to one another. Emerald let out a long, slow breath that came out more as a hiss. Attending this was one thing. Going with a little boy that kept saying stupid things was another.

But she hadn't agreed to _this_.

Already a few people had come and congratulated her on her win, almost all of them baring a kind of smug satisfaction that made it obvious they didn't care about her or her achievements. Most of the time, they wanted to talk to Jaune, but since they'd separated, those approaching turned to the Schnee siblings instead.

"You get used to it," Weiss said, recognising Emerald's expression. "Winter says it's best to ignore them."

Winter said, huh? Well, in that case Emerald wanted to do the opposite. Except that this was to help Jaune, and by doing so she might land him in trouble.

"Do you want to dance?" Whitley asked.

Emerald frowned. "No."

"Oh. Okay…"

"You'll have to dance sooner or later," Weiss said snobbishly. "It's expected."

There had been no mention of dancing…

"At least Whitley knows how to dance," she went on. "I'll likely have to accept an offer from some businessman's son who has no idea what he's doing. That or a man twice my age. You are fortunate to have a date, as is your father."

"He doesn't need anyone," Emerald said, a rare amount of heat entering her voice.

"What?"

"He isn't _fortunate_ to have her. If anything, Winter is the one who should be grateful." Emerald realised there was some sibling affection between Weiss and Winter and that was fine. Weiss was _wrong_ , but it was fine. "It's always just been me and him. We don't need anyone else. We certainly don't need Winter."

Weiss' expression darkened. "What is that supposed to mean? What is wrong with my sister?"

Emerald huffed. "She isn't good enough."

"Excuse me!? There is no one in Atlas better than my sister!"

"Then no one in Atlas is good enough."

"No one in the world!"

Emerald snorted.

Weiss stomped one foot down and fixed a glare on her brother. "Tell her, Whitley. Winter is the best. Tell her!"

"Ah- um… I think both of them are nice?" Whitley's attempt to reach a middle ground earned him the enmity of both girls, who pierced him with disappointed scowls. "B-But you're great too, Weiss. And Emerald is strong and pretty."

"Don't need you either," Emerald grumbled. It was just the two of them. That was how it had always been, and that was how it would continue.

"Hmph. Well, I don't think he is good enough for Winter, either," Weiss said. "He's too old."

It took a monumental amount of effort to not drive a nearby chair through Weiss' head, and even more not to shout back and get into a fight. Again, Weiss could think what she wanted. It wasn't like her opinion counted for anything. And if Weiss wanted to agree that Winter and Jaune shouldn't get together, that was fine with Emerald.

Whitley looked between the two girls, his expression practically exhausted. "Sheesh, you're both so possessive…"

"What was that?" Weiss demanded.

"Nothing, sister. Nothing."

To Emerald's relief, a voice called them to their tables, stating that dinner would soon be served. She'd been set at a different table to Jaune – annoying – and put at a table with loads of other kids her age or younger – incredibly annoying – many of which wanted to badger her about what it was like to win a tournament – murderously annoying.

Luckily, and she didn't think she would have seen it that way, she was sat between Whitley and Weiss, who while being annoying – and in Weiss' case, still wrong about her sister being awesome – at least weren't ridiculous about her newfound fame. They provided a buffer against some of the more intrusive questions, though they couldn't keep out all the rumours entirely.

"I doubt it's anything special," one blonde girl with an expression like she was choking on a plum said. "She was only fighting against rabble, none of which have even been properly trained. It's not like it means anything."

"I personally watched the final bout," Weiss said. "Both Emerald and Pyrrha Nikos were well-trained. It was a close match."

"A close match between children," the girl sneered. She could not have been any older than fourteen herself, but still looked down on them. "Why, I bet my—eek!"

"Sally-Anne," the boy next to her gasped. "Be careful with that, will you?"

"M-My dress! It's ruined!"

"You're the one who spilled your juice on it," Weiss pointed out.

"I didn't! There was no glass there!"

"There clearly was, or this wouldn't have happened."

The table erupted into laughter, though some of it – likely from Sally-Anne's friends – was muted and politely concealed. Emerald kept her own expression even, despite the use of her Semblance. No one could detect it to her and that showed the stupid girl for suggesting Jaune's training was anything other than exemplary.

If this were the street, she'd have been lucky to walk away with a black eye.

The food arrived a moment later, saving Emerald from having to consider the merits of punching the girl anyway. Food was something she could get behind, at least until it got in her stomach. The meal was as ostentatious as it was pointless; a plate of meat and vegetables artistically arrayed with a carrot carved to look like a flower in bloom. Some of the girls cooed at that but Emerald stabbed it with her fork, lifted it up and bit its petals off. Needed more gravy.

"Look at her, she even eats like a bru-ah!"

"And you should stop talking while you eat, or _that_ might happen." Weiss pointed her fork at the gravy stain now adorning Sally-Anne's dress. The girl teared up, stood and fled, crashing through the door to the women's bathroom.

"That was you, wasn't it?" Whitley whispered to her.

Emerald shrugged. "No."

"It was! I saw your eyes narrow before it happened." His lips curled up. "That was amazing. She totally deserved it!"

Her muscles relaxed as she realised her date wasn't going to rat her out. He earned a little favour for that, or at least a nod, admitting her complicity. He was right, too. The stupid bitch had deserved it.

"I won't tell anyone," he promised.

"Good."

"What are you two whispering about?" Weiss asked.

"Nothing, sister," Whitley chimed with a little grin.

Emerald grinned along with him. "Nothing, Weiss."

/-/

Dessert was simple and sweet. Jaune ate slowly, listening with half an ear to the conversation at his table while also listening in on Emerald. Some laughter from their table had him glancing over, and he smiled when he saw Emerald a part of it, chuckling softly.

"What say you, Jaune?" Jacques asked.

"Hm?" Jaune turned back to the table, realising everyone was waiting for his response. Winter, while nervous, nodded subtly. "I think it's not a bad thought," he said, guessing. "What say you, Ozpin?"

"Possible," Ozpin allowed, "But I'm not sure it would get past the Council. Believe me, I've pushed for further co-operation between the Kingdoms before but it's just not a vote winner."

"Which," Jacques drawled, "Is all those silly politics care about."

The table laughed politely, and Jaune had to wonder if he was the only person thinking that statement was a little ironic. All Jacques cared about was money and image. Not so different from those politicians he professed to dislike.

A commotion by the door drew their attention, two members of staff speaking with one another before one hurried over and whispered something into Jacques' ear.

"Yes, yes, of course," Jacques said a moment later. "Let him in." As the waiter hurried back, Jacques turned to them and smiled. "Just another one of our guests. A little late, but I suppose that's to be expected with his workload."

"Oh?" Ozpin perked up. "I didn't think he would make it."

The doors opened and a tall, broad figure walked through. He'd not dressed for the occasion, but then, when did he ever? Long white coat, gloves, military dress and the faint dusting of a beard. General, or Captain as it were, Ironwood stalked into the room.

"Captain!" Winter gasped, delighted.

"Captain…" Jaune gasped, less so.

Ironwood's eyes roamed the room like a targeting computer looking for its designated target. He spotted Jaune and the man's eyebrows drew down, locking on. He could feel the heated plasma digging into him already, and the manner in which Ironwood's teeth showed as he smiled did little to help.

"Captain Ironwood," Jacques greeted, standing as the good host should. "It's good to see you – and fantastic to hear that the Inquest has completed its work and cleared you of all charges. Welcome. Waiters, please bring our good friend some food."

"It's good to be here, Jacques. Thank you for inviting me." Despite that he spoke to the Schnee patriarch, his eyes remained locked onto Jaune's. "May I take a seat? I see two subordinates I would enjoy a chance to spend time with."

Jacques waved magnanimously. "Of course, of course. Draw up a chair."

Ironwood did so, pushing it directly between Winter and Jaune, incidentally forcing Jaune to shuffle closer to Ozpin. Winter didn't seem to mind, genuinely happy to see her former superior. Ironwood held a hand out to each of them. "Winter, Jaune, so _good_ to see you again, and in such fine health."

"You too, sir," Winter said, happily shaking his hand. "I heard the news, I'm so relieved!"

"Thank you, thank you. No words of greeting, Jaune?"

"N-None at present, sir," Jaune hissed. He'd shaken Ironwood's hand without really checking which it was. Ironwood chose the robotic one of course and was currently applying pressure enough to shatter every bone in Jaune's hand. His aura trickled away. "B-But I'm glad it all worked out for you."

"Yes, it certainly did. Of course, some of the pressure was taken away because a certain someone disobeyed orders and took blame onto themselves."

Sweat beaded on Jaune's brow. "Yeah…?"

"Indeed. Why, if I found the one responsible I might be forced to have _words_ with them, especially if they failed to get in contact and explain themselves as soon as humanly possible. But, of course, I'm sure no one here would ever do that."

Ironwood let go of his hand. Jaune cradled it with his other. "Yeah. No one. Heh…"

"On a completely unrelated note, I'd like to speak with you in private some other time. In private."

"Are you sure it's unrelated?"

"As sure as I am that you would never disobey orders and then fail to contact me, Ashari. Would that ever happen?"

Jaune winced. "Right. Um, tomorrow?"

"I was thinking tonight. After this event."

Ironwood didn't wait for him to agree, trusting that he had no argument, or content to ignore any that existed. Helena's words came back to him, warning him to get in touch with Ironwood before Ironwood got in touch with him.

 _Should have taken her advice. I've no one to blame but myself…_

"Alright. Sure." Jaune noted Winter's apologetic smile. She probably knew he was in for a telling-off. Hopefully Ironwood had cooled down a little after two and a half months. He could but hope.

A loud bang sounded from the attached kitchen area, like a metallic pan striking the floor. One of the waitresses by the door winced and smiled to the audience, slipped back inside to see what it was – and then came stumbling back out, eyes wide.

She was followed by a man in a black suit, who knocked the girl to the floor and pointed a gun at her. Jaune was already standing, along with Ozpin and Ironwood, but was waved down as several more armed men came out from the kitchen areas.

They were followed by another, a tall man in a white coat with bright orange hair and a familiar, cocky smile.

"Now, now, let's not have any of that," Roman Torchwick said. "Do sit down Captain Ironwood, and you, Headmaster. Don't you know it's rude to stand up when class is in session?"

"It must have escaped my mind," Ozpin said, sitting. Ironwood did too, along with Jaune and a few others who had moved.

Roman Torchwick. Here? He was younger than he'd been before – and there were subtle differences. The man's hat was nowhere to be seen, and he wore a black scarf instead, wrapped and coiled up to conceal his neck and chin. There was no cigar, nor even a cigarette, and Roman's hair was parted on his left side and a little longer than Jaune recalled, reaching down to the back of the man's neck.

He would be weaker too, and Jaune was sure he could take Roman in a fight if it came to it. That wasn't the problem, though. If he could manage it, then Ozpin and Ironwood certainly could, but the issue was all his men and the fact this had essentially become a hostage situation in a matter of seconds. Ironwood, despite being a military captain, sat silently, hands on the table and in clear view. To do anything else was to risk everyone here.

Why the hell was Roman here, anyway? This hadn't happened in the past… or had it?

Not here and not for this specific event, but Roman must have made his name as a master criminal somehow. This was certainly high key enough for it, taking an SDC event hostage along with numerous important and famous faces. It was the kind of thing that could make a thief's career. Or more likely break it, but Roman had always been one for style over substance. Maybe he always struck somewhere on this date. Maybe the SDC event had just been one too tempting to ignore, and gained precedence over wherever he had initially decided to strike.

"Now," Roman said, "You needn't worry about not going home to your families tonight. I'm a gentleman thief, not a murderer. My associates here will divest you of your valuables, which you are encouraged to make easier for them by removing and handing them over. Our guns are for your protection as much as our own. I'm sure neither side wishes for an unpleasant confrontation. This simply helps to make that clear."

Beside Jaune, Ironwood drew in a deep breath and let it go. Ironwood was pissed, as was Jaune and no doubt everyone else, but Roman had the upper hand here. Better just to co-operate for now. Jaune brought out his wallet and took what lien he had, placing it on the table. With a sigh, Ozpin removed a fancy wristwatch and placed it down beside it.

"Boss, do we take the cards?" one of the goons asked.

"Useless idiots, we talked about this before. No, you don't take the cards." Roman rolled his eyes. "By the time we crack them, they'll all be reported lost and cancelled anyway. Take money, jewellery and dust."

One of the men moved over to the children's table. Jaune slammed a fist down on his, making everyone freeze. All eyes turned to him but Jaune refused to budge.

"Leave them out of it."

The goon hesitated. Roman met Jaune's eyes across the room, narrowed, and then looked to the goon in question.

"How much do you think children will have? Focus on the adults." As the suited man nodded and left that table, Jaune sat down again. Roman noticed and cracked a grin. "See, we can be polite about things. Do remember that before you all try something unfortunate. Co-operate and we shall be out of your hair in minutes. You can enjoy the rest of your evening in peace."

"This is an ill-advised decision, Roman," Ozpin said, not even paying attention to the armed man who had reached their table and started to gather their valuables into a sack. They could have taken him hostage, but the trade would be uneven. Roman didn't care about any of these men he'd brought along and they all knew it. "Do you believe you will be able to remain hidden after this? Attacking so many people in a setting such as this. You shall find yourself hunted by every law enforcement agency in the city. I may even join in."

"I encourage you to do so," Roman said, spreading his arms wide. He smiled, and several cameras flashed, final proof that Roman had struck here on purpose. More than the money, he wanted the recognition, and a table full of journalists assured he'd get it. "Send your police, your detectives, your huntsmen. I'll evade them all and toast a glass to your generosity."

"And don't worry," he teased, "All of this I steal will makes its way back to you in time. It's all trickle down economics, no? I spend it, and it trickles on down back to you." He laughed at his own joke, peeking into a sack which one goon brought back to him. "Hm, not bad. Not bad at all. We thank you for your service tonight, ladies and gentlemen. You certainly came in your best and finest. Should you ever desire to make a donation again, feel free to call." So saying, Roman made a dramatic bow and backed away towards the kitchens.

His men followed him, taking two of the hostages along with them. The message was clear and no one dared move. The authorities would be on their way by now, but it would be too little too late.

Idly, Jaune's thoughts moved in a different direction.

Where was Neo?

Hidden, and waiting as back-up in case he'd tried anything, or undiscovered yet? It was possible Roman hadn't made an acquaintance of her, but that wasn't something he wanted to test. Roman was always smart with her, keeping her out of sight unless he needed her. The unseen assassin was the deadliest and all that.

"That fiend!" Jacques snapped, slamming a hand down on the table. He stood now that the thief was gone and tore forth his scroll. "Security, I want that man hunted down! I want him behind bars, and everything he stole returned. No, I don't care how much it costs. See. It. Done!" He stormed away, shouting more, and many of the guests did the same, some calling friends and family to let them know they were okay, others rushing to the bathrooms to `attend` to any problems.

Jaune remained seated, calm and steady. Along with Ozpin, Ironwood and Winter, none of which had panicked or moved since Roman left.

"Confident of him," Ironwood stated. "One might say too confident."

"Only if he's caught," Jaune said.

"He will be," Ozpin promised. "Roman is a flamboyant thief, but small time. He steals more for the recognition and fame than the money. Such a narcissist won't last long."

Jaune hid a laugh in the act of taking a drink, even as people rushed by in panic. Ozpin's promise even came with the usual Ozpin guarantee, which meant it wasn't worth the air it was printed on. Roman, for all his faults – and there were many, would get away with this. Or he would survive it. No telling he got away free or paid for it in some way. Either way, his future continued for a while. Until Cinder, at least.

And if Jaune wanted to find Cinder, to know who she would go to firs, then it was in his best interests Roman continue to flourish, as much as Ruby would have complained about it. "Excuse me," Jaune said, standing. "I need to make a call of my own. I'll be back in a moment."

Passing Emerald's table and making sure she was okay – of course she was, she was the only one _not_ afraid among the younger guests – Jaune made his way out of the conference hall and into the cloakroom. It was deserted, but Jaune still hid the screen of his scroll from view as he dialled Junior.

" _I'm here. What's up?"_

"Did you tell Roman about the event tonight?"

" _The one you're at? No. Why?"_ Junior paused, and then sighed. _"Don't tell me…"_

"You'll see it on the news, no doubt."

" _Damn it, Roman. You want me to get in contact? I can set him straight. Remove him if you want me to. He's made a lot of enemies in a short time."_

No surprises there. Killing Roman might make things easier in the long run, but the void left behind would be filled by someone else. Someone harder to track and more likely to avoid causing any problems.

"No. In fact, I'd like you to give him a little tip-off."

" _Huh?"_

"Tell him you've heard news of a wealthy eccentric living alone. Give him everything you know about Henry Waters-Brown." Jaune chuckled. "I'll handle the rest."

* * *

 **Small appearance by Roman – making a name for himself, but in front of the wrong audience. This is one of those set-up chapters for the butterflies again. The structure is a repeating one. Event happens, butterflies set, Jaune tries to get a handle on things, butterflies go insane. Some different but not quite what he intended status-quo reached.**

 **Then we set up more butterflies, Jaune tries to act and it goes on and on. That's life, though, I guess. Just because Jaune knows what "should" happen, doesn't mean changing the future is a simple matter. As I said a few times in NTF, if Jaune knows Cinder will attack point A, and tries to act on that knowledge, Cinder might just notice and change her plan** _ **because**_ **of his interference and attack B instead.**

 **Next chapter is Jaune's Gym opening – and meeting some of his first students.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	25. Chapter 25

**Here we go. There's another fanart by Kegi Springfield – this time of everyone's favourite, rugged Atlesian General. Aka. Manliest Man in Remnant. Check it out on his DA.**

 **Side note, September is still slaying me, so this chapter is a little rushed.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 25**

* * *

The Ashari Specialist Huntsman Gym – or the ASH Gym as it was quickly labelled – had finally opened. The contractors had turned the exterior of the building into a modern glass-fronted building with a large reception room, leading through to a staging and training area set with two fighting rings and plenty of space. A second floor included a balcony where parents, spectators or anyone else could look down on students training, and there were two changing rooms – male and female – set into the side, hidden away with bathrooms in each.

With colours set in pale green, wood-brown and training mats a pristine white, the main training hall was bright and well-lit. Some medical supplies sat to one side, locked in a cabinet, and training racks contained any number of blunted weapons. Jaune had, to the best of his knowledge, considered everything he might need, even contracting a local agency to provide him a receptionist, a young woman he didn't know from the future named Sandy. She was twenty years old, blonde-haired and understandably nervous in her new role. She calmed down once the first set of aspiring students started to arrive, in numbers far beyond what they could reasonably cater for.

That was fine. Jaune had expected it. The ASH Gym was a new and exciting thing, and since Emerald won the tournament and Winter had spoken out to credit him for her training, everyone who was anyone wanted to come by and see if they could be the next Winter Schnee. Of those that had come today, he expected almost three-quarters to give up, not because he would push them too hard but because they simply didn't have the heart for it. Glory and thrill-seekers who didn't really know what they wanted, but felt he'd be a shortcut to it.

Give it a week or two and the numbers would be down to a manageable level, but for now he had to take things a little more wholesale – which he did by testing the fitness and stamina of all sixty of his current students, forcing them to run laps around the perimeter of the hall. Some were already flagging despite it only being three minutes. Not a good sign, but at least this would weed out the ones who just weren't ready for his training. Emerald was among them, of course, though maybe that was a bit charitable to say. She was _ahead_ of them, legs pumping up and down as she led the pack by a good ten metres or so.

Jaune Ashari, Personal Trainer. It was yet another accolade added onto the list – and a title – but this was one he intended to keep long-term, and so more effort went into it than had any of his others. If all went well, he'd be here in Vale right up until his old team started, and perhaps even beyond. He had to look the part of a professional huntsman and had chosen his outfit accordingly.

As a nod to his time as a Specialist, and his loyalty to Atlas, he wore his white Specialist jacket open. Similar in design to what Ironwood wore, the button-down jacket was more of a coat and reached down to just above his knees, split at the back and flaring on either side to allow for full mobility. Ironwood and Winter wore a blue waistcoat beneath, but Jaune opted for a black dress shirt with the top two buttons undone, exposing just a hint of skin. His trousers were charcoal-grey and straight-legged, lacking any pattern or marking and leading down to black, leather shoes with a silver buckle.

To keep his hands hidden and thus prevent any seeing Salem's mark, he wore a pair of white gloves – and although it didn't quite fit the outfit, Jaune couldn't help but wear the tattered remains of his Ashari headdress around his neck, now like a scarf in a pale tan colour, with the twin ends dangling down his back. His blond hair fell with it, and he'd been surprised to realise he had the beginnings of a ponytail. Not one so long as what Ren wore, but if he refrained from cutting it for another few months, he might have it long enough to tie. As it was, he'd left the rest of his hair rough, but had shaved the beginnings of a beard away.

Apart from a belt to hold his trousers up, he also had a thicker, brown leather belt that ran diagonally across his waist, down to an unmarked, black scabbard that hung from his left hip. It wasn't Crocea Mors' usual home, but he'd left that behind. The Arc symbol on it would be obvious, and there weren't so many sheathe-shields that he felt comfortable showing it off in the heart of Vale. Instead, he'd gone for a simple, non-mecha sheathe, and instead bought a combi-handgun and knife that was holstered on his other side.

All in all, the outfit was smart, neat and had hints of both Atlas _and_ the Ashari Tribe, building a narrative of his limited life in this timeline. That was important. Everyone who had lived for a long time had life experience, history. It was what differentiated one person from another. Showing his Atlas and Vacuo history clearly, Jaune was able to control what his `story` was and what others would see him as. It made him relatable.

It also ensured that should the real – or younger as it were – Jaune Arc show himself, the two of them wouldn't look like they were cut from the same cloth. In theory, even identical twins could look different if they dressed, acted and carried themselves miles apart from the other. Either way, it gave people something to dig into that wouldn't trip him up. The more time they spent assuming he'd come from some tribe in Vacuo, the less they spent thinking he'd mysteriously appeared out of nowhere.

Stood now with both arms crossed and a small smile on his face, Jaune watched his students run. Some had backed out already, panting for breath and watching those who remained with awe or frustration. There weren't many among them he knew, but then again Team JNPR had never really interacted with people above their age. Some of the people here were fifteen or sixteen, a good three years older than what he'd been. As such, he had no idea whether they would reach Beacon or not, or what awaited them.

But there were some familiar faces – or two, to be exact. Struggling to catch up with Emerald and growling at the fact she could not, Coco Adel's arms swung back and forth, her eyes narrowed on Emerald's back. A little further behind her, more patient and holding his own, Sky Lark's breathing was even and measured. He was more a long-distance runner, it seemed, and he didn't care so much for winning as he did remaining on his feet at the end. So, an older student and one of his bullies, though he could hardly hold it against Sky when that hadn't even happened yet. It was both less than he wanted and more than he'd expected. It would have honestly been too convenient for him to have all his friends here.

There was, of course, Miltia and Melanie in the crowd. They were somewhere towards the back, but still going strong. He had a feeling they were holding back for their own reasons – probably expecting fights after this and not wanting to be too tired and look bad. Of the fifteen or so he'd tentatively marked as promising students, they made up four, with Emerald not really counting. The other eleven, he didn't recognise.

Still, that wasn't bad for it being the gym's first day. There was still time for more to arrive, too, as he'd not set any demands on when people could turn up. Not today, anyway. In future, he'd probably have set time brackets that people had to arrive for, be they the early ones starting at six, or later ones at eight.

"Alright," Jaune called, clapping his hands. "That's enough. Cool down and take a break. Don't sit! Up, up on your feet. Walk around. If you sit down, you'll only give yourself a cramp later. That's it. Take on some water if you need it."

He gave them a few minutes, both to stagger to the edges of the hall and pick up their drinks, and to pace around. There were a couple of parents up in the rafters above watching – either concerned about their children or wanting to see what kind of trainer he was. He couldn't blame them, and in fact respected them more for wanting to keep an eye on their kids. Luckily, he'd thought to have a snacks and drinks vending machine installed up there. Or rather some vendor had called him and convinced him to buy it. He'd only accepted to get the guy off the phone but hey, looks like the sales rep had been right after all.

"Physical fitness and conditioning are important," Jaune began once they'd all cooled off and sat down. Everyone watched him, some with varying degrees of dislike already. "It doesn't matter what I can teach you if you're not fast or strong enough to put it into action. The life of a huntsman or huntress is a dangerous one. It is my intent to ensure that every single one of you who comes here has the best chance of not only reaching Beacon or any other academy, but of reaching middle-age, too. All too many huntsmen fail to do this, unprepared for life outside of our walls where the Grimm reign." He had them, and more importantly, he had their parents' attention. "You might not appreciate how hard I'll push you right now, and you might not later. But you'll be alive to curse my memory and that's enough for me."

"Now, we'll start _every_ session with a run like that. Once you start to build up some stamina it'll get easier, which is why _I'll_ make it harder." A few groans. "Longer runs, obstacles, time limits. Be prepared for anything. Once that is out of the way, however, we'll move onto more fun things."

A few of them perked up at that. Training wasn't always fun, but he knew that he had to at least make it engaging and interesting. To kids their age, learning to fight – and actually getting to fight – was a great way to burn stress and build bonds. He didn't intend the ASH Gym to be some kind of boot camp. That would turn too many people off and he'd lose any chance of sculpting the next generation. This was to be a long-term endeavour. Some of these people might be his students for three or four years.

"You may call me Jaune, Ashari, sir or Specialist. Whatever you prefer. If I tell you to do something, I expect you to try your best. But if you do not understand what I tell you, I expect you to ask me. I will explain wherever I need to. Here at the ASH Gym, you'll learn more than just how to fight. You'll learn how to survive. I will teach you combat, yes, but I shall also teach you first aid, teamwork, survival craft and more. You'll learn to use not only your chosen weapon, but your body, your surroundings and a back-up weapon, just in case."

More excitement, this time with a few murmured whispers to one another. Jaune allowed it, knowing that they were only interrupting because they were excited. Most of the kids here were from Signal, which meant they had some rudimentary training, but Signal – as good as he'd heard it was – was still limited. It had budget issues and hundreds of students across multiple years to teach, all with limited staff. They did their best, but they just couldn't afford to teach every child every conceivable thing. Most were encouraged to stick to one weapon or style, and to look up alternative methods in their own time. It was good advice, but teenagers being teenagers, it usually went ignored. Ruby was a good example of that, though he didn't think any of them bar Pyrrha had really branched out before coming to Beacon.

"For those of you with projectile weapons, we'll be replacing them with rubber bullets for now. I know you all have your aura and everything, but we don't want any accidents and I _know_ some of you could still stand to gain a little more control over your aura." He didn't know anyone personally who did, but it was a safe assumption. Several teens looked away or hid their faces from view. "Emerald. Come up to the front."

Emerald stood and darted forward, coming to a halt beside him. Emerald wore light grey pants, a tight black tank-top with the word `ASH` written in full caps on the front – limited edition merchandise, now available – and some white sneakers. Despite her heavy run, she was breathing evenly, with just a little pink in her cheeks to show for it.

"This is Emerald Ashari, my adopted daughter. Most of you will know of or have seen her fight in the tournaments. Though she is a student here, she is also going to be my aid for many of my demonstrations. At least until I see how many of you are capable of the same. Emerald won't be acting as an instructor, but since she'll be helping me with things, don't get uppity or ask her why she isn't doing something I tell you to do. Chances are, she's not doing it because I have her working on something else. Now, how many of you are here from Signal?"

A large number of hands went up, more having come from Signal than not. Of those whose hands didn't go up, they were all among the exhausted and out-of-their-depth students. The ones who would inevitably drop out after a few days, if not tonight. Sky and Coco's hands were among those raised.

"Good. Let's have a little demonstration then. I want a volunteer to have a friendly spar against Emerald here." A number of hands went down. Emerald smirked. "I don't expect you to win. This is more so you can see and learn the difference between combat taught at Signal, and the kind of combat _I'll_ be teaching you. Everyone else gets to watch and there _will_ be a little quiz after, so pay attention. Any volunteers?"

A few more came up and both Coco and Sky were among them. Jaune chose Sky, knowing he'd give a bit more of an even fight because of his focus on melee. He had no idea if Coco had her handbag-minigun yet, but he'd rather that not be thrown around on the first day.

"Okay. Sky, come on up. Everyone else, remember to watch closely. And Sky, thank you for volunteering. Emerald is a championship fighter, so it takes a lot of guts to offer to face her, especially on your first day." Buttering Sky up wasn't necessary, but hopefully this would stop anyone else trying to take the piss out of the poor guy when Emerald won. Jaune doubted anyone else here could do any better. "The fight will be until I say so, forfeit or either combatant's aura reaching the yellow. We still have more training later, after all."

/-/

In some ways, the first day's training was better and worse than he'd anticipated. Emerald won the spar, of course, and she won it decisively – not just outclassing Sky but taking him down with brutal efficiency. Those watching had been shocked into silence, not just at the disparity in skill, but also how dishonourable Emerald was with it. She kicked and headbutted, disarmed and went for the eyes, the kidneys, the crotch. Everything was fair game and Sky's reliance on his polearm was soon shown to be a weakness Emerald was all too happy to exploit.

The silence afterwards had been deafening, and beautiful.

Jaune went on to give a speech about the fight, asking them what they noticed and then explaining how concepts such as honour, fair-play and politeness had no place in a career destined to lead them to face monsters. How every part of your body was both a weapon and a weakness, and how Emerald showed that against Sky. He also had Sky explain what the fight felt like from his point of view.

"Like I was trapped in a hurricane," he said.

It lost him some students, of course. A few of the parents removed theirs then and there, citing him a menace and this `far too brutal for poor little whatever-name`. Others remained, but it was clear this wasn't what they'd expected. He doubted he'd see them again.

Even those he held high hopes for were shocked. Coco had stared at him and Emerald with wide eyes and there was a certain prideful arrogance from the older students, like they thought Emerald had won through dirty tricks they wouldn't fall for. They'd learn later, assuming they came back.

In the end, he wasn't here to make friends, nor was he going to coddle his students in the hopes of wringing more money out of them. The less he had the better, as it would let him offer more focused training and advice. If he ended the day with just _ten_ , that would be fine, so long as those ten were ready to learn.

As the session came to an end and everyone returned to the changing rooms, Jaune dusted his hands and made his way up to the seating area, nodding and smiling to parents who thanked or complimented him, the latter type almost exclusively parents he could tell were huntsmen themselves. At least some recognised his advice as valuable. There were others who turned their noses up of course, but Jaune's attention was caught by a group at the back, partly because it contained Ozpin, but also because Summer was waving happily at him.

With a smile, Jaune finished talking to the last parents, relieved they were granting him the time to do that, and then made his way over. Sandy would handle anyone who wanted to drop out, or those who wanted to pay to keep coming back.

It was Yang, Taiyang, Summer, Ozpin and Glynda that faced him, all collected in a group. Ozpin nodded a greeting but gestured politely for him to talk with the Xiao-Long-Rose family before him. Seeing as Summer and Yang held no patience between them, it was probably more a necessity than anything.

"Jaune!" Summer said, surprising him by stepping forward to wrap him in a tight hug. He patted her shoulder awkwardly, looking to Taiyang for help. To the big guy's credit, he didn't look bothered at seeing his wife hug another man at all.

"Just accept it," Taiyang advised with a grin. "She'll only make it her mission to ambush you later if you don't."

"Hey. I'm just happy to see him again," Summer protested, pushing away and glaring at both him _and_ Taiyang. She shook her head and turned back to Jaune, looking him up and down. "You're really here. You didn't even stay in Atlas long enough for us to thank you for saving Ruby and Yang's life." She punched his arm for that.

"Sorry. I couldn't stick around, though…"

"I know. I know." Summer sighed. "What those people said, blaming you, that was unfair! I had half a mind to go over and show them the error of their ways myself."

"Half a mind?" Taiyang teased. "I'm pretty sure it was all your mind, except that Qrow and I had to physically restrain you."

"Hence half my mind," Summer said breezily. "A husband and wife are one entity after all."

Jaune laughed. They really were good with one another. Of any change he'd made in the past, saving Summer had to be the best, not only for her and Taiyang but for Yang and Ruby. On thinking of her, Jaune realised she was missing. "Is Ruby not here?"

"She's with her Uncle Qrow."

"Huh. I thought she'd be keen to see something like this."

"Ah, well," Summer laughed awkwardly. "You know. Kids." She shrugged.

He didn't but nodded along anyway. _That's weird. Ruby was obsessed with everything huntress and weapons. A chance to come here, train and see everyone else's weapons? She should have been frothing at the mouth._

It wasn't like he could push if they didn't want to say, however. He looked to Yang instead. "Am I going to be counting you as one of my students?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Yang. Language!"

"Uh. Yes Mr Ashari." Yang rolled her eyes theatrically. "We were _supposed_ to get here sooner so I could take part, but _Dad_ made us late."

" _Dad_ has a job," Taiyang said, putting the same insulting emphasis on the word Yang had. " _Dad_ has to provide for family. _Dad_ was held back at Signal because daughter got into another fight with someone three years older than her. It's your fault we were late, sweetie."

Yang glowered and kicked one foot against the floor. Seeing Yang of all people look young and guilty was, in a word, adorable. Jaune had to resist the urge to ruffle her hair.

Had he done that in his timeline, he might have died for it.

"It's nor a problem, Yang. You can join in tomorrow. Or any days that you want to come."

"Every day!"

"We'll see," Summer said, adopting the tone all mothers did when they knew they'd have to barter with their child later. "If you're good, I'll see about every day, but you lose out if you get grounded."

"I'm always good."

This time it was Summer who rolled her eyes, while Taiyang chuckled.

"That was quite a lesson you gave down there," Taiyang said. "I'd call it brutal but, well, brutal works. I think you're going to lose some students though. A few of the parents up here were downright offended."

"I don't mind if I do. I'm looking for quality. Not quantity." Behind them, Ozpin and Glynda both nodded, the latter looking pleased and even Ozpin smiling a little. "Not all my lessons will be enjoyable, but they'll all be important."

"I heard. First aid and survival craft, huh? Can't say we teach those in Signal, but I'd be glad to know Yang knows how to patch herself or someone else up." He ran his hand through his daughter's hair. "It's the kind of thing we'd love to have classes on – I know Qrow has pushed for it more than once – but the Board just can't find the time or money. On the fighting fair front? Well, kids will be kids. Most people grow out of that by the time they become a huntsman."

"Or when someone turns their sword into a spear without any warning," Yang groused, no doubt still upset to have lost to Pyrrha. It was a learning experience at any rate. "I'm not going to complain when she did the same to me. I _am_ going to beat Emerald, though. She better watch out."

Had Emerald been there to hear it, he was sure she'd have some choice words in response. Maybe it was for the best she was still downstairs showering and getting changed. "We'll see," Jaune said. "I hope you'll stick it out, Yang. My training won't be easy, but it'll serve you well."

"You won't scare me off, old man. I'm in it for the long haul!"

Old man…?

He wasn't even thirty yet!

"Glad to hear it," Jaune said, internally planning a regime from hell for Yang. Hey, she said she wanted to challenge Emerald. She'd basically asked for him to work her to the bone and beyond. Finally giving in to the impulse, and convinced it would be okay because Taiyang had, Jaune reached out and ruffled Yang's hair.

She pulled back and scowled at him, but Taiyang laughed and Summer looked more than a little pleased.

"We just wanted to come around and say hi," Summer said while Yang busily tried to rearrange her golden locks. "We're living in Vale now, so you're not allowed to be a stranger. And if you ever want someone to help give a demonstration with you, I'd be willing."

"Qrow certainly would, too," Taiyang said. "He's been itching to fight you."

Probably convinced that without any dirt to be thrown in his eyes, he'd redeem himself. Jaune snorted. "Tell him any time."

"We'll tell him you said hello," Summer compromised diplomatically. "Qrow's just competitive and not used to losing. He'll warm up to you. You _did_ help save his life in Atlas after all. Oh. Maybe you three could go out drinking together."

"Maybe," Taiyang said, less than thrilled with the idea. He probably knew he'd be stuck babysitting Qrow or holding him back from starting a fight with Jaune in the street. "But if my wife could stop trying to set me up on man-dates, that'd be appreciated. Trust your husband to arrange his own." Taiyang looked to Ozpin and Glynda, who had been waiting patiently all this time. "We should leave you to it. Come on, Summer. You can stalk him tomorrow when Yang comes for her first day."

"It's not stalking!" Summer gasped, slapping Taiyang's arms while her cheeks heated up.

"Being a predator, then."

"Tai!"

The three left, a bubble of laughter and indignant protests that echoed them as they departed. In a way, it was just like watching Team RWBY, or maybe even his own team. They really were a close-knit family. He was glad for them.

Ozpin chuckled to remind Jaune of his presence. "They're not so different to how they were as students, you know. A little older, a little wiser, but Taiyang still shows his affection by teasing her. One would really think he'd have grown out of that by now."

"It seems to work on Summer."

"You'd think someone whose given birth twice wouldn't blush so much," Glynda said. She stepped forward and extended a hand. "Glynda Goodwitch. Deputy at Beacon."

"Jaune Ashari," he returned, shaking her hand. "Ozpin told me about you."

"Nothing bad, I hope?"

"Not at all. I hear you single-handedly keep Beacon running."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"I might," Ozpin said with a little smile. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, Jaune. I have to say, your first session – and your little speech – has helped assuage more than a few concerns."

"Concerns with me?"

"Not you personally," he said, though Jaune was sure Ozpin still had many. "Concerns that the training would be, as many focus on, solely about combat or drills. They're important, but there's so much more we'd like to see our students learn."

"That's what we're here to discuss, right?" Jaune smiled and gestured to a small table at the back of the waiting area. He fished out his wallet, too. "Sorry that I can't offer much but let me grab some drinks from the machine and we can get started."

"Of course. Of course."

What followed was a mostly casual run down of things Glynda and Ozpin would have liked to see, followed by Jaune asking questions, proposing ideas and occasionally suggesting that such was something better taught at Signal.

On the list was aura control – with Jaune deciding he could have them do a modified version of dodgeball where they had to use their aura to shield instead of dodging. Non-dangerous takedowns – easy enough with a little grappling. And also more focus on fitness. Some ideas, however, just didn't take off.

"I know tactics and strategy would be nice – and I'll teach it in terms of fighting, but I think team manoeuvres might be too much. That's something best taught when they're already in teams. Surely."

"I agree, but a big problem we have is that some students are too independent," Glynda said. "They come to Beacon thinking they can take on the world, when they need to realise being a huntsman or huntress means you're one of many."

"I agree, but I'm not the best person to teach that. I've not worked on a team for ages." And when he had, he hadn't been the best leader he could be. Good at keeping everyone together, but Ren and Pyrrha had been the real strategists.

"How about a compromise?" Ozpin suggested, stepping in with a smile before Glynda could become too animated.

"What do you have in mind?" Jaune asked.

"If Jaune doesn't believe he can teach team formations adequately, it would be foolish to suggest it. Instead, Glynda could come and provide a one-off seminar extoling the virtues of teamwork. Even if it doesn't hold, it will at least warn them off what to expect at Beacon."

"Hm." Jaune cupped his chin and thought on it. "It's not a bad idea, but I wouldn't be able to pay Glynda…"

"I will subsidise it," Ozpin offered. "In fact, if we reserved it for students, say, fifteen and up, it could act as something of an introductory seminar to what to expect at Beacon. Sort of a chance for them to prepare ahead of time, and for Glynda to take questions from the students who might be applying in the next two years."

Jaune nodded. "That's not a bad idea. Glynda?"

"I have no issue with it. A smaller class size would let me field more questions, too. Very well. I'll leave it up to the two of you to decide a date. Please let me know at least two weeks in advance."

From there, the planning went smoothly – Ozpin stepping in to compromise where he needed to. Emerald came back up halfway through, but seeing he was busy – and rightly guessing the conversation would put her to sleep – she brought out a book and sat nearby to read it.

What surprised Jaune more was just how animated Glynda was, acting little like the stern Miss Goodwitch he'd known and feared. She would field ideas, protest each and every one he shot down and argue insistently. She was a lot more passionate about teaching than he'd realised. Little wonder Ozpin trusted her so much. Jaune had to remind himself that the only reason she was being so difficult was because she genuinely wanted the best for her students, as did he. After all, he – the younger him – would be one of those students in a few years' time.

"I think if you can cover even a fraction of these things this will be a success," she said. "I'll look forward to seeing the fruits of your labour." No immediate trust, but that was understandable. Once he'd proven himself, they'd be more willing to open up.

The important part was that Ozpin was watching them with a pleased smile. He thought he had Jaune exactly where he wanted him. Little did Ozpin realise it was the other way around.

/-/

"What did you think of your first day?" Jaune asked Emerald once they were back home in their mansion-like townhouse.

"It was okay."

Ah. Communication. Was this what all teenagers were like, or was he just blessed? "What did you think of the other students?"

"Some were lazy. A few were okay. None are as good as me."

"Give them time. They'll get better with a little training. You might even make a couple of friends among them." Emerald's snort made it clear what she thought of that. "Yang is going to be joining tomorrow. You like her, right?"

Emerald shot him a look that was equal parts shock, horror and disgust. Okay. He wasn't so blind as to think Emerald actually liked Yang, but he was at least convinced Yang liked her. Even if Emerald didn't realise Yang's constant badgering and teasing was her way of asking to be friends. And sure, they'd gotten into a fight, but when did Yang not? She was competitive.

And honestly, if Emerald was going to break out of her shell then she needed someone a little more outgoing. Yang would fit the bill nicely. Jaune wisely chose not to explain that to Emerald, however. Not unless he wanted a cold shoulder and colder glares for the next week and a half.

"It could be worse," he said instead. "Try to get to know a few of them. You might surprise yourself and make a friend."

"Don't need a friend," Emerald muttered. "Fine with just us two."

"Hah. I'm fine with you as well. But I won't be around forever, you kno-"

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean?" Emerald demanded. Her shoulders were set, her eyes narrowed. At that moment, she looked like she might bolt. "You won't be around forever. Are you leaving?"

"Oh, no, no, no. I didn't mean it like that. I'm not _leaving_ you. I just meant that you'll get older and want to hang out with people your age. And you'll want to go off and live your own life, have your own adventures and such."

"I won't."

"You will," he said, and placed a hand on her head to let her know he didn't mean it in a bad way. "That's a part of growing up. Besides, you know I live a dangerous life. You need to learn to be a little more independent in case something happens to me."

"Nothing will happen to you. You're strong!"

"There's always someone stronger."

"Stronger than you!?"

"Of course." That list was rather large and despite his best efforts would only become larger still. That was why he was trying to train up the others, because he couldn't handle Salem on his own. "Dangerous people, Emerald. Like the two we faced in Atlas."

"Then I'll get stronger," she spat. "I'll become the strongest, and I'll fight the people after you. I'll become even stronger than you."

Jaune laughed. "Hey now, there's no need for that. I already promised to help you become strong, but you don't need to prove it by fighting my enemies for me."

Emerald slapped his hand away. The action surprised him. Apart from her explosion before, this was perhaps the first time she'd ever been physical with him. That she'd resisted _anything_ he did. Worse still, there were tears in her eyes.

"If you won't fight, I will. And if anyone tries to take you away from me, I'll… I'll _kill_ them."

"Emerald…" He reached out for her, but she was already gone, running back up to the stairs and away, leaving him behind. "Shit," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't handle that very well."

He shouldn't have made light of the situation. Not with her. Jaune knew Emerald had problems, problems both of social interaction and abandonment issues, which made sense seeing as how he'd picked her up off the street. Emerald would grow up in time and want to do her own thing, but for now she was only thirteen and still eager to prove herself.

 _I shouldn't have made light of the possibility of my death, either…_

Even if there was little else to make of it. It was a catch-22. Did he tell her he'd always be there for her and let her cling to him, knowing full well that he was as mortal as anyone else? Or did he tell her the truth, hurt her now, but save her hurt later? Both were options, but both meant hurting her at some point.

"Maybe I should ask Taiyang for advice. Come to think of it, he's obviously a lot better father than I am and there's nothing stopping me swinging by to talk with him." It was a plan. He couldn't keep fumbling around with Emerald like this. Not when he clearly meant so much to her. Something had to change. The thought of her throwing away her life against Salem hurt.

She was his daughter, after all. Even if they weren't related by blood.

"Trouble in paradise?" a teasing voice asked.

"Do you purposefully choose to come here at the exact moment I look like an idiot, or is that just a coincidence?"

"Why, I like to think it's just that you _always_ look like an idiot."

/-/

Roman smirked as the lock sprung open. These old buildings were always weak like that, sturdy construction but shoddy security. Someone well-off ought to know better, but rumour had it his newest mark was an odd sort who didn't get out much. Real hermit type. Roman waved a hand to his six trusted men and then nodded to Neo over by the main road, keeping an eye out for passers-by. If any approached, she'd play the scared and lost child, leading them away. She was a good girl like that, and more than good enough to look after herself if the so-called concerned citizen turned out to have bad intentions.

This area wasn't well-populated, however. Too expensive for most people to live in and too snooty for anyone to want to wander around. The nearest pub, restaurant or shopping centre was a good five minutes' walk, so it should be fine. All in all, the biggest annoyance was that this would be small key. It was a downgrade after his dashing raid on the rich and famous the two nights before. That made headlines; his face splashed across newspapers, TV and much, much more.

In the criminal underbelly, reputation was everything – and Roman was making waves. Dangerous waves, but those were the only type worth making, weren't they? Let the petty and the simpering crawl about on their hands and knees. He was going places.

 _Current place being inside here,_ he thought, easing the door open slowly. He listened to see if it had been heard, and then waved his men to follow him inside. Neo detached from the main street with one final look, slinking up behind them with a cheeky grin.

The rumour came from Junior – a freebie, which was rare enough in itself, but Roman was nothing if not diligent and made sure to do what research he could. New to Vale, fabulously rich and notoriously shy, Henry Waters-Brown kept out of the limelight. No information on what he did for a living, but it wasn't unusual for inheritance to keep the rich folk going, even without a means of income. Whether the guy was shy, anti-social or just a hermit, it made no real difference. He lived alone with his daughter – equally rare to see, but allegedly twelve or thirteen.

Roman had impressed on his men that nothing was to happen to said child. Thief though he may have been, he was building his reputation as a gentleman, and even if he wasn't, he drew the line at killing children.

"Easy in and out," Roman whispered. "Locate the old man, threaten him – but don't hurt him unless he resists. We're here for valuables, boys, not a shakedown." His small cadre of trained thieves muttered their agreement. They were lads he'd picked up over his meteoric rise to fame; thieves who wanted a cut of his glory or those without options desperate to be something.

As far as gangs went, it was small and insignificant, but Roman had a flair for the dramatics, and quality trumped quantity any day. One day it would become something more. He'd be a household name, for all that it was a name whispered late at night when he robbed someone blind. People would fear him, but also respect him. The master thief of Vale.

Voices ahead brought Roman to a stop. He listened intently, catching the hum of a television. It was gone eleven, almost twelve, so he figured the kid would be in bed. That would make this Henry, then. Convenient. They could get hold of him, impress the need for silence and be out with all their loot before the kid woke up and complicated matters. Nice and easy, just how he liked it.

The corridor branched out into a wide, oval room, probably a living area of some sort. Roman caught the light from a TV illuminating a couch with a figure sat at it. Standing tall, Roman picked up his cane and adopted a swagger. It was important to make a good impression, especially for the first impression. With his men fanning out behind him and the mark unaware, Roman opened his mouth to speak.

"What's this?" a woman asked from behind.

Cursing, Roman spun, weapon at the ready. There wasn't meant to be a wife here – and she sure as hell didn't look it. Wild, black hair, bright red eyes, pale skin and a cruel smile. The woman was dressed in black and red with bare feet for some reason. She held a bottle of beer in each hand, like she'd just come back from the kitchen. Despite that, and being unarmed, and being in front of seven armed men, she looked… not calm. No. She was intrigued. Amused.

With a snort, she pushed by Roman, right through the middle of all his men, ignoring the guns that pointed at her. She padded silently around the sofa, put one bottle down on the table in front of the guy, and then sat down herself, crossed one leg and took a long swig.

"Food, booze and now entertainment? A girl could get the wrong idea."

"Only you would see this as me somehow flirting with you," the guy – the _victim_ – said, sounding far too calm for Roman's liking. He didn't sound as old or infirm as Roman would have expected. As Junior's information suggested.

Just to be sure, Roman looked down at himself and then around. Yes, he still had his weapon and he still had a bunch of armed men with him, along with Neo. No, there weren't about fifty officers laying an ambush, and no, he _was_ still in control of the situation.

"Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Roman said. "It's the purpose of entertainers such as us to provide a show, no? Why don't the two of you sit down and enjoy. We'll be gone before the night is done."

For the first time, the man spoke to him, "Actually, I think you should sit down, Roman. I've got something to speak with you about."

"Yeah. How about no? I'm flattered, but I'm on something of a time frame here." Roman faked checking a watch. "You know how it is. Places to be. People to see."

"I wasn't really asking, Roman. Sit down. Have Neo sit, too."

Roman's eyes narrowed. How did the bastard know Neo's name? He glanced over to her, but Neo was as shocked as he, glancing back and forth between the man and Roman, suddenly less sure of herself. He'd kept Neo secret, even from his trusted allies. To everyone here, she was just a well-dressed goon. But if this guy knew her name, he possibly knew how dangerous she was, too. That wouldn't do.

"Look, I think you've got the wrong end of things here. I'm the one who says what to do, and you're the one who stays seated. You and your high-class whore."

The woman, who had up until that point been smiling, suddenly froze, the bottle not three inches from her lips. Her eyes slid to Roman, and he was suddenly startled by just how red they were. Red like blood. The woman spoke. Dangerously.

"What did you just call me?"

* * *

 **Raven is back. Jaune finally settles on an outfit. Ozpin builds bridges and Jaune gets his first students and puts his name out there. Oh, and Roman shows how he's not quite mastered charismatic swag as much as he has in the future.**

 **Some harmless practice on Raven can't hurt though, right?**

 **Maybe…?**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	26. Chapter 26

**Argh, I fucked up! Yes, a lot noticed I said, "Summer given birth twice" what I meant to say was "has two children", but my brain was scrambled because it's September and I'm doing a thousand things at once. Thank you to those who pointed it out and my bad – absolute mistake on my part there.**

 **There is no third child between Summer and Taiyang.**

 **Glad to see people are liking the Emerald and Jaune moments, even if not all end well. I still imagine in my head an omake where Emerald admits she took Jaune's advice, branched out and got a friend, and Jaune is all "Thank God!" then gets introduced to Cinder Fall.**

" **Emerald, I changed my mind. You're Daddy's girl forever. NEVER make friends again."**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 26**

* * *

It was hard to say if Roman realised his mistake or not. One or two of the goons shivered as Raven's gaze trailed over them, but Roman stood confidently with his cane in hand and a smirk on his face. In time, he'd become one of the most dangerous figures in Vale.

Jaune had a sinking feeling Roman didn't have much time…

"Whore," Raven said. "Whore. Hm. I've never been called that before. Monster. Thief. Evil. _Killer_." She paused, letting the sentiment spread. "Those I've been called, but never a whore." Her eyes slid to Jaune's. "How much would you pay for a night with me?"

"I'm not sure I could afford it."

"Even with your millions?"

"Even then."

Raven smiled. "Good answer." The bottle came up to her perfect lips once more and she drank slowly of it, placing the glass down with a gentle clink. Raven then rolled her head, cracked her shoulders and-

 _Moved._

It was so sudden few saw it. Her bare feet arched up suddenly, bending her body double backwards as she rolled over the back of the sofa, hand snatching something as she did. There was a sound like smashing glass, bare feet padding on tile, and then suddenly Roman was staggering back with six sharp tips of a broken bottle prodding into the flesh of his neck and chin.

They would have gone deeper – possibly to the back of his throat and through – but for Jaune's hand, wrapped around Raven's wrist and halting her. Roman, wide-eyed and suddenly aware of just how much he'd fucked up, looked from the bottle to Raven to Jaune.

"I'm not sure you can afford this either, Jaune," Raven teased.

"Sorry. I kinda need him."

"Do you? Whatever task you had in mind for him, I'll do. Better. Faster. Quicker. Just let go."

"N-Now, now," Roman stammered. "Let's not-"

"Those who are dead should remain silent," Raven snapped. "Keep talking and I'll ensure your brain catches up with the fact. Along with the edge of my sword."

It was a stand-off. Roman was pinned between Raven and a wall. Neo was a foot away from where she'd stood, nervous but prepared for anything, one hand on a knife at her side. The goons were far more afraid, weapons trained loosely on Raven, though few were confident they would do anything. An aura of bloodshed permeated the air, promising violence.

Jaune worked his other hand around Raven's shoulder, almost embracing her from behind as he crept his fingers up her arm, gently taking the bottle and teasing it out of her hand. She let him, of course. Had she wanted to, she could have stopped him or even finished Roman off entirely. Jaune wondered if it was curiosity that made her hesitate. He doubted anyone had dared try and disarm her like he did now. He wasn't sure why he felt confident enough to do so, either.

"You're my guest, Raven. You can't kill my other guests. It's rude."

"I'm not sure they count as guests when they break into your house. I think that makes them, ah, what's the word I'm looking for, oh yes, _obvious cases of self-defence._ "

Roman shivered. Despite there no longer being a broken bottle against his jugular, he didn't dare move. Too afraid to startle Raven, no doubt.

"That would be the case, yes," Jaune agreed. "Except that I _did_ invite him here."

Roman stilled.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Sure. I'm the one who asked Junior to leak the information about me, after all. I even made sure to leave the door unlatched, so he'd only need to break the lock on it. Roman's an expected guest." Jaune noticed Roman shaking slightly. A mix of fear, panic and anger towards Junior, who he'd finally come to realise had betrayed him.

Raven considered his words for a moment, before a slow, lazy smile spread across her face. "So, what you're saying is that you _did_ order entertainment for me."

"Huh?" Jaune paused. "Uh. In a way, I guess…"

She threw back her head and laughed. At the same time, she stepped back into him, pressing her back to his chest and reaching up with one hand to ruffle his blond hair. "Hm. Maybe I wasn't wrong when I said a girl could get the wrong idea. That's interesting." Raven turned against him, brushing her breasts against Jaune's arm. Her eyes met his, blood-red but clearly amused. Her hand patted his cheek. "Such a romantic gesture; you have my heart racing. But don't you think it's a bit of a tease to not let me have a little fun? Or is that your plan, hoping I'll snap and take out my frustrations on you?"

Jaune cursed as his cheeks heated up. Damn her innuendo. Raven laughed delightedly.

Unfortunately, that left Roman free of her attention. The thief leapt back, cane coming up. "I don't know what's up with you two psychos, but I think it's time for me to leave. No need to see me out. I know the way."

"We still need to talk, Roman," Jaune said. "Sit down."

"Yeah, I think I'll pass – but thanks for the offer. So kind and all that. Come on, Neo, boys. I think it's time we left these two lovebirds to it. We wouldn't want to intrude. I'll leave a message with Junior for you, yeah? A nice bullet-shaped message."

Jaune sighed and said, "It looks like you'll get your entertainment in the end, Raven."

"You spoil me. If you don't stop coming across so desperate to impress me, I might get tired of you."

"One can only hope."

Raven chuckled. "Tease."

"Enough!" Roman growled. "You're unarmed, outnumbered and outgunned. You may have caught me by surprise before, but that's not going to happen again. If you give up now, we'll be on our way. No one needs to get hurt here."

"If you sit down and talk to me, no one has to get hurt anyway," Jaune said, stepping around Raven to stand next to her. He shot her a look from the corner of one eye. "I kind of want to work _with_ him, so if you could refrain from murdering them, that would be nice."

Raven sighed. "I'll try my hardest. But only because it's you."

"You don't even have any weapons!" Roman pointed out, somewhat hysterically.

"I know," Jaune said. "That's the only reason I hold any hope of you surviving in the first place."

Roman wasn't an idiot. At least now at this point. He brought up his cane and squeezed the trigger. Jaune leapt left and Raven right, Jaune wincing when the sofa went up in an explosion.

"I _liked_ that couch!" Raven roared.

Okay, maybe Roman was an idiot after all.

In truth, Jaune was relieved that Raven went for him. Roman was four or five years younger than the last time Jaune fought him, whereas he was four or five older and more experienced. He was confident he could beat a less experienced Roman in a fair fight, but right now they were unarmed and Roman wasn't. Jaune had no idea which way that would have gone.

Luckily, Raven was, if nothing else, obsessed with strength. It didn't surprise him at all to see that included strength when faced with the loss of a weapon. Whether it was training with Taiyang on Team STRQ or bar brawling, Raven weaved into Roman's guard and struck with punishing blows that drove the thief back. Neo, seeing the danger to Roman and happy to abandon the goons, rushed in to help.

"I guess that leaves me with—Whoa!"

Okay, Roman's goons weren't quite the same level of stupid as normal ones. They didn't give Jaune a chance to finish his one-liner and instead opened fire on him, spreading out to ensure he couldn't deal with them all at once. Smart. Roman definitely focused on quality over quantity, except that he hadn't in the future. Had something changed, or have he just become complacent in his and Neo's strength? It was hard to say. Time could change a man.

Darting around a table and cringing when it became riddled with holes, Jaune dashed to the first man and slid low, under the barrel of the gun. His wrist caught it – making him wince as it fired right by his ear – and Jaune snapped a knife-hand into the man's wrist. When his grip on the gun weakened, Jaune tugged it out and spun it around, only refraining from firing at the last second. He wanted Roman's co-operation. Killing his men wasn't a good way to earn it. Jaune dragged the gun up and slammed the butt into the man's head instead, knocking him down.

He then turned on the remaining and opened fire.

They didn't know Jaune wanted them alive, of course. Training kicked in and they ducked for cover, huddling behind furniture. The second they took their eyes off him, he was moving. The first had hidden behind an upturned table, and Jaune slammed into it feet first, knocking it back up right and pushing the man back. He slid over, feet first, connecting both with the man's startled face.

Without losing momentum, Jaune landed, rolled and came up running, firing off a quick burst _over_ the head of his next target, pushing him down. The goon blind-fired back, a good move to try and stop an assault. Jaune ignored it, however, letting six of the shots go wide and tanking the last with his aura.

The goon, seeing the fate of the former, broke cover and ran. Smart again. Jaune gave chase but was warded off by gunfire from the others and had to give it up. "These guys are actually pretty well-trained," Jaune called. "Nice job, Roman."

"Cackk!" Roman replied, retching as Raven _buried_ her fist under his ribcage. Neo flashed in from behind and Jaune called out a warning, not that she needed it. Raven ducked, forcing Neo to halt or hit Roman, and then came back up behind the girl and twisted her knife arm behind her back. She placed a bare foot in the centre of Neo's back and pushed, forcing Neo and Roman's foreheads to slam into one another.

Jaune made a mental note to not invite Raven to spar when she was in a bad mood.

Four henchmen remained. Tossing his spent SMG aside, Jaune picked up a nearby chair and ran from cover. His target backpedalled, trying to put room between them, but he didn't know the environment and hit a wall. He had a moment to look back in sudden terror before the chair caught the side of his face and exploded. The man slumped to the side and crumpled in a dead faint.

The last three, already low on ammo and seeing that their current method wasn't working, rushed him en masse. They spread out to flank and surround him, drawing an assortment of knives and bats. It wasn't a bad idea, given how they were faring otherwise. But that didn't make it the right decision.

Jaune caught the bat before it could hit his face, slid one hand down to the base and twisted it out of the owner's grip. Now armed, he made short work of those that remained, while being careful to limit the damage as much as he could. No broken bones, no shots to the neck or face, and nothing these guys couldn't shake off if they had to. By the time he was done, they were all down and out, slumped around his living room.

Glancing over to Raven, he was just in time to see Neo fall unconscious and Roman collapse by a wall, panting harshly with his cane nowhere to be seen. Raven glanced over at Jaune with a bloodthirsty grin, and for half a second, he thought she might attack him next. Or worse.

And then the doorbell rang, breaking the mood.

What? Who would be coming around at this time and what would they even be coming fo- Jaune froze. Gunfire, sounds of fighting, screaming. Yeah. This place was heavily sound-insulated, but the designers probably hadn't had all of this in mind.

 _Stay hidden_ , he mouthed to Raven as he half-jogged to the door, quickly brushing his sleeves down and trying not to look like he'd come off a battlefield. His shirt had bullet holes in it. He quickly tore it off, acting for all the world like he'd just woken up or something. Everything else looked okay, except for some blood on his shoes. He kicked those into a cupboard by the front door, adopted a wide, if strained smile, and pulled it open.

"Hello?"

An elderly woman, along with an equally ancient man. Grey hair, wrinkles and genuinely concerned expressions. At least on the woman's face. The man looked cantankerous and not at all happy to have been dragged out of the house so late.

"Henry, is that you?" the woman asked.

"Hello Miss McGuiggins," Jaune replied. They were his neighbours. "Is anything the matter?"

"Shouldn't we be asking you that, Henry? We heard such a racket. All that banging and shouting – and screaming. I pulled my Roger right out of bed, I did. Do you need any help?" Margaret indicated her husband, easily ninety, who held a rapier in one hand. Huh. He'd been a huntsman. Who knew.

"Uh, no, no. It's fine."

"Are you sure? You're not in any danger are you, Henry?"

"No." Jaune winced as a groan came from the living room area. He prayed for old people hearing problems.

"What was that?"

No such luck. Shit. "That was-"

Two, smooth arms wrapped around Jaune's chest from behind, cupping together over his heart. Hair tickled his neck as a chin came down to rest on his shoulder. "Mmm," Raven moaned, "What's the problem? I'm getting lonely."

Son of a bitch…

Jaune dared to look back to the McGuiggins, who stared at Raven with equal parts shock and something _far, far_ worse.

"Oh my," Margaret said, holding one hand over her mouth but _not_ looking put off in any way. "Oh Henry, you didn't tell me you'd met someone. How wonderful!"

"Uh…"

"What about the banging?" Roger demanded.

"We were testing the furniture," Raven answered before he could. "It didn't prove… up to our standards."

"I see." Margaret shot Raven a look. One that had Jaune's earns turning pink. "It's always important to break furniture in like that. Roger and I used to all the time." Argh. The images. The mental agony. "Make sure to play some music next time, or people will hear. What will your poor daughter think? She's probably locked in her room, head buried under her pillow."

Raven grinned. "I'll keep that in mind next time."

"Good. Good. Come on, Roger. Let's leave these two to it." As the old lady led her husband away, Jaune caught her parting words, "And why do you and I never do things like that anymore? We bought that new dining room table last week. I say we go and try it out right now."

Jaune groaned. He'd never be able to look at Mrs McGuiggins the same way again.

Raven chuckled as the door closed.

"I hate you. I hope you realise that."

"If you hated me, you'd stop inviting me back."

"You create portals, Raven. I have literally no say on it."

"And yet each time I come, you have the fridge stocked full of drink for me. If it were empty, I wouldn't stay." She detached her arms from his chest but made sure to drag her nails across his skin as she pulled them back. "I think you like having me come visit. Why else would you entertain me each time?"

"Well _I_ think you're delusional," Jaune said, ignoring her laughter. He stalked back to the living room, not even bothering to pull on a shirt. Roman was on his knees trying to wake up Neo when they arrived. On hearing their footsteps, the thief looked up with a panicked expression. He tried to stand.

Jaune helped him – though he was sure Roman didn't see it that way. Dragging the thief to the couch, he pushed the man down and sat on his left, an arm around Roman's shoulders more to keep him still than offer any friendly notions.

"Now. How about that chat I mentioned earlier?"

Roman cringed.

"You're almost out of beer," Raven called from the fridge, her legs and rear end visible as she delved bodily into it. She came back with three bottles and put one before each of them, flicking out a knife she'd hidden somewhere and prying each cap off. Roman, on realising just how dangerous Raven _could_ have been, whimpered.

"See, this wasn't _quite_ the meeting I was hoping for," Jaune said. "Thanks," he added when Raven handed him a drink. He took a sip. "In my head I imagined you coming here, trying to rob me and we'd chat. Nice and diplomatic, like. Obviously, things deteriorated, but I'm sure we can all just let that go and start afresh. Right?"

"Y-Yeah," Roman stammered. "Sure. Starting afresh. I like that. I like that a lot."

"Great! See, Junior told me a little about you, Roman. Testing the odds, playing the dangerous game, but dodging the gang and family's attentions as you do. I'm involved in the business, too. You might have heard of me. I go by Goldilocks." Raven snorted. Jaune glared. "And no, I didn't get to _choose_ that name."

"Goldilocks," Raven repeated, shaking her head. "Only you, Jaune."

Roman was less composed. He'd gone still. It was obvious he knew the name, and the connotations. He was probably realising even now just who Junior had set him up to burgle. "Fuck me," he whispered. "So, what is this, a recruitment pitch?"

"Something like that."

"And why should I agree to work with you?"

"Because if you don't, you'll be eaten by a Griffon."

Roman paled.

"Now, let me tell you all the reasons you _should_ be eager to work with me."

"And I'll give you all the reasons to not say no," Raven added, flashing him a dangerous smile. "Most of them revolve around me, though one or two factor Goldilocks over there." Raven paused to take a drink. "Also, you owe me a couch."

"You realise that was _my_ couch," Jaune said.

"Eh. I saved your life, remember? And I've still not decided what I'll take as repayment. I own everything, you included. You're just allowed to savour the illusion of freedom."

Jaune snorted at the joke. "You're too kind."

"You're insane," Roman groaned. "You're both insane."

"Wait until you hear my plans," Jaune said, smiling. "You're only one foot in the rabbit hole at the moment, my friend. You're about to topple in head first."

/-/

Roman staggered into his hideout and onto his loveseat. Neo collapsed on the sofa beside him, one arm thrown across her eyes as she massaged her bruised ribs. The boys had been dispatched, sent home with a little bonus to ease away the injuries. Roman didn't normally like paying for failure, but he felt they deserved it this time. They'd actually dared to fight that crazy bastard. That kind of loyalty deserved reward, even if it _was_ batshit crazy.

Sighing, Roman brought out his scroll and dialled a number.

" _Hello?"_ a voice said.

"Junior…"

" _Oh Roman. How's it going?"_

"You're some kind of asshole, Junior. You know that?"

" _Ah. I see you met Jaune."_

"Him and his psycho girlfriend! Thanks for the warning there, you bastard."

" _He has a girlfriend? No, I really don't want to know. Just tell me, please. She's not anything like him, is she?"_

"Ten. Times. Worse."

" _Fuck my life…"_

/-/

Summer was entirely too excited about all of this, Jaune decided. He'd thought Ruby could be bad, but she'd come out practically calm compared to her mother. Wasn't she supposed to be upset that she was effectively being left alone to look after the children while the men went drinking? Not Summer. The moment he'd come and explained to the two that he needed some parenting advice, specifically of the father kind, Summer cheerfully told him and Taiyang that they were going out for a male bonding session and that she'd look after Ruby, Yang and even Emerald – who could come stay for a playdate.

Gods above, Emerald's expression had turned sour when he used the same word on her.

"Playdate…" she'd said, with the same enthusiasm one might at being told it was time for their own execution.

"It's just the one night, Emerald. I can't leave you home alone in case something happens."

"I'd be fine, though."

"I know that, but this is Summer and Taiyang. If I go out with him all night, Summer is going to task who is looking after you. I've no answer to that and she'd know it."

In the end, Emerald agreed, though only after Jaune promised this wouldn't happen again anytime soon, and that he'd take her out for a nice meal after. Just another thing he had to ask Taiyang about, really. He was fairly sure most father-daughter interactions weren't supposed to involve a great deal of bribes and bartering.

And so, he'd left Emerald with Ruby and Yang, only glimpsing the former briefly. She was still shy, Summer assured him, pushing him out the door to spend the evening with her husband. It was all a flash. The last he'd heard was Summer cheerfully talking about movie night, games and ice-cream.

"Is this a playdate for Emerald, or for her?"

"That's Summer for you," Taiyang said. "When she gets an idea in her head there's no stopping her. It's easier just to go along with whatever she suggests."

Well, at least Emerald would be in good hands. Honestly, Jaune wasn't sure he'd seen a family more well adapted than theirs. His own might have been an example, but Dad was always out working, providing for eight children, and it was hard to pick out details when you were a part of the family. If there had been problems, he'd been too young to notice.

Most wore their issues more openly, however. The Schnee family was a prime example with the issues not just between Jacques and his daughters, but also between Weiss and Winter. They were close, yes, but Jaune could still remember Ruby frantically telling him that the first time she'd met Winter, Weiss had been _slapped_ across the face.

Though it didn't seem to have affected Weiss much, it had sent Ruby's heart racing. She'd been half-prepared to pick up Crescent Rose and declare war on Atlas. That, frankly, was not a normal family relationship, and he didn't care how much Weiss said she admired and respected her older sister. _At least Winter is different this time around._

Taiyang and Summer, though, just seemed perfect. More than that, they were so relaxed. Taiyang had no issue with Summer hanging off other people, be it Jaune, Qrow or anyone else. There was no mistrust there, no jealousy, and no doubt in either his or Summer's mind that the other would ever cheat on them, or even consider such a possibility. Meanwhile, he knew from the future that Summer had been a model mother and Taiyang, apart from a breakdown after Summer's death, had been a great father for the two – even when he became a single father, which was exactly what Jaune was now.

"So, Summer tells me you were looking for a little parenting advice," Taiyang said. "I guess it's on how to deal with teenage girls?"

"Something like that. Or having a daughter in general. Emerald and I…"

"Yeah, we know."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

"We're not blind and Summer adores the two of you. That means she pays attention, which means she notices when things aren't… quite perfect."

"Ah…" He didn't like the sound of that. "Why did she never say anything?"

"And question you?" Taiyang asked with a laugh. "We just found you again after you split at Atlas. It's not like she's had much of an opportunity, and besides, no matter how confident she acts she can still be a little nervous at the idea of broaching a subject like that. She didn't want to insult you."

"Oh."

"And it's not like it's _bad_ bad," he continued. "Emerald was an orphan before, so you're better than nothing. It's obvious you're trying your best, too." Taiyang clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Cheer up. Despite how it seems, being a Dad doesn't come with an instruction manual. Let's go find somewhere quiet to have a drink and we can compare notes."

"Thanks for this, Taiyang."

"It's Tai, and no worries. You're a friend of the family now."

/-/

Emerald was a tricky one, Summer quickly learned. Tricky, but not so different from any other child as to be impossible to understand. Ruby talked because she loved her Mommy. Yang, because she was outgoing and liked to talk. Emerald didn't talk much, at least not to strangers, and Summer could understand why that might be. But she'd already heard from Jaune how certain things might loosen her tongue and she'd prepared appropriately.

"Do you want some mint-choc-chip ice-cream before?"

Dark, reddish eyes slid in her direction. It was the first sign of interaction Emerald had granted her, having before sat on a stool, arms crossed, face looking out the window. To anyone else, Emerald would have come across rude and ignorant. To Summer, it was a challenge. A challenge she was already on the way to winning.

"Come on over if you want some," she said, picking out a bowl. "Yang and Ruby are already playing their little game. They'll be busy on that for at least ten minutes."

Summer filled the bowl with three hearty scoops, and then intentionally put it out of Emerald's reach, in front of the chair that was opposite Summer, across the island that separated the kitchenette from the living room of their temporary Vale home. To finish it off, Summer pushed a spoon into the largest scoop and tilted it toward Emerald.

Slowly, like a predator sneaking up on its prey, Emerald slunk off the stool and padded across the kitchen. Her footsteps were near-silent. Summer wasn't sure why she noticed that, but she did and wondered sadly if it was because she'd had to sneak and steal to survive. Before Jaune, anyway. The stool scraped back and Emerald winced. When no one said anything, she clambered up onto it, sat down, pulled the bowl protectively between her elbows and began to eat.

"You like it?"

Emerald paused, considered, and then nodded.

"Have you ever tried it with different sauces on?"

A pause. "Sauces…?"

"To add flavour!"

"Like, tomato sauce?" Emerald grimaced.

"No, no. Here." Summer rummaged in the cupboard and came back down with three different squeezy-bottles. "Strawberry, toffee and chocolate," she said, pointing to each in turn.

Emerald nodded and watched with obvious curiosity as Summer opened each bottle and squeezed a little bit out onto an empty portion of Emerald's bowl, letting her test each with her spoon – and then by dipping a little ice-cream into it. The girl's eyes lit up on the strawberry.

"We have a winner," Summer giggled. "Strawberry is Ruby's favourite, too. You want some more?"

"Yes," Emerald said, and then after a pregnant pause added, "Please…"

Who ever said looking after kids was hard? Summer smiled and let Emerald have as much strawberry sauce as she wanted. "So, Jaune tells me you like to read."

"Mhm." Emerald opined.

"Where did you learn to read?"

"He taught me."

"Aw, that's sweet." Summer's face lit up. "All by himself?"

Emerald hesitated. Frowned. "Winter helped a little," she mumbled under her breath, as if the mere thought of saying such hurt her.

"Winter Schnee? I heard he went with her as his date to that ball the other day."

"It wasn't a real date!" Emerald suddenly said, louder and firmer than before. The girl winced a second later and went back to her ice-cream, eyes down. "It was an arrangement. He couldn't say no. Would have made Jacques Schnee upset. It wasn't a real date."

Oh dear…

Well, Summer could understand why Jaune felt it so important to get some parenting advice. She could only hope her husband was giving him appropriate help.

/-/

"You've got to take it where you can get it," Taiyang slurred. "See, kids grow fast. One moment it's `Daddy, I love you` and hugs, the next it's `Ugh, don't try and hold my hand. That's not cool`." Tai gripped his fist so hard his knuckles turned white. "It's, like, give me back my little angel! I don't want my precious daughter to be trying to look cool, attract the boys and leave me behind."

"There, there," Jaune said, patting Tai's shoulder. He, like Taiyang, was already a few sheets to the wind, two pubs and at least six drinks down. "At least you've still got Ruby, right?"

"Yeah. Ruby is still Daddy's girl. But it won't last – and it won't last with Emma, either."

"Emerald."

"S'what I said." Tai poked Jaune's chest. "You need to make the most of the time you have, because time passes, and fast. Before you know it, she'll have dyed her hair black and purple, pierced her face twenty times and started wearing black leather. And then what are you going to do?"

"Accept her life choices?"

"Yeah, obviously. But hugging gets harder because of all the spiky bits!"

"Ah. I see." Jaune drank a little more. If nothing, he was feeling unusually relaxed. It was nice to sit down and drink with someone you knew wouldn't attack you, freeload or ultimately spring some other nasty surprise on you. It felt like his old nights out with Team November. "I'm not sure that's such a big problem for us, though. I've barely even hugged her."

Tai's face snapped to his so hard the man's neck cracked. "Whut?"

"W-Well, it's not that I haven't. I did once or twice before, and I've rubbed her head, and after we had an argument where she thought I didn't have any faith in her. But she's not very touchy. You know she lived on the street before this. Did you know she thought I'd picked her up for _other reasons_ when I first took her in? She thought I _owned_ her."

"Fucked up as that is, you realise that's not her fault," Tai said.

"Yes, of course, but it's an example of how much I've had to work past. Emerald… she's not a regular girl. There's a lot of baggage."

"I can imagine. How did you meet?"

"She tried to pickpocket me," Jaune said.

"Cute. What did you do?"

"Broke her wrist."

Taiyang paused, bottle to his lips. His expression seemed to ask if Jaune wasn't joking with him.

Jaune cringed. "I healed her afterwards."

"Right..." Taiyang finished the motion and took a drink. "And then what, you told her you were going to save her from a life on the streets?"

"Uh. More like I just dragged her for a meal, took her to my hotel room and then to Atlas when I left. In my defence, I was worried she wouldn't trust me. I thought she'd bolt."

"Wouldn't you if some guy just kidnapped you like that?"

"Okay, I realise I made a mistake there, Tai. I'm trying to be better."

"I know, I know. Sheesh, you're as bad as Qrow sometimes. I'll keep the specifics of this one to myself. Summer would nag your ear off if she heard you did something like that. Besides, Emerald likes you now. Trusts you, too."

"It's taken a long time. She has real trust issues."

"All the more reason for you to make your intentions clearer. Have you ever actually told her how you feel?"

Jaune blinked. "Lost, confused and out of my depth?"

"No, you idiot. That you love her. That you consider her your daughter."

"She knows. I adopted her, taught her to read, trained her-"

"She's not psychic! You've still got to _say_ it," Tai despaired. He took a deep breath and downed the rest of his bottle, holding out a hand to stop Jaune before he could speak. "Look, things like that may seem obvious to you, but that's because you know your own reasoning. Do you know why kids say `I love you` more than adults? It's because children are honest where adults aren't. We hide things, hold back, or trust that people can read between the lines. You think a child can look into the deeper meanings of what your actions mean? You think a child who lived on the _streets_ with no one to care for her can do all of that? She can't. Trust me."

"But Emerald is much more mature."

"She's fucked up, you mean," Taiyang said. Jaune bristled, and Tai laughed. "Don't get wound up, I don't mean it as an insult. But you've got to know it. She's not mature; she's hurt. Mature is eating all your vegetables because you know you know it's good for you, even if you don't like them. It's not eating everything because you're not sure where your next meal will come from or because you don't want to displease the person giving them to you because you're afraid they'll hate or abandon you. Chances are she's _never_ experienced real love and attention before. She isn't going to recognise what it is from you - no matter how obvious you make it."

Jaune's stomach lurched. "Shit…" He held a hand to his face. "I'm the worst. Did I really mess up that badly?"

"Nah. Not even close," Tai was quick to say, and place a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "Don't let me get you down. You're still a thousand times better than what she would have had, and if you judge yourself against some perfect ideal, you'll always come up short. There's a good chance she'd be _dead_ without you. And you _do_ love her like your own. I can tell. Summer can, too. Emerald just doesn't realise it. You could do better, and you will, but better what you gave her than nothing."

Maybe. Jaune took another long drink. He wasn't sure what to say. Emerald… as much as he'd tried, he only took her in as a precaution. He hadn't done it to be kind, to help her or anything else. He'd come here planning to help RWBY and JNPR, but Emerald? A part of him had honestly considered killing her. To look back on that now, he felt sick to his stomach. Even their first meeting where he'd broken and healed her wrist was a sickening one. And then he'd exploited her to find King, putting her in danger to the point where King wanted to kill her.

Everything after was better, but that didn't change the fact Emerald he been completely expendable to him at first. She hadn't been important, and he had a feeling that if he'd been any less in a good mood that day, or any more distracted, then he might have left her to it. Or dumped her in an orphanage in Atlas and called it a day.

"It's not just you, either," Tai said. "People hold on to their words thinking there'll be another time, another chance. No one's psychic and nothing lasts forever. Just tell her. Guarantee that'll solve at least some of your problems."

"Alright, I think you've got a point," Jaune said. It was a big step, but not one he wasn't prepared to take. He'd just have to think of a time and place, along with the right words to say. "But what about making friends? I'm having trouble getting her to talk to people."

"See, that's a deeper problem and I'm not sure what to say there. She's not going to trust easy, while Ruby and Yang don't have that kind of baggage." Tai shrugged. "I'll ask Summer. Maybe just force them all to spend more time together, at the gym or wherever. Not all friendships start off well. Yang and her may argue, but they don't ignore one another. That's better than nothing."

Hm, he had a point there. Ruby and Weiss were a good example of that. Maybe he was looking at Emerald's rivalry with Yang the wrong way. There was no reason it couldn't blossom into something more, and Emerald _did_ need a sparring partner who could push her. Emerald would have fixed him with the dirtiest look ever if she could hear his thoughts. It was for the best, though. Emerald needed people she could trust. Yang would be good for her, if not for her patience.

"Summer's more worried about her over-focusing onto you," Tai said.

"What? Yang?"

Tai snorted, "Not unless you want your head smashed in, buster." He laughed at the not-quite-idle-threat. "She means your kid, of course. You're the only one she's ever known to be nice to her. She's going to latch onto you _hard_. Already has by the looks of things."

"Is that a problem?"

"Well, it might explain why you're having trouble convincing her to make friends. She probably feels she doesn't need any since all she cares about is you. Might even feel threatened if you meet someone."

"How am I supposed to help with that?"

"Get a wife?"

"Out of the question," Jaune said, making a cross-hands gesture as he said it. "I've too much baggage to get hitched. Besides, the only women my age I know are Helena and-" he cut off suddenly, realising who he was talking to. Sadly, Taiyang, while drunk, was not stupid.

"And Raven, right?"

Jaune winced.

"It's fine," Tai said, somewhat breezily, but with a clear sense of forced calm. "Qrow told me you knew her. I knew that before I even met you in Atlas, back when all Qrow would refer to you as was `that cheating blond bastard`."

"I didn't really cheat…"

"Yeah, I gathered. Qrow's a sore loser. Trust me on that. Anyway, what was between Raven and I… It's gone now. There's nothing. I've moved on. Summer and I are happy."

"I can tell," Jaune said. "And despite what Qrow might have implied, Raven and I aren't like that. I can promise you that. We're…"

"Friends?" Tai guessed.

"Associates. She's more my personal pain in the ass than anything. I think she sees me as some kind of slave slash conversation slash sparring partner."

"Heh. That sounds like her." Taiyang took a long drink, finishing another bottle and settling it down. "Summer likes you," he said. "I like you, too. You saved her life, saved Qrow's life and even saved both my little girls' lives. Even if you hadn't, I think I'd consider you a pal."

Simple words, but Jaune felt touched nonetheless. In this life, in this time, he really didn't have many people who could claim to be so simple as a friend. Raven, perhaps. Junior, but only because he scared the guy. Summer, he supposed. That was really it.

"So, I won't tell you what you can and can't do," Tai said, "But I will warn you, as a friend. Don't fall for Raven. You'll get hurt if you do. Raven lives by her own rules and expects you to live by them, too. Problem is, she doesn't tell you what those are before you get involved. I don't want to see you burned like I was."

"I appreciate that, Tai. Let's talk about something else."

Taiyang's impish grin came back. "You want some blackmail material on Qrow?"

"Embarrassing stories from Beacon?" Jaune grinned. "I'm all ears."

/-/

Jaune stood with one hand above the water-cooler in the gym, intently watching the icy liquid fill the little plastic cup while he massaged his forehead with his other hand. The hangover was legendary. Taiyang certainly knew how to hold his alcohol. Once the cup was finished, Jaune downed the water, cringing at how it still held an after-taste of cheap beer. The students were in for a rough day's training, he thought. He didn't feel merciful enough for anything less.

On the bright side, the talk with Taiyang had left him with numerous ideas to try with Emerald, none of which he'd yet put into practice since he'd woken up less than an hour before and Emerald was still over at Yang's place. Which reminded him, he still needed to figure out how to apologise for that. Jaune very much doubted Emerald would be quick to forgive him offloading her like that.

"One step forward, six back," he muttered.

A few voices over by the entrance told him the Malachites had arrived, though beyond them he saw Yang and Emerald, too. Looked like she'd badgered Summer into bringing her as early as possible. Well, assuming Emerald could `badger` anyone with how little she spoke. A quick glance told him she wasn't best pleased at having been left with Yang of all people. Jaune wandered over to greet them, and to subtly beg for forgiveness, when the front door to the gym _slammed_ open, startling not only Jaune but everyone else as well. The woman in the doorway gave them precisely no time to recover.

"Oi _fuck-face_! What's this I hear about you training other people when you weren't done with me!?"

No.

No…

It couldn't be.

It was.

Short-cropped black hair, tan skin and blue eyes. She had grown a little taller, a little stronger, but she hadn't lost the cocky smirk, nor the less-than-affectionate nickname she had for him.

"Vernal!? What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"Here to finish what you started," she snapped, and then held up a bag of lien with one hand and what appeared to be a slip of paper with the other. "This is my permission slip to join the gym, signed by the boss herself. Along with a months' pay."

Oh God. How had she found out? How had she even _gotten_ here in the first place? The answer came as quickly as he asked the question, delivered in his head with an image of the one at fault, offering him that same shit-eating grin she always did.

Raven, you absolute bitch…

* * *

 **Fluff and squee and stuff. Oh, and Vernal.**

 **And yes, you didn't get to see the "talk" between Roman, Jaune and Raven. Some things are best imagined, and you'll get some details later from Roman's point of view. Suffice to say, they made quite the impression on him.**

 **Nothing else to say here. September hates me still. Got to go write a speech. Bye.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 29th September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	27. Chapter 27

**This is still part of my `written in advance` list. Ugh. Right at the end of it too. Yay for not having to slave on more than ten chapters in five days, nay because I'm literally exhausted at the time of typing this. But hey, it's done. It's out there.**

 **Relief.**

 **Anyway, chapter is shorter than usual thanks to being written in advance while I also have to write other stuff. I am literally writing chapters 26 and 27 at the same time.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 27**

* * *

Emerald had thought the world made sense.

She had spent years now fitting everything into convenient boxes, sorted in relation to how she saw them. Jaune existed outside of the boxes, of course, while most people were filed into the `dislike` category. This included such individuals as Yang, Winter, Weiss, Whitley and most other people. Then there was the Bloody Lady, who didn't occupy a box because Emerald was afraid what might happen to her if she tried to sort her. Make no mistake, she didn't _like_ the Bloody Lady who came and sat on _their_ couch, eating _their_ food and preventing Emerald from spending time with _her_ mentor, but was also afraid of her.

Then there was Ruby, who occupied an odd and lonely spot in the `Eh` box. Eh, she was okay. Eh, she wasn't a big problem. Eh, she was quiet but not annoying.

Emerald liked the `Eh` box.

Summer was somewhere above that. She had given Emerald ice-cream and liked to try and talk with her. She also adored Jaune but was married and happily in love with her husband, Taiyang. This meant Summer was a food-giver who wouldn't ruin things and as such earned her what was the closest Emerald could provide to affection outside of Jaune.

This, Emerald felt, was the way of the world. She was content with it.

And then Vernal appeared…

Vernal appeared, shattered all of Emerald's neatly ordered boxes, kicked down her sandcastle and utterly destroyed the neat and ordered world Emerald had worked so hard to create. And worse, she did all of that without paying the slightest attention to Emerald. In fact, as though to rub salt in the wound, Vernal was also doing _better_ than Emerald.

"You call this a run?" the rude girl called from the head of the pack. She was far in the lead, with Emerald behind and Yang behind her, everyone else trailing even further back. She also wasn't even winded. "I could keep this up for an hour. Some of you are wheezing like fucking babies. Pick up the pace, weaklings."

Emerald's blood boiled but she pushed herself harder nonetheless, up to the point where her lungs burned, and she could barely see past the sweat that ran down her face. Vernal noticed and casually increased her own pace, staying ahead.

"Vernal," Jaune called from the centre of the ring, "Don't insult your classmates."

"Classmates? These twerps? Ha! You could do better, fuck-face. You've _done_ better. Might as well ditch these losers and come back to train _me_ full time."

Emerald found her sixteenth wind. She sprinted after the girl, hand outstretched, teeth bared. Vernal escaped with a derisive laugh, even going so far as to start running _backwards_ , watching Emerald with a smirk.

It hadn't been any better in sparring. Like the times before, Jaune took to calling Emerald up to be his partner in demonstrations, and Emerald – though she would never admit it – took a desperate pleasure in being the best in the ASH Gym. The demonstrations only proved it, for while some of the older students might have been able to go toe-to-toe with her, they could not best her easily. Emerald had done the same again today, determined that she would finally show up the loud-mouthed girl that came here out of the blue, insulted Jaune and then acted like _she_ was his one and only student.

Except, it hadn't worked like that.

Emerald got her chance to challenge Vernal and to her shock and anger, Jaune had stepped in to suggest Vernal face _him_ instead. Was this a repeat of the tournament? Emerald had glared at him with so much _hurt_ in her eyes that he'd been forced to back down. She'd thought she had won.

And then Vernal crushed her.

It wasn't even a fair fight. Emerald was strong, she knew this, but Vernal fought with a ferocity that caught her off-guard. She fought like a Beowolf, attacking swiftly and without mercy. Emerald had found herself overwhelmed and then, as if to make matters worse, Vernal had refused to come off the stage until she was sated – fighting and defeating three more students, Yang among them.

Emerald had thought she had the world and the people in it sorted into their convenient boxes, but she was wrong. Vernal changed things. Vernal messed things up, made them different, complicated. Emerald hated her.

And she found that she hated Vernal a lot more than she hated Winter, or even Yang!

"That's it," Yang said, collapsing on the mats next to Emerald with a bruise on her cheek. Jaune and Vernal were sparring now, he being the only one capable of giving her a challenge. "I'm spent. Who is she, anyway?"

Emerald was surprised to find herself willing to talk with Yang. "Don't know," she grunted. "He never mentioned her."

"She says he trained her."

"Hm."

Yang's eyes narrowed. "I don't like her."

Emerald looked at Yang out the corner of one eye. It was a surprise to find they agreed on something for once. Yang had been firmly in the `dislike` box, but now with the arrival of Vernal, Emerald had discovered new depths to her frustration. She couldn't really bring herself to dislike Yang at all, not with all her enmity focused on the monster in the ring.

"I hate her," Emerald spat.

"Yeah. Me too."

Hmm. Maybe Yang could be upgraded to loud and sometimes annoying ally. "She keeps insulting him," Emerald said carefully.

"And she's so fucking arrogant," Yang added. She then paused and looked around nervously to see if Summer had overheard her words. She hadn't, and Yang relaxed. "I mean, okay I get it, you're strong. No need to rub it in our faces."

"Rude," Emerald agreed.

"She needs to be taught a lesson." Yang said.

This, Emerald decided, was the wisest thing Yang Xiao-Long had ever said. It immediately elevated her in Emerald's mind. She saw Yang with new eyes and considered that. Loud, yes. Irritating, yes. But she had no interest in Jaune other than for training, and clearly respected his ability to teach her. These were good qualities. Similarly, Yang was Summer's daughter and Summer let her eat extra scoops of mint-choc-chip ice-cream.

Those were some serious redeeming qualities.

"Alliance," Emerald said, and when Yang looked her way, she explained, "She's too strong to fight on our own. If we want to beat her, we need to get stronger."

"And work together?"

Emerald nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She held a fist out towards Emerald. "Team?"

Emerald regarded the fist warily for a moment before, with a simple nod, she met it with her own.

"Team."

/-/

"What are you doing here, Vernal?" Jaune asked once training was over and all the munchkins were busy getting changed. "And don't say training. I mean why _here_. Why would Raven send you so far for something you could get in camp?"

"You want me to guess how Raven thinks? Yeah, no."

"I'm not-" Jaune sighed. Okay, Vernal had a point there, even if he personally thought Raven wasn't all _that_ difficult to understand once you got down to it. "Fine. I'll ask her myself when she comes by. Just tell me, did she _tell_ you to come here?"

"She told me where you were," Vernal said, crossing her arms. "And she offered to make me a portal if I wanted to come. The choice was mine."

"And you picked it!?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't I?"

Jaune threw his arms up. "Why _would_ you!?"

"Training for one."

"You could have gotten that with Roland if he's still alive, or whoever is in the tribe."

Vernal snorted. "It's not the same. Not even close. You think anyone back there is as strong as you? You beat Qrow. You beat a Branwen. I don't know if you could beat Raven, but you're probably the only one in the whole fucking tribe who could give her a proper fight. Where else am I going to get a chance to train with someone like that? You grow strong by learning under someone strong. No one in the tribe can hold a fucking candle to you."

Seriously? Jaune wanted to argue but thought better of it. Qrow, for all that he'd been ten years younger, still was a huntsman. The tribe were bandits at best, with a few rogue huntsmen thrown into the mix, none of which he expected were tougher than Qrow was. Maybe he _had_ made an impact on the Branwen tribe.

Looking back, offering to train Vernal had probably been a mistake. He'd only done so out of boredom and a desire to get her off his back. She'd obviously taken it seriously, and why not? If she thought him as strong as she said, she'd have been a fool to turn such training down.

"I heard what you did, too," she said. "Trained someone to just about win the Vytal Festival. Even adopted a brat." Vernal's lips pulled down. "That's another reason I wanted to come visit; meet my _replacement_."

"Don't say it like that."

"I'll say it like I want, fuck-face. Maybe I didn't mean shit to you, but you were _my_ teacher."

"That wasn't our arrangement."

"Then maybe you should have made that fucking clearer!" Vernal surged past him, slamming her shoulder into his as she did. "I'm getting changed," she growled. "See you tomorrow." Vernal kept her eyes ahead as she marched to the changing rooms, those coming out parting quickly, giving her as wide a berth as possible.

"Great…" Jaune ran a hand through his hair and fought past the quick surge of something that might have been guilt, but which he refused to acknowledge. He hadn't made any promises to Vernal. Anything she thought he'd offered had been her misunderstanding.

It didn't help much, of course. Maybe it was that Pyrrha trained and looked after him, or maybe he was putting too much emphasis on it. Vernal _had_ just been a kid, though. Kids jumped to conclusions. _He_ certainly had at her age.

"And now I feel like a parent who walked out on their kid." And worse, _Raven_ was the one who had stayed to look after her and now they were having the disastrous reunion several years later. The similarity with Yang's situation hardly helped.

 _No. I'm not like Raven. I made a mistake. She chose to walk out on Yang._

He shook the thoughts away as the parents started to come down to collect their children. One or two stopped to not-so-subtly ask him if he'd take the girl – no prizes for guessing who – to task over her harsh language. Jaune promised he would and that there wouldn't be any repeats of the day. Gods, he had a feeling Vernal was going to hold that over his head. She was a thief and a bandit, so she wasn't about to give up her swearing for nothing.

More and more hassle. And to think, he'd thought the Malachite twins would be trouble. Those two were on their best behaviour, smiling at him now as they walked by.

"Thanks for lesson, Mr Ashari."

"Thanks, coach!"

"No problem, girls. See you tomorrow." He waved them off, convinced Junior had somehow forced them to be on their best behaviour, and not at all feeling bad about the fact. He needed _some_ mercy in this den of child-based misery.

Who knew kids and teenagers could be so complicated? He had new respect for Miss Goodwitch. How she put up with all of them at Beacon, he had no idea. If he'd had to watch the bullying debacle between himself and Cardin, he'd have snapped and waded in to sort it out himself.

"So, you didn't tell us you had _another_ munchkin following you around."

"I swear to any God listening, Taiyang, I _will_ punch you."

Taiyang laughed, as did Summer. "Well, at least things will be interesting around here."

"Hm." Jaune idly checked and noted the missing person. "No Ruby?"

"She's with her uncle," Summer said.

"She's spending a lot of time with him lately. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing you need worry about," she said, laughing nervously. "Don't worry about it. Oh look, Yang and Emerald are back. And… talking?"

They were, much to his – and Summer's – surprise. Emerald and Yang were side by side, heads bowed and whispering to one another, Yang gesturing with her hands and Emerald occasionally nodding at something the other girl said.

It _should_ have pleased him. Partly because it was Emerald getting a friend, but also because said friend was Yang, his _own_ friend, and it was a way to get closer to Team RWBY. Not to mention just having his daughter get on with another girl. Any one of those things should have made him feel pleased about what he was seeing.

So, why did he feel so nervous?

"I know that look," Taiyang said. "Yang is up to something."

Ah, that explained it. Jaune hadn't placed it because Yang in the future was better at hiding it, and it usually showed in a kind of smug grin with crossed arms kind of expression. This was much more open, speaking of plotting and nefarious ends. That Emerald was paying attention, and even nodding along, only made it worse.

"Great. I don't think it'll be a big surprise who they're plotting against," Jaune said with a little sigh. "I just hope they don't take it too far. Vernal is… she's not like most people her age."

"She's dangerous, you mean."

"Taiyang!" Summer gasped.

"It's fine," Jaune said. "And yes, you're not wrong."

"I can tell. She's got that look about her. Not in the way she moves – any huntress moves like that with a little training – but in how she watches other people. She baits them in because she's looking for a chance to spring the trap."

"She's a teenager," Summer said, reprimanding them both. "You can't talk about the poor girl like that."

"Hm." Jaune and Taiyang exchanged silent looks.

"I can _see_ you both doing that, you know!"

"It's fine," Jaune said.

"You're right," Taiyang agreed. "Sorry, Summer."

"I can _see_ you both pretending to agree with me when you don't! I'm not an idiot!" Summer rolled her eyes. "Fine. I guess _I'll_ be the one to try and talk to her like she's a normal girl. _Again_. God forbid I can trust either of you two for anything."

Taiyang rolled his eyes, as if lamenting what was a common argument. Jaune nodded along. Summer was great, she really was, but he was beginning to sense the same Ruby-naivety when it came to giving people a chance. It wasn't as if he was going to hurt Vernal if he could help it, but he wasn't going to turn his back on Vernal and Emerald in the same room. That wasn't a lack of trust on his part.

It was just common sense.

/-/

If Jaune had hoped a meal out would calm Emerald down over the Vernal issue, he'd been both disappointed and hopelessly naïve. Nothing seemed to cheer her up, not even a large hot chocolate fudge cake with ice-cream.

Oh, she ate it, of course - the end of the world wouldn't stop her doing that – but she still responded to his question about how she was getting on with Yang with grunts and the occasional single-word answer. At least he knew what the issue was this time, which made it an improvement on his previous failures.

Or, well, it was one of two possible issues.

The first was that Emerald was, in simple terms, feeling both jealous and threatened. Vernal had come in as a mysterious, unknown competitor for his time and attention, and it didn't help that she was both older and a better fighter than Emerald. A lot of that had to do with simple age and experience, Vernal lacking the length of time with his training, but also being trained by Raven, who was hardly a slouch.

The other possibility was that Emerald was worried Vernal might be a trend or her precursor. It was Vernal herself who used the word `replacement`, and as erroneous as that was, Emerald might just be upset enough to consider it. If Vernal had been replaced, then so too could Emerald. It suggested he had a habit of picking up people, training them, and then abandoning them if they weren't good enough. Emerald might have felt comfortable enough to realise she wasn't about to be abandoned, but it might still be causing her some doubt.

Either way, he had to deal with it. And soon.

As such, it was almost a frustration when they arrived home to find _Oobleck_ of all people waiting outside. Of all the timing…

Jaune ushered Emerald around the back and they entered through back door, slipping into the building without problem. "I've got to meet with him," Jaune explained. "We can talk after, okay?"

Emerald shrugged. "Fine."

"Emerald…" He tried to reach out for her, but she slipped away, darting up the stairs before he could. He wanted to chase after her and to hell Oobleck but didn't. Whatever had to be said between him and her was going to take time. Best he not rush into it unprepared.

Instead, Jaune darted into a bathroom and quickly pulled on a wig, securing it so that there was no way to tell his hair as anything other than mud-brown. The rest of the outfit was easy to pull on, left a little loose and rough. Pausing to make sure there weren't any problems or parts of his costume out of place, Jaune hurried down to the front door, which rang for what was quite possibly the fifth time.

"Doctor Oobleck!" he called as he hauled it open. "My humblest apologies, Doctor. I was a bed."

Oobleck appeared surprised. It was only eight. "O-Oh, I see. I did not mean to intrude. I can come back another time if you wish?"

"No, no. Not at all. Please, come in." Jaune – or Henry – had no idea what Oobleck must have thought of his sleeping hours now. Well, it fit in with the rich eccentric angle, he supposed. "Can I get you something to drink, Doctor? Tea, brandy?"

"I've brought my own coffee," Oobleck said, hefting his thermos, which Jaune knew to also be a weapon. "I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not. Let me fetch some cups. You know where the library is, of course? I'll meet you there."

"Thank you."

Oobleck had a briefcase with him, which hinted at some findings. A relief given how long he'd left the inscriptions with him, but then again Jaune didn't exactly have any idea how hard it was to decipher what was essentially an unknown, alien language. That kind of thing must take time. When he reached the kitchen, he cringed at the fact his fridge was filled mostly with alcohol, fished out some instant coffee (Oobleck would never share his own, of course) and two cups. Jogging back, he was brought to a halt a little earlier as Oobleck stood on the edge of living area, looking curiously at the main living room.

Specifically, Raven's – and it annoyed him that he thought of it as that – couch. Or the remains of it.

"Dust accident!" Jaune said, going with literally the first thing to come to mind. "A little bit of experimentation gone wrong. Ha ha. You know how it is, no? Dust is so interesting, and you always want to see how far it can be pushed!"

"Yes, I suppose. Quite." Oobleck didn't look entirely convinced, but it was still a better excuse in Jaune's mind than that he and Raven had _fucked_ the couch to death. He ushered Oobleck away before he could notice any bullet holes. Luckily, it was dark in there. Mostly because the lights were all broken.

"So, what news do we have today, Doctor Oobleck?" Jaune asked as they found their way to the library and sat down. The distraction worked and Oobleck immediately focused on the task at hand, smiling excitedly.

"Quite a bit, Henry. I have exciting news!"

"Well, don't leave me hanging, Oobleck."

"Bart, please, and here." Oobleck opened the case and drew out a few pieces of paper. He laid them down before him. The first one was a familiar image. "I've spoken to an old colleague of mine who specialises in languages and cryptology and we've been going through the inscriptions together. It's been slow work, and our early attempts were foiled because we spent too much time trying to match what was being said to the images on the mural."

"Is the writing not about that?" Jaune asked.

"It is – or we believe so – but there is so much writing and so little of the mural. We believe that it is a _far_ more detailed account of the mural's story. And an account of whomever was buried in the cairn. Their history, if you will."

"I see." That could be useful or not. It was only the Relics he was interested in, but he couldn't say as much to Oobleck. Mentioning that word in Beacon would be disastrous if Ozpin overheard. "What have you found so far? Was the person important?"

Oobleck smiled excitedly. "We believe so! At first, we thought them a warrior. The weapon you found with the body would suggest it, but it wasn't until my colleague suggested that might be a _ceremonial aid_ that we looked at other angles. The sword might just be something they were buried with as an ornament, and not at all a suggestion of their life or career. Judging from the sheer _detail_ all about the cairn's interior, we think the one entombed was someone in a position of governance or power. Perhaps even a priest of some kind."

"Might he be similar to the robed figure in the murals?" Jaune asked, leaning forward. The robed figure who had controlled all four Relics.

"Possibly. Not _the_ figure, I'm sure, otherwise it would be far more ostentatious, but the fact that the mural shows the figure on a stage suggests that a faith was created based around them. It's our belief that the figure was a part of said faith." Oobleck showed another image, this time of the writing on the walls, and pointed to a specific symbol. "This figure here, which we're calling a rune, might actually _not_ be a word in the normal sense of one. You see, we spotted the same rune on the mural itself, specifically in this."

Jaune's heart froze when he saw the image. It was the one of the Relic of Knowledge empowering hunched figures into stronger ones. "I-I see…"

This was perfect. The writing _was_ about the Relics. Argh, but he couldn't point out as much to Oobleck right now, or he'd give his hand away. They were on the right track and would hopefully figure it out themselves when they translated the rest. It was proof that he'd hit the jackpot, however. Whatever the writing contained, the Relics were a part of it.

"What have you managed to translate so far if I may ask?"

"We started, as you might expect, at the beginning. We had to assume a left-to-right writing style, but we think we've been fortunate in that regard. The way in which the symbols are written suggest someone writing from left to right. It's visible in the occasional flick of a rune," he explained, much to Jaune's frustration, "The way they spark to the right suggests a wrist movement in that direction. If one were to write downward, the flicks would point down."

"Anyway, what we have so far seems to be a more detailed interpretation of the first two murals – the city in its zenith, and then what we are calling `the fall`." Oobleck pointed to the relevant images. "The text appears to be an attempt to better explain what caused the fall and thus what necessitated both this religion, and also what caused the death of this civilisation in the first place."

"I'm assuming it's not economic problems?" Jaune asked, only half joking. You never knew.

"Thankfully not," Oobleck said with a roll of the eyes. "This is not perfect, of course, but if you will, I'd like to orate to you what we currently _believe_ to be an interpretation of the early text."

Jaune nodded quickly. "By all means."

"Keep in mind, Henry, that this isn't perfect. As we get further in, we shall be able to refine it. There are also some words we cannot decipher, which I will replace with `unknown`. Finally, the exact translations are not nearly this eloquent. I've adapted it somewhat to fit our syntax. It would be different in their tongue. Right now, we're taking words and concepts, translating them into our language, and then building sentences around them that make sense. There could be some errors."

Oobleck waited for Jaune to nod his understanding. He cleared his breath, picked up the first sheet of paper, and began to read.

"The land of _Unknown_ flourished. We built great cities, great wonders and had great knowledge. The _Unknown_ people ruled the land and were contented. _Unknown_ had wealth, prosperity, safety and dominion over the land. There was no war, no conflict and nothing to challenge the _Unknown_ … empire, we believe at this time." The last was said in a rush. Oobleck coughed before he continued. "We ruled the land, but we did not take care of it."

Here, Oobleck paused and flicked the image, showing the one of the city in flames. His tone became more serious.

"The empire burned. Our – the closest definition we can find here is _world_ – burned. We took and took until there was nothing left to take, and the world rebelled against us. The world split." Oobleck tapped a finger against the corner of the image, showing a jagged line cut in the ground like a thunderbolt. Or, on second glance, like a stylistic picture of a chasm. "The world split, and from the wound came blood. Blood and _Unknown_. The blood was black, and dangerous. It has formed monsters of great strength and they kill our people. The _Unknown_ is dangerous and powerful. It grows and spreads; the tears of a world dying. We did not take care of the world, and now the world has turned on us."

Jaune waited for more, on the edge of his seat. He almost collapsed when Oobleck shook his head and put the pages down.

"That is all we have been able to decipher so far."

"So little!?"

"It is harder than it looks, Henry," Oobleck explained. "We'd be happy to show you in person if you want to sit in on us while we work through it. It would give you an idea of what we have to do."

"No, that's fine, Bart," Jaune said, sighing. "I didn't mean to question you. The funding I offer will, of course, continue. Do whatever you must to discover more."

"Thank you, and we shall." Oobleck was obviously pleased to hear that. "This is incredibly news though, Henry. The black blood – we're all but certain this means the Grimm, but the use of the word blood suggests a liquid. And that the Grimm did not, in fact, exist before this moment. You may have very well discovered the origin of the Grimm!"

"And if it's true, it's a dark origin," Jaune pointed out.

Oobleck's face fell. "Yes, well, I would not take the suggestion the world wants us dead _quite_ so seriously. That may just have been their interpretation based on the information they had. Some people used to worship things like the sun, after all. I doubt Remnant is a living entity, or that it desires the eradication of humankind. If it did, it could surely have achieved that by now."

He wasn't wrong and yet Jaune wasn't sure. All of it sounded overly whimsical until one considered that Wizards were true, as were Maidens and mysterious Relics that contained great power. Time-control too, for the sake of argument. The world actively trying to kill all humanity? Improbable, but not impossible.

"Where do we go from here, Bart? Is there any suggestion as to somewhere I can go to find out more?"

Oobleck's hesitation was telling.

"Go on. I'm not without resources."

"It's not that I doubt, Henry, it's just that I'm not sure if this is a dead end or not." The historian and teacher sighed. "When the inscriptions spoke of knowledge, they spoke of it as though it were a location. Similarly, though we haven't been able to translate that far yet, there is a depiction of a triangular building among the text, and this building has the same symbol of the what we're calling the `priesthood` emblazoned on it. We think this could be a reference to their temple or a location of significance. If there was more knowledge to be found somewhere, either the original city itself or this temple would be my suggestion."

"Any idea where I can find either of those?"

"The temple is still unknown, but the city… We believe it to be on Sanus. If the Cairn you found was on the continent, that is. There's nothing to suggest a migration."

"Sanus, huh?"

"I can see what you're planning, Henry, and I won't try to dissuade you. I shall peruse some maps and archaeological expeditions and see if any locations match what we're looking for. I shall be in touch if I find anything."

Jaune nodded. "Thank you."

"In the meanwhile, I shall continue with the translations. If you are happy to continue, that is."

"Yes, yes. Of course. I'm pleased with your progress so far." It was more than he'd expected, even if it was along the lines of what he'd hoped for. Anything that would let him better understand the Relics, Wizardry and the connection with Salem. He needed all of them and he didn't have forever. More like five years.

"Thank you, Henry."

"If you need more funding, just let me know," Jaune said, leading Oobleck to the door. Expensive or not, this was his best chance.

"Lien isn't an issue right now; time is. I'll have someone assist me in going through the old archaeological records, however. Thank you for your time, Henry." Oobleck smiled and shook his hand one final time before leaving.

So, the city was somewhere in Sanus and _they_ witnessed the arrival of the Grimm. No mention of Salem, but then again it was clear they hadn't known all that much about what they were facing. Still, with the extra information he had over Oobleck, it was easy to tell that the `priesthood` Oobleck referred to had come about as a result of the Relics, likely to worship them. If the Relics had the power to elevate people and give them strength as the murals suggested, it would fit as something that had saved the civilisation. At least for a while.

Had Ozpin been a part of that priesthood? Was that how he gained his powers? Hopefully, he'd be able to find out.

Salem's symbol on the back and palm of his left hand remained inert.

/-/

Emerald heard the door to her bedroom open but remained silent, keeping her eyes shut as she pretended to be asleep. Maybe it was childish. If so, she couldn't find it in herself to care. Too angry, too upset, she refused to acknowledge him, even if she owed him everything.

Hadn't she given everything in turn?

Why wasn't she good enough?

"Emerald?"

There was a compulsion to answer, a need, but Emerald forced herself not to. Tomorrow, she'd be fine. She would deal with all the horrible feelings swimming around inside and then go on tomorrow like they had never happened.

"Emerald, I know you're awake."

No, he didn't. Or if he did, she wasn't going to accept it. He could force her if he wanted to – not like she could stop him – but Emerald knew she was too angry to talk now. She'd say something bad again. Maybe shout at him like the last time.

He'd not punished her then. She didn't understand why. Hearing him say that he might die… it had hurt. Hurt more than the hunger she remembered on the streets. But even so, that didn't give her the right to question him. He took her. He gave her food, safety and a warm bed to sleep in. Now, he gave her books and riches, too.

Compared to that, she gave him relatively little in return. Her attention, her loyalty, her focus on his training. All because she trusted he had _some_ plan in store for her.

Why else would he train her?

Why else would he bring her with him?

Why else would he continue to let her stay?

And then she'd _spat_ in the face of that by getting angry – and she'd done it again today by hating Vernal and being sulky. A better Emerald would have ignored it all. It didn't matter if she was upset or felt threatened, because all she had to focus on was being useful. But she _had_ felt threatened. She _had_ felt angry. She _hated_ Vernal.

Emerald _wanted_ Jaune.

She wasn't sure how, or why, but she wanted him. Wanted him for herself. His training, his attention, his pride. She didn't want Vernal to come along and be better than her. Even if he didn't abandon her like he said he wouldn't, she would have to sit and watch as Vernal did the job she had been training so hard to do. Would have to watch him be proud of Vernal, compliment her, help her, set Emerald aside and train her instead.

It was hard to stay pretending to be asleep when she had to bite her lip and clench her eyes shut, resisting the urge to curl into a tight little ball.

A warm hand touched the side of her head, resting atop her hair. "It's like that, is it? Alright. I won't make you wake up to listen to me."

Relief. Emerald sagged. She'd fooled him.

"But I will say that I'm sorry about what happened today, Emerald. I didn't expect Vernal to come by. She… I won't make excuses for her. She has her reasons, but she made it her mission to make you feel worthless today. You're not."

Emerald almost nodded, so strong was the compulsion. Instead, she let out a quiet breath. She was still useful. She still had a purpose. That meant more to her than she thought it would. If she had a purpose, then she wouldn't be cast aside. Not yet.

"Nothing?" Jaune's hand in her hair rubbed a little bit. It was nice. "You're stubborn. Kind of like me." He chuckled softly. "I guess that's fitting. I…" He cut off for a moment, let the silence hang, "I'm not very good at this. I guess neither of us is, but you're twelve, so that's kinda allowed. Not so much at my age. Someone has to be the adult."

What was he talking about? Couldn't he just make sense? Tell her what he wanted, or what she was supposed to do, or what he had planned for her. What was she supposed to do with the training? Who was she supposed to fight? What was the point of it all—

"You're my daughter, Emerald. I don't think I ever said it, but that was because I always thought you knew, always assumed you did. You're not just some random person I picked up off the street. You're special. You're Emerald Ashari, daughter of Jaune Ashari, and I… well… I just want you to remember that. I'm not going anywhere, but if I do, and if something ever happens, I don't want you to think that I never loved you." Something soft pressed against Emerald's temple. Brief moisture, and then he was moving away. His hand remained, rubbing her hair for a moment longer. "Because I do. Goodnight Emerald. Sweet dreams."

His hand left a moment later, along with him. The bed flexed as he stood up and his feet padded quietly across the floor. He gently closed the door behind him with a click, leaving Emerald along with her thoughts, her wide eyes, and the lingering feeling of the kiss he'd planted on her temple.

That and the tears that were running down her cheeks.

* * *

 **Feels.**

 **Well, written in advance. I'm just relieved I got it out the way. Doubling up on a week has been an absolute bitch for me. I think this time when the show organisers ask if I want to do it another year, I'll say no. Thing is, it's good for the business.**

 **Maybe I'll try and convince my assistant Editor to do it. He's always whining that I don't give him enough responsibilities, though the last time I suggested he speak publically he tried to avoid it. But hey, if he wants to become an Editor, he has to be ready for the times when you do more than just sit in your office writing.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 6** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	28. Chapter 28

**Luckily, my wheel alloy that was badly bent on Tuesday was able to be pushed back into shape yesterday. Major relief, as that makes the difference between £600 to have everything fixed and possibly over £1500.**

 **I'm just relieved my show, my expo AND my sudden car disaster, is all finally over. Now, if nothing could go wrong for at least a few weeks, that would be greatly appreciated.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 28**

* * *

"Thank you, Mr Ashari."

"See you tomorrow, Mr Ashari."

"Good work today," Jaune replied, smiling for the numerous students who bid him farewell and waving to a couple of the parents who he was more familiar with. The number of parents coming to watch had dwindled as the weeks went on and he proved reliable, though they increased towards the end as some came to pick up their kids.

It had been at least five weeks now since the ASH Gym had opened and things were beginning to even out. A lot of the students who couldn't cut it had given up, and while a few remained, they were improving, shedding weight and gaining stamina. He wasn't sure they would make the grade for Beacon, but they'd certainly become faster, stronger and healthier, so it might not be a total loss.

It was oddly fulfilling, teaching, though he wondered if that was only because he had to do it for a couple of hours at the end of the day, and his work didn't involve the rampant paperwork and marking of homework most schools had to deal with.

One of the hardest parts, as much as he hated to admit it, was not picking favourites. A good teacher wouldn't, but Jaune was hardly a good teacher in that regard. Winter had been his favourite and perhaps still was, but in her absence, he'd taken perhaps a little more than he ought to giving more focus to Yang and Coco and, after the young man earned it, Sky. Those three he pushed harder than any others, often pitting them against older students to test their limits. To his pleasure, they took to it without complaint, Yang relishing the challenge while Coco bristled with confidence and Sky seemed determined to prove himself.

Of course, Vernal remained at the top of the pack. It was hard for anyone to dislodge her with the life she'd led and who trained her. Though nowhere near as skilled as Raven or him, Vernal made up for the inexperience by being a vicious fighter who wasn't afraid to bend the rules to eke out a win. In that regard, she served as a good example, since beating notions of fair-fighting and movie-poses out of their heads was a long-term plan of his. If anyone tried to grandstand, Vernal cut them down mercilessly.

Speaking of favourites, though, Emerald obviously counted, being his daughter and all. She was no longer the best at the ASH Gym, but she appeared to have become more comfortable with the idea, no longer rising to every one of Vernal's taunts. She still lost her temper, Vernal being good at what she did, but the simmering anger would sometimes be replaced with a smug and satisfied smile, like Emerald knew something Vernal didn't and was taking pleasure in that.

It cut off a fight to the death happening in the middle of the gym, anyway.

In the meantime, Junior continued to expand their criminal empire with the help of Union, and with Roman now on the sheets – though that was kept secret from all but Junior, Jaune and Union's leadership – hits against the other gangs were going well. Better still, no one could pin them on the Red Axe Gang, since Roman was a well-known neutral agent, and he stole from whomever he wanted to steal from.

Jaune made a note to keep an eye on him, however. His recruitment there hadn't gone as… mutually as he'd have liked, and knowing Roman, he'd be looking for the best opportunity to jump ship, and maybe get his own back on Jaune while he was at it.

 _And here I've become the next Cinder Fall,_ Jaune thought. _Not something I'd have expected._

Having Emerald as a side-kick only made the comparison easier, though Jaune didn't feel any despair at it. Cinder had been in it for herself. There was a difference there. It was a shame he couldn't find Mercury and keep him out of her hands, but he didn't know where the guy had lived. Or anything about his past whatsoever. He might as well have hoped to find Cinder herself.

As the number of people in the Gym lessened, Jaune noticed Taiyang approaching, though this time without Summer. Instead, he had Qrow beside him. Qrow didn't look thrilled to be there, but it was obvious he was hiding his enmity for the sake of Yang, who was flushed from exertion, covered in sweat but obviously happy with her workout.

Jaune nodded to her, and then to the other two. "Good work today, Yang. Evening Tai, Qrow."

"Evening," Taiyang returned, and then nudged Qrow when he didn't respond.

"Hey," Qrow said, more grimace than words.

Well, he hadn't expected Qrow to like him much. Not from the last two times they'd met. For helping save his nieces from Tyrian, Qrow looked to have put aside his dislike of Jaune over the Raven issue – though that might return if he'd known Raven was still around. Albeit occasionally. In the end, the fact Qrow was willing to talk to him at all was enough. Maybe the fault lay with him, Jaune thought. It wasn't as if he'd gone out of his way to befriend Qrow or make up for the previous misunderstanding.

"It's good to see you again, Qrow." Jaune held out a hand, and after a second's thought, Qrow took it. "I thought I should apologise for the first time we met. Things were a little tense back then."

"That's one way to put it."

"Just so you know, I wasn't doing what you thought I was doing. With her, I mean." Jaune danced around the name. It wasn't his place to say it in front of Yang. "I think it was a misunderstanding. She seems to like causing those."

"I don't care about that. But you cost me a chance to get her back-" Qrow cut off with a growl, eyeing Yang from the corner of one eye. Jaune understood, though. Qrow was more annoyed that he'd lost the bet, losing a final chance to get Raven to talk to Ozpin and back on the team.

To be fair, Jaune thought he'd have been angry if he were in Qrow's shoes as well, but that wouldn't change much. He hadn't been ready to face Ozpin and Raven would have stolen his sword and dragged him along. Or even if he'd abandoned Crocea Mors, Raven would have told Ozpin about him and then been able to open a portal directly to him. There would have been no hiding from Ozpin after that.

"Sorry," Jaune said. "I couldn't afford to lose."

"Yeah? Well neither could I – but I did."

"Is this about a girl?" Yang piped up. "Mr Ashari, did you cuck my Uncle Qrow?"

Jaune choked on air. "W-What!?"

"Hell no!" Qrow growled.

"Yang!" Tai gasped. "Where did you even _hear_ that term?"

"Uh. Signal? It's a school, Dad." Yang rolled her eyes, as if the three adults before her were hopelessly naïve. "People talk. I've heard _way_ worse than that."

"You better not say that around your mother. Or your sister!"

"Duh. Like I'd be that dumb." Yang grinned at them. "So, is that what happened? Are Uncle Qrow and Mr Ashari going to fight over some girl? Can I watch?"

"No!"

"I can't watch?"

"No. Because that's not happening," Qrow said.

"And it didn't happen," Jaune agreed. "The girl thing. Qrow and I are _not_ fighting over someone."

"Besides, he likes little kids," Qrow said, earning an indignant squawk from Jaune.

"What!?"

"Hey. I'm just recounting the news. You and that Winter chick. What, she's like, sixteen, seventeen tops, right?"

"Winter is my student!"

"Not according to the tabloids."

"Rumours of our engagement are completely made up," Jaune groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Made-up, insane and something that had come completely out of nowhere a week or two ago. It seemed people had finally stopped talking about Roman crashing the Schnee party and about the other things that happened there, one of which being that he'd accompanied Winter and that they'd been dressed as a matched pair.

It was just a coincidence, of course. Winter picked his suit, so obviously her fashion preferences meant she liked the same colours both for girls and guys – and she _was_ a Schnee, so it was probably a genetic law they had to wear white. And what was wrong with two long-time friends going to an event together? It wasn't like they'd held hands or made out or anything.

Fucking tabloids…

He hadn't even heard from Winter since. She'd returned his last message with a short and embarrassed – or it _sounded_ embarrassed on the voice mail – response about how she enjoyed the party and hoped they could do it again. The poor girl was probably _mortified_ at the idea of being paired with someone as old and grungy as him.

"The tabloids aren't worth the paper they're printed on. Look, I didn't ask you to come here to talk about me and Winter. Did Taiyang tell you what I was after?"

"Yeah, he told me." Qrow grimaced and looked over the arena. "I see you're teaching the kids to fight like you. Tricks and all…"

There was some irony there, of course. Jaune wasn't teaching the kids his tricks, he was teaching them _Qrow's_. Or a Qrow from a future who fought dirty and hard because he had to. This Qrow hadn't been through enough to end up like that, which Jaune supposed was a good thing. Even if it meant the Qrow of this time might never grow into his, he had a feeling his old friend and mentor would have been content like this. Old Qrow had been strong, but he hadn't been happy…

This was another improvement, even if it wasn't a convenient one.

"I'm teaching them how to fight smart. They'll need that out there. You never know what – or who – you might run into."

"Yeah? Well, I've learnt a few things from our last fight. I want to test them out on you."

Jaune laughed. "Here? Now?"

"No. After you do what you have to. That's my price for helping out. A fight. We can even do it here, give these kids of yours a show on what two real huntsmen can accomplish."

"Hell yeah!" Yang yelled, ignoring Taiyang's rebuke that she shouldn't be using words like that. "Fight. Fight. Fight!"

"Alright, alright," Jaune said, partly to Yang, partly to Qrow. "But in exchange, you and Tai will run the gym for me for the next week. Right? You'll keep things ticking over and look after the kids."

"Of course." Taiyang smiled and nodded. "We're used to teaching, even if it's going to be a little tiresome doing it daytime and evening. At least Summer and I live nearby now."

"And I'll do it for the fight," Qrow said. "Besides, even I wish more of the kids at Signal would do training outside o' school as well as at it." He eyed Jaune suddenly. "What's this business that you need to take care of so quickly, anyway? And for a whole week no less?"

"A little out of city trip," Jaune explained. "Business itself will only take a day or two. Most of the time is going to be getting there and back."

"No transport links?"

"I need to visit a Frontier Town. Some old friends need my help."

"Ah. It on Sanus?"

"Yes, thankfully. Otherwise I'd have to take more than a week off. I should be back in five days. I'm only saying a week to play it safe."

There was some honesty there, though not entirely. He would be going out into the wilderness around Vale, but it wasn't for a frontier town. Oobleck had come true on his promise to dig around for archaeological finds and located a ruin out towards the west, in the deep forests on the other side of Forever Fall. There was no telling if it was the city in the murals or not, but what had caught Oobleck's eye was an inscription on a plaque brought back, which while he couldn't translate it, shared many of the same characters as _his_ findings.

It was enough of a lead to go on. Emerald and he would have to go and check it out. Sadly, that meant leaving the ASH Gym for a while, hence him needing someone – or someone's – to look after it.

Taiyang and Qrow weren't who he would have normally picked for such a thing, but Summer promised him they'd be great. They worked at Signal, so they had more experience teaching than he, and they'd done well by Summer and Ruby in the future. After a little thought, Jaune realised that for all their levity and joking, the two were probably the most reliable guys he knew.

It was that or trust them to Roman, Junior or Raven.

It was kind of depressing how unreliable his list of friends really was. Sheesh.

"When will you be leaving?" Qrow asked. Probably not for his own curiosity, but for Ozpin's. The last thing Jaune wanted was the old wizard getting wind, but at the same time he couldn't afford to act cagey or that would raise suspicions.

"Tomorrow morning, bright and early."

"And you're taking your kid with you?"

"Emerald has travelled with me before. And I think it would be too cruel to ask you to look after my job _and_ my daughter."

"Aw," Yang said. "I was hoping for a sleepover."

"Ask Emerald when we get back. I'm sure she'd be happy to come and spend some time with you and Ruby."

"Can she…?" Yang immediately asked Taiyang.

He rolled his eyes. "Sure thing, baby. But only when Emerald and Mr Ashari get back." The older blond looked toward Jaune and held out a hand. "Good luck out there and stay safe. And if you need any help, give us a call."

"Thank you, Tai." He took the hand. "And you, Qrow. We'll be back in a week."

/-/

" _Ashari_ ," Ironwood greeted. " _Nice of you to actually call for once._ "

Jaune groaned, "Are you ever going to let that go? It was one time."

" _One time in which you left behind a scandal – and disobeyed my direct orders."_

"Technically, I resigned before that, so I wasn't beholden to follow your orders anymore."

" _And technically, I couldn't care less."_ Ironwood pulled a face. _"Oh wait! That's not technically at all."_

"Alright, alright, I get it." It was funny to imagine Ironwood like this, willing to mock and tease – in so far as Ironwood _could_ tease. It was easy to look at people and put them into convenient roles in your mind, Ironwood being a stern and uncompromising general and little more, but once you got to know a person, they would inevitably turn out to have a hidden side to them.

In his old life, Ironwood, Taiyang and Winter had been just that – figures he knew by name, reputation and probably one-sentence descriptions. Firm and demanding older sister. Stern, uncompromising General. Beleaguered but loving father.

And yet here they were, three of – dare he say it – his best friends on Remnant. Along with an alcoholic, furniture-stealing sociopath.

"I was just calling to ley you know I'll be out of Vale for a week or so. Try not to panic if you can't reach me."

" _I don't panic, Ashari."_

"Yeah, sure. Could you pass the message onto Winter, too? I wasn't able to reach her."

" _I'm not surprised. You haven't heard?"_

"Heard what?"

" _The White Fang have started to hit SDC convoys and isolated dust mines. Given her military training, Jacques decided to put Winter in charge of shoring up security and tracking down those responsible."_

Shit. He'd forgotten all about the White Fang. They'd been quiet, or so it felt, but it looked like they were repeating the same actions as the last time. That was a small comfort, at least. Despite the inclusion of Tyrian and Hazel, the White Fang were still predictable. What was a bigger surprise was that Winter hadn't so much as mentioned it, even in their occasional scroll call.

"She never told me…"

" _Does that come as such a surprise? She probably didn't want to bother you."_

"Yeah, but she could have at least mentioned it."

Ironwood chuckled. _"Jaune, you have a tendency to make other people's problems your own. You did it with my inquest, even though I told you I would be fine. You interfered, placed the blame on yourself and sacrificed your reputation to save mine. If Winter so much as mentioned this, I expect she imagined you would drop everything to return to Atlas and fight the White Fang off yourself. Without help, without even allowing her to assist you."_

"I wouldn't do that."

" _You would. I know you, Ashari. You walk like you carry the world on your shoulders, never realising that you don't walk alone. Let Winter have this. She will be fine, and she needs a chance to prove herself. She won't thank you for running in to play the white knight."_

Jaune bit his lip. It felt like a problem he should fix, seeing as how he'd gone and started the White Fang this time, and a couple of years early. With Salem also supporting them, it _was_ his problem. But Ironwood wasn't wrong. Winter would chafe if he tried to take this out from under her – and the SDC had done _fine_ in the original timeline without his help.

"I guess I can leave it to her…"

" _Don't worry so much. I sent Delta and Echo to help her. They were looking to retire anyway, and life in the SDC Security Corps is easier than the military. They'll support her and offer their experience, allowing her to grow into a woman she can be proud of."_

He wanted to say Winter should be proud of herself already, but that was empty praise. She was only sixteen and had plenty of room to grow. Besides, self-respect was always a thorny and subjective issue. He'd had enough problems with it himself.

"Tell her I wish her well, then. And… tell her I said to kick their asses."

" _That, I think, she will appreciate. I'll tell her. Good luck on your trip, Jaune. Try not to go missing again, or the next time you reappear, I'll have a team tranquilise and fix an ankle-tracker to you."_

"Ha. See you around, James."

/-/

"Blake, deal with the robot."

"On it!"

Adam nodded, not that she could see, and charged the other Schnee droid, cutting it down in a hail of sparks. In doing so, he drew the attention of the one on the rooftop, who opened fire on his location. Adam ducked and weaved behind a tree, using it for cover. He counted slowly to five.

On five, the gunfire stopped, and Blake's voice came back through the comms. She sounded excited. "Got it."

"Good work, Blake. I expected nothing less."

"Thanks!"

The rest of the White Fang rushed forward now that the droids were dealt with. They pressed in to the entrance and placed the charges, blowing the side off the convoy's lead APC and throwing several smoke grenades in to force the inhabitants out. It would be clean-up from this point. The SDC's biggest threats currently were security droids and Winter Schnee, leading the new Anti-White Fang task force.

Adam had chosen this target well, however. Out of the way, low-key and unlikely to be heavily defended. The perfect first mission for Blake. Sienna would flip if she realised he – the White Fang's greatest asset – was `wasting his time` with Blake, but Sienna could bite it for all he cared.

He wasn't here doing this for her. He was doing it all for Blake.

Blake was filling out in the years, grown, and if Adam dared to admit it to himself in the silence of the night when they still slept in bunks far too close to one another, she had grown beautiful. Not a woman yet, but then he wasn't a man. She was attractive in her own right, however, with regal features, piercing eyes and long, flowing hair. It was almost too much for his teenage hormones, especially since she continued to bodily hug him when they were alone.

Like he had time and time before, Adam bit down on those urges, even if he allowed – or couldn't stop – his eyes roving over her tight, black leggings.

"That wasn't so bad," she said, smiling. "It was over a lot faster than I thought it would be."

"That's what happens when a good strategy is implemented, and when the team can execute it well. You did really good out there."

Blake's cheeks heated up and she looked away, pleased. "Adam…"

"I'm serious, Blake. You're the best partner I could have asked for. Easily the best I've had to deal with."

"Adam," she protested, pushing his shoulder lightly. "Stop it…"

"Heh. You still get embarrassed so easily, huh?"

"Not like I get much chance to be in the White Fang."

Adam's smile fell. He knew what Blake meant. Under Sienna, and with her two strange companions assisting, the White Fang had become increasingly militant. The training was brutal now and had little regard for the capabilities of the recruits. Those who could not manage it were hardly punished, both physically and mentally – mocked and jeered by their peers until they were filled with rage. That was how the White Fang liked its recruits lately, angry, violent and ready to lash out at the enemies of faunuskind.

Or, as Adam had noticed, just about anyone unfortunate enough to be aligned against them. He doubted very much some of their targets had necessarily qualified as enemies. They'd just had resources the White Fang wanted.

It wasn't what Blake and he had dreamed of. It was nothing like it. But they had to make do with what was real. Change still wouldn't come following Ghira's outdated methods. If the chieftain was even out of Atlas' cells yet. Information was low, and Adam had a sinking feeling he was being kept out of the loop intentionally. As long as Blake didn't know her father's fate, she could be more easily manipulated, and Sienna seemed to know Adam's loyalty was to Blake first and foremost.

Sienna had plans for Blake. That much was obvious.

It would be up to him to protect her, and to train her so that she could protect herself. He couldn't always be there and as much as he wanted to, he couldn't afford to coddle and watch over her twenty-four seven.

"Things will get better," Adam said.

"Will they?"

"They have to." He nudged her and smirked. "They can't get much worse, can they?"

"Do you have to tempt fate like that?"

Adam laughed. It felt good to do so, and laughter was something also absent from every other White Fang mission. He only managed it around her nowadays. "Sorry. I'll keep that in mind next time. Still, I'm going to try and talk to Sienna. See if you can be my partner on future missions."

"Do you think she'll let me? I'm not sure I trust her…"

"Neither do I, which is why I want to be on any mission you're on." Though he wouldn't say it, his biggest fear was that Sienna might try to galvanise Ghira and Kali back into action by staging Blake's death at the hands of the SDC.

 _Not on my watch…_

"So, what's next?" she asked.

"Once the initial defence force is dealt with, the White Fang troops move in to breach and clear. For a convoy this size, there won't be any surprised, but if there is a bigger vehicle – one that could conceivably contain more droids – then we go in first to deal with any of that." This one was small, however. No robots could fit in the two APC's guarding a single, long truck full of dust. "We use smoke grenades to gas out those still inside. Don't worry, it's just normal smoke. They'll come out coughing, but mostly unharmed. Then, they're rounded up, stripped of weapons and armour and dealt with."

"And how are the prisoners dealt with?"

"We keep them aside and watched while we take what we came for, then we leave them with a single APC. From there, they can radio back in and inform the SDC. They'll be picked up soon enough, and the APC will keep them safe from Grimm until-"

A burst of gunfire cut him off.

"Adam!"

"Shit!" Adam dashed back to the convoy, pushing through the smoke billowing from an opened APC. He had his hand on his sword before he cleared it, and what he came out into was a scene from his worst nightmares.

Two faunus in grey uniforms, masked, stood over a host of bleeding and dead bodies, laughing as they gunned down the prisoners. Wilt cleared its sheathe with a hiss. There was a flash of red as he struck, severing the hand off the one on the left at the wrist. Without pausing, he skidded past that one and thrust back with his pommel, into the throat of the other. He choked, dropped his weapon and fell on his ass – right at the moment the first realised his crippling wound and screamed in agony.

"Adam!" Blake called. "What's happening?"

"Blake, don't look!"

"Adam, I-" She cleared the smoke. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene. Blake's scream was _heart-wrenching_.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Adam snarled, lifting the second grunt by his throat. "Prisoners. Unarmed prisoners. _Helpless_ prisoners! What were you thinking!?"

"T-They were just SDC!"

Adam snarled and threw the faunus back down. " _Just_ SDC? Just? That's the justification people use to discriminate against us. That it's okay because we're _just_ faunus. We are supposed to be better than that, better than them."

Not this. Never this. Not in front of Blake. Adam brought wilt up.

"If you can't follow simple orders, then I'm not sure what use I have for you."

"W-Wait, Adam," the man cried. "Stop. No!"

"ADAM!" Two arms curled around his sword arm. A warm body crashed into his back, pressed up against him. Blake's voice was choked. She was crying, he knew. "Adam, please no. D-Don't do this. Don't. I can't… Not more killing."

"Blake, they killed the prisoners…"

"I-I know. It's horrible. B-But I don't want to see you kill them. Not you. We'll tell the others, they'll be punished, kicked out of the White Fang. You don't have to do this. There are other methods; less violent methods."

Adam wanted to tell her there weren't. He wanted to tell her that Sienna wouldn't care, that she'd celebrate the death of the prisoners and no one would be punished for this, least of all those responsible. He wanted to make her see.

But he didn't want to disappoint her.

He let her pull his sword arm down. Allowed her – only her – to take Wilt from his hand and gently slide it back into its sheathe. Through it all, his eyes remained locked onto the two who had escaped death this day. They would never serve under him again, of that he was certain.

"You only live because of her," he hissed. "Because Blake is a better person than I, better than I'll ever be. Remember that. Remember it the next time you're looking down a gun at defenceless people. Because if I catch you doing that again and Blake isn't here…"

He fixed his gaze on each and every one of them.

"I'll kill you."

/-/

When Adam entered their quarters that night, Blake gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.

"It's not as bad as it looks," he said automatically, reaching a hang up to his eyes. At least he hoped it didn't look too bad. Except that Blake's eyes were tearing up. Adam sighed and strode forward, ignoring the blood that ran down around and over his nose. He could taste it on his lips.

"Why?" she mewled. "Who? How…?"

"Sienna. I… angered her." Adam shrugged and reached for a first aid kit he kept hidden in the drawer beside his bed. More than once, he'd stealthily stitched a wound, hiding the truth of his injuries from Blake. This time, however, she took it from him, sitting down and reaching in herself for materials. "Disinfectant first," he instructed. "She used her claws." He laughed bitterly. "Who knows where those have been."

Blake didn't laugh. She dabbed some disinfectant out onto a cloth and cupped his cheek with her other hand. Unconsciously, he leaned into the palm of her hand, giving her better access to the wound. It stung when she touched it, but he didn't finch or pull away. If anything, he enjoyed her care and attention. Though he didn't like her guilt much.

"This isn't your fault."

"How is it not, Adam? She did this because you crippled that soldier, didn't she?"

"Hm…"

"Then it's my fault."

"No. It was his. And Sienna's. You forget, I would have killed him. She'd have been just as angry at me for that. No one should have to take the blame for her actions. She… She's changed, ever since those two came into the picture. Sienna was never like this before."

"I…" Blake hissed. "I _hate_ her."

"Careful. That's not going to be a popular opinion around here."

"I don't care. She did this to you. She…" Blake trailed off, and then ran a finger alongside his new facial ornament. A diagonal scar that ran down between his eyes, across his nose. There was a smaller one above and below, ironically mimicking the White Fang's symbolic slash. That had been a fluke on Sienna's part. Had he not pulled back, she might have taken his eyes.

"I know, Blake. I hate her, too. She's warped the White Fang. Changed it. But that's not the fault of everyone here anymore than it is yours. Sienna… she won't be around forever. Once she's gone, and those two with her, we can change things. Make them better. No senseless killing, no brutality, no murder. That…" Adam sighed. "It was what I wanted to show you today. I wanted to show you a raid done properly, how I do them…"

"You did, Adam. You did. Apart from what those two did, I saw how you tried to do things. I know you wanted to keep the prisoners safe." Blake's smile showed how pleased she was, and that brought him more pleasure than he cared to admit. It felt that by confirming her good opinion of him, he'd washed away all his sins.

"This won't need stitches. Just stick a plaster on it and it'll be fine."

"It's going to scar."

"That's fine." He smiled crookedly, hopefully. "Maybe it'll add character."

"Don't be silly. You're already enough of a character as it is." Her hand still on his cheek lingered there. He wasn't about to comment on it. "And I don't think it'll look too bad. Different, but not ugly."

"I'll have to take your word for that."

"What about the ones that killed the guards," Blake asked. "Were they punished?"

Adam remained silent.

"O-Oh… I… I guess I should have let you kill them."

"No." He took her hand and drew her in. She didn't complain and in fact welcomed his touch, nestling her face into the crook of his neck. Adam shivered as her hot breath washed over his skin. Damn it. Not now.

"You're not angry?"

Not that. Certainly not that…

"You once told me you'd pull me back from the edge if I ever went too far. That's what you were doing today. I'm grateful. Even if it would have been satisfying – no, especially because it would have been – I'd have regretted killing them sooner or later."

The moment she looked at him with disappointment. That would be when he started.

Blake tugged him down onto the bed and pulled the sheets up. It looked like they'd be sleeping together again, something she only asked for when she was worried or afraid. It looked like she was that again, though this time worried and afraid for him and not herself. Adam knew he should tell her no. It wasn't a good idea, especially not with how his emotions were going haywire, and yet knowing it was the right thing to do and doing it were two different things.

When her arms wrapped around him and she curled into his chest, what little self-control he had evaporated. Adam folded his arms around her, kept his chin atop her hair and tried to think of anything other than what was in his arms.

"Goodnight Adam."

/-/

Winter's heels crunched on leaves as she hopped out of the Bullhead, which hadn't yet landed. Several members of the Security Corps called out in warning, but she rolled her eyes. She knew what she was doing and was more than enough for any errant White Fang or Grimm who dared approach. They just couldn't accept that from someone as young as her. Or maybe it was because she was a woman. Foolishness.

"Damn it. Too late again."

"We couldn't have expected them to hit this one," Delta, an old member of Team November said. Unlike the others, Delta and Echo – who had chosen yet again to go by their callsigns – did not treat her like she was made of glass.

"It's a fair point, Winter," And that was another thing. They called her by her name and not Miss Schnee. "The White Fang have been picking up their attacks lately, but this convoy was almost too small for them to bother with. It only had a limited guard."

"Father's money saving again. Damn it. Fan out and search for the survivors," Winter called to the others. "Check the APCs. They're normally trapped inside."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Yes Miss Schnee!"

Winter rolled her eyes. As the detail spread out, Winter finally let go of her weapon, trusting that if there had been any White Fang, they would have attacked by now. She didn't lower her guard entirely – Jaune never let her – but she relaxed enough to poke round the fallen body of an SDC combat droid. This one was a melee variant and no small matter to deal with, at least for the average terrorist. This one had been cut in two, however. Crouching, Winter inspected the cut. It was clean, swift and all the way through.

"Taurus was here. I'd recognise this anywhere."

"It looks like it," Echo said. "Kind of surprised, though. This almost seems too low-key for someone like him. You'd expect him to be hitting more valuable targets. Not sure what he's doing here."

"Ma'am!" someone yelled. They sounded panicked.

Winter and her entourage were moving immediately. They dashed around the convoy and towards the voice. Winter's eyes narrowed as she saw someone bent over, one hand on the convoy and being sick onto the ground. It had her nervous, even before she rounded the corner and came on the scene. The first thing to hit her was the smell. Blood mixed with piss.

And then, the bodies.

"Fuck," Delta hissed.

Winter agreed, though she would never use such words. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let it go. When she opened them again her mind was firm, prepared. She didn't balk at the bodies, even if her stomach roiled. Instead, she clenched one hand into a fist. Someone would have to contact their families. Considering how apathetic her father could be, Winter had a feeling it ought to be her to do it.

"Damn them," she hissed. "Damn the White Fang. Damn Adam Taurus."

"This is the firs time anything like this has happened," Delta said. "They're normally so efficient. The occasional fatality, but always in a gunfight and with the prisoners tied up and waiting for us. Why change things now? Why gun down prisoners like this?"

"I don't know," she said. "But if they want a war, they'll get one."

And she would have Adam Taurus' head.

* * *

 **Poor Adam. Poor Winter.**

 **So, the White Fang plot is still going, while Jaune is off to investigate this new ruin and find out more about the Relics, leaving Taiyang and Qrow to look after the gym. I'm sure Vernal will be totally okay with that, lol.**

 **On the bright side, it should be a good deterrent against Raven. She'll open a portal, appear, see that all that's on offer is a tent, camp food and a cold night, and then walk right back through that portal.**

" **Call me when you're back home. I miss Couch-chan and fridge-kun."**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 13** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey all. I noted some reviews last chapter upset at me summarising the Emerald situation. I can only apologise for that. I know it was tell and not show, but that was intentional because I wanted to skip over what I saw as nothing happening. I realise now that I should probably not skip over any Emerald bits, lol.**

 **Anyway, the Emerald development – and emotional bits – are far from over. Jaune has merely laid the first plank, while there is still a whole bridge to be built. Not much was missed through last chapter's summary, as it was just Emerald being smug and refusing to rise to Vernal's baiting. Not like Vernal is going to ignore or let that go.**

 **But I'll keep in mind in future that people want** _ **more**_ **from the Emerald scenes.**

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 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 29**

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Qrow didn't think of himself as a complicated guy.

Which was good, because no one else did, either. Qrow liked to have fun, liked women – as much as women apparently didn't like him – and was generally easy-going, loyal to his friends, and an all-round decent kind of guy. He taught in Signal, he helped out babysitting his nieces and he volunteered, if one could call it that, to help Ozpin in the battle against the dark forces behind the Grimm.

You know, typical Tuesday things.

He wasn't a complicated kind of guy, but he found himself having complicated feelings for Ashari. And no, he wasn't going to let Summer hear it put like that or she'd jump to the wrong conclusion so hard he'd find himself on a blind date with the bastard before the month was out. Qrow sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Ashari was… complicated. It was the only way to put it. Their first meeting had all the hallmarks for making him hate the guy, and Qrow didn't feel even the slightest bit guilty about it. Ashari was there in the tribe, looking at home with Raven dangling all over him. Sure, he could say it was a misunderstanding as much as he wanted, but Qrow _knew_ Raven. She didn't act like that around people she wasn't interested in, and she sure as hell didn't trust them to fight on her behalf, for her own bloody freedom no less.

At the time, Qrow hadn't been willing to look a gift horse in the mouth. Raven was a bitch and a half to fight and could probably beat him, whereas Ashari was an unknown. That could go both ways of course but considering that Qrow had seen himself as one of the best – not _the_ best, of course; just one of – huntsmen in Vale, he figured odds were on his side.

Well, the less said about that farce the better. Simply put, Ashari cost him one last chance to get Raven back on board. Not just with Ozpin – that would have been nice, but it wasn't what Qrow really wanted – but back with Team STRQ. Back with her kid. Sure, Yang didn't know her and would stay with Summer, but they could at least start to build bridges. Raven could see that being with her friends was for the best, Taiyang could get closure and Summer would be ecstatic to have her back. Everything would have been perfect, had it not been for Ashari.

So, hating the guy. Acceptable.

And then the bastard had gone and saved not just his life, but his niece's too in Atlas. Talk about turning things on their head. Qrow wasn't asshole enough to keep to his guns there and had grudgingly decided he had to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, if not because he wanted to, then because he damn well owed him for saving Ruby. And Summer, it turned out. Qrow grumbled about it, but he'd put up with the fact the guy was going to be a part of their life the moment he'd seen Summer's expression. It was the "I am adopting this person now" expression. She'd done the same with him and Raven once.

And in a way, Qrow could see the similarities between them. Summer liked to adopt people, but she had this strange propensity to go after people who were… not quite all there. He'd been that once, as had – and still was – Raven. You couldn't grow up in the tribe without being a little messed up. Summer had fixed him, and he'd never forget it, and he could see some similar signs in Ashari that not all was as it should be. Maybe that was why even now, even knowing he'd have to get used to the guy, Qrow couldn't entirely trust him.

He had the look of a man who had lost everything, and who was just going through the motions of living. Someone who had something to do, but who had no expectations or plans to live beyond it. Qrow wasn't sure he liked someone like that getting close to his nieces.

Or niece, he considered. Yang was the one spending her evenings with him. She was getting stronger, too. He couldn't argue against the results Ashari was getting, though he wished the methods could differ a little.

"Not the groin!" Qrow snapped for the third time, catching Yang's foot on his knee – a second before she could drive it up between his legs. They were having a one on one spar in the ASH Gym. Qrow had already worked his way through four students this way, with Tai taking some of the others. Apparently, they'd wanted to test themselves against real huntsmen.

It was a bit much to expect any of them to win, and true to form none got close, but it was a good lesson nonetheless in fighting a superior foe and knowing when you were outmatched. Way too many people went into life thinking they were invincible and all that shit.

He just wished Yang would stop going for the low blows.

"Hey, I know you're stronger, faster and better than me," Yang said. "I have to try and beat you some way."

"And that way involves a fascination with my family jewels?"

"Pft. Maybe when you get a girlfriend you can call them that, Uncle Qrow."

Cheeky bitch. Qrow took more pleasure than he ought to have in catching her foot and wrenching it upwards, flipping Yang onto her back with an awkward squawk. "Less lip, more fighting, niece of mine. You're not going to beat me this way-" Qrow ducked aside as Yang whipped her hand up, throwing some sweat from her brow towards his eyes. "Or that way," he growled. "And I know who taught you that trick."

"Aw. I really thought that would work."

 _It did once,_ Qrow refused to admit. Fucking Ashari. Well, he'd _learned_ from his mistake there. He wasn't going to be downed by dirt, sand or even sweat in the eyes this time. Qrow parried Yang's thrust, rolled his eyes and blocked _another_ groin shot by twisting to the side, forcing her other fist to hit his thigh.

Two could play that game. Sort of. Qrow caught her arm, twisted it up and tickled her under the armpit. Yang's eyes bugged out and she squealed and tried to pull away. The second she did, he let go and planted a foot in her stomach, launching her out the ring and onto the mats with the other students.

"And that's ring out," he called.

"You cheated!" Yang cried.

"Yeah well, apparently that's the norm around here. Consider it a lesson." To his annoyance, Yang grumbled and accepted that. What was Ashari teaching these kids? Sighing, Qrow looked over to Taiyang, who was putting an end to a fight with what seemed to be the best student here, a short-haired girl with a foul mouth who kept looking at – and trying to start fights – with Qrow.

He thought she ought to be someone he recognised, but there was no placing her face. She really had it in for him, though. The moment she'd seen him, she'd growled about where `fuck-face` was – and Qrow almost liked her for that – before she'd decided he was `not worth learning from` and clearly `second best to fuck-face`.

Qrow had _maybe_ taken a little too much pleasure in making her eat floor. Taiyang refused to let him spar with her ever since. On the bright side, Yang _adored_ him for showing the `arrogant bitch` her place.

He was conflicted. Accept the adoration with pride or chastise for language.

Difficult choices…

"Not bad, Vernal," Taiyang said once he'd beaten her. "You're fast and unpredictable, but I think you need to work on your close-quarters fighting a little more. You're good with those weapons of yours, but when someone gets too close you tend to get pushed back." Taiyang rubbed her head before she could pull away. "But you've got potential. Trust me on that."

To Qrow's absolute fucking _horror_ , the mouthy girl looked down at her feet and mumbled something shyly.

"Don't you fucking dare!" Yang growled.

"Yang!" Tai snapped. "Language!"

"But she's a bitch…"

"Laps!"

"W-What!?"

"Laps," Taiyang repeated, one hand on his hip, the other pointing. Yang grumbled and climbed to her feet, jogging off. Tai was a fairly easy-going guy most of the time, but he didn't put up with accusations of favouritism toward Yang, nor her pushing it. Qrow figured that made him a good father. Probably a good teacher, too. "Is that everyone, Qrow?"

"Yep. We've worked through the lot." Qrow grinned and strode over to stand next to his pal. The kids looked downtrodden and defeated which, quite frankly, was pretty fucking stupid. "Okay, enough with those faces, guys and gals. You realise you were against two of the better huntsmen in Vale, right? You weren't supposed to win."

"Qrow is right. That you all did as well as you did shows just how skilled you're becoming. We teach at Signal, so trust us when we say we're used to dealing with people your age. You are all easily within the top fifteen per cent of students at Signal." The kids perked up at that, some whispering excitedly to one another. "But that doesn't mean you can afford to let it go to your heads. The whole point of this today was to show you that no matter how good you get, there will always be someone or something that is stronger. One on one, none of you had a chance against either of us. I'd like to see if you can come up with anything now that would help you even the odds."

Hands went up. There wasn't a single one who didn't have an idea. Good kids. Qrow pointed one out, a girl with brown hair and brown eyes. Coco, he thought her name was. "You there."

"Poison gas," she said. "We could have used smoke bombs or some kind of gas to knock you out or weaken you enough to have a chance."

Qrow gaped at her. "What?"

"Ah, well, I suppose." Taiyang stammered. "It wasn't what I was going for, though. How about you, Sky?"

"A hidden Tazer. Aura only protects if you're aware of the danger, and some things – like electricity – can bypass aura entirely."

"Oh."

"Yeah, good idea."

"Yeah."

The students nodded and patted his shoulder. Taiyang, meanwhile, was pale, and Qrow simply had one hand covering his face. "No, no, no. That wasn't what I-" He cut off when Qrow laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me," he said, stepping up. "Okay. Hands up if you have an idea."

All the hands went up.

"Hands down if it involves some kind of vicious hidden weapon, technique, a booby trap or cheating in one way or another."

Every hand went down except one.

"Hands down if it involves a tactical airstrike."

The final hand went down.

Fucking Ashari.

"Teamwork!" Taiyang groaned, waving one hand in the air. Qrow could _hear_ some of the parents above laughing at the two of them. "I meant teamwork."

"Oooooh…." The assembled students crowed, as if they'd _never_ heard the like of the word before. "Sounds like a method for a weakling," Vernal added. "The strong fight alone."

Hm. That sounded familiar…

"Now, we're going to put you into teams and have you face us. Do _not_ bring gas, explosives or Tazers into the ring or I _promise_ you that once we wake up, we'll push your faces in. Now, pick your teams. All except you, Yang," he called when Yang came to a stop, panting slightly. "You're partnering with Vernal."

"Nooooooo!"

/-/

Emerald had almost forgotten what it was like for it to be just her and Jaune. It was a weird thing to consider, since it had been just the two of them for ages and ages. Or what felt like it to her. When Winter came into their lives, she'd been livid, but since coming to Vale she'd had to get used to sharing him with other people.

Now having him back to just herself again, Emerald felt pleased – but also a little strange.

It was the setting, she decided. Just the two of them was fine, but they were out in the wilderness again and she'd gotten used to their humble mansion, her huge, queen-sized bed, the numerous quilts, her bookshelf, bath she could lay flat on the bottom of and the jacuzzi setting it had.

Not that she was spoiled or anything, not even slightly. This was just… making up for time on the streets. Sadly, the wilderness of Vale lacked many – read; all – of the amenities she'd come to appreciate and having Jaune to herself wasn't making up for them as much as she'd have liked. She didn't complain about it, at least not out loud, but it was there.

At least they were closing in on their destination. It had been a couple of days travel now, with the occasional Grimm fight to lighten the mood. He even let her handle an Ursa on her own. He'd clapped when she hamstrung it to bring it low, slid over its shoulders and used her blades to gouge both eyes out and then slit its throat. She'd been so proud when she hit the grass that she couldn't help but grin.

He'd rubbed her head and said, "Good job. I knew you could do it."

Best. Moment. Ever.

But sadly, those moments were few and far between. Jaune had taught her that Grimm homed in on negativity, and while she missed her creature comforts, she wasn't sure that counted as enough to draw them. Simply put, neither she nor Jaune feared the Grimm enough, hated each other's company or were upset in any meaningful way. The Grimm attacked when they saw them, but otherwise didn't notice their passing.

They camped late at night, with Jaune staying up later than she did and taking most of the watch _despite_ her saying she could handle it, and he did the cooking while she looked after the water, cleaned the pans and did some of the other chores. It was a fair trade. He was always unfalteringly fair with it.

Before, Emerald had dome everything he asked because she knew she had to. If she didn't, he would get rid of her. Now, she knew better. She knew but didn't fully understand. He _wanted_ her. He _liked_ her. He didn't _want_ to get rid of her.

That was… Emerald wasn't sure what it was. Heady, pleasant, confusing…? But if she wasn't going to be thrown away for refusing to clean the pots, then did she have to? What if she said no? Emerald stood with them in hand by the river they'd camped next to. She could just put them down and say no. She could walk back into her tent and read. She didn't _like_ cleaning.

And if he loved her – she swallowed even as she thought it – then didn't that mean he wouldn't get rid of her? It sort of did. Her eyes bore down on the pots. Emerald started to scrub away at them. Honestly, she wasn't sure _why_ she thought of not doing what he asked. She wasn't even sure where the thought had come from. It just had.

Maybe it was wanting to test boundaries. It sounded plausible. She'd always known – or thought she knew – what those were before, but now they'd changed, and the world was confusing again. It was apparently _okay_ to get upset when he didn't believe she could fight Pyrrha. It was _okay_ to get angry and snap at him for talking like dying on her was acceptable.

Emerald's world had expanded in strange directions and she was now in the middle of a large field of flowers with no idea where the edge of the forest was. All she knew was that she had a lot more room to run around in, and a secret and guilty part of her wanted to do just that. Test things. Play. Fuck around. See how far she could get and what she could do.

"Is everything okay, Emerald?"

She flinched. "Yeah. I'm fine."

She shook the thoughts off. No, she wouldn't do that. This was fair, and she still owed him. Those thoughts were silly anyway. Just because he wouldn't get rid of her, he could still be disappointed in her, and the thought of that was a blow to the gut. What if he looked at her sadly, shook his head and started to clean the pots himself? The very idea made her feel sick. She scrubbed harder, working the last bit of stubborn meat off the side with her wire-wool brush.

Meanwhile, Jaune began to talk, "According to Oobleck's maps we're closing in on where the last dig happened. The archaeologists said it was a sealed building, but that the door collapsed when they used some charges on it. Wait, are these even archaeologists?"

Emerald had no idea. Didn't really care, either.

"So, they got inside what looked to be a sunken temple. No, not sunken, the land around it built up and buried it, while some of the taller parts of it collapsed. More like buried. They found some stone tablets, pottery and little things and took those all away. Mentions of Grimm – looks like they couldn't control their fear very well – and eventually, after a few losses in the night, the team decided to pull out. Not all of the place was explored, but they got away safe and back to Vale. Following teams sent found the place crawling with Grimm." Jaune sighed. "Great. And so, it was decided not to try again until what they originally had could be translated, but that took years for little effort, archaeologists grew old, disinterested or died, and no one bothered."

"You know, Em, I really think Vale's archaeology scene needs a little more passion. If they were anything like Oobleck, we'd know a lot more about Remnant."

"Expensive," Emerald said, lugging the pots back and putting them in front of Jaune. He took and started to pack them away, offering her a quick smile for her hard work. Emerald flushed and looked away. She was pleased she'd done it now. "Expensive in lien and lives. Not worth it."

"They could have brought huntsmen with them."

"Take them away from defending people?"

Jaune sighed again. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Well, when you're right, you're right. I guess to most people something like this just isn't as important. Not when you're focused on surviving day to day."

Emerald wondered if he'd forgotten what that was like, just like she'd started to. Four years hardly seemed like any time, but back then she'd been on the verge of death most days, either from starvation, injury, sickness or something else. She'd never been since, apart from some small bugs Jaune had fixed with medicine or his Semblance – aura did amazing things – but even though she could remember that she _had_ nearly starved to death more than once, she couldn't really remember what it _felt_ like to be so hungry that she'd consider eating trash off the street.

Maybe Jaune was the same. He was strong now, really strong, and so didn't fear anything. That was normal. But once upon a time, he must have been weak. He liked to mention that to cheer her up, how she was stronger than he was at her age. But even though he wilfully admitted to his weakness, he often acted like he couldn't remember it properly. He couldn't understand how the archaeologists – weak and untrained as they probably were – could feel any fear toward the Grimm or be hesitant to return to a place where some of their fellows were probably killed before their eyes.

Emerald didn't think it weird they'd not want to try that again.

"Well, we'll get some rest tonight and then head on before the sun rises. Light isn't going to mean much if we're going inside. You'll have to keep your wits about you if this place if as Grimm-infested as they say."

"I'll be fine." She felt like something more was needed so she added, "You trained me."

"Yeah." He looked at her with a confusing expression. It felt like he wanted to say more. Emerald wanted him to say more. Wanted him to say what he had before, except this time to her face. At the same time, she didn't, since she had no idea what she would say back. But she still wanted it.

Say it.

Say it. Say it. Say it.

"I guess I did. Just stick with me."

Damn it.

Emerald smiled either way, as relieved as she was disappointed that he hadn't called her his daughter again or professed to love her. The moment he did, she knew she would have to respond, and although she knew what she _wanted_ to say, she wasn't sure she was brave enough to say it.

"Okay, D-" Her brain, already thinking it, nearly tripped her up. "I-I'll do that," she amended.

It just wasn't as easy as she wanted it to be.

/-/

"The initial efforts are already well underway," Winter reported, standing at a salute even if her father didn't really have the rank to warrant it. It just felt more comfortable this way. "Security overhauls have begun across all departments and we're currently going through records and leaks to identify any employees sympathetic enough to the White Fang to leak details to them. The new security protocols are still taking time to implement, but we've already seen a reduction in successful White Fang assaults as a result."

Jacques raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Do tell."

"Though it's only been a month, successful attacks resulting in theft of dust have been reduced sixty per cent."

"Sixty per cent?" he asked, surprised. His smile grew. "Wonderful news, Winter."

"I know it could be more but-"

"Nonsense. The SDC has never before faced a challenge like this and your performance thus far has been nothing short of exemplary." The naked praise surprised and, if she dared to admit it, pleased her. There had been so little of it before.

"T-Thank you, father."

"Praise is given where praise is due. The shareholders will be positively thrilled at this outcome."

"I think the reduction might only be temporary, though. The White Fang are reacting perhaps a little over-cautiously, noticing our beefed-up security and becoming more hesitant. I don't think it's us scaring them off, but rather forcing them to attack in larger numbers or pick their targets more effectively. I expect that attacks will pick up again when they get more numbers, but I'm still confident it will never reach the levels it was at before."

"I see. I'll be sure to make the shareholders aware. Our stocks will rise dramatically at this, and then fall when the White Fang begin their assaults again. At least if the shareholders are made aware of this in advance, they will not panic."

"As you say, father."

"Meanwhile, I think you deserve a raise."

"F-Father, that's not necessary," Winter deflected, cheeks heating up. "I'm only doing what I'm supposed to be doing."

"And doing it beyond all expectation. Winter, even were you not my daughter I would be a fool to squander such talent. You will receive a raise, while your men and women will receive an early annual bonus for their performance."

"Thank you!" she said, genuinely pleased for them. "They will appreciate that."

"The SDC rewards those who serve it diligently." Jacques had not been a man to smile recently, not since the White Fang started their attacks, but he did so now. "I have to admit, I was… perhaps hasty with my reaction to you attending Atlas."

Winter paused. "Father?"

"I know I was not at my best then, Winter. I said things that, looking back, I regret. In my mind I thought your attendance was a way to abandon your duty, leave the SDC and everything we have worked so hard on. I reacted rashly."

 _You didn't_ , Winter thought. She had intended all that and more.

"But it appears I am the one in the wrong here," he went on, heedless of her inner turmoil. "The SDC would not be handling this threat nearly as well as it is without your experience, experience gained in Atlas and working under Ironwood. You're an asset to the company, Winter. And I… I am proud of you."

Years.

It had been years since she'd heard those words.

"I…" She swallowed. "Thank you, father." He was over-estimating her. She hadn't meant any of this. She fully planned to leave, escape, join the military. She didn't _deserve_ this praise.

But it still made her stomach feel warm.

"Your sister has also expressed an interest in following in your footsteps."

"Weiss has?" she asked dumbly. She wasn't sure why she did, since she knew Weiss was training in her spare time. She'd offered a few pointers and sparred with her once or twice. Holding back, of course.

"Indeed. I was hesitant at first, but seeing how the experience helped shape you, I'm beginning to think she should be encouraged in this. She has expressed a desire to attend Beacon, however. What do you think?"

"I think it's still early. She's not even fourteen."

"No, but she will be soon. Children grow fast. Believe me, I have seen it myself. I'm hesitant to let her go all the way to Vale, even if her performance there would help spread the family's reputation. With the White Fang as it is, she would beyond our protection."

"There's still three years, father. Things might change in that time. I have plans-" And it was then that Winter paused, realising with horror her thoughts. She _did_ have plans. She had strategies, initiatives and more, and they would take years to invoke.

Had she really given up on escaping the family? Was she really willing to take her place as heiress, despite all that she'd said to him before?

"Hm, you have a point. Very well, I shall not refuse Weiss the idea now. There are benefits to her moving beyond Atlas' borders. For one, favouritism will be lessened. She will be forced to truly grow and perform to achieve the grades she will need. It would also not hurt to have someone with more experience of Vale's culture in the company."

"And if she decides at the end that she wishes to become a huntress?" Winter asked nervously.

"Then that will be her choice. The company already has an heir in you, Winter. So long as Weiss comports herself as befits her station, I am content to let her do as she wishes."

"I see."

How unfair.

"Being in Vale would also place her close to your intended," Jacques teased. And it _was_ a teasing tone he wielded. Winter's face turned bright red. "It might give you reason to stop by and visit. Your sister, obviously. Though should you bump into a certain someone…"

"Y-Yes, I see what you're saying."

"You're awfully red, my dear."

"It must be the weather, father."

His smile said he knew it was not. "Yes. The weather…"

D-Damn him. Where had this man been all her childhood? No, Winter knew where he'd been. Right there. The early years – looking back – had not been harsh nor horrible. Jacques had been focused but always made time for them.

It was just the expectation that had smothered her, caused her to rebel, and then led to argument after argument culminating in a fight in which he threatened to disown her if she defied him. Winter had taken one look at the man she used to call `Daddy` and walked away. They'd barely spoken since, only once in a blue moon, when he would reiterate his threat to disown her should she join the military.

Now, thanks to Jaune's little manipulations, she hadn't. Oh, she'd intended to leave and do so again and she thought Jaune had intended that, too. This had all just been to avoid any chance of her being dragged into his scandal. But that scandal was over now – had been for nearly two months – and she was still here.

And her father was smiling at her. Teasing her. Talking to her. Talking to _Weiss_ and _Whitley_ too, and generally being the man he'd once been before, even if the White Fang had him stressed up to his eyeballs.

"I shall handle my affairs of the heart myself, thank you," Winter said. She had been exchanging communique with Jaune religiously in the past few weeks, and while she had not told him of her new position – wanting to keep their chats off business matters – she felt confident in saying their friendship was blossoming.

Friendship. It hurt, but Winter was patient. He had to see her as someone he could trust before he could see her as more. And once he could trust himself to relax around her, she could show him a little more of herself. Reveal herself…

Her personality, she meant.

Yes.

That thing.

"Ahem." Winter coughed into her fist. "If you'll excuse me, I think I promised to speak and train with Weiss once I got back from my latest mission."

"Of course, of course." Jacques stood from behind his desk. "And I need to plan how I shall address the board on your success. Take some time off, Winter. You've earned it."

Winter followed her father out, where he bumped into Whitley, running through the halls. Whitley flinched. "S-Sorry. I wasn't watchin-"

"It's fine," Jacques said. He rubbed Whitley's head. "You were looking for your sister, no?"

Whitley nodded quickly.

"I'll leave you to it, Winter."

Winter and Whitley watched their father leave, both with surprise, but the younger of them with a little hope, too. "Father's been a lot happier since you came back."

 _Since I accepted my duty, you mean._ Winter buried the thought and looked to her little brother. He had a training sword in hand. Her eyebrows rose. He'd never shown an interest in sparring before, ignoring Weiss whenever she did to study poetry, business or other books. Normally in an effort to impress father.

Whitley shuffled his feet. "Can I watch you train Weiss?"

Polite, shy and a little lacking in confidence. To believe Weiss' tales, he had become cold, uncaring and like father. She wasn't sure if Weiss had overreacted or if Whitley had changed. Perhaps both. Or maybe it was father who had changed. Either way, she still saw the potential in him. He still looked excited whenever she offered to read him a story in the evening.

"Of course, Whitley. Would you like to join in?"

His eyes lit up.

/-/

 _This probably isn't what Taiyang had in mind for father-daughter bonding,_ Jaune thought as he cut through another Arachne, the spider-like Grimm spasming on the floor as its legs curled up. Only when it stopped entirely would it begin to fade away. Jaune shivered and moved back. Though he'd been through a lot, spiders still managed to earn a little fear from him. Not the little ones that scurried around, obviously more afraid of humans than vice versa, but certainly the four-foot tall variety with huge dripping fans, numerous red eyes and spikes on the ends of their legs.

He didn't consider himself weird for thinking every spider-Grimm in the world could go off and die.

What was perhaps more galling was how Emerald simply didn't care. Half his age, barely bigger than the spiders herself, and she cut through them without giving a shit. She dealt with her own, wiped the gunk off on her pant leg and looked to him, the torch she'd attached to her left breast illuminating his face.

"You look frightened," she said.

"No!" he denied, a little too loudly. His face flushed with colour when a tiny, uncharacteristic smirk appeared on Emerald's face. "Nothing wrong with a little fear," he grumbled, moving on, using his own torch for vision. "Fear keeps you alive."

"Mhm."

"It does."

"I believe you."

"Smartass." He swiped a hand back good-naturedly and Emerald blocked it with one arm. He considered her grin a good sign. Go back a year and she'd have reacted to a blow like that – even obviously feigned – with resigned horror, like she fully expected him to beat her.

They'd found the temple. Or what Jaune was calling the temple. It was impossible to tell what it was seeing as how the majority of it was buried under overgrown lichen and moss, so green as to be camouflaged with the trees that surrounded it. Much of it was as destroyed as the reports suggested, looking more like a collection of mossy rock than a building.

The entrance hadn't been hard to find, just time-consuming. The corridors within were still in good condition, albeit covered in spiders and spider-webs. The mundane kind, that was. Jaune didn't have such a problem with them and continued to cut through the webs even now. It was the eight-legged nightmares beyond that had panicked him.

As for the building itself, it was impossible to tell what it had been. They'd seen some corridors, some empty rooms – some big, some small – and a whole host of rotted wood reduced to planks. Maybe crates, boxes or barrels once. Nothing that could confirm whether this was a temple, hospital, over-large tavern or just the ancient civilisation's idea of an apartment block. It was bigger than a house, but that was all that could be said.

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Emerald asked.

"Honestly, I've no idea. More murals would be a start." No Relics. He knew where all those were, and had suspicions where the maidens were, too. Or _who_ they were. He might have made to collect them but for the simple fact he had no idea how to use them.

Not much point doing Salem's work for her, and years in advance. They were safer in their tombs for now.

"Ideally, we're looking for anything that suggests super powers, Relics or four girls being given powers." Though he was less confident on finding the latter. As far as he was aware, Ozpin had done that. "Anything that stands out, really."

"How about a sealed door with the eye symbol on your hand?"

Jaune froze. "That… That would be a good start." He followed Emerald's finger, down a side corridor she was looking into. There, at the end, barely illuminated by Emerald's torch, was the same symbol. Salem's symbol. "Em, you're amazing," he whispered.

Although she said nothing, Emerald stood a little taller.

It was just like the cairn before, a seemingly solid door made of stone with no discernible markings, either for a key, seem or anything else. This time, he was better prepared. Sheathing Crocea Mors, he tugged off the glove on his left hand and held it up.

Salem's emblem was glowing faintly. On both the back of his hand and the palm. Without hesitation, he pressed his palm to the cold stone. It warmed imperceptibly at his touch, and then began to creak and groan open.

"Why does she have access to everywhere?" Emerald asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe they worshipped her. Maybe _she_ was the one to give them power."

"Or maybe it's not her symbol at all," she whispered. Jaune's eyes snapped to hers. "It might be _their_ symbol," Emerald said.

"And what, she took it for herself…?"

Emerald shrugged.

"It's as good a theory as any," he said, casting his torch into the dark chamber. The first thing he noticed was just how _clean_ it was. Impossibly so. When they'd opened the cairn, the musty air and dust had come pouring out in a wave thick enough to choke them, but while the air here smelled stale, it was devoid of anything more. The floors were stone. Not polished stone, just carved rock, but they were light slate-coloured and didn't have any dust on them at all. The walls, those that he could see, were free of carving or murals but a similar state of cleanly grey-white.

It should have been dustier. This looked like something still in use, and Jaune nervously shone the torch around, half-expecting to find someone. No doors, though. No other entrance than the one they'd taken.

But in the centre of the room was a stone plinth.

Atop it, a thick leather-bound book.

* * *

 **Ninjas of Love.**

 **And thus it was that Emerald's childhood development was forever ruined. Anyway, there's the chapter for this week. Some small butterflies fluttering away in the background, but things are low key for now.**

 **For now.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 20** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	30. Chapter 30

**Here we are with another chapter. I'm glad to see people thought the development of Emerald last was better than before. I took the criticism as best I could and tried to act on it. People should know that although I don't respond to every review (more because the time involved would make such all but impossible), I do read and take them in.**

 **Good and bad, with the latter I try to improve on.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 30**

* * *

The book was something that would have caught his attention even were it on a shelf in a library. He wasn't sure why, or how to quantify it, but there was something about it that drew his eye. No matter how he tried to look away, even now to look at the pedestal itself, there was no stopping his gaze wandering back up to rest on it.

It was not alive.

It was just a book.

And yet, he was uncertain.

"Jaune?" Emerald asked.

"I…" He swallowed, licked his lips and then smiled down at her. "Sorry. Can you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

She didn't. There was no way he could describe it without her imagining it. He nodded to the pedestal instead. "What do you think?"

"It's just a book. It might have what you're looking for in it. We're not going to leave it, are we?" Emerald sounded annoyed at the suggestion, but only in the way someone forced to fight giant spiders to get here might be. She didn't feel any allure, no drag.

Not like he did.

"No, I guess not." He took a step forward and hesitated.

With a sigh, Emerald brushed by him.

"Em!"

"It's fine." The younger girl stepped cautiously forward, but when no traps were set off, straightened and hopped up onto the raised platform the plinth stood on. Jaune's heart clenched as she reached out to touch it. He wanted to shout her back or run forward and pull her back.

She touched the book's cover.

Nothing happened.

"See?" she called, looking back. "It's fine." To show it, she even lifted it up a little. "It's heavy."

"How heavy?"

"Book heavy. Not unnaturally."

Right. Jaune nodded and strode forward, fighting past the tremor that spread through his entire body. There was something _wrong_ with this, he knew. There was no ignoring it. His heart started to beat faster as he approached, reaching a fever pitch as he stepped up onto the platform. It lay there, unassuming. Emerald stood beside it.

Almost against his will, Jaune looked back behind him. There was nothing there, but he'd almost felt as though there were. For a moment. The hairs on his arms stood on ends.

"Jaune?"

"Nothing. It's nothing."

He smiled for Emerald's sake and rubbed her head. With his other hand, he reached out for the book's cover. His hand stopped. The emblem was glowing. No, it had glowed before when he touched the door, but now it was positively _burning_. Not with the pain and not in any tactile sense. He couldn't feel anything from it. But the light was intense and seemed to pulse, kind of like a fire might, if that fire was distilled down into thin lines of pure white light.

"That's not normal…" he whispered.

"Your hand does that with a lot of things," Emerald pointed out. "It's not backfired yet."

"Who died and made you the voice of logic?" he teased. She was right, though. He couldn't accomplish much just standing here. With a deep breath, Jaune reached forward and laid his left hand atop the book's cover.

It felt like he'd been thrown into a tub of cold water.

Details washed out, white came rushing in. He could still see, barely, but it was like his vision was obscured. Narrowed. His hand was on the book still, but he couldn't move it. Couldn't move anything. Panic set in, and with it, voices.

"This is a bad idea," someone behind him said.

"We're out of good ones," Jaune replied, without meaning to. "The Gods have abandoned us. We are alone. The world needs a solution."

"Not this. Anything but this. It's too cruel."

"I don't disagree, but the other option is death for all of us. You know we cannot last." Jaune's hand moved of his own volition, pulling open the book. The pages were heavy, weighty, and the cover fell to the left as he spun through the pages. He came to rest on one, both hands on either side of it. "Something has to be done. You know it."

"Even if it means the death of so many?" the voice asked.

"Even then. I will do what I must." Jaune said.

"As will I, old friend." A metallic hiss sounded behind him. "I'm sorry."

Jaune's head jerked up against his will, looking ahead. Shock tore through him, even as something sharp did so literally a second later, plunged deep into his back. It tore through his front, splashing blood out across the pages. Jaune stared down at the sword that had pierced through him in shock. His hands touched it.

His vision failed him as he slumped forward. His hands landed on the pages, his vision dimming as his face followed, cheek slapping against the paper as all strength fled. His eyes closed for the last time as his body gave in.

"Jaune!"

His eyes snapped open. Emerald was shaking him, worried. He was in the chamber, resting on the book, cheek down on the pages. Swallowing, he pushed himself back up and backed away from the plinth.

What was that?

A vision…?

How the hell did something like that even happen?

Emerald took his silence as worry and stepped forward, not touching him but standing close enough to catch him if he fell. "Are you okay? You just stared at the book and fell forward."

"I'm fine." Jaune's eyes trailed to his left hand. The emblem was still glowing, but dimmer. Enough to conceal with his glove. "I'm fine."

"If you say so…"

She didn't believe him, not that he could blame her. What he'd seen… It had been so sudden, so real. Like he was living it, experiencing it. Dying… in it. He touched his chest where the blade had come through. There was no wound, but his lungs still felt tight, as if they'd had to breathe around four feet of steel.

The book was still closed. It still felt warm to the touch, unnaturally so, but there was no immediate reaction from him touching it. Cautiously, he pulled the cover back and let some of the pages flicker by. The parchment was old, but still legible. The edging was silver, or perhaps some wax that dried that colour. There was a stain at one part, visible still on the edge. When Jaune opened up those pages, his eyes closed softly. He'd half hoped it wouldn't be so, but that was a futile endeavour.

There were blood stains across the page. Splatters, and then a single, long smear dragged down the right-hand side. As if someone had collapsed atop it, fell, and then slid down and off. Nervously, Jaune placed his palm against the handprint.

It didn't fit.

Jaune wasn't sure why that relieved him so much, but it did. His hand was much bigger, with his fingers maybe a full inch longer than whomever had died atop it. The writing on the page, what little could be made out, was in the same archaic language Oobleck had shown him before.

Oddly enough, he didn't think he would be giving this to Oobleck to research. Perhaps he would let him come and study it at the manor, but not out of sight. Certainly not near someone like Ozpin, or worse, where Cinder might be able to find and steal it.

Jaune closed the book and picked it up.

"We've got what we came for. Let's go."

Emerald followed, confused but eager to get out of the claustrophobic corridors. Luckily, they remained free from Grimm and the moment they left the chamber the book had been found in, the oppressive feeling weighing down on Jaune's shoulders departed.

He looked back. The door had remained open, the room within empty. There was no feeling to it, no cold or fear, but the second he'd been in there, he felt it. And he had a feeling that were he to go back in, it would only be worse.

Someone had died in that chamber.

With a shudder, Jaune turned away and flicked his torch back on. The corridor was empty but for the dust, cobwebs and their own footsteps. Even a paranoid glance at those showed that no one had come in behind them. They were alone.

"I don't know about you, Emerald, but I'll be happy to see the back of this place."

"Because of the spiders?"

"Not just them." He smiled and swatted at her. "And I'm not scared of spiders. Just… not thrilled by their presence in any shape or form. And certainly not human-size and trying to kill me. I wasn't aware you were such a hard-bitten warrior."

Emerald shrugged. "Someone has to look after you when you get old and infirm."

Cheeky brat. "It'll be a long time before that happens."

It wasn't hard to find their way out. Apart from having mapped it, the corridors they'd come through were easily distinguishable by disturbed dust and cobwebs, while some of those going deeper still were almost entirely sealed by white threads. There was doubtless more Grimm inside, but Jaune wasn't sure they needed to go further. They could always come back if they absolutely had to, but the book felt like the main prize here. Go further, and they'd only risk the book being damaged by the Grimm.

Sunlight streamed into the tunnel ahead. The smell of fresh grass and leaves assaulted their nostrils, along with the _bric-bric_ of some nearby frog. The sunlight also lifted the last of the weight from Jaune's shoulders and he followed Emerald up the ruined staircase leading to the top. It washed over him, the temperature several degrees hotter outside than in.

"Are we going back home now?" Emerald asked.

"We are. We'll travel the same way we did here. Camp and…" Jaune trailed off. His eyes flicked left, then right. It was hot out, warm, and yet the only sound he could hear was a single frog in some reeds to the left. Out of sight. No birds, no insects.

Cautiously, Jaune placed a hand on Emerald's shoulder and drew her back. He rolled the book out from under his arm and pushed it into her chest. She took it, adjusting the large thing so that she held it against her body with both hands.

She didn't ask what was wrong. Emerald knew better than to distract him.

"You can come out," Jaune called. "It wasn't a bad try but you set off the wildlife. There's no ignoring that."

It was a bluff more than anything. There was no certainty and it was possible the wildlife was scared off by Grimm, a Bullhead or even the two of them coming back up. Unlikely, however, and it wasn't like anyone would hear him be wrong if he was.

And if he was right…

Hands clapped together from above and to the left. Vibrant, fast-paced applause. "Bravo! Bravo! Oh, I wondered if you would notice, yes I did. Ha ha ha!"

Jaune gripped his sword and growled. "Tyrian."

"And you remember me!" Tyrian laughed and appeared halfway up the ruins, crouched down on the balls of his feet, coat bunched up under him. His eyes were wild, but his smile was almost friendly. Almost. There was too much lust there. "I knew you would, you know. You and I, we've met one another _three times_ now. Three times! Can you believe it? No one has crossed with me so many times and continued to live. No one!"

With a cackle and a leap, Tyrian cleared some of the rubble and skirted to the side, careful not to cross _too_ close to him. Jaune let it happen, watching silently as Tyrian came down to his level. If the faunus wanted to close the distance and give up the high ground, he wasn't going to interfere.

"No one has really crossed Hazel twice either, but you managed that. Oh, and our wonderful Queen is _so_ curious about you. So desperate to meet you. Won't you come and eat with her? I swear not to take off any fingers if you do~"

"Tempting," Jaune said. "Real tempting. But I'm afraid I'll have to decline." To Emerald, he whispered. "Keep the book safe. Go back inside if you need to but keep your guns out."

"Book?" Tyrian cocked his head to the side. He'd heard somehow. The man's eyes slid to Emerald, but Jaune stepped in front. Tyrian shrugged. "I'm not a fan of books I'm afraid, and I've no orders to find one for my beloved Queen." He cackled. "And if I wanted to, I'd visit a library! No, no, no. I'm here for _you_. Let's not complicate things between us with _books_ and _words_."

Tyrian, of all people, wasn't one for subtlety or strategy. That wasn't to say Watts wasn't here directing things, but this early into Salem's plan, he had to be busy. Did Tyrian really not care about the book at all?

"How did you find me?" Jaune asked.

"You left Vale. Yes, you did. Did you think we wouldn't find you?"

Hm. So, they had known where he was. Not hard to figure out. Still, this was a sign they weren't confident enough to attack Vale directly. Not yet. Not when it would clue Ozpin off. Someone in this time might ask why, but Jaune knew it was because they had bigger plans for Vale and Ozpin in the coming years. They couldn't afford to tip their hand early.

And he couldn't afford to look like he knew anything about it, or they might adapt their plans.

"I wasn't hiding in Vale, you know. If you wanted me so badly, why not come in and find me?"

"And have to deal with so many people? Oh my, that wouldn't do. We'd not have the time to chat and catch up!" Tyrian, for all his melodramatics, wasn't a complete idiot. He gave nothing of Salem's later plans away. Then again, he could as easily have not been told.

Jaune played along.

"I guess that's fair." He walked out, swinging his shoulder to loosen the muscles. "Atlas didn't go so well for you, after all. Makes sense you'd want to avoid such an epic failure again."

"Ooh. You make me so angry! But you're _trying_ to make me angry." Tyrian cackled and threw his coat back, revealing his white outfit. He crouched low, weapons extended. "But I'll let you know a secret, Jaune Ashari." He grinned. "Atlas wasn't a failure. We achieved _exactly_ what we intended to."

Tyrian burst forward, blades swinging.

Jaune stepped in, tore Crocea Mors free and swept them aside. His other hand sought his shield, bringing it out in time to catch Tyrian's tail before it could catch him unawares. Through the gap between his shield and arm, Jaune thrust for Tyrian's throat.

It didn't connect. Tyrian danced back and brought his hands together. The barrels on his weapons glinted in the sun.

The shield came up. Jaune crouched. The _ping-ping_ of shots ricocheting off filed his ears. He strained past it – and only just caught the tell-tale _thump_ of a foot on grass. At the last second, he pulled the shield away, tanking a few shots but reacting in time to nearly cut Tyrian in two as he tried to leap up onto his shield as he had in Oniyuri. Tyrian hadn't been prepared for the trick to fail and hissed as his hand was nearly cut off at the wrist. He hopped back.

"Seen that one before," Jaune teased.

"Oh?" Tyrian inspected his wrist, and the small red mark on it. His aura had stopped Crocea Mors drawing blood. The crazed faunus grinned back at him, as amused as ever. "You'll have to tell me about that sometime. Maybe when I'm taking you to meet my Queen."

"If, Tyrian. If."

The faunus was on him a second later.

Jaune caught the knives on his sword, twisted and forced them to the side. They _barked_ angrily as he did, and he winced as the shots impacted his left shoulder, draining aura.

The tail came up and over, trying to strike his back, but he stepped in and headbutted Tyrian in the face first, making his nose break with an audible _crunch_. Tyrian staggered back and the stinger waivered.

It was enough for Jaune to duck low and lunge in. Crocea Mors speared up towards Tyrian's stomach, aiming to slip in under the ribs and up. Tyrian's eyes widened. He spun, one arm catching the blade's edge. Aura sparked, but the momentum pushed Jaune's attack to the side. Barely. It skimmed Tyrian's thigh, cutting cloth.

Tyrian hissed but continued the spin, first swinging his tail into Jaune's face – he ducked beneath that – but then bringing his leg up and around.

He hadn't been ready for it. Tyrian's knives, yes, but not the knee. It impacted his cheek and pushed his head back. Rather than risk further injury, Jaune kicked back with it, allowing Tyrian to send him flying several feet, if only to build distance. He landed hard on his back, but flipped his legs up and over his head, rolling quickly onto his feet.

Just in time. Tyrian's twin-blades lunged in for his throat. He blocked one and pulled his head away from the other. Tyrian twisted it, recognising he'd miss the throat. The blade dug into his shoulder instead. Only a little. Jaune pulled his shoulder back and slammed the rim of his shield up into Tyrian's arm, forcing him to take it back or lose it.

"So much for taking my alive…"

"I'm sure you can take it~"

Maybe. But the fight was going to drag on at this rate. Jaune measured his opponent's reactions with a few feints and thrusts, but Tyrian danced between them, counter-attacking in turn. They were both even, or close to it. Problem was, Tyrian had all the edges out here. More hope for reinforcements, help from the Grimm and enough room to retreat and strike in the night if he wanted to. His faunus vision would give him the edge there.

Hell, he could have attacked in the tunnels, though that wouldn't have given him much room to use his tail or acrobatics.

"You look troubled," Tyrian taunted as they locked blades again. "Something wrong, Jaune?"

"No." He hooked a foot behind Tyrian's and pushed. "Just thinking of what to write on your gravestone when I kill you."

"If, Jaune," he teased, using his earlier words against him. "If."

No. When. Jaune lunged once more, feinted low and then struck high. Tyrian's blades went both ways, opting to defend. He managed to catch the sword high and grinned, lunging with his now free hand. Jaune's shield came up to block it – but to Tyrian's surprise, his blow against the shield pushed it back into Jaune's stomach. There was no arm behind it. The shield had been _thrown_ up into the path.

As it fell away, Jaune pulled the trigger on his new dust-shotgun.

The _roar_ was loud. Dust flew out in a large blast, erupting more like a volcano than a gun. It exploded all across Tyrian's body, sizzling and crackling. The faunus fell back in shock, hands crossed over his face.

Tossing the spent weapon aside, Jaune lunged in and drove Crocea Mors forward. It was parried and deflected at the last second, but he kept moving, slammed a foot down between Tyrian's and _ploughed_ his left fist into the faunus' throat.

It was only impressive aura that stopped Tyrian's windpipe crumpling. Even so, he choked on air as he fell back, staggering away and waving his tail between them to cut off any pursuit. Jaune let him go, though he kicked his shield back up into his hand and edged over to his gun. While Tyrian was distracted, he casually reloaded the chambers.

"That's new," Tyrian snarled.

"I like to change things up," Jaune said. "Keeps things exciting."

In truth, he didn't. He'd never really moved beyond the sword and shield in his past life, not out of any great respect for it – though he did respect the blade which held hints of both his family and Pyrrha – but because there hadn't been the time. If things were easier, he might have asked Ruby to help upgrade his shield.

He'd had more time to think about that coming back, and the training with Team November helped. He'd picked up gunplay, demolitions and more. Explosives here were out of the question, but he'd come to appreciate how many arguments a shotgun solved. Maybe he _could_ still see about some upgrades.

Looking back, Adam's shotgun-scabbard had been pretty convenient. With the shells inserted back into the gun, Jaune brought the barrel back and into place. He twirled it, just to piss Tyrian off, and hooked it back onto his belt.

In sight, holstered, but an ever-present threat Tyrian would have to be aware of.

Not that the faunus looked scared by any means. "You're always so interesting," he said. "No fight is ever the same. I like that, I really do."

"I'd like to say the sentiment is mutual…"

"It's not? I'm hurt." Tyrian stepped back again. He sheathed his weapons.

Jaune did not, though he did raise an eyebrow. Another trick?

"No trick," Tyrian said, reading his mind or his expression. "My orders are to bring you in alive, but if we continue that here, one of us isn't going to walk away." He sighed. "Ah, how I want to. I really do. But my Queen's desires come above my own. I wouldn't risk her fury by bringing her your head. No, no, no."

He took another step back, half turning but keeping his eyes on Jaune. He was prepared in case Jaune gave chase, but they both knew he wouldn't. Tyrian was right. This fight only had one end, and although neither knew who would stand, they both knew that person would be badly hurt.

Either Tyrian won, and ran the risk of being killed by Emerald or Salem. Or Jaune won and was so hurt Emerald would have to try and drag him back to Vale on her own. Neither option was appealing.

In the end, survival was victory.

"Fine." Jaune sheathed his own sword. "Rain check?"

"Another time, my fair prince." Tyrian bowed to him, and then grinned at Emerald. "And princess. Until then, I must away!" With a cackle and a last smile, Tyrian dashed into the forest.

Only then did Jaune relax, though he didn't let his guard down. It could still be a trick. He'd have to stand guard all night. Ugh. Wonderful. Turning, he looked to Emerald, relieved to find she was not only in one piece but waiting patiently. She trotted over once she saw it was clear.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Of course," she said. "He didn't fight me." Her eyes strayed over him.

"I'm fine, Emerald."

"Okay." She didn't stop looking for injuries. Jaune sighed and let her, touched and a little amused. He had a few small scrapes and cuts. Nothing a night's sleep wouldn't sort out. Or a night standing on guard, as it was. "What now?"

"Back to Vale. We'll camp early, and I'll take guard. I don't exactly trust him at his word."

Emerald nodded. "Do you want this back?" she asked, holding out the book with two hands.

To her, it apparently meant nothing. She held it like any other, as if she felt not a thing from it. But to him, to his eyes, it almost looked like it was vibrating, warm, alive. Jaune stared at it for a long moment, and he could _feel_ the pull once again. The allure, telling him to reach out and touch it. He knew that if he were to peel his glove back, his hand would be glowing again.

With a monumental force of will, Jaune looked away.

"Maybe it's best if you keep hold of it for now."

/-/

Summer looked up from the hob as the front door opened. There was no need to ask who was home, since Yang announced her presence each and every time. Sometimes it was with a loud yawn, other times with a yell. This time it was with a tired groan and the popping of joints. Summer twitched at that.

She loved Yang, she really did, but hearing bones and joins crack always got to her.

"I'm hoooome!"

"Welcome home," Summer called.

Her voice was eclipsed by someone else's.

"Yaaang!" Ruby must have tackled her sister, because Summer heard a squawk from her oldest child and the sound of frantic, excited barking.

Smiling, Summer put the vegetables she was preparing to boil. Normally, Tai cooked for them – her skill at the stove being passing at best, and something he'd helped teach her – but with him looking after the ASH Gym for Jaune, she'd offered to take over. Tai suggested takeout for a week, but eventually gave in to her pout.

Was it to wrong that she wanted to prove she could cook properly? Bah. She would show him. And to hell with Qrow claiming he had a date to go on. As if that could ever happen. He just wanted to avoid her food, too.

If only it were cookies. She was great at baking them.

Taiyang slipped into the kitchen while the kids were distracted. He grabbed her around the waist, drew her in and laid a scorching kiss on her lips. Summer melted into him, though she teased back by nibbling on his lip. He gasped and deepened it, but she pushed him away.

"Not now. Yang and Ruby will see."

"You tease." He let her go with another, softer kiss.

"How was the gym?"

"Great! Sort of."

"Sort of…?" she asked.

"They're amazing kids, Summer. Absolutely incredible. Motivated in ways you just don't see in Signal, even Qrow can't help but sing their praises."

"I'm sensing a but here."

"Yeah well. But." He rolled his eyes. "They're also insane. Violent, cunning, brutal. Not sure how to put it, but you remember that `teamwork` lesson we gave them the other day? The one I told you about?"

"Yes."

"Well, they took to it fast. Problem is, they took to it _their_ way."

"Oh dear…"

"Yeah. So now they're working together, but they're working together and _cheating_." Tai sighed. "I had a one-on-one match today that turned into a three-on-three brawl because one side decided to call on some teamwork, only for the other to have planned the exact same thing. Mutual betrayal, Summer. Followed by mutual bruises."

She giggled. "Didn't Miss Goodwitch come today? What did she think?"

"Oh God, don't get me started. On the one hand, she gave us that stern `Can you not control your students` look. But as for the kids? I swear I saw her drooling. Okay, not literally," he admitted when Summer gave him a look. "But I promise her eyes lit up. She _liked_ what she saw. Disapproved of the cheating, but took one look at it, nodded and said they showed a clear ability to think outside the box."

"Oh my…"

"They're not thinking outside the box, Summer. There is no box! They have booby-trapped the box. The box is a Grimm in disguise, I swear."

"You're such a drama queen."

"I'm really not!" Taiyang cried. His ire vanished as he laughed, maybe even at his own silliness. "Still, it's good fun. Just don't tell them I said that. How have you been? Was Ruby okay today?"

"She's been fine. Better," Summer said. "She missed you and Yang."

"Does she want to come watch us? While he's not here?"

"No. I don't think that's a good idea."

Taiyang grimaced.

Summer understood his pain. Neither of them really knew what to do about their youngest daughter, who had suffered such a shock in Atlas. She was too young to see the things she saw, let alone to nearly be killed – and _then_ to see such bloodshed first hand.

Ruby still went into shock whenever she saw blood, be it from the tiniest cut or even a nosebleed.

"She'll get better," Summer said, hugging her husband. "It's been less than a year. Give her time."

"Of course, of course. She'll get as much time as she needs and more. I just don't want her to feel left out all the time. Having to stay home when Yang goes out, sitting there waiting for us. It doesn't feel right."

"She has Zwei," Summer said. "And what am I, a potato?"

"You're the most beautiful potato ever."

"Lame," she teased, pushing his face away. "Your compliments need work, buster." Her eyes softened. "But trust me, Ruby will be okay. She's strong, she wants to get past this and she's _said_ she doesn't want to let it keep her down."

"Maybe she needs help," Taiyang suggested. "Professional help, I mean."

Summer bit her lip. "Maybe…"

Taiyang could see Summer's hesitation, and with Ruby and Yang happily (and loudly) chatting away in the living room, didn't want to kill the mood. He smiled instead and pushed Summer toward the kitchen, eager – for himself and his stomach – to take over the cooking, or at least monitor her doing it.

"Here, let me tell you about this girl at the gym. I don't know what it is, but I swear she reminds me of Raven."

Summer looked up. "Ray?"

"Yeah. It's the weirdest thing…"

/-/

Vernal leaned back in her ratty hotel room and closed her eyes. Not as comfortable as being back with the tribe, even if the mattress was a lot softer. It was the quiet which got to her. The tribe was never quiet. There was always someone talking, fighting or stumbling around drunk.

Still, she'd taken the chance for this when Raven put it out there. Leapt at it, even. Vernal knew she couldn't go back, not yet. Raven had promised to check in on her in a month's time, or earlier if she felt like it, at which point Vernal could make her choice.

Or, failing that, she could make her own way back to the tribe.

It didn't matter much. She was old and skilled enough to make her own way, even if a couple of hotels had turned her away or asked to speak to her parents. Ha, to think people her age in Vale were seen as so useless they needed someone to make all their decisions for them. No wonder the city-folk were so fucking soft.

Not Jaune, though. Then again, she didn't see him as city-folk. He'd been a part of the tribe first, her teacher. Her first _proper_ teacher. And she'd _grown_ under his tutelage, even if he hadn't stayed for long. She'd grown fast enough that Roland commented on it, that even _Raven_ complimented her. That, more than anything, cemented the fact Jaune had to come back to the tribe.

The tribe needed to be strong, needed strength. Jaune was wasted here. Wasted on the people of Vale.

Raven knew that too, Vernal thought. She'd never said it, never really responded to Vernal's plans to drag Jaune back in either agreement or not, but Vernal knew the thought had to be on Raven's mind, otherwise she wouldn't have let this happen. Besides, Vernal wasn't blind. She knew Raven sometimes locked herself in her tent and then vanished. The others might not notice, but she noticed Raven coming back, since she could only make a portal to a few people in the tribe.

It didn't take a genius to figure out who Raven was going to see, and she always came back looking pleased, if a little drunk. Satisfied, though. The last time especially, when she'd come back with the biggest fucking smile on her face.

It was official then, Vernal had thought.

Jaune and Raven were fucking.

That annoyed her at first, hurt, but she'd quickly realised it wasn't a problem. If Jaune became Raven's husband – or mate, or even fuckbuddy – then he'd be a part of the tribe. It would solve a whole lot of inconvenient things, like distance or him not coming back. Vernal could still take her place under him.

As his student, she meant.

No need to invite Raven's ire. Even if Vernal _had_ seen him first. Sort of. She'd drawn swords against him first. That fucking counted.

Vale… Vale was weird, though. Very weird.

The kids here, the other students, were soft as hell, but they'd started to toughen up. Those that couldn't take her insults quit or ignored her, but there were a few who fought back. Like Yang – Raven's daughter. She had fire. As she fucking should. Jaune's brat did, too, but it was a cold fire. Like when ice was so cold it could burn you. A few others were good, especially some of the older ones. They took her beatings with gritted teeth and gave her back just as much when they could manage it.

Fair play, Vernal thought. If they were strong enough to give her a black eye because they hated her guts, then she'd take it. She wore one now proudly. It had been some girl, she recalled. Not Yang, nor even that Coco girl. Just some unknown girl a year younger than her. She'd lost the fight but got a cracking final punch in before she went down. Caught Vernal off-guard.

Good on the girl! Vernal would kick her ass even harder next time, but fair played.

Jaune wasn't here at the moment, though. Vernal thought she should be more annoyed about that. There he went, running out again. But he'd promised to come back and he left two of the most interesting guys in Vale to look after them. Seriously, they were probably the only two men in Vale Vernal would have _ever_ given a shit about. One was Qrow fucking Branwen, Raven's own brother and a traitor to the tribe!

And the other… Well, it was easier to say he was well-known to the tribe, even if few had ever seen him before. He was one of those people you knew by reputation more than anything else. Someone capable of not only beating Raven, but _taming her_ , if only for a while.

Taiyang Xiao-Long.

Vernal's cheeks heated up. She could _definitely_ see why Raven had been tempted there. Oh yes. Between him and Jaune, Vernal wasn't sure who was the better. Taiyang was more handsome, easily, and he had that look about him that just told you he'd be good husband material. Father material, too. Jaune was edgier, though. Dangerous. Mysterious. He had a mission, something to do, and the focus that told you he'd do it no matter what.

Vernal sighed and covered her face with one arm. One thing was for sure, whichever way she looked at it.

Raven was being entirely _too_ selfish.

/-/

Tyrian made no show to attack them as they made their way back. Or hadn't when Jaune decided to call camp just off the side of the main road, their camp nestled among some trees. It would be visible to anyone looking for it, but the traps he'd learned would alert them if anyone tried, and he intended to stay awake all night anyway. Hopefully, they'd be able to find a village to stop at the next night, and then be back in Vale the day after.

Emerald had offered to cook dinner tonight, mostly because he'd told her she didn't have to take a turn standing watch. A meal was a small price to pay for an uninterrupted night's sleep, especially since `cooking` just meant reheating field-rations. Canned and sealed food that came out okay, if not delicious, when cooked in a pan over an open fire.

It was no Lie Ren cuisine, that was for sure.

Jaune set the defences while Emerald cooked, stringing rope between the trees and setting up some of Atlas' little toys that would ping the area and let him know if anyone came near. The mix of old and new was perhaps overkill, but then Jaune had been on a team with Nora. She'd taught him that overkill just meant you were doing things properly. Why _not_ overkill something that would decide whether they got ambushed or not?

Except that, the longer time went on, the less Jaune thought an attack from Tyrian or anyone else was a possibility. If Tyrian was to be believed, he was more a curiosity than a threat. Something wrong, something that had caught Salem's attention, but not yet someone on the same level as Ozpin, or even approaching it.

That put the attack on Atlas in a different light. If he really was just a curiosity, then the effort they put in was too much. As Tyrian had alluded to, there was some _other_ goal there. Something he was missing.

Something which had not happened in the original timeline.

 _Well, not like I'm going to figure it out here,_ Jaune thought, settling down with a flask of peace-flavoured water. Ironwood might know, or Winter. He'd have to talk with them when he got the chance. See if anything had happened in another part of Atlas while their attention was focused on the White Fang attacking Amity.

Speaking of, what was he going to do when Amity rolled around next? He hadn't even checked where it was going, though he was fairly sure it wasn't Vale's turn. Should he take Emerald and attend on the off-chance Salem tried something? Or would doing so only goad her into it?

Or did he stay in Beacon and take advantage of Ozpin's inevitable absence? He'd have to go look over his students competing. It would give Jaune a chance to talk with Oobleck and arrange things with Roman without Ozpin breathing down his back.

Options. So many options. Again, none useful until he looked into _where_ it was being held and when. _I'll make a mental note to check when we get back. First thing is to look into this book._ His eyes flicked to it, bound up in a blanket just inside the flat to Emerald's tent. At least now, wrapped up, it had lost what effect it had on him. It was just a bundle of cloth.

But he still didn't like having it in the middle of camp.

"I'm going to get some sleep," Emerald said, having finished her food and relieved herself nearby. "If I wake up early, you might be able to get a few hours."

Jaune smiled and tussled her hair. "Don't worry about me, Em. We'll find an inn for your old man to sleep at tomorrow."

Her cheeks flushed, and she nodded. With a soft "Goodnight" she slipped into her tent and zipped the flap shut. There was some illumination from within, likely her scroll, but it winked out after a few minutes.

Heh. She was a good companion.

Odd, really. Strange to even think it, considering all the things she'd done. Could have done, he corrected himself. She hadn't done anything yet, and no one would convince him otherwise. It was honestly a shame he couldn't have helped more like her. Maybe even Cinder. No one was born evil. Then again, Salem was no fool. If he helped Cinder, she would just find another young woman to train up, twist and turn into her maiden.

"Better the devil you know. Sorry, Cinder."

Jaune's scroll beeped near-silently. Its vibrations were louder. His eyes show down to it and he tensed. No call, not out here. It was keyed into Atlas' defences, though. The ones he'd set around his camp. Something was approaching. He flicked the device off with his thumb, other hand sliding quietly to the hilt of Crocea Mors.

His ears picked up the approach not a moment later. A soft rustling of grass, but heavy. Heavier than a human. There was a rustle too, like cloth or leather, and then a soft _prbbll_ noise. Like someone was blowing their lips together. A horse? Out here?

Or could it be a Nucklelavee?

"Hello to the camp!" a light, feminine voice called. "Is there room at your fire for a fellow traveller?"

* * *

 **A mysterious stranger approaches.**

 **Oh, and Tyrian returns for a little spar. Sadly, or luckily, Jaune has yet to evolve from curiosity to threat and so he remains watched more than hunted. How long will such last? Well, we'll see.**

 **And harken, it was NOT Ninjas of Love on that pedestal.**

" **False advertising," Blake said with a hiss.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 27** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	31. Chapter 31

**I've heard reports that the site hack might be over at this time, but it's hard to know for sure. I'm getting conflicting messages all over the place. Probably best to stay safe and leave off visiting profiles pages for a week yet.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 31**

* * *

The `traveller` was an odd figure. Riding a white horse on an abandoned track through Grimm-infested territory, cloaked in a dark green hood and wearing an odd combination of brown leather and cream fabrics, the Fall Maiden stood out like a sore thumb. Jaune would have thought her suspicious even had he not recognised her.

Though the last he'd seen her, she'd been wearing less – and punctured through the heart with one of Cinder's arrows. She looked remarkably healthy now, with no facial scarring to mar her dark features. Her brown eyes watched him inquisitively, curious, but not concerned, even with his sword in his lap, ready to be drawn.

He supposed she had reason for such confidence, though maybe it would be overconfidence in this case. Cinder had shown that people with maiden powers could be bested, and Amber had already fallen once. Of course, she couldn't remember that.

Still, here and now?

The coincidence was almost too much.

 _Did Tyrian attack me because of this? Was he supposed to be a distraction to keep me away from Amber? If so, she looks remarkably healthy. If Hazel and Cinder were here, I'd expect her to be dead already._

It didn't seem the Fall Maiden had come from a fight. Her clothing was too clean, her demeanour too relaxed. Even the length of time he was taking to answer hadn't raised any alarm in her. Then again, in these times, any stranger would do to be wary before allowing another into their camp. The roads were hardly safe, and Grimm weren't the only threats out there.

"By all means," Jaune said, gesturing with one hand.

"Thank you." Amber swung one leg up and over, dismounting her steed with practiced ease. She brushed its nose with one hand, whispered something and patted its neck. She drew it by the reins with her and brought a long lead from a saddlebag, using it to secure the horse to a nearby tree. The lead gave it quite a lot of room to roam, a good eight metres or so, and the grass off the side of the road was fully grown.

Horse riding, while not an unreasonable skill to have, was still quite rare. Jaune, himself, had never bothered. Why ride when Bullheads were a perfectly acceptable method of travel. But for the Frontier Outposts dotted around the countryside, horses provided a much more affordable means of travelling safely.

Not that she needed it. To look at her, one wouldn't have thought Amber all that powerful. She wore bronze greaves that came up only to her knees, and a single armguard on her left arm with none on her right, and a shoulder plate only on the right-hand side. It was like someone had stepped into an armour store with chump change, realised they couldn't afford anything useful and just chosen some random pieces, slapped it on their body and called it done. Her core and chest weren't protected in the slightest.

But, well, what did one need those for when you had the power of the maiden?

"It's rare to find travellers out in these parts," Amber said, sitting down. She had brought her staff with her but made a show of laying it down beside her. Though Jaune knew she wasn't as disarmed as she made it look, he tried to act like he fell for it.

"We're on our way back to Vale."

"We?"

"My daughter and I." Jaune motioned to Emerald's tent. There was no noise from within, no even breathing, so he suspected Emerald was awake and waiting tensely, listening to see if things went poorly. "There's no need to worry," he said, more as a sign to Emerald than anything else. "We're friends."

"Friends, hm? That's nice."

Jaune shrugged and proffered some cured and salted jerky. "Food?"

"May I?" Amber waited for him to nod before taking it. "I've pots and pans in my saddlebags, but I'll confess I'm not in the mood to cook."

"Difficult journey?"

"More like an unfortunate run-in."

"Bandits?" Jaune asked, fishing for information.

"Something like that. Don't worry, I handled it."

It couldn't have been Cinder. All he had to work on for _when_ Amber had been attacked was the knowledge that Emerald and Mercury were involved, and right now Emerald was too young to really be able to do that. Maybe at fifteen or sixteen, it would be a different story. That gave him – or more specifically, Amber - two or three years to live.

Assuming his actions hadn't sped things up, which was entirely possible. He'd already made enough changes without realising it, and Tyrian _had_ been in the area.

 _I thought he was there to hunt me, but it's possible he wasn't._ Tyrian couldn't take him alone, not easily, so if they'd actually come for him it would have been as two. Then again, they might have done the same for a maiden.

Was it possible Tyrian _had_ come with Hazel, but that they'd had to split their attention between two targets? Or maybe Tyrian ignored orders and came after him, forcing Hazel to abandon an early attack on Amber. It sounded like something Tyrian might do, while Hazel was certainly patient enough to wait things out. That man wasn't reckless.

Then again, it was all just theory crafting without any proof. It was just as possible they were simply spying on Amber, mapping out her routes.

Cinder had to know _where_ she travelled to ambush her, after all.

"You needn't worry about trouble," Amber said, misreading his consternation. "You said you're headed back to Vale. The route from here should be fairly simple. If you need it, I don't mind escorting you to the next village. There's one not a day out, and from there it's only five or six hours to Vale."

Need it? They certainly didn't.

Then again…

"That would be appreciated. I can fight, as can my daughter, but you never know. The world is a dangerous place…"

"That it is, and I'd be happy to help. It's the least I can do for letting me stay in your camp." She paused. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself. Amber." She held out a hand.

"Jaune," he returned, accepting and shaking hers. She and he were right-handed, so there was no glowing hand strangeness to explain away. He'd kept his gloves on, anyway. "And Emerald is my daughter's name. Maybe you'll see her come morning."

Amber raised an eyebrow. "You're going to stand watch all night?"

"Someone has to."

"I'll stand watch with you."

She didn't offer to do it instead of him, or to split the watch. It would have been awkward had she done so, because two travellers on the road couldn't really trust one another so easily. If she slept, he could do anything to her, and vice versa the other way around. By offering to stay up with him, however, she avoided posing the question and forcing him to admit he couldn't trust her.

Jaune appreciated that, and nodded to her offer, "Thanks. I'd enjoy the company."

"Same. It's nice to have a little company on the road every now and then." Amber smiled whimsically. "I travel alone for the most part, not that I'm against it or I wouldn't be here. It can get a little lonely, though."

"Then why do it?"

"I… have my reasons. I suppose I was never one for the big city or settling down."

It was something he'd always wondered, just _why_ the Fall Maiden was off wandering around Vale in position to get attacked by Cinder. At the time, after Pyrrha's death, he'd blamed Ozpin. To be honest, he'd blamed Ozpin for a lot, and the man was guilty for plenty of things, but Amber wasn't among them. At least, he thought so.

There was no way she was out here because Ozpin _wanted_ her out here. If he had his way, she'd be kept as close to him as Qrow was. Evidently, Amber was avoiding Vale and Ozpin. Given her circumstances, Jaune couldn't blame her.

"I used to travel a lot as well," he said instead, thinking of Mistral, of Team RNJR, and even beyond, once he'd come back to the past.

"What changed for you?" she asked.

"Emerald, mostly." And his plans, the future. "I felt it was time to settle down, stop running and do something with my life. She's been a good influence."

"How old is she?"

"Thirteen, nearly fourteen." He noticed her shock. "She's adopted."

Amber laughed. "I thought you didn't look old enough for that."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Mostly because he was sure he _looked_ at least thirty. Hell, he nearly _was_ thirty. "So, what brought you in this direction?"

"Trading, mostly."

Jaune's eyes widened. "You're a trader?"

He really hadn't known that. For someone from the future, who had gotten used to knowing an unusual amount about people, and often freaking them out by it, being caught off-guard like this was a rare occurrence.

"Just little things," Amber said with a laugh. "Spice, dust, trinkets. A girl has to make lien somehow, and there aren't many opportunities when you're travelling between one frontier outpost and the next."

"I guess that makes sense…"

He couldn't ask why she didn't fight Grimm for money without looking suspicious. Besides, she might have been trading _on top_ of fighting. The places out here likely weren't wealthy enough to pay a full huntress' fees, so Amber would need to top it up somehow.

"The villages closer to Vale are better off, so I tend to stop at them for medicine and other things that are made in the city but hard to find outside it. Those sell well in the far-flung outposts. From them, I buy fur or game, things a little rarer in the city." She shrugged but looked pleased with herself. "It's not much, but it's enough to get by. It keeps me fed, supplied and able to travel as I please. A simple life."

"But a satisfying one?"

She smiled. "Absolutely. There's so much of Vale you don't see trapped within the city's walls. Not that you haven't seen it," she added, "You're already out here. But there's a lot of people who never do."

"I know what you mean."

"So, I'm a little out of the loop," Amber said, leaning forward. "Tell me about what's going on in the city."

/-/

If anyone had thought to ask, Roman wasn't keen on the current arrangement.

He'd made his name as a free spirit of sorts, someone who didn't care for the consequences and wasn't afraid to take the tough jobs, but only the ones _he_ wanted. He was beholden to no one and answered to none of the criminal families.

At least, that's how it used to be…

To his relief, that was how the asshole and Junior still wanted it to look. At least his rep would still mean something. Roman flipped a cigar out of his pocket and puffed away on it, gritting his teeth on the end a little harder than usual.

Neo noticed his frustration, of course. The little delight always did. She brushed up against him inquisitively.

"Just considering our current situation," he said. "Not exactly what we were looking for."

She raised an eyebrow.

"No, it's not the job. Should be easy, all things considered. More what it means." Another puff. "They want this to look unrelated, like a one-off raid by me and the boys against one of the biggest criminal families in the city. I can do it, that's not the issue. I'm just worried they'll cut us loose after, use us as scapegoats while they reap the benefits."

Neo shook her head.

"You don't think so?"

She made a few quick motions, two fingers rubbing together, a smile, a cock of the head – and then the most bloodthirsty smile he'd ever seen as her hand wielded an imaginary sword. Roman shivered.

"Yeah, fair point. That psycho bitch could have done this on her own if she wanted to, so they don't need us." Because frankly, no matter how scary Ashari could be – or Waters-Brown as Junior, the bastard, had let him assume – he was nowhere near as dangerous as that red-eyed woman.

Some might have said Roman's loyalty was a fickle thing, but he didn't think so. It couldn't be bought, it couldn't be swayed, and he _always_ looked out for himself. Did that not make him the most loyal person in Vale?

He thought so. You always knew where you stood, at the bottom, and as long as someone paid him, didn't double-cross him and didn't do anything that might land him in trouble, he'd be a wonderful partner. What people meant when they talked about his lack of loyalty was that he wasn't loyal to _them_. He wasn't a blind fanatic willing to toss his life away for someone else's lofty goals.

Basically, he wasn't an idiot – and a lot of people in the underworld didn't like that.

Of course, being as smart as he was also meant he had to know when to cut his losses, tow the line and duck his head. As long as Ashari and that red-eyed demon were around, he'd be ducking his head so far he could kiss his own asshole.

Annoying, but it had to be done.

For now, anyway.

"Right boys," he called to his assembled men. "You know the drill. We're going in _loud_ today, but are job isn't to come away with a profit, so don't get yourself caught being greedy. We're sending a warning and a message, nothing more."

A distraction. Roman Torchwick, rising star, brought down to a mere distraction. How galling. The worst part was that he was a distraction so that Ashari – currently out of the city – couldn't be implicated by whomever was looking for him. It was to cover his ass, and also set things up for further down the line.

Still, nothing he could do. Not yet. Roman looked up to the set of wealthy houses that belonged to the Carnelian family, resident drug lords on the wealthy South Vale streets, and flicked the spent cigar from his lips. He twirled his cane, pulled his bowler hat down and broke out a wide smile.

Puppet or not, a heist like this always got his blood pumping.

It was time for a performance.

/-/

Team RNJR had their fair share of all-nighters so Jaune faced the onset of morning with a yawn but little more. His boots creaked as he stood, disturbing the grass beneath him and catching Amber's attention. The maiden had been silent for the past hour or so, not out of any issue between them but for the simple fact that two people could not talk for eight hours without stopping. They'd reached a calm and contemplative silence.

"This is Emerald," Jaune introduced as she came out of her tent. "And this is Amber, Em. She arrived in camp last night and has offered to escort us to the next village along."

Of course, Emerald had been awake to hear everything last night. She knew that, and Amber knew it, but for the sake of pretence and politeness, they would all pretend it hadn't happened. Amber smiled and extended a hand, which Emerald shook warily.

"Nice to meet you, Emerald."

"You too," Emerald replied weakly. She had the book in her hands a moment later, the cover hidden in the blanket still but held against her chest. Amber stared at it curiously, though without any malice or recognition.

"A favourite book of hers," I lied. "Emerald likes to read, don't you?"

"Mhm." She nodded.

"That's good. I used to read a lot but… well, not many chances out here." Amber laughed the memory away. "Do you want to ride on Selanor, Emerald?"

"Is that its name?" Jaune asked.

"His. Selanor is a boy, not an it." She didn't sound overly offended. "He's gentle, I promise. She'll be completely fine on him."

Jaune trusted she would be, not only because he didn't think Amber was the type to kidnap a child, but because even if she tried Emerald would just use an illusion to make it look like Amber still had her, while jumping off the horse. She could take a fall easily thanks to her aura. Even so, Jaune looked to Emerald and made it clear the choice was hers.

"Okay."

Amber's smile grew. "Great. Come on, I'll show you how to mount up while your dad packs up the tents. Sel is strong enough to carry all those and your weight easily."

Jaune kept half an eye on Emerald as he brought the tents and camp down, packing them up with practiced ease. Ren was the real master of folding everything perfectly so it fit back in its carry-bag, but Jaune had learned from Nora just how far brute strength and enough force could get you.

Meanwhile, Emerald was up on the back of Amber's steed, who true to her word seemed not at all bothered by the less confident rider. Amber was adjusting the stirrups to better fit Emerald's shorter legs, while teaching her how to hold the reins and sit. "I'll lead her with a rope," Amber said, "But if we have to let go, say for Grimm, then Sel will just stand still unless you tell him to move. If you want him to stop, just pull on both sides equally and say `whoa` a few times. As long as you're not being chased, he'll slow to a stop."

Emerald really needed a little help on the acting, Jaune thought. A girl in her situation, out in the wilderness being talked to about what might happen in a Grimm attack, should have looked far more involved than she did. Her lack of fear was telling, and probably making Amber all kinds of curious.

At least this was something that wouldn't be making its way back to Ozpin or Salem. Amber was, to all his future knowledge, completely uninvolved with both parties.

"All done," he said, approaching with the bags. "You said he can carry them?"

"Sure. Emerald is much lighter than me. He won't even notice the difference."

/-/

Emerald bobbed up and down on the horse's back as they travelled down the path between the forests. She wasn't sure what she thought about riding; it was somehow both easier on the feet and more painful on the thighs, but she felt it was a net gain. She didn't feel any of the excitement Ruby once talked about, however, when she'd made Emerald watch some odd cartoon about a princess and a hero with her.

Naturally, Ruby saw herself as the hero in the story. Something Emerald could wholeheartedly agree with, because what useless girl sat back and _waited_ for someone to rescue her? That was just stupid.

Sure, Jaune had rescued her, but not because she'd done nothing. She wouldn't have survived on the streets long enough for him to do so if she hadn't taken every day seriously. Anyway, the horse she was on kind of looked like the one from that cartoon movie, but Emerald didn't _feel_ dashing or heroic on its back. It might have been because the prince's horse wasn't being led by some chatty brunette walking a step to the side.

And speaking of brunettes…

Emerald hadn't missed the woman's entry into their camp. She'd woken up the moment Jaune spoke, and he'd realised – giving her a code that it was safe. She liked that; it made her feel important, reminded her that he was thinking about her. He didn't have to, but he did. Regardless, the woman was… weird, Emerald decided.

For one, she was suspicious as hell. Out alone in the middle of nowhere riding a horse, approaching a camp and acting without a shred of fear towards a very armed man and his silent and also armed companion. Emerald would have called this Amber woman suicidal were it not for the quiet confidence she exuded. It was kind of like Jaune when he fell into his Smiling Man persona, a subtle knowledge that he could kill you if he had to, but that he wasn't going to make the effort if you didn't first.

This woman felt like that. She thought she could kill them if she had to but didn't have to.

If she were being honest, Emerald wasn't sure how she felt about that. Yang would have been pissed off, and Emerald had been when Vernal acted like it, but that was because Vernal _couldn't_ follow through on the threat, which made it arrogance. Emerald didn't mind when Jaune did it because he could. There was a big difference. This woman she didn't know, but the fact she was alive on her own in Grimm-infested land in the first place suggested she probably could.

So, she was dangerous, equipped, confident and didn't see them as a threat.

Which raised the question of why Jaune trusted her so much!

Don't trust this person. We're being hunted. There are people after me. He always talked like that, and the constant attacks proved his words true, but then he would go around and trust strangers with no explanation or reason.

And yes, some of those would turn out well. Summer, Taiyang, Winter – as much as it galled Emerald to admit the latter – but each of those had been allies made over time. This woman, this Amber, had come out of nowhere and just instantly earned the same trust.

Emerald had no idea what she was supposed to think about that. She wasn't even angry, just… confused.

But it didn't matter. She'd follow his lead to the end of Remnant, so she'd shrugged, trusted he knew best and gone back to sleep. That she'd woken up in one piece was further evidence of his knowledge, but it didn't help much. Now, they were travelling together, and Emerald forced herself to watch every single movement the woman made.

If Jaune wouldn't be prepared for an ambush, she would be.

 _Maybe Summer would know,_ Emerald thought, instinctively defaulting to the _only_ adult female figure she knew and trusted. Trusted because Summer was happy where she was and would have no designs on Jaune. _But if I tell her and it's a secret meant to be kept, Jaune might get in trouble. Or be angry at me._

Grumbling to herself, Emerald ran a hand over the book she'd kept pressed to her chest. It was a heavy and dull thing, but it comforted her somewhat. Jaune thought it was important and he trusted her to look after it. That made it a reminder of his faith in her. She'd just have to hold the same faith in him in return.

Things would make more sense once they were back in Vale. About the only good thing about being out was having more time with just the two of them and no appearances by the Bloody Lady, since they didn't have any food and drink she could steal. Not alcohol, anyway.

"Are you enjoying yourself up there, Emerald?" the woman asked.

"Hn."

Amber cocked her head to the side and then looked to Jaune. "Not very talkative, is she?"

Jaune laughed. "Not really."

Not like Amber was, Emerald thought with an internal growl. Gods, the woman couldn't stop talking. She had to be the _chattiest_ person Emerald had ever met, and that was saying something because she knew Yang! Amber just wouldn't stop, though. About Vale, about he frontier villages, about travel, about camping, about weather, about Emerald, about horses.

It was like the woman was making up for years on years without conversation and had to get it all out now or she'd explode. If the alternative was being forced to keep up with all that, Emerald would happily take being the anti-social one.

Anything to escape the inane babble…

/-/

They made good time and reached the village Amber had spoken of before a little before dusk. Jaune didn't recognise it, though he might have seen it once upon a time and forgotten, but Amber was obviously a figure of some notice, for one of the gate guards recognised her and called out by name. She waved back, and her presence got them fast tracked through the gates.

"I come by every now and then," Amber explained. "Along with goods to trade, I sometimes carry letters and messages between villages. Some people have family out there they can't communicate with otherwise."

"Ah." The perils of living outside the city, he supposed.

"I suppose this is where we part ways."

Amber appeared upset about that. Or, not upset, but more resigned. She'd been practically exuberant travelling with them, and Jaune wasn't arrogant enough to think that was because of him. Amber felt like the kind of person who didn't get to hang around people often, which was a shame given that she was obviously quite a sociable woman.

 _I wonder if Ozpin fully explained what being the maiden would be like to her,_ he thought. _Or if he gave her a choice at all._ The maiden's powers didn't seem a boon to anyone, for all Cinder kept striving for it.

And she would strive. She would ambush and kill Amber in time. Not now, not even a month from now, but somewhere in the next few years. Jaune considered that as he watched Amber dither with her saddlebags, delaying the inevitable goodbye.

He couldn't ask her to come to Vale with him. They were hardly that close, and she was obviously avoiding the city for a good reason. Plus, he would draw Ozpin's attention faster than ever if he came back with the Fall Maiden.

Still, it wouldn't be a bad idea for them to keep in touch somehow.

Jaune touched his scroll. Funny how after all he'd been through, asking a girl for her number was still somehow a daunting experience. The fact he had no interest in Amber that way hardly helped, because giving her the truth would be even worse. `Yeah, I'm asking because I want to be able to keep an eye on and stalk you for when a megalomaniacal villain finally decides to kill you for your power. Oh, I'm a time traveller by the way. And I'm sorry for letting you get shot in the chest last time because I wasn't paying attention. And for seeing you half-naked in a test-tube`.

Never let it be said he was good with words.

"So…" he began. "You travel a lot, huh?"

"Oh, yes. Ah, all the time really."

"Mostly in Vale?"

"I… like to stick to Vale."

More like she would have trouble leaving, because he was sure Ozpin would have every ferry, port and airport out of Vale watched. Qrow could fly over to wherever it was going and confront Amber if she tried to leave the Kingdom.

"Emerald and I travel a lot as well," Jaune said, looking to the younger girl.

Emerald looked very unimpressed. She rolled her eyes and looked away, like a child mortified at the clumsy attempts of their parents to flirt.

It's not like that, he tried to tell her with his eyes alone.

This was to help save the world.

"Maybe we could travel together again!" To his surprise, it was Amber who suggested it. "I-If you don't mind, that is."

"No, no, that'd be great." He just hadn't expected her to be the one to suggest it. There was a part of him – a big part – which felt guilty at exploiting her loneliness like this. On the flip side, he was doing it to potentially save her life, so she'd hopefully forgive him. "We could exchange numbers," he said, holding a scroll. "I know you won't always have the signal to contact me, but if you're close you can, and I can send messages from the CCT. You'd pick them up whenever you came within a day or two's travel of Vale."

Amber stepped forward happily, already having brought out her scroll. "I'd love that!"

Huh. Good things did happen to bad people. Emerald was still looking vaguely ill, but Jaune was sure that was because she didn't understand why he was so eager. To her, it probably looked like he was trying to ask Amber out.

He hoped Amber didn't see it that way.

Maybe she didn't. She looked too thrilled at the thought of having someone to talk to. The two exchanged scrolls and quickly typed in their numbers, saving them. Jaune had a moment to note that Amber's contact list was incredibly small, some names quite obviously being locations.

But there, near the bottom, was a familiar name; Qrow.

He'd have to be wary of that. Last thing he needed was Qrow realising he was getting close to Amber. Raven was bad enough and had already set off all the alarms in Qrow's head, but if he was keeping an eye out on Amber and realised Jaune was hanging around with her, he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to shake the guy.

Handing it back, Jaune took his own. "And if you ever want to come by to Vale, you can stay at our place. We've got plenty of room."

"I don't really think the city is right for me…"

"It's just an offer," he said. "If you ever need somewhere to crash or get away from it all."

You know, in the event of evil and powerful people out for your head, he wanted to say. Hopefully, she'd catch the message if she ever _did_ run into trouble. Having somewhere to retreat to would be valuable, and if he could get the fall maiden on his side? Well, he already had the Spring Maiden working with him.

Sort of…

In a manner of speaking…

"I'll keep it in mind," Amber promised. She seemed in higher spirits. "I should go. I didn't actually intend to come here today and don't have anything to trade." She hesitated for a second, seemingly in good cheer but not quite willing to believe it. "If you're travelling outside Vale again, send me a message. I really would like to travel in a group for a change. It's been… fun."

"I'll send a message a week ahead of time," Jaune said. "In the meantime, don't be afraid to drop me a line if you want someone to chat to."

Her smile reminded him of Pyrrha's. "I won't! Thank you, jaune. And Emerald." She smiled at the smaller girl, who shrugged back. "I'll see you around, then?"

Jaune nodded. "That's a promise."

Smiling fit to burst, Amber stepped back to her steed and mounted up. She sat taller in the saddle than she had before, and although she drew up her green hood, there was no quite hiding her glow. She waved to them as she left, waving even as she passed through the gates and out of sight. Jaune waved back, as did Emerald when he nudged her foot with his.

Once she was gone, Emerald turned to fix him with a deadpan stare.

"It's not what you think."

The stare continued.

"I'm not into her that way, Emerald. I just thought we could use a travelling companion."

"Never needed one before," she said reasonably, pointing out the flaw in his argument.

"Uh…"

"It's fine." Emerald looked away.

"It's _really_ not what you're thinking, Emerald. Amber is a friend, nothing more. I'm not looking for anything more than that, and I don't think I'd be able to give anyone the attention they deserved anyway."

Too much to focus on, too much to do, too much risk for anyone who got that close. Besides, all the people he'd harboured feelings for, romantic or platonic, were ten to thirteen years old now. That was more than a little creepy.

"Promise?" Emerald asked, and he didn't miss the note of pleading there.

Jaune rubbed her head. "I promise." He turned her around and led her toward the inn. "Now, let's get some rest and we can carry on to Vale in the morning. Taiyang and Qrow are probably tired of looking after all the brats by now."

/-/

Qrow was absolutely _not_ taking extreme pleasure in dismantling the mouthy Vernal brat when Jaune Ashari returned to the ASH Gym. If anyone had claimed so, they'd have been wrong. He was teaching the girl an important lesson about challenging opponents she wasn't ready for, and the best lessons were the ones that stuck, hence him grinding her face into the floor with his foot on the back of her head.

It was all a glorious misunderstanding.

Yet somehow, it only pissed Qrow off more when the bastard looked his way, saw what he was doing to one of his students, and nodded his head like it was perfectly acceptable.

"Jaune!"

"Mr Ashari!"

"You're back!" Yang was among those who cheered out, instantly putting Ashari further on Qrow's shit list.

What, was he not good enough of a teacher? He was a certified badass! A huntsman whose name was known across the Kingdoms. He was one of the best to come out of Beacon, while Ashari was still so much an unknown that Ozpin hadn't been able to figure out _which_ school he'd studied at. No records matched the name "Jaune" within the last hundred years, and image recognition wasn't bringing anything up either.

"Welcome back," Taiyang called. He, at least, didn't mind Ashari. Or more likely, Summer had him whipped. She'd adopted Ashari, so Tai could either accept it or sleep on the couch.

"It's good to be home," Ashari said. "I see you've been looking after things while I'm gone. How about it?" he asked, louder. "Were Mr Xiao-Long and Mr Branwen good teachers?"

"Yes, Mr Ashari," the students droned.

All except Vernal, who muttered something uncomplimentary. Qrow totally didn't push down a little harder, whatever Vernal's sounds as she gasped into the mat were supposed to mean.

"You seem to be crushing one of my students, Qrow."

"Lies and slander." Qrow replied automatically.

Vernal garbled an insult.

Yang cackled happily.

"Is it at least for some educational purpose?"

"Sure."

Ashari raised an eyebrow.

"I'm teaching her to watch her words, for the toes she steps on yesterday may be connected to the feet she must be crushed by today." He had a feeling he'd messed the quote up a bit. "Something like that. It doesn't matter." Qrow walked over Vernal, coincidentally placing all his weight on her. The girl had aura and grunted but was otherwise fine as he stepped past and over her. "More importantly, you made a promise to me if I did this. Remember?"

"I do."

Ashari shook his head, but there was a smile there. Competitive. Eager. Without even meaning to, Qrow responded to it and felt the excitement bubble.

"You want to do it here?" he asked. "It could be a valuable lesson for the students."

Qrow wanted that, he really did. Right here, right now. He forced himself to back down, however, bit back the adrenaline and shook his head. "Nah. I had something else in mind. The Gym here is doin' okay. They've seen huntsmen fighting before. Why not spread the love a little?"

"Signal?" Jaune guessed. "That's a long journey for a spar."

"I was thinking somewhere closer. Say… Beacon. They've got the proper equipment for it, and the kids there could probably use the demonstration. I've already spoken to Glynda about it," he added. "She's given the go-ahead."

Ashari's reaction was complicated. His eyes flashed, his lips tugged down, but it all lasted for barely a second, gone and replaced with a casual smile not moments later.

Gone, but not missed. Qrow made a note of it.

"Beacon, huh? Sure. That's fine. I take it you'll want Ozpin to officiate it?"

Officiate, watch, spectate, investigate. This was more the old man's plan than his, but it was something Qrow agreed with wholeheartedly. Ashari had too many secrets and was getting too close. Too close to Summer, Tai and the girls.

Maybe he was wrong and it was nothing, maybe he'd look the fool for thinking otherwise. But Qrow would rather look all of that and more than lose anyone close to him.

"When?" Ashari asked.

"Tomorrow," Qrow replied. "Eleven in the morning, nice and early. Wouldn't want to get in the way of your classes. I've taken the day off from Signal especially for it."

"That's kind of you." Ashari's eyes closed. "Fine. I'll be there."

/-/

"You saw him?"

" _I did, my Queen,"_ Tyrian cackled. _"As clear as day and just like I remember. Oh, but he had a few more tricks up his sleeve. We fought, and we talked, and then I left, just as instructed."_ His voice practically begged for her approval, which Salem was all too happy to give for a job well done.

"You've pleased me, Tyrian." She allowed him his moment of rapture. "How is the new tail holding up?"

" _Wonderfully, my Queen. It's like new. Better than new, one of your own essence…"_

"Yes, yes. Did he react to it, Tyrian?"

" _Oh, better than that. He didn't bat an eyelid. He wasn't surprised, not one bit. He acted like it was completely expected!"_

"Interesting."

Very interesting. Not surprise, nor realisation, but something more akin to expectation. Salem had long suspected this individual knew of her existence, but this hinted at more. Much more. Her curiosity was piqued, more so than she let show.

"And the other task?"

" _Completed as desired, my Queen."_

"Good, Tyrian. Very good. Entertain yourself or return at your leisure. I have no additional tasks for you at this time. And I must return to our latest project."

Tyrian's transformation from joy to frustration was marked. _"My Queen, I…"_

"Lack the requirements for which she is suited, my dear Tyrian. Take no pain in this, you shall serve me in ways that are just as important."

" _Y-Yes. Of course. Then I will see you soon, my Queen. My Goddess."_

The call ended, and Salem turned away from the Seer, a curious smile on her face. In the middle of the room, a small bundle was huddled on the floor, quivering. Seers surrounded it, their long tentacles lashing down. With a wave of a hand, Salem steered them away and stared at the girl on the floor.

"Is this the most you can manage?"

"P-Please," the girl whispered.

"You desired to be strong. Has that changed?"

"N-No."

"Then stand," Salem commanded. "Stand and face your problems head on. You will fight and kill, or you will be beaten until you die. You will either come out stronger, resilient or dead. Were I you, I would choose the former."

On shaky legs, the young teenager forced herself to stand, body swaying, lack hair covered in sweat and sticking to her face. She took a ready stance, one filled with holes and weaknesses. Salem noticed each but did not bother to point them out.

She would improve, or she would die.

"Are you ready, Cinder?"

* * *

 **Cinder. Or Cinder-chan I suppose. Look at all the big bads in the world walking around with their imoutos. It's like a rule or something. Protagonists, on my first whistle you will collect your lolis. Antagonists, on my second whistle you shall prepare your lolis.**

 **Or, well, more like teenagers at this stage I suppose.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 3** **rd** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	32. Chapter 32

**It's Saturday, it's Relic, and FNC were knocked out of Worlds by IG. Still proud of how far they got. Here comes the chapter!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 32**

* * *

If there was one thing Jaune hated, it was being backed into a corner. Ozpin and Qrow hadn't pushed him that far yet, but they were giving it their best shot, in a friendly, somewhat ally kind of manipulation. It wasn't yet on the level of what Ozpin had done with Ruby, Pyrrha and the rest of them in the future, but then, Ozpin wasn't desperate enough for that yet. As far as he and Qrow were considered, things were going well. Salem was out there, tampering on the edges, but civilisation trucked on and the Kingdoms were safe, if not entirely stable.

That was the only reason Jaune felt content enough to accept Qrow's offer of a spar on Beacon's ground, that and the fact that Ozpin would certainly raise an eyebrow if Jaune refused. After all, if you couldn't trust the Headmaster of Beacon, who could you trust?

Quite a lot of people, it turned out.

"We'll store the book here for now," he said to Emerald, placing the book into a box and then putting that in the basement, buried under another. For good measure, he picked up and heaped dust across it, giving it an aged look. "But it's a temporary measure. I don't like the idea of it staying here, not when Roman knows where we live."

"If he might turn on us, we should deal with him," Emerald said. Hearing that from a girl so young ought to have bothered him, but Emerald knew Roman's type. Loyalty was also important to her, as it had been in the future with Cinder. "I don't see why you put so much faith in him. There must be other thieves in Vale as good."

"Probably, but I don't think any of them have Roman's potential." Emerald scoffed. Jaune laughed a little. "Trust me on that one. He's rough, I know, but people are going to know his name. That girl he has with him, Neo, is dangerous as well. Possibly more so than him."

"Could I beat her?"

Jaune hesitated to answer. Not because he didn't know how it would end, but more that he didn't want to encourage Emerald to try. "Maybe," he said, carefully. "Neo's Semblance is like yours, except everyone sees the illusions. If she catches you in one, you'd be in trouble, but if you catch her in yours, you could win. It would depend on who hit who first. Neo is an ambush predator. Be careful around her."

Emerald frowned. "I don't like her."

"I'm not a fan of her either, but she can be trusted. Sort of." When Emerald sent him a look, he explained, "Her loyalty is to herself first, and then Roman. She doesn't really have any aspirations, though. She likes Roman. Not sure if it's as a father figure or something more, but as long as we don't turn on him, she'll stay loyal. She'd never do anything to place him in danger."

Jaune stepped back, clapped his hands free of dust and looked at the stack of boxes. If someone was really trying their hardest, they might be able to tell something had been moved, but even if they did, he'd stored a few simple trinkets in there beside the book, along with a stash of lien. Hopefully, they'd take that first, but given that the basement had a key-code lock on it – being some kind of emergency Grimm shelter – he was fairly sure the thing was safe.

"Are you really going to fight that man today?"

"Qrow? Sure. He _did_ ask."

"But you don't trust the headmaster."

Jaune shot Emerald a pointed look. "That's not exactly something I want advertised, Em."

"I wouldn't say anything, but I can see it. You always act different when he's around."

"Is it obvious…?"

"Only to me."

"Right, that's good." Emerald was waiting for answers, waiting patiently as she always did. He knew she wouldn't push, but she did deserve something. "Ozpin isn't a bad guy. He's someone with a lot on his plate. You remember what I told you of the people chasing me, of Salem?"

"Mhm."

"Well, they're after him too, and he's fighting against them."

"He's an ally?"

"Of sorts. More like the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Ozpin has his way of doing things, but it's flawed, Emerald. Very flawed. It's not going to work." Jaune wondered how he might explain his certainty to Emerald, but he needn't have bothered. Emerald nodded once, trusting absolutely in Jaune to know what was right and what was not. "We'll work with him while we can and when we have to, but we don't want him to realise just how much we know, or what I'm capable of. If he does, he'll try to recruit me, and if I say no, he'll assume we're enemies."

"I understand." Emerald said. Jaune smiled, reached out and rubbed her hair.

"Good girl."

"Do you want me to use my Semblance on him? I could make him see the fight different."

"No, it's fine. I know you could, and I'll keep it in mind," he assured her, "But Ozpin will have cameras watching, so if what he sees doesn't match up to what they do, there will be problems. We'll keep your Semblance as a secret weapon, okay?"

"Hm. Okay." Emerald appeared pleased, which was a little odd. He'd half thought she might develop a complex over being called a weapon, even if he didn't see her that way. Maybe he'd underestimated her, though. Or perhaps she was just pleased he thought her capable, since that meant he trusted her to be _able_ to interfere with Ozpin.

 _If she's this hard to understand now, I dread to think what she'll be like when she's sixteen._

Jaune shivered. He did _not_ want to imagine how awkward things would be when – if – Emerald started to bring boys home. He doubted she'd be interested given her past, but the same couldn't be said for boys about her. Emerald had been an exotic beauty in Beacon, even if she wasn't quite as alluring as Cinder.

 _And I did not just think about my daughter that way. Ew. Time travel mechanics are hard._

"Come on," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder and turning her away. "I bet Yang and her family will be there, so you should freshen up before we go. You don't want Summer to start fretting over you, do you?"

"Why would they be there?"

"Silly Emerald. If I know Qrow well, he won't miss the chance to show off. Trust me on that."

/-/

"So, ready to lose?"

Jaune had to physically resist the urge to roll his eyes. Yep. Typical Qrow. Summer and Taiyang were here, and for once the whole family was as well – Ruby included. His first friend at Beacon looked curiously unexcited for this, which was weird. Normally, she'd have bitten someone's arm off for the chance to see a fight like this. She was gripping Zwei to her chest with both hands, the tiny puppy looking even smaller in Ruby's diminutive grasp.

"Oi, what you lookin' at?" Qrow demanded.

"The dog," Jaune replied honestly.

"Heh. Cute, isn't it?"

"It is."

"You can see it later." Not even Qrow appeared immune to the pup's charms. "But fight first," he said, recovering some of his eagerness. "Hope you don't mind doing it in front of so many people. We got the students from Beacon, but I figured I'd invite a few others, too. Yang needs to pick up stuff like this, you know."

"Isn't it a little ridiculous to ask me if I'm okay with this when you've already done it?"

Qrow shrugged. "Better to seek forgiveness than to ask permission."

"But are you even seeking forgiveness?"

"Eh. Not really. But to be fair, you put me through hell."

Jaune didn't hide the roll of his eyes this time. "Qrow, I beat you in a fight once. That's hardly hell."

"Pft, I wasn't talking about that. Mostly. I'm talking about a whole sodding week of teaching through the day, coming to Vale and then teaching through the night, too. I worked double shift for you, with the most _annoying_ students I've ever had to deal with!"

"They're not that bad," Jaune said, feeling at least a little required to defend his students.

"One of them has a fucking minigun!"

"Oh right, I normally don't let Coco use that in the ring."

"It was disguised as a handbag!"

"Yeah, she does that."

"And you didn't think to warn us!?"

Jaune paused, flushed, and offered a weak smile. Come to think of it, he probably _should_ have warned them about that, but the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. Sometimes he assumed everyone else knew the future like he did. "Whoops?"

"Whoops," Qrow deadpanned. "Whoops? You realise I had to tank that in case a stray shot went wide and hit someone? Do you know what it feels like to experience four-thousand rpm at a distance of six feet?"

"I… can't say that I do."

"No. No, you don't. It sucks. Summer tried to count the bruises. She gave up and decided it was `one`. One big, blue bruise that covered the majority of my chest and arms. It's gone now, but the next time you need someone to babysit your little psychopaths, find someone else! Preferably someone I hate."

Jaune winced, feeling at least a _little_ guilty. "Would it help if I apologised?"

"No. Because then I'd feel bad pushing your shit in like I'm about to do here. In fact, don't apologise until _after_ I've taken my anger out on you. Makes things easier."

"Alright, that's fair." In a way it reminded him of Yang. He supposed Qrow did deserve a chance to knock him around a little. He probably ought to buy Tai a bottle of wine as thanks for helping out, or an all-expenses paid and private spa trip for him and Summer. He _was_ rich, after all.

With the greetings – of a sort – over and done with, Ozpin and Glynda started to move toward them, no doubt to explain where the fight would be taking place. There weren't any students around yet, suggesting it had been scheduled in advance and people would be attending. As they approached, Jaune patted Emerald's shoulder.

"Why don't you go hang out with Ruby and Yang, hm?"

Emerald looked between him, Qrow and Ozpin, before nodding. "Okay." She hesitated, as if there was something she wanted to do. Her body twitched once or twice, moving and then pausing. Eventually, she stilled and glanced away. "Good luck."

She scurried off a moment later.

"Precious," Qrow snorted, not quite as harsh as he'd sounded a moment before.

"Hey, you were a kid once, you know."

"Nah. I was born a badass."

"That's not quite how I remember you in your first year of Beacon," Ozpin said with a curious, almost nostalgic smile. "If I recall, you were quite the trouble maker, and not always capable of backing up your word. Wasn't it Summer herself who first took you to task, beating you into submission?"

"H-Hey, hey. Don't tell him that!"

Jaune sniggered.

"And it's good to see you, Jaune," Ozpin said, offering him a hand. The right one. Jaune shook it. "How was your journey? Was your business seen to?"

"It was. And it was peaceful. No real problems bar a few Grimm. It was a good learning experience for Emerald." Not really, but there was a marked difference between taking a thirteen-year-old out to fight Grimm and doing it when she was closer to eleven. One was acceptable, the other marked him as a maniac. "I heard there was quite a bit going on while I was gone."

Ozpin sighed. "You could say that. Something of a miniature turf war between some rival gangs. They've certainly been active lately."

Junior and Roman had kept up their side of the bargain, then.

"Isn't there anything the huntsmen can do about it?" Jaune asked.

"Sadly not. Unless the VPD ask for our aid, our hands are tied. Officially, at least. Should we see something happening, we are free to respond."

"The VPD just don't want you interfering?"

"That's how they see it," Qrow said with a little snort. "As if we could do a worse job than they're doing already."

"Cut them a little slack, Qrow. They are trying their best." Ozpin waved the issue away. "But for now, we ought to talk about this little display. I can't say I expected Qrow to request the use of Beacon for his little match, but it would be remiss of us to turn away an opportunity for the students to learn."

 _Liar_ , Jaune thought. There was no way Qrow hadn't run this by Ozpin first, or that Ozpin hadn't specifically asked Qrow to have it here. If they fought in the rings as he assumed they would, then the whole thing would be closely monitored. Aura and biometric readings were there to protect the students, but they could also be used to get a good reading on his parameters. Nothing overly serious or incriminating, but a rough idea of the size of his aura and how he fought. It would all be recorded and ready for Ozpin to go over later.

But there wasn't much he could do about it, and it really was better to play along, let Ozpin think he was getting the better of these trades, or that Jaune didn't realise he was being manipulated in the first place.

"Well, I guess it's a fair trade for Glynda holding those speeches for my students," he said, nodding to her. "Thanks for that."

"It was a pleasure, and I do mean that. Your students are innovative and dedicated. I look forward to teaching them at Beacon."

"I was actually hoping we might talk about that later," Ozpin said. "Along with another matter."

"Another?"

"It is related to those… individuals who attacked you in Atlas. The same ones that we believe attacked Summer, prior to you healing her. Tyrian Callows and Hazel Rainart."

So, not _just_ to get more a grasp of his skills, then. Was Ozpin about to try and draw him into what he and Ruby had termed the `Ozluminati`? Would that be a good thing? It couldn't be a _bad thing_ he supposed, so long as he didn't let too much slip. Give and take. Ozpin could be useful, just as long as he didn't start pulling out the manipulations like last time. Even if he did, it would be better to let Oz think he had the upper hand.

"That's fine with me," Jaune said. "After this…?"

"We'll see what state everyone is in first, hm? Wouldn't want to push you if you're injured."

"It'll be after this, then," Jaune said. "I doubt I'll be hurt."

"You know, it's _real_ easy to hate you right now," Qrow growled. "Oz, can we get this show on the road already? I've a week's worth of lumps to work off."

"You sure you want to add some more now?" Jaune asked innocently.

Qrow gave him the middle finger and stomped off.

"You would think after so long here and working outside it, he would have learned not to let others goad him into losing his composure," Glynda said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Ozpin chuckled. "If he did that, he would not be the Qrow we know and love."

/-/

"Hey!"

Emerald looked down on Yang's fist, which was held out towards her, with some degree of curiosity. She hadn't thrown it like a punch, so she didn't feel too worried. Plus, Yang wouldn't get into a fight in front of her parents. Emerald looked at it and then up to her face. "Hi?"

"It's a fist-bump," Yang said tiredly. She reached out, took Emerald's hand and brought it up so they could lightly tap their knuckles together. "See? Like that."

"What's it supposed to mean?"

"It means `hi`. Like a greeting."

"But I just _said_ hi."

"It's not… Gah, you're hopeless." Yang gripped her hair with one hand, while Taiyang and Summer laughed.

Emerald, feeling it prudent, turned to Ruby and held out her fist.

Giggling, Ruby tapped hers back, and then held the puppy's paw up to do the same. "Zwei says hi as well."

"Hello Zwei," Emerald replied with the utmost seriousness. Summer cooed behind Ruby, hands up to her mouth. Emerald was never sure why, but the woman was nice and provided ice-cream, so she wasn't going to complain about what she did. "How was the ASH Gym?" she asked Yang. "Is Vernal dead yet?"

"Not yet," Yang said. She got a swipe to the back of her head from her father but remained unrepentant. "Soon, maybe. Lost a few students, gained a few more."

"Anyone interesting?"

"Nah, not yet." Yang's grin grew. "How was it outside the Kingdom? Did you get to fight any Grimm?"

"Yang, that's highly unlikely," Summer tried to interrupt.

"Some," Emerald said, cutting her off. Summer gasped. "There were some Beowolves, an Ursa, and lots of Arachne. Spider Grimm," she explained when Yang looked confused. Yang grimaced, while Ruby `eeped` and hugged her dog closer. "They weren't very strong."

"Not all Grimm are," Taiyang said wisely. "Some rely on speed, others surprise, reach or aerial combat. It's why a huntsman or huntress has to be well-rounded, able to fight both in close combat and at range."

"Mhm." Emerald agreed. "He says that."

"What else did you get up to out there?" Summer asked. "What business did Jaune have in the first place?"

"Nothing much," she evaded, knowing he wanted it kept secret. "We travelled. Trained. He met an old friend." Sort of. "We travelled some more and came home before the week ended."

"It just seems unusual…"

"We always used to do this. Staying in one place our whole life is what's unusual."

"I guess so." Summer looked like she was finally starting to accept it. "I suppose it was something of a holiday, then. A travelling holiday. We like to go to Mistral ourselves, though maybe this year we should go back to Patch instead. Oh, we could bring you and Jaune with us."

"Let's not make any wild plans without speaking to him first," Taiyang suggested.

As the adults got lost in their future plans, Emerald allowed her attention to slip back to Ruby and Yang. It was the first time Ruby had really come out in public with her family since Atlas and she looked nervous but not afraid. It was an improvement for sure. Yang was standing near her protectively, both no doubt still having the attack on Atlas in their minds.

She didn't mind Ruby's fear as much as she thought she might have. It was bad, sure, but not in a way that made the younger girl seem silly. And besides, Ruby was something of a friend. Sort of. It was up to her to decide what she did or didn't want. Even without being a part of the ASH Gym, Ruby was still less annoying than Yang, even if Emerald had started to see Yang as _something_ resembling a friend.

An acquaintance, perhaps. Someone who was pleasant to see every now and then but who wore on you over time. Nice in small doses. Kind of like how Jaune acted around Qrow.

"So, what do you think of Beacon?" Yang suddenly asked.

The question was random, but Emerald _would_ admit to having taking in the sights as they came here. Even when she'd been on the streets, she'd known about Beacon. Heard about its ornate halls, its impressive architecture and the fame and glory of those who came from it. The fame part hadn't really lived up to its name, since the people she knew from Beacon were like Qrow, not even as tough as Jaune, but the rest didn't disappoint.

"It's big. Really, really big."

"That's all you can say?" When Emerald shrugged, Yang laughed. "Yeah, it's huge. There's, like, two hundred dorm rooms here, not to mention a cafeteria, classrooms and a library."

"It has its own library?" Emerald asked, suddenly more interested.

"Ugh. Trust you to be into that. But yeah. I got to see it once," Yang boasted.

Emerald knew she shouldn't raise to it, but she couldn't quite help it. "How big is it?"

"Huge! Bigger than the whole ASH Gym. I'm not even joking. It has long aisles with huge bookcases, a second floor with more and a balcony that goes around it, and there are these massive, expensive-looking tables everywhere. Loads of dark little nooks and crannies with smaller tables with lamps. I went with Mom once when Dad and Qrow was meeting Ozpin for something."

Emerald could imagine it and found herself intrigued. "What kinds of books does it have?"

"E-Eh? W-Well, I didn't stop and read any, you know. We were just waiting. Lots of books, though. Probably everything. I could ask if you can see it," Yang offered. "I mean, Mom and Dad are pretty friendly with Ozpin, and your old man works with him and Miss Goodwitch too, right?"

"Sometimes," Emerald hedged. Officially, he did.

"Then it should be okay. Besides, you'll see it in a couple of years."

"I will…?"

"Yeah." Yang looked surprised at Emerald's lack of understanding. "You _are_ going to be attending Beacon, right?"

"I don't know. I… Jaune never mentioned it."

"Why would he? It's your life. He's probably just waiting for you to decide what you want to do. But, I mean, I kinda assumed you would be." Yang crossed her arms, and for the first time, looked a little uncertain. "You're training at the ASH Gym. Your Dad's a huntsman. You don't even go to normal school because you're getting one-to-one training in being a huntress. Or I thought so. I was kind of hoping we could go together, you know? Wouldn't it be cool if we ended up on the same team?"

"Yeah…"

Emerald bit her lip. Jaune had never said what his long-term plans for her were, but she'd never minded before, trusting that he would tell her what she was supposed to do when the time came. However, with the things he'd said recently, both about seeing her as his daughter and not a tool, maybe she'd been wrong. If he didn't intend to use her, then did that mean he was waiting for her to make up her own mind? What _did_ she want to do with her life?

Yang's idea didn't sound so bad…

/-/

The chosen battlefield was one of the exhibition rings in Beacon's training hall, somewhat larger than the ones used in Miss Goodwitch's class, and more for demonstrations and school tournaments. They'd never used them in his time since the school tournaments had obviously been replaced by the Vytal Festival, which had a far grander stadium.

These were of a similar make, if scaled down, with its own aura sensors, readers and a spectator area made up of rising seats aligned against one wall. Those were filled with students who had been invited to watch, many of whom were chatting excitedly. The Xiao-Long-Rose family, along with Emerald, had gone up into those and taken some seats at the back.

Miss Goodwitch was already speaking loudly to the students, telling them of what would happen, how fortunate they were to receive such a demonstration and also a few things to look out for, namely, the use of strategy over brute strength.

Jaune had a feeling that line was aimed at himself.

 _If I want to stay hidden, the best thing I can do is half-ass this. Or even lose,_ he thought. Then again, it was hard to know how much Ozpin knew about him. Make it obvious that he'd thrown the fight and the suspicion would be back. A completely innocent person wouldn't need to act like that and would give this fight their all, for the benefit of the students watching.

And really, maybe it _was_ okay for him to go a little more all-out. Ozpin was already onto him, if not for the truth then for his Semblance, which Ozpin believed to be simple healing. Showing himself as more capable than expected would surprise the old wizard, but it wouldn't spark any paranoia. Strong huntsmen appeared all the time, and Ozpin had to think his loyalty was all but assured since Salem had tried to kidnap him numerous times.

Hell, Ozpin likely thought a recruitment all but a formality. Who in their right mind would say no?

By that logic, the only way to mess this up – the only way to really ignite Ozpin's suspicions – was to try and control the outcome in any way.

A regular fight, huh?

He could do that.

/-/

Summer _really_ didn't understand why this was necessary.

Yes, she knew about Jaune and Raven. Qrow had told her that, or rather she'd dragged it out of him, and she knew Jaune had technically stopped Qrow getting Raven back. That sucked. But it was so obviously not his fault since even from Qrow's story it was clear Raven had strong-armed him into fighting Qrow.

It wasn't even like Qrow hadn't lost a fight before, and in more humiliating ways. Dirt thrown in your eyes sucked, but there'd been one girl at Beacon who beat him by pulling her shit up and flashing her bra, stunning Qrow long enough to land an uppercut that put him in the infirmary for the night. She knew Qrow hadn't forgotten that, because Tai wouldn't _let_ him forget. The blackmail material had lasted for over a decade now.

Given that Jaune had also helped in Atlas, saved Ruby and Yang and even _healed_ Qrow, she really wasn't sure why this silly little vendetta had to continue.

Taiyang, of course, was no help in the matter.

"Just let them sort it out," he said, laying his hand on hers. "They're both big boys. You don't get to be _their_ mother as well as Yang and Ruby's."

"It's just silly."

"No one's ever accused Qrow of not being silly at times."

"Yes, but Ozpin is encouraging it."

"I'm sure he's just putting up with it because he has to. Perhaps he thinks it better to get it over with, lend them the ring and let the two fight their differences out."

Summer wasn't convinced. She trusted Oz, she really did, but she had personal loyalty for Jaune after he saved her life, let her come back to her family. This felt too much like Oz was working toward something, and Summer felt terrible for not intervening. Jaune was strong, and already being hunted by Salem's people so it shouldn't have mattered, but it still did. By remaining silent, she was condoning these little games. Maybe Tai couldn't see that. He was many great things, but observant wasn't one of them.

Qrow and Jaune stood in the ring, facing one another, hands on their weapons which they had kept sheathed at their sides. Glynda was there, setting down the rules, and Summer knew she didn't miss the way Glynda glared at them both, fully aware that these `mature adults` might stretch the boundary of what was allowed if she let them.

 _I really hope they don't hurt one another…_

"Begin!"

Qrow was moving before Glynda finished the "-gin". His weapon came out, scything down onto Jaune's shoulder. Or it would have, had he not tore his sword free in one motion, catching Qrow's weapon on the scabbard, almost like he was wielding two swords at once. With a push, he forced Qrow's hands up and thrust under, exposing his opponent's midriff. A lesser person might have been caught off-guard, but this was probing from both of them. Qrow lazily dodged back and flicked his blade out, forcing Jaune to disengage.

To the students, the exchange lasted but a few seconds and must have looked impossibly fast and brutal. But to her, to Taiyang and the other people here who had been fighting for longer, it spoke of a warm up. Each of them was testing the other, getting a feel for their speed and reactions, for how much they could _afford_ to attack without leaving themselves open.

The two circled one another, eyes narrowed. Qrow stepped forward, Jaune to the side, and again their weapons clashed, Jaune's free hand coming to rest on the back of his, adding more force to try and force Qrow's guard open.

In turn, Qrow swept low with one foot and broke free – twisted his weapon to the side and unleashed three quick blasts from its gun form. The first shot pelted into Jaune's aura but the second and third were quickly dodged. Qrow had to switch it back to melee form as Jaune closed the distance, swinging wildly.

Too wildly.

It was obvious to Summer and, she hoped, to Qrow as well, but sometimes things looked obvious to those watching that didn't in the heat of combat. Jaune's sword crashed into Qrow's weapon, but then was knocked aside. He'd let go of it. The sword skittered away, which caused Qrow to over-extend and topple precariously.

Jaune tackled him, shoulders striking Qrow in the midriff, arms wrapping around his back as he hauled him up and over, down onto the ground where the two grappled. Qrow recovered quickly, kicking and thrashing, trying to get his legs between them so he could push Jaune off him. There was a sudden _crack_ , loud in the arena. It was followed by a second, and then a third – and Qrow's aura dropped hard.

"A concealed weapon!?" Tai gasped.

It must have been. A handgun or something else, small and hidden on Jaune's person. It wasn't against the rules, nor would it ever be in a real fight, but if it caught them unprepared then poor Qrow must have been caught entirely by surprise.

Qrow's aura dipped to about sixty-five per cent before he managed to get hold of the gun, dropping his own weapon to wrestle the barrel away from him, Jaune and Qrow struggling over the small thing like an officer and a criminal fighting over a gun and not two proud huntsmen. As if to make matters even worse, Qrow pushed the palm of his hand into Jaune's face, forcing his head back and giving him the unenviable choice of letting go, giving Qrow the gun, or having his head wrenched back until he couldn't see anything.

He went with neither, pushing the scabbard into Qrow's chest. What was that supposed to-

"Oooh!" the crowd gasped, some clapping as the thing, which had looked like a regular old scabbard, expanded suddenly, fanning out into a shield. Unfortunately, it fanned out _between_ Qrow's arms, forcing them wide apart and making him release his hold.

The gun came back, but Qrow had had enough of that. He swept his feet around, catching Jaune's wrist and sending the firearm spinning off the stage. Another kick pushed Jaune back, giving Qrow a chance to get onto his knees and then his feet. He dashed for a weapon, even as Jaune cursed and did the same.

They split, grabbed and then spun back around.

Ironically, they'd ended up switching weapons.

"Heh. A basic sword is a lot easier to use than mine," Qrow said. He had a point. Jaune's sword was just that, meaning that Qrow wouldn't need to figure it out. Qrow's weapon, on the other hand, was a lot more complex. Unless Jaune literally knew how to use-

Jaune grinned, twisted the sword side-on and pushed a button, cracking the blade down to reveal the barrel of Qrow's own weapon, now aimed toward him.

Qrow sighed, "Oh, _come on_ …"

 _BAM! BAM! BAM!_

The first shot struck the ground in front of Qrow, tearing up some of the arena and undoubtedly earning Glynda's ire. The second struck Qrow, though he managed to shield himself with Jaune's sword a little. The third went high, Qrow having closed the distance to knock the attack up even as Jaune pulled the trigger.

A few more trades, quick and heavy, causing the clash of metal on metal to ring out as they fell back into melee, trading blows, Qrow showing incredibly skill in using someone else's weapon, yet Jaune somehow looking just as at home with Qrow's. Summer was leaning forward, and she knew Ozpin must have been just as interested, because he had that coy, amused smile on his face.

"Qrow's going to have to try something different if he wants to pull this out," Taiyang said. "Jaune has his number. Honestly, it's like he's fought someone with Qrow's style before. He knows it so well he's able to react perfectly."

"Maybe it _was_ Qrow," Summer said. "He did face him before."

"Maybe, but I got the feeling that fight wasn't as long as this one."

Summer agreed, and this one wasn't going to last either. They were evenly matched in terms of speed, skill and strength, but Jaune just seemed to have that something else. An edge that Qrow lacked.

But her old teammate wasn't done yet.

Qrow broke away and twirled Jaune's sword before him, smiling cockily. "It's a good sword," he said. "Well balanced, simple. None of that fancy business."

"Isn't that a little ironic coming from you?" Jaune asked, "Considering how complicated this damn thing is?"

"Ah, but the best women are complicated."

Summer rolled her eyes. Coming from eternal-bachelor Qrow, she couldn't take that seriously. Neither, apparently, could Jaune.

"When I see you with a woman who _isn't_ trying to kill you, I'll take your advice seriously."

"Tch." Qrow ducked low and charged in once more. Jaune reacted as he had to, parrying the first blow and then the second, giving ground, but he was so close and Qrow had angled his body in such a way that Jaune couldn't see what Qrow's other hand was doing. It reached behind him, into one of the pouches on his hip. His ammo pouch.

 _What's he doing?_ Summer's eyes narrowed. Jaune's sword didn't have a gun attachment that she knew about, and even if it did, the chance that Qrow's rounds would fit was slim. The distance was so great that she couldn't see _what_ Qrow brought out, but it had to be a dust round. She could make out the vague shape of it, and a bit of red. A fire dust round.

The type didn't matter, it turned out.

Qrow squeezed the round between his fingers, using his thumb to pop off the cap, _breaking_ it in half. On his next swing, an overhand blow that forced Jaune to bring Qrow's weapon up high to block it, Qrow snapped his hand forward, throwing the two halves of the bullet into Jaune's face – along with a small cloud of sparkling red dust.

"Ah!" Jaune fell back with a cry.

"Hey!"

"Whoa!" the crowd of students called, displeased with the move.

"Got you!" Qrow howled. Too close to swing the sword, Qrow drove the pommel up into Jaune's hands, forcing him to drop his own weapon as he tried to work the dust from his eyes. Qrow's fist came in a second later, catching his opponent in the cheek. It was followed by a second, an uppercut which struck Jaune under the chin and knocked him back, aura dipping.

Qrow didn't let up; he knew better than to. Blows rained down on Jaune, switching from his head to his body and shoulders once Jaune realised what was going on and brought his forearms up in a boxer's stance, guarding his face. He gasped when Qrow's knee struck him in the stomach, bowing him over.

It was a fistfight now, and with Jaune blinded. The students were horrified. Yang, ironically enough, was _loving_ it.

"Yeah! Go Uncle Qrow! Kick his ass! Go Jaune, fight back!"

"Who are you even cheering for?" Ruby asked.

"Anyone! Whoo! Go! Fight, fight, fight!"

Another ringing blow sent Jaune staggering back, but when Qrow closed in to continue the beatdown – Jaune's aura having dipped to forty – the man's hand dipped into his jacket once more. Another weapon? Summer's eyes widened as she saw the cylindrical, black object. Without a moment's hesitation, she threw her arms over Ruby's face, covering her eyes, even as Taiyang did the same for Yang.

The students weren't nearly so lucky. The flashbang went off with an almighty crack, bathing the arena in an impossibly bright flash of white. Summer's eyes were clenched shut, and Ruby's were covered, but even then, she had to blink the spots from her vision as she looked back down at the arena.

"Yield," Jaune panted, eyes narrowed, watering from the dust, and a sword pointed down at Qrow's neck.

Qrow was flat on his back, stunned and dazed.

He slapped a hand on the matt. "I yield."

Most of the students watching hadn't even _seen_ the fight end, so hearing it earned a few startled cries and protests from them. No doubt Glynda would make them watch a recording later. The only reason she hadn't called the fight was because she was hunched over, hands rubbing her eyes. So close to the action, and watching intently lest she need to step in, she'd taken the full brunt of the flashbang.

"That was a dirty trick with the dust," Jaune growled.

"Ha!" Qrow barked a laugh, not at all sorry. "I learned it from the master."

Jaune snorted.

Qrow sniggered.

Jaune laughed.

Qrow burst out laughing, too.

The sword was drawn back, and a hand offered instead. Qrow took it, allowing Jaune to drag him up. The two bumped their shoulders together, laughing at the top of their lungs. Qrow even went so far as to pat Jaune's back like they'd always been the best of friends.

"Mom," Yang said, tugging her arm. "I don't understand."

"I don't think anyone understands how boys think, dear. You just get used to being confused."

At least it looked like the vendetta was over. Now she just had to worry about the two turning up drunk at her place at odd hours of the morning, singing together as if they were lifelong friends. Ugh. Qrow and Jaune were entirely _too_ confusing.

/-/

Captain James Ironwood _slammed_ the doors open as he stormed into the office. His lips were a thin line, his eyes filled with fury.

"What have you done!?" he snarled.

"What have you done, _sir_ ," the man behind the desk countered. "I outrank you, Ironwood. Remember that. You may be on the up, but it will be a long time before you take _my_ position."

"Not long at all if what I heard turns out to be true, _sir_." He spat the word. "I thought I must be mistaken, especially when this was a job for _my_ Specialists."

"You were dragging your feet, boy. The White Fang have been running rampant."

"We have been investigating! We were building a case!"

"You and I both know this won't be solved in the courts."

"Be that as it may, the laws exist for a reason," James said, slamming both hands down on the General's desk. His heart was hammering in his chest, raw anger boiling under his skin. "You're going to start a war!"

"Atlas is good at war, boy. We know it well."

"You're out of bounds, General. You've crossed the line. The Council won't stand for this and _I_ shall be the one to drag you before it if I must. I will see your name dragged through the mud, torn asunder. The history books won't even recognise you."

"You can't," the General said. "You need me. Atlas needs me."

"Atlas needs stability, you old fool. It doesn't need another war and that's what you'll have brought down on us. Any chance of a peaceful resolution is gone now. Any!" James punctuated it with his robotic fist, sending a crack through the wood. "In case you've forgotten, we did not _win_ the last war. We lost it."

"Lagune lost it," the General sneered.

"No! Arrogance lost it. Arrogance like what you show here, like how you believe you'll somehow still be what you are now after today." James clicked his fingers loudly and three armed men moved into the room, their Specialist uniforms on full display. "Arrest him," Ironwood barked. "Throw him in a cell and then summon the Council."

"Your ambition shows itself, Ironwood. Trying to take my position?"

"That's the difference between you and I, Hawk. You see this as a power play. Me? This is just me doing what's best for Atlas. Your _position_ means nothing to me, though it'll soon mean more to you when it's stripped away." Ironwood nodded to his men, who had dragged the General to his feet. "By the authority of the Council, I am granted authority to investigate corruption within the ranks of the Atlesian Military, regardless of rank or position. General Hawk, you are hereby under arrest, charged with murder."

"It was no murder, boy. It was an execution."

James' eyes closed, his face turned away. Regret warred within him, and it won. It won so easily.

"Ghira Belladonna had not been proven guilty and was in our custody. You are hereby under arrest for his murder, pending a military tribunal." Ironwood's eyes snapped open. "And if I have my way, Hawk, your head will roll."

* * *

 **So, the fight is done. As some noted, the outcome was never all that important, more the way in which it was fought, at least for Jaune before Ozpin. That said, we have other things this chapter and next.** **And oh dear, the ripples Jaune caused in Atlas are starting to get worse and worse. Ironwood may yet get his promotion, but not in whatever way happened in canon.**

 **Meanwhile, Yang is putting ideas in Emerald's head. I'm sure Jaune would be thrilled.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 10** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	33. Chapter 33

**As those who read White Sheep will know, I had to rush my mother into hospital after she suffered a heart attack. She is still in there being tested and they're unsure when (or if) she will be able to come home. As such, I am spending time at the hospital every day with her and my writing has and will be impacted until things settle down.**

 **Rather than not update chapters, I'm going to take to writing some slightly shorter ones. Hopefully, this will only impact for a week or so, but it will depend on many things. She may be released come Tuesday or Wednesday, but she may not be.**

 **This is a note to let you all know.**

 **I could take time off writing, but right now I need the distraction it gives. If thing get worse, deteriorate or she dies, I may need a week or two off to recover. I shall let people know if such occurs.**

 **Secondly, as some have noticed there is a silly little troll trying his luck in the reviews. He posts as "anonymous reviews" but types in someone else's name as the reviewer, hoping to incriminate them. Mostly, he seems to be lashing out at a Mr Grimjaw and Canuck72, but he has also imitated other reviewers, mostly posting half-assed racist comments or trying to provoke arguments. Just ignore it, but also keep in mind that it is NOT the fault of those he pretends to be. They are innocent, and the troll likes to imagine his childish comments will lead to them receiving hate PMs or being banned or something.**

* * *

 **For these shorter chapters, I took the idea from a reviewer or two (who said some other author I can't right now remember the name of uses it) to have "Interlude Chapters". Basically, a short chapter which looks at what is going on "outside" the PoV and immediate area of the protagonist. This can work well with Relic, since much of the story works on ripple effects Jaune leaves behind.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 33 – An Interlude**

* * *

Captain James Ironwood stormed out of the Council Chambers with his head held high and his eyes spitting fire. His lips were peeled back, his teeth bared in a fearsome snarl. Several soldiers nearby backed away. Ironwood's Specialists stood proud, however, moving in to flank their Director as he made his way to back to his office.

The Council was split. The votes had not yet been cast, but the arguments had flown thick and fast. Accusations, demands, protests and shouting, always back and forth. General Hawk was going down for his actions, that much was clear, but it was the fact there was _any_ discussion about that which truly got his blood boiling.

The Specialists stopped at his door, guarding it. "We shall refuse entry, sir," one said, reading his mood. "To any who ask, you are busy."

"Thank you, Specialist."

The moment he was inside, James _slammed_ the door behind him. It shook the frame, cracking it in one place. He would have preferred it more if the whole _fucking_ building collapsed. James sagged into his chair, feeling it flex beneath his weight. He leaned back, stared at the ceiling and asked himself where everything had gone wrong.

Was it his fault for not keeping a closer eye on the prisoner?

Yes, in a roundabout way, but the realistic answer was no. The man was in Atlas custody, and if someone in the military couldn't trust their own justice system, who could you trust? The man should have been safe. The guards should have stopped anything from happening, and General Hawk should have – and likely had – known better.

And now a possibly innocent man was dead.

Almost certainly innocent, in fact. James' lack of progress on the case was partially _because_ he didn't think any charges would stick. He'd stretched it up until the legal deadline, but it become increasingly clear the man would go free.

Worse, he'd even visited and spoke with Ghira to assure it.

And now he was dead.

Ironwood clutched his head with both hands. "Fuck." His head _pounded_ , his brain threatening to burst out of his skull, find the Councillors who had sided with Hawk and _strangle_ the life from them.

Not that anyone _had_ sided with him, at least in any obvious manner. An extrajudicial killing was not the kind of thing anyone with any common sense would agree with, but there had been those who asked – with far too much fervour – whether there was any evidence, _any at all_ , which might incriminate Ghira Belladonna as guilty for the White Fang's attack.

It was only the outcry such `innocent` questions prompted from other Councillors that prevented James throwing aside all caution and dragging the one who asked out onto the Council floor. That and propriety, he supposed. And discipline. And a few other inconvenient things James wished he could occasionally throw aside to indulge his temper. Even so, there was obviously going to be some effort put into pinning some blame onto Ghira posthumously. To try and justify Hawk's actions, even if it was not done to aid Hawk himself, but Atlas itself. Then, of course, there were those who oh so obviously agreed with the bastard's decision, whether they'd admit it or not.

Clearly, racism within the ranks went deeper than James had ever expected.

This was going to be a shitshow for Atlas, he just knew. Not only the military – several heads would roll, not only General Hawk's but whomever had been on guard or let him into the facility with armed men – but also on the political side. The White Fang were going to eat this up, and then use it as justification for more attacks, more action. Faunus would flock to them, realising that Atlas was no haven for their kind.

Not for the first time, James regretted letting Ashari go. Not because he felt Jaune could have done anything about this, but because the two were of a like mind. He could have screamed and ranted here, and Ashari would have been right alongside him. Better still, he knew the look in the man's eye, knew his type. He would do something behind the scenes, stir things up, sometimes for better, other times for worse, but right now James couldn't bring himself to care. He would have paid to see what Ashari's vision of justice for General Hawk would be.

As it was, he dreaded Ashari receiving the news, especially after James had promised – _promised_ – that things would be okay on his end.

Gods, Ozpin was going to get in touch, too. He'd be furious. Understandably. And that would lead to another shouting match, because James felt just as pissed and Ozpin's suggestions that it was somehow something he should have predicted and dealt with were practically guaranteed to push him over the edge.

His scroll buzzed. Almost nervously, James looked at the caller.

Not Ashari _or_ Ozpin. With a sigh, he answered it.

"I am _not_ in the mood, Jacques."

" _I can imagine,"_ Jacques Schnee replied, all business. _"I heard what the Council had to say."_

"The Council have said many things. It won't stop what is going to happen from happening. Ghira Belladonna had not been convicted and was, as such, innocent of all charges. Whatever games you wish to play, General Hawk will be _out_ of his office and in a _cell_ or I'll build one _around_ his office!"

" _I completely agree, Ironwood."_

Surprised, James froze.

" _I might not have at first,"_ Jacques admitted, _"When I first heard the news, I was unconcerned, perhaps even vindicated for what the White Fang has done. Winter better explained the situation to me, however, and has suggested that this may cause increased White Fang attacks in the future. Is she correct?"_

James frowned, but did nod. "Yes. It will almost certainly happen."

" _Then I find myself displeased, Ironwood."_

"You?" James laughed. "Jacques, you've _funded_ some of the more conservative Council Members. The very ones who are supporting Hawk and trying to see him acquitted here. The ones clamouring that we can `fight off` the White Fang and should never apologise."

" _I did. I freely admit it. However, that was only because our beliefs coincided at the time."_ On faunus legislation, no doubt, or the Council's constant belligerence in reforming it, which would be detrimental to the SDC's cheap labour. _"These actions cross a line I am not willing to allow."_

The bottom line, no doubt. Not an ethical one.

Still, James was intrigued. "Well. What now?"

" _Now, I feel myself leaning towards new leadership. I have already removed all funding from General Hawk and his supporters. Furthermore, I will be publicly condemning their actions later today and calling for their removal. I wish to put you forward as the one to replace Hawk."_

"Me? I already have a seat due to being Headmaster of Atlas. They'll never allow me to be a General as well."

" _As the one to arrest Hawk, I believe the people will rally behind you. In addition, I find myself lacking other candidates."_ Jacques seemed unconcerned with admitting this was an alliance of convenience and little more. _"If not you, then there is no one else to push, and we both want Hawk out. I believe you have pushed for numerous initiatives to increase faunus interaction in the military, offer better jobs and perks. Become General Ironwood of Atlas and I will assist you in pushing these agendas."_

James raised an eyebrow. "I thought you'd be against those."

" _Considering the costs involved with Winter's security efforts, and the projected increases she has forecast because of Hawk's actions, I find myself prepared to gamble on you smoothing things over. The last thing I need or want is the White Fang to attack me and my convoys more than they already are."_

And having Jacques personally support a General who was looking to ease things over would help divert some of their attention, or at least justify the White Fang being more `merciful` to the SDC as compared to Atlas itself.

James could see Jacques' game.

But at the same time, the price of saying no – of Hawk somehow surviving this, or even if he didn't, the Councillors with the same attitudes staying in power – was unbearable. Jacques Schnee and James Ironwood had rarely before seen eye to eye, but times changed. Priorities changed.

"Fine. I'll do this. But I don't want the position for power, prestige or anything like that. I'm doing this for Atlas."

" _That, Ironwood, is what makes you perfect for the position. Winter sends her regards. She says to… give them hell."_

"Trust me, Jacques. I intend to."

/-/

Adam's hands shook.

"This… You're lying."

"I'm not," Sienna said, face calm. No. Not calm, an expression of _forced_ calm, of barely tightly-controlled fury. "It has not been made official yet, nor has Atlas admitted to anything, but our spies have already confirmed it. He is dead."

He sagged, back hitting the wall he'd been standing near. He wanted to slide down it and cup his face with one hand but could not. Ghira had never liked him, never liked what he represented with the man's daughter, but there had been a certain respect there, if not from Ghira to Adam, then certainly in return. They may not have agreed on the means, on the peaceful approach, but Adam respected the man not only for refusing to give up, but for being an implacable figure and a good father.

And now he was gone.

"Why?" Adam croaked. "Is this… Was this our fault?"

"No!" Sienna's hands gripped the armrests of her chair. Her nails dug into the wood. "We attacked in such a way that made it clear Ghira was unaffiliated with our organisation. We renounced his peaceful ways. We left him behind, trusting he would receive a fair trial and be acquitted. His wife even announced that Menagerie did not stand with us. Atlas may try to blame us for this, but we could have made it no clearer that we had nothing to do with him."

Sienna was correct, and yet the realisation did not please him. They were guiltless in practice, but Adam still remembered how the man had cornered him, tried to convince him not to lead Blake astray, not to dwell on hate and anger.

At the time, Adam had laughed in the man's face and told him no such emotion drove his hand, that he did what he did solely for the benefit of the faunus people. Ghira had warned him that would change in time, that the anger might warp his mind as it had threatened to do with Ghira before he found Kali and decided on a peaceful path.

Oh Gods, Kali.

"Has his wife been told…?"

"Not yet. There is still a chance, however small, that our spies are wrong, or compromised. Even if they are not, she does not welcome us. If we tell her, she will spend her days living in hope and pain until Atlas confirms it. As cruel as it may seem, it is best we are not the ones to tell her."

"I see." He hated it, but he could see her logic. Adam swallowed. "What of… What of Blake…?"

"That may be more difficult. The White Fang has already heard, and rumours travel fast. It is why I summoned you here, to warn you."

Adam pushed himself off the wall. "I must be the one to tell her."

Sienna shrugged. "As you wish."

Adam excused himself with a quick nod, his mind whirling as he considered what to say, how to say it, and worse, what impact this would have on Blake. She was already so fragile, having second thoughts. There was no telling what the news would do to her, or how she'd come out from it.

The only thing he knew was that he would have to be there beside her, _whatever path she chose._

He owed it to Ghira.

/-/

The dark-skinned man stepped out onto the sands and looked down at the boy before him. The man was tall, rugged and had numerous scars across his face and bare chest. He wore a turban wrapped loosely around his head as a shield from the sun and carried a staff with one hand.

The boy, on the other hand, wore little more than a ratty pair of trousers and a loose-fitting shirt. He was young, obviously hungry and far smaller than many of those he dealt with daily. Despite that, he had the look of a survivor about him.

The man grunted and faced the child. "You are the one who has been attacking my students?"

The boy grinned back, unrepentant. "Yep."

"Why?"

"To get stronger, duh."

"Hm." His eyes narrowed. "A spar, then? Why do you not request it from them?"

"Because they won't give it. Not to a street rat like me. Too poor, too weak, not important enough." The boy spat on the sand. "They changed their tune soon enough, but if I need to attack first to get a fight, so be it."

"And why, exactly, do you need to get stronger?"

"A Wizard told me I had to," the boy said, completely earnest and without a hint of compromise. "I have to be a strong huntsman because so that I can be loyal, brave and meet the girl of my dreams." The boy adopted a rough, fighting stance. It had numerous holes. "And I need to be strong enough to look after her. To get my happily ever after."

The man chuckled.

"All this, for a girl? She must be quite special."

"It's not just for her," the boy said, surprising him. The boy's expression was firm, but there was a maturity there that many of his students lacked. "I asked the Wizard how it would end. He… He said I'd live happily ever after, but I won't. I don't. I could see it in his face."

The man's mirth faded.

"I don't care about me," the boy said, "But if I love her as much as he says I do, then I don't want her to be hurt like that, so I need to be strong. I need to be a strong huntsman, and if that means fighting the kids here, so be it. Doesn't matter how many times they knock me down-" and lo, his face was bruised, his lip busted, "Doesn't matter how many beatings I get, even if they keep hitting me when I'm done. I'll become a huntsman like he said I would."

The man's eyes closed. His chest rose and fell.

"You will stop attacking my students."

"Uh. No. Like I said-"

"You will stop attacking my students," the man repeated, slamming his staff down, "And in turn, you will face _me_ here each morning and afternoon. You will test yourself against me, and you will not waste my time."

The boy was shocked. His breathing hitched. "N-No, I won't. I'll be here."

Somehow, the man believed it. "What is your name, boy?"

"Sun. My name is Sun."

/-/

Raven was buzzed.

Again.

To be fair, she didn't drink all that much, only when she was in a good mood or had reason to celebrate. She _was_ a Branwen, after all. It was all but ingrained into her. The reason for celebration this time was that she'd soon have access to her bed and couch once more. The ones in Jaune's house, back in Vale.

Some might have considered those his, but `some` were wrong. He didn't sleep in the bed, she did. And while he _did_ sit on the couch, it was only because she deigned to allow it. Just like the third cupboard on the right from his fridge, and the shelf inside it with the twenty-four-pack cooling away, the couch and the bed were hers.

Raven was fairly sure he knew it, too, because otherwise, why leave all her stuff exactly as it was? If he'd really wanted rid, he could have made it a little more obvious.

Anyway, once she'd realised through her Semblance that Jaune was back off his jaunt through the wilderness of Vale – which lacked bed, couch, fridge _and_ heating, and was thus something he could do without her presence – she'd decided to hop on over and celebrate. It was rare to find someone she could drink with and _not_ expect a knife in the back. Or worse, some smelly bandit in bed with her. The fuckers in the tribe knew their place, but every now and then one would test her.

So, drinking buddy. Go.

Except… she had also sensed others with him. Not that she could tell who was near or wasn't with those she was bonded to, but she could get a sense for the destination, and since she had Jaune, Taiyang, Qrow, Yang _and_ Summer all in said destination?

Yeah, she wasn't about to open a portal into _that_ mess.

Which led to her starting the party early.

And on her own.

No big deal, except kind of annoying. There wasn't even Vernal to share a few drinks with, and to hell with whomever said she was too young for it. Instead, Raven had marched into her camp, snatched a bottle from some guy, offered to let him fight her for it if he wanted it back – he didn't, the pussy – and then retreated to her tent to drink.

And drink.

And drink. And then to drink some more.

It was somewhere around the seventh bottle that things started to get hazy. Not dangerously so, but in that pleasant `feel good` kind of way. Raven, having forgotten about Jaune just a little, reached out with her Semblance.

He was alone. Perfect. Or at least away from people who knew her. He might not be `alone`, but she didn't care if anyone else saw her.

Jaune was also… curiously distant from where he'd last been.

And the connection felt a little… off…

"Meh, whatever."

Raven stood unsteadily and reached for her sword. She paused for a moment, drawing a deep breath as she steadied herself. Instincts forced her to calm down just a little before swinging a sword around drunk. With a quick sigh and a burst of aura, Raven cut a hole in reality and stepped through the swirling red and black mass.

And into what appeared to be a bedroom.

It was small and oddly decorated, not at all like Jaune would – with stupid posters, books and even a big stuffed teddy-bear, along with a single bed by the wall. Had the idiot moved houses again? She'd _thought_ this was far away.

Raven hiccupped and stepped further into the room, idly looking about.

The bed was too small, the figure in it also small. The books, bear and posters clicked in her head and she realised she was in his brat's room. Emerald. Raven didn't normally care to remember the names of unimportant people, but there was something about Jaune's tagalong that tickled her. Maybe it was the eyes and the way they watched her, as if they were constantly judging her, waiting for the moment she let her guard down. If Emerald thought she could get away with it, she would have _murdered_ her.

Raven had to admit, she liked the kid's spirit!

Liked it enough even to rile the little brat up. With a grin on her face, Raven stalked to the bed, sheathed her sword and kicked one of the legs violently.

"Oi, brat. Wake up."

"Mngh…"

Oh, come on. It wasn't even that late, not late enough that Emerald couldn't be up, and maybe even share a drink with them if she could convince Jaune to allow it. Raven wasn't normally one to ask permission, but Jaune _did_ have some ability to say no to certain things. His house, after all.

With a roll of her eyes, Raven reached down and tore the blanket off the girl's body. "I said, wake u-"

Raven froze.

Small body, thin arms and some hideous baby-blue outfit of some kind. The pale, blond boy in the bed blinked sleepily up at her.

With sleep dissipating, his eyes widened.

Raven's brain whirred slowly. "You're not Emerald."

The boy, the child, screamed.

"AIEEEEEEE!"

Shock tore through her. Raven recoiled, fell back and, to her eternal horror, screamed as well. "ARGHHHH!"

"AIEEEEEEEEE!"

"ARGHHHHHHH!"

"SON!" There was a crash in the house. Someone was coming. It was _not_ Jaune. It sounded masculine, older and _furious_.

Shit, shit, shit. Raven scrambled to her feet, face pale and drew her sword. The screaming increased, both in volume and in pitch. She barely had the time to think of someone back in her tribe, swing her sword down and summon a portal before the door behind her _crashed_ open.

Raven bodily threw herself into the portal, crashed into the grass on the other side, and closed it behind her, cutting off what sounded like the roar of an angry Ursa. She lay in the cool grass back in camp, eyes wide, sweat dripping down her brow and all traces of drunkenness having fled.

"What the fuck was that!?"

And since when did she have _two_ routes to Jaune?

* * *

 **Well, here's a glimpse at some of the things going on in the background. Yes, Sun was never going to fade out of the story – he appeared at the start and that's because he is as important as Summer and Tyrian, just… in a "later" kind of way.**

 **These are the kinds of things that would have individually been posted as snippets on fuller chapters, probably these four over the _next_ four or so chapters.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 17** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	34. Chapter 34

**Okay, so our medical concerns are over for now and we're back to normal length chapters. Hurrah!**

 **Also, although there may be no explicit mentions in this chapter to what happened in the interlude, that does not mean those things aren't happening. The chapter was intended to show what is going on elsewhere, out of sight. Jaune obviously has no idea it's taking place.**

 **Some of those events (Atlas especially) aren't "out in the open" yet. The White Fang discovered it due to spies, but Atlas is obviously clamping down on the information, so don't expect Jaune to realise what's going on just yet.**

 **There is still a troll in the reviews imitating other people. Ignore it.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 34**

* * *

There was an odd camaraderie that could only come from trying to beat someone up. It wasn't something he really understood and, if he were being honest, it wasn't something he'd ever felt before joining Beacon, but whether it was a fight with Pyrrha, Yang, Cardin or even Qrow, you couldn't hate a guy after a good fight. Maybe it was the adrenaline wearing off, all the anger slipping away. Whatever the case, Jaune wrapped an arm around Qrow's shoulder, all vestiges of their feud, for now, absent.

"Breaking a dust round to throw it in my eyes," he laughed. "That's genius. I thought there wouldn't be any with this being indoors."

"Hey, I learned from the best," Qrow taunted. "Or the best at fighting dirty."

"Don't knock it if it works. I still won."

"You hid a gun on you."

"You didn't?"

"Well," Qrow coughed. "Didn't think to. Got one in my weapon. But I'll mix it up next time. Didn't much like having someone steal and use it against me." He shot Jaune a raised eyebrow. "How did you know how to fight with it, anyway?"

"Met someone before who had a similar weapon," Jaune deflected, not without some honesty. "He fought a little like you, except the one time I got _his_ weapon off him, he knocked me out with a punch to the jaw."

Future Qrow had been brutal Qrow, after all. Summer's death had made him a vicious fighter.

Past Qrow, happy Qrow, laughed, "I want to meet him!"

"If you're lucky, you never will."

Ozpin cleared his throat, approaching with a smile. It looked honest for once, the immortal wizard clearly pleased to see Jaune and his right-hand-man getting along. "A good show from both of you. I'm impressed, though I dare say some of the students are a little put-off by the violent nature of the spar."

"Eh, this is nothing," Qrow said. "You should see what the kids in this asshole's gym get up to."

"I have." Ozpin's smile grew. "The next generation of huntsmen looks promising indeed. Regardless, Glynda will make sure they understand this is the reality of huntsman on huntsman combat. I daresay movies, cartoons and tournaments between children have given them misleading expectations."

To be fair to the kids, they'd grown up in a time of relative peace. Jaune had too, though he hadn't realised it until much later. He'd been born after the faunus wars, lived a good life in Ansel and come to Vale at the height of its prosperity, which was probably in part due to Ozpin, and at the same time a reason why the man let his guard down and was surprised by Cinder. Sure, the White Fang existed – and did so now as well – but they'd been a distant problem for him as a child. No one here, student or teachers, knew just how difficult things were going to get in the future. In a way, maybe his being attacked in Atlas would help warn them.

Not that he'd ever thank Tyrian and Hazel for starting that.

"Do you mind if we have our little chat?" Ozpin asked. "You both seem in good enough spirits for it."

Ah, the recruitment pitch. He'd almost forgotten. Jaune was about to say yes, but noticed Summer approaching with her family, along with Emerald.

"Mind if I handle Emerald first? I don't want her involved with this."

"Of course."

It was a lie, of course. Emerald knew enough and would have to know more. Ozpin might believe in secrets, and he might be right in some cases – but one thing he hadn't appreciated, nor Ruby and her team, was Ozpin misleading them as to the _danger_ they were walking into. They'd been willing to fight the good fight, but the secrets Ozpin tried to keep could have gotten them all killed numerous times. He wouldn't do the same with Emerald. She was young, but he trusted her to be mature and to listen.

"That was a good fight," Summer said. "And I'm glad to see the two of you getting along."

"If I knew a fight was all it would take, I'd have gotten you both drunk and locked you in a closet weeks ago," Tai added.

"Jaune won!" Yang yelled happily.

Qrow glowered. "Oi!"

"Uncle Qrow lost!"

"That's it," Qrow growled, lunging for Yang. "Come here, you."

"NO! No, no, noooo~" Yang trailed off as Qrow got her in a headlock and started to mess up her hair. The rest of them ignored her panicked shrieking, along with Ruby's giggles. Jaune sent a quick nod Emerald's way, indicating that she should stay where she was for now.

To Summer, he said, "Ozpin wants to have a talk with me. Boring stuff that I don't really want Emerald to be stuck in. Do you mind looking after her for a little longer? It shouldn't be long." Jaune looked to Ozpin.

"An hour at most," the headmaster promised.

"Oh, that's fine." Summer nodded. "Actually, would it be okay if we showed Emerald the library, Ozpin? I was telling her about it before the fight and she wanted to see it."

Ozpin smiled, "Not at all. Why not give her the full tour, in fact?"

"Is that okay, Emerald?" Jaune asked.

"Hm!" Emerald nodded quickly. Her eyes lit up, probably at the thought of so many books and what she could get up to. She followed Summer, Yang and Ruby as they were led away, Taiyang staying behind to clap both Jaune and Qrow on the shoulder before leaving.

"Emerald certainly seems to enjoy her books," Ozpin said.

"She likes to read." Jaune knelt to pick up and sheathe his sword. He accepted his gun back from Qrow, stored it away and looked forlornly at the spent flashbang. He'd have to get another, which wasn't as easy as it sounded in a place like Vale. "Always has, ever since I adopted her. Of course, I had to teach her to read first."

"You really would have made a good teacher."

"I think teaching one child is different from thirty or so. Besides, I had help. Winter did a lot to help Emerald learn to read, and to come out of her shell." Even if it was only for Emerald to feel confident enough to glare at and complain about Winter herself.

"The Schnee princess?" Qrow asked with a laugh. "Wouldn't have thought she had it in her."

"Winter is deeper than she seems," Jaune said, a little defensively.

"Hey man, I meant nothing by it."

Jaune let it go. In the future, Qrow and Winter had some kind of… not relationship going on. It never had been one as far as he could see, but there had been some definite tension the first time they met, which was pretty creepy now that he thought about it. Qrow was _his_ age, which made him a good ten years older than Winter. Jaune doubted Winter was interested in romance at all, let alone with someone their age.

"Why don't we retire to my office?" Ozpin suggested, idly looking around the assembled students, all of which were close enough to overhear if they wanted to. "We shouldn't talk about business here, and I imagine the students are going to be rowdy once Glynda is finished with them."

"Lead the way."

/-/

Ozpin's office was the same as ever, the great desk sat in the centre of a room flanked by windows looking out over Beacon, the great wheels ticking behind him. Pyrrha had died in this office, or would in time, if nothing changed. It was strange therefore, that Jaune did not hate the place. In the end, it was just a room.

Ozpin had taken the seat behind the desk as usual, while Qrow went to lean against a window, with no regard for the glass or perilous drop – not that either would have bothered him. There were a few other seats available, one of which Jaune took, settling down awkwardly, resisting the urge to turn the chair back to front, so that it would act as a shield. It would have made him look even more paranoid than he already was.

"Thank you for agreeing to join us today, Jaune," Ozpin said, offering a genuine smile and a grateful nod. "I know it was short notice, but the students really will benefit from a wake-up call. The recent Vytal Festival was certainly one for Atlas."

"You said you wanted to talk about that."

Ozpin nodded but did not speak for a moment. He shuffled some papers, took a sip of coffee, looked to the door. It was doubtful he was waiting for anyone, so he was probably trying to steel himself or prepare the words in his head. He was not a man who trusted easily, Ozpin. He had reason to be like that, at least with some people, but talking to another like this was not easy for him.

He might have spared the man that but couldn't. Not without giving too much away.

Jaune knew Ozpin more than most, though it felt arrogant to say it. He and the immortal had never been close, he being one of the main people to have doubts as to his trustworthiness – doubts which Ruby had so often quashed, even up until the point of her death. Even so, with Ozpin in this time keeping as many secrets as he did students, it still probably made him the second most informed person on Remnant, the first being Salem herself.

It came as no surprise then, that Ozpin would want to recruit him. It came as no surprise that Ozpin would want to hedge his bets too, keep secrets and not give everything away.

"Tell me, Jaune, do you know why Tyrian Callows and Hazel Rainart attacked you in Atlas?"

He was fishing for answers. Trying to see how much he knew, how much he could keep secret and how little to give away. More than that, Ozpin wanted to know if he knew about the existence of Salem. The question was how much to give him. Too little and Ozpin might begin to suspect he was a traitor to Salem and a danger himself. Too much and Ozpin might think him an inevitable risk.

"I know someone told them to find me," he said carefully, watching Qrow from the corner of one eye. While Ozpin had over a thousand years to learn to control himself, Qrow did not. The man's arms were crossed but his hands tightened, his air of feigned indifference a little too forced. "I know it's someone dangerous, but I couldn't say who exactly."

"You've never seen them?"

"I don't know." Maybe he could give Ozpin a hint. "I saw them with someone else, a man with a moustache." He noticed how Ozpin tensed, and then immediately relaxed, leaning back. "I'm not sure if that was the leader or not."

"Do you know why they are after you?"

"I think it's because I interfered with a plan of theirs," Jaune said, pretending not to see how Qrow leaned forward a little. "It was back in the Specialists, when I worked for Ironwood. We were sent in to clear out a facility and he was inside, rummaging through the wreckage. I stopped him. Or, well, I didn't _stop him_ , but I bought time for the explosives to be set up, ruining whatever he was looking for. Although…"

"Yes?"

"It might have been before that, too," he said. He knew it was, of course. "I didn't know it at first, didn't know it until after I met you."

"Oh?"

"Summer."

Ozpin nodded. "Ah, I see. I recall that you didn't know who she was at first."

"Just an injured huntress," Jaune confirmed, this time completely honest. "Even if I'd known her, I don't think I'd have recognised her. Deathly pale and on the edge…" Jaune paused as Qrow's breathing became heavier.

"Sorry," the man said, looking away.

"All is well, Qrow," Ozpin interrupted. "Summer is fine."

"Yeah, I just…"

"No, I get it." Jaune nodded to the huntsman. "If it was someone I knew, I'd feel the same way. Anyway, I didn't know who she was at the time and didn't find out until Atlas. Coincidentally, that was before the attack, and before Tyrian as good as said he was the one who put her in that position."

"Two instances of your interference," Ozpin noted. "And this was before the attack on Atlas?"

"Yes. I also cut off Tyrian's tail."

Qrow snorted. "Nice one."

"What was Tyrian looking for in Atlas? The barest details, I won't ask you to break confidentiality with James."

"It's fine." He knew Ironwood would tell Ozpin if the headmaster asked, so he might as well save him the trouble. "It was research from Merlot, the same guy involved in the fall of Mountain Glenn. He was looking to merge machine and Grimm or augment them with cybernetics. Maybe even control them via computers. I don't know all the details. It doesn't really matter since whatever it was, it failed. The Grimm could barely mover under the weight of the machines, and they were all as violent as usual. Tyrian was there though, looking for something."

"You never saw him again?"

"Not until the attack. Our team cleared out the rest of Merlot's facilities, but he never made a repeat appearance. Either way, looks like whatever he was after, we destroyed it. Enough to piss him off and make him attack Atlas. That's all I know, but Emerald and I quit Atlas soon after. I didn't want to put more pressure on Ironwood."

It was all true, but also only a half-truth at best. The important part was that he stuck to whatever he said. By offering some ignorance, he could invite Ozpin to fill in the gaps, and from there act like he owed the headmaster.

They'd never be able to work together properly, that was inevitable. Ozpin didn't trust people enough to let them close, and if Jaune was being fair, he didn't trust Ozpin in pretty much the same way. A distant co-operation was all they'd ever be able to achieve, but it was better than nothing. It was Ozpin's means he hated, not his motives. Stopping Salem was important, but it was important there be something left of humanity afterwards.

And the Gods?

They could fuck off. Or _stay_ fucked off.

"It seems there is a little more I can fill you in on," Ozpin said slowly. "But first I must ask, do you intend to stay in Vale? Is this to be where you finally settle?"

"It is. Vale has everything I need."

Beacon, his friends, the future.

"Though I might still travel every now and then, like I did this week gone. Not in the immediate future, though. Maybe next year." He shot Qrow a grin. "I need to give Qrow time to forget he swore to never babysit my students again."

"Not. Happening."

Ozpin chuckled and took a sip of coffee. He was relaxed, relieved. "That is good."

"Who are these people that are after me, then?" Jaune asked, leaning forward. "It's obvious you know something, or at least who they are. I'd appreciate a couple of answers."

"I can imagine." Ozpin sighed. "I shall tell you… it's why I invited you here, but it is… a difficult story to tell. Not emotionally, but intellectually. Many who heard this might call me a fool, if not insane. I can assure you I am neither. What I'm about to tell you may seem unbelievable at first. It will shock you, possibly even frighten you, but I believe you need to know exactly what it is you've stepped into, however unwittingly. More than that, I believe we can help one another. I certainly hope we can."

"I'll keep an open mind."

"I hope so, Mr Ashari. Tell me, have you heard of someone called… Salem?"

/-/

"Salem?" Emerald asked, safe and sound in their home once more. "But we already knew about her, you told me who she is. _What_ she is. Did he tell you more?"

Jaune shook his head. "No, nothing more. It's everything we already knew, but the important part is that Ozpin knows we know, so that's at least one problem dealt with. I've agreed to work with him against her."

"You're joining them…?"

"Not officially, no. More like… we're pooling resources. I'm like Lionheart."

"Who?"

"Ah, you've not met him. Never mind. Hm, think of me and Junior," he said instead. "We work together and we have the same long-term goals, but we're not sharing all our secrets with him. It's like the difference between Junior and me, and _you_ and me."

Emerald thought she got it. Junior was trusted to be loyal and to work with, but he wasn't trusted enough to know everything, not like she did. She knew exactly who was after him, what she was and what – in rough terms – their long-term plans were. At least as far as Jaune _had_ them. That meant Ozpin was an ally for now, but not a close one. There were still secrets between them.

 _Between us_ , she thought, grouping herself into the equation.

"Do we need to find out what those secrets are?"

"Honestly… not really. I know most of what I need to know about Ozpin."

"Then why are we working with him?"

"Legitimacy, and also to keep him from working against us. The enemy of our enemy is our friend, so Ozpin is on our side. It's just that I'd prefer to fight _beside_ him, not under his command. But if we get attacked by Hazel and Tyrian again in public, I'd rather have Qrow, Summer and Taiyang on my side."

Emerald nodded, accepting the explanation easily. It made sense to her as kids on the streets had often teamed up when it was convenient, or when something threatened them. She never had, always too weak and small to be worth sharing food with. She hadn't been able to pull her own weight in such groups.

Here, she was a little better, though she still didn't do as much as Jaune did.

"Is there something I can do to help?"

"Hm?" Jaune looked her way, smiled and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry about it, Em. I've got most of it handled. I need to look over that book we got and try to decipher it. There isn't really much else to do in the meantime, or much you can help with."

"Will there be? In the future, I mean?"

"Sure."

He didn't mean it. Emerald pouted and looked away, grumbling to herself. Even if she knew she didn't have to be `useful` in order to make him keep her around, she still wanted to be. Helping on his trips was fine, as was putting up with creepy women, but there had to be something she could do now to be of use.

"How was the Beacon library?"

Emerald's eyes lit up. "Amazing! There were so many books, and the tables… and the balconies! Summer took me to the top floor and we read while looking down on the students. She even convinced the librarian to let me take a book away." She held it up so he could see. "It was also pretty. We walked between the cafeteria and the library and there's this huge garden."

"Sitting next to the training fields? With the forest in the distance and the CCT above it all."

"Yeah…"

Had Jaune _seen_ it? She didn't think so. He'd been too busy with Qrow and Ozpin.

How did he know what Beacon looked like?

"Beacon's a great place," he said, almost whimsically. "I guess Summer can return the book once you're done with it. Or I can give it to Glynda or Ozpin if they come by the ASH Gym. Did you say thank you to Summer?"

"Yes," Emerald lied instantly.

"Good girl."

Emerald hid her pout and made a mental note to thank Summer the next time she saw her. It would be the only way to get rid of the sense of disappointment which washed over her. "Yang was talking to me about Beacon," she said, changing the subject. "She was asking if I wanted to go to Beacon with her and if we'd be on the same team."

Jaune stilled with his back to her.

"Beacon _is_ kind of cool," she said, not really noticing. "I was thinking-"

"You're not going to Beacon." The sharp tone cut through her thoughts, rooting her feet to the floor. Jaune didn't raise his voice to her, never had and didn't now, but the way he said it, the clipped, sudden words… It was as close to it as she'd ever been.

Emerald bit her lip nervously. "I…"

"You're not attending Beacon," he said again, head tilted to the side, not looking at her.

The clock on the wall ticked away.

She hesitated to break the silence. It felt like a pressure pushing down on her shoulders and chest, making it difficult to breathe. She didn't dare make a noise lest she anger him.

"Do you understand?" he snapped.

"Y-Yes!"

His shoulders relaxed. "Good girl." He didn't look her way, but she had the feeling he was pleased, even relieved. "I have to read through that tome we found in the ruin. I'll cook us some dinner later. And some chocolate cake. Your favourite."

"O-Okay," she stammered. "I… I'll just read?"

"Yeah…" Jaune stood there for a moment, like he meant to say more, before he shook his head and made his way to the door leading down into the basement. He never looked back and closed the door softly behind him.

The moment he was gone, Emerald sagged. Her breath came out in a rush, her body sinking as she leaned back against the kitchen counter. What had that been? Why had he reacted like that? She licked her lips nervously and shuffled over to pour herself some juice. Her hands shook just a little.

In her pocket, her scroll lay, the last message on it from Yang, asking if she was going to come to Beacon when they were older or not, accompanied by a smiley face icon. She wouldn't be getting a reply today, and maybe not for a while. Emerald didn't feel confident enough to broach the topic again.

Even so, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

/-/

The hefty tome wasn't giving him as much as he'd have liked. The pages still thrummed with some kind of power, something he could feel but not place. It didn't seem to be any one page, nor the covers, but something that permeated through the whole thing. He tried flicking through it, placing both hands on it, opening it to a random page and more.

Nothing.

The language was beyond him, too. Ozpin could probably read it, but if the wizard hadn't looked for this in the original timeline, then chances were he wouldn't be happy to see it now. Ozpin guarded his secrets carefully. This, being connected to the ancient times, was surely one of them. Little other way to explain how or why the moon was _full_ in the images inside.

 _So, this was before the… I guess it was the `fall`. The time when the Gods left Remnant._

Ozpin spoke of the Gods as if they were known entities, something you just accepted. To him, they probably were, but to Jaune and the others the idea of deities was outright bizarre. Sure, you referenced them occasionally and there were some devout people, but the majority of folk on Remnant didn't actually believe there was anything out there. To hear that there had been two Gods, and that they would _literally_ interact and talk with their followers, was crazy. To see _proof_ of it in creations like the Relics? Even crazier.

Understanding this book, though?

Impossible.

"Damn it." He closed the cover and sighed. There were pictures, but only occasionally. Most of the book was text in a language he couldn't decipher. "It's got to be a clue. It has to be something close. Oobleck? No, if I can _sense_ this, then Ozpin surely can. Only other person who could read it would be Salem."

Or Jinn…

"Knowledge…" Jaune bit his lip. Technically, he knew how to summon her, second-hand information from Ruby mostly, and at a point where it was too late to be any use in the original timeline, but here and now there were still two questions available. Maybe even three. "It _would_ be better if I used them, if only to stop other people doing so…"

The question was what to use them on, and how he'd convince Raven to open the vault for him. Assuming he only had two questions, using one to get the book deciphered might be a waste. Jinn wouldn't be able to do it for him because that wasn't a question. She could _recite_ it, and maybe he could record the answer, but that might not provide any understanding.

And weren't there more important questions?

How to stop Salem was a bust, he technically knew the answer already. Why Salem was after him was equally doomed, since she might just be curious or playing it safe. How to use the other Relics? That wasn't a bad idea. If he could gather the means to use each, then it would be one of Ozpin's biggest advantages taken away. But if he did that, then he might as well gather them, and at that point he put a big target on the back of his neck.

Not to mention if all four were brought together and Salem was still alive, he might as well be ushering in the apocalypse. Remnant had lived for millennia without the Gods. After leaving them to this, they didn't _deserve_ to come back.

Either way, it was food for thought. An excursion to use the Relic of Knowledge might work out.

As if summoned by such thoughts, a red and black portal swirled into life behind him. Jaune took the chance to push the book away and turn around, facing Raven as she stepped out. She looked around warily, but relaxed when she realised where she was.

"The basement? Is this where you plan to lock me up and have your devious way with me?"

"I pity any man who tries to `have his way` with you."

"Ha." Raven laughed. "You know all the right things to say."

Jaune checked his scroll. To be fair, it _was_ getting on to the afternoon, and there was no ASH Gym today. Not that Raven would have let him escape if he tried. "It's a little early to start drinking. Did you miss me that much?"

"You can believe that if you wish, I'll let you." She kicked back and sat atop a trunk. Her grin reminded him of Yang. "There's nothing wrong with having high ambitions."

"Or a high estimation of yourself?"

"Silly Jaune, I'm being modest."

"Yeah, right." Jaune stood and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "So, are you going to tell me why you sent Vernal here? I don't believe for a second it was just a whim."

Raven's smirk grew. "How is she doing?"

"Best in class, but then you'd expect that. It's not exactly fair on everyone else."

"Boo-hoo. Life isn't fair. It'll be a lesson best learned early for them."

Jaune sighed. While he didn't disagree, it still didn't answer his question. "But why send her? I'd have thought she'd be more use in the tribe."

"I think you're overestimating Vernal's value. Or underestimating the tribe. Things are good at the moment and we don't necessarily need more fighters. Call it an investment if you like. She gets stronger, I don't have to feed or train her, and if she picks up a few of your tricks, then she'll only come back stronger."

It made some sense…

"Is that the only reason?"

"If I had some deep, ulterior motive, I'd not trust it to someone else," she said offhandedly. "I'm more of a hands-on kind of woman. Vernal was being a pain, figuratively and literally, and you – for all that you might deny it – have a place in the tribe."

"Since when?"

"Well, you _did_ train her."

"I sparred with her for a week or two, Raven. That's hardly me taking her on as a student."

"To a young woman, such attention means something. To a member of the Branwen tribe, you `own` what you claim. Vernal claimed you as her mentor, so your little vanishing act was an insult to her pride."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. " _You_ helped me with that vanishing act," he pointed out.

"Eh." Raven shrugged. "I never claimed to be a good role model. I hope that revelation doesn't shock you _too_ badly."

Hardly. Raven hadn't been much use in the original timeline, though she had saved Yang the one time, and opened the vault for them, defeating Cinder in the process. Or delaying her. Honestly, with how he'd thought of her back then, he was surprised he didn't hate her now. It couldn't just be because it hadn't happened yet, because he _liked_ Yang, and Raven had still left her behind.

Maybe it was just because she was the only person as jaded as him, the only one he could talk to about not trusting Ozpin, and not have it be reported straight back to him. She was dangerous, and as Taiyang had warned him, she couldn't really be trusted to hang around when things got difficult.

But if he never expected that, then he wouldn't be hurt.

"Do you have any family?" Raven suddenly asked.

"What?"

She shrugged. "It's a question."

"I know that…" Jaune stared at her, confused by how she looked away and rolled her shoulders like she didn't care for the question she'd just asked. "I'm just… It's pretty random. What brought this on?"

"Idle curiosity? Making a conversation?" She shrugged again. "I don't know. Just figured you know everything there is to know about me, and I don't know anything about you."

"Since… when have you cared to?"

"Don't make a meal of it, Jaune," she snapped, annoyed. "I was just asking. I know your name isn't Ashari."

Her, Junior and Emerald were the only ones who did. "It's not, but they're _sort of_ my family. It was a tribe in Vacuo that picked me up and formally adopted me, so the name fits. As for family…" How much to say? "Well, my family is a long way away." Both in time and distance. "They're not really around anymore."

"No brothers?"

He laughed. "Seven sisters, actually. But no, no brothers. This feels a little awkward…"

"It's just small talk."

"I guess…" He wasn't sure why Raven was suddenly so interested in small talk, she hadn't been before. "I'd ask you, but I know about Qrow. And the rest…"

Raven didn't look bothered. "I imagine Taiyang told you."

"Yeah."

"Did he warn you to stay away from me? For your own good?"

"He did…"

"Ha…" Raven's laugh was short and bitter. "Suppose I can't blame him. So, you going to take his advice? I'm sure Ozpin would protect you from the big, bad Raven if you asked him to. If you sold your soul to him."

"Actually, I'm already working with Ozpin…"

Raven's mouth fell open. "WHAT!?" She stood suddenly, hand reaching to her hip. "You idiot, I-"

"Only officially, Raven. I'm not… you know I don't trust him. It's an alliance of convenience, nothing more. I was just telling you so you don't learn about it later and overreact." He grinned and nodded to her half-drawn weapon. "Like this."

The sword slammed back down with a click. "Could have said that sooner."

"And miss this little display? It's not every day I get to see you so flustered. And don't worry about Tai. His advice wasn't to not spend time with you, it was to not fall in love with you."

Raven snorted. "Fall in love? You and me?" She laughed. "Nice to see Qrow's imagination still runs wild." She relaxed, and he noticed it was the first time she'd really relaxed since she had appeared in the basement. Before, she'd seemed on edge. Curiously so. He'd have asked why, but if it was something related to the tribe, or events on her end, then she'd tell him if she wanted to. That she hadn't was proof she wouldn't.

"It's pretty musty in here," he said casually. "Want to crash in the living room and get some drinks?"

"About time you took the hint."

/-/

Winter stepped out of the Bullhead and onto the grass. The convoy had been cast aside, upturned entirely with its wreckage smoking. After the assault, each had been detonated. The dust was gone, stolen. It was a scene she'd seen time and time again working as head of the SDC's security detail, but never had she seen an attack like this.

"Ma'am," a soldier whispered. "We've… We've found the bodies."

Bodies. Not survivors. Winter's eyes closed, her breath coming out in a harsh sigh. "Show me."

"Yes, ma'am."

He led her away from the convoys, purposefully away – far beyond what might have been reasonable for those who fell in combat. Several of her men and women stood ahead in a rough semi-circle, looking down on something.

When Winter arrived, she cringed. "Those monsters…"

Dead bodies. At least thirty. Twenty were armed SDC guards, but ten were not. Simple employees, drivers and administrative agents. They would have been unarmed and, from their uniforms alone, were clearly designated as non-combatants. The White Fang had never killed them before, recognising this.

Now, they were all arrayed in a line, all laid face-down, all with their hands tied behind their backs, their heads bloodied.

"They were brought here as prisoners and made to kneel," Delta said. "All in a line, all next to one another. Then…" He trailed off, not that Winter needed him to fill in the details.

"They were executed."

"Yes…" He closed his eyes. "It's a clear message, Winter. A specific message."

"Eye for an eye, blood for blood. This is the White Fang's response. They must have spies in the military. How else could they have known about Ghira?"

"It gets worse, I'm afraid."

"How?" Winter snapped, whirling on him. "How does this get worse?"

Delta gestured to a post driven into the ground nearby, that she'd missed due to the horrifying sight before her. Determined, Winter stepped over the bodies and towards it, ignoring the bloodstained grass underfoot. On the post, the flag of the White Fang blew, but there was something else below it, something that had wrapped and coiled around the wooden post. Black cloth of some kind. Winter unravelled it.

It was another flag, one that had gotten tangled. Its black fabric was plain, but there was an outlined symbol in white in the centre, something like several flames curling up from a central circle, perhaps a stylised flower of some kind.

"It's the emblem of the Belladonna clan," Delta explained. "Current rulers of Menagerie, old leaders of the White Fang and… Ghira Belladonna's family."

Winter cursed.

"The message is clear, then. The Belladonna's response to Atlas' actions. They've aligned themselves with the White Fang. Does this mean Menagerie will join them? If they do…"

"It might be the second coming of the faunus wars."

And it would happen on their doorstep, dragging her family into it. Winter bit her lip. This was beyond her ability to contain, beyond her expertise. Ironwood was bogged down, the Council digging its heels and her father – for all his faults – doing what he could. She was running out of people to call on, of options to take.

There was only one person she could think of who might have some advice for her now.

"Collect the bodies," she instructed her men. "Gather them carefully. We cannot save them, but we will not leave them here for the carrion. They will be returned to their families. I… I have a call to make."

Hopefully, Jaune would have some ideas.

* * *

 **Jaune, Jaune, Jaune. Sigh. So, we skipped the actual meat of the meeting between Jaune and Ozpin. Just assume he was, as Jaune said to Emerald, given the bare bones basics of Salem, pretty much the same content Jaune and RWBY received in the show about her from Volumes 4-5, except lacking the detail that Ozpin is an immortal soul parasite.**

 **I didn't want to have them go over "revelations" that you already all know, not for possibly 2-3k words.**

 **Poor Emerald, and finally friends enough with Yang to be chatting by text. They grow up so fast! Meanwhile, Raven is trying to dig. She's hardly going to confront Jaune without trying to figure it out herself, or he can just lie and she'd never know better.**

 **At the same time, Atlas is… well, Atlas is not going** _ **great**_ **for all of Jaune's attempts to come to the past and help. Not great at all.**

 **Fair warning, we have another time skip coming up soonish.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 24th November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	35. Chapter 35

**There's a shortish timeskip this chapter. It will be explained in the chapter itself but, for those who like dates and such, it's a couple of months. Maybe 6-9. It's to help facilitate movement into the next major arc.**

 **Troll still in the reviews, still wasting his time. Still ignore.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 35**

* * *

Emerald was fourteen today.

Or close enough…

She didn't actually know when her birthday was any more than she knew who her birth parents were, but it was the day Jaune had given her and he was better than whatever parents didn't want her, so this was her birthday. It was possible she was fifteen, or maybe thirteen. Ages weren't easy to work out either, and they didn't really matter to her.

Either way, it was the first birthday she'd ever had that involved a party with other people.

Not a lot of people, mind. She'd been invited to Yang's birthday the last time and agreed to go after Jaune wheedled and bribed her into doing so. It had been loud, obnoxious and there were _so many_ people that Yang called friend. It honestly annoyed Emerald, making her feel somehow less important. Luckily, Ruby had been the same and the two of them stuck together.

This was nothing like that. There was Yang and her family, from Ruby to Mrs Rose and Mr Xiao-Long (when Emerald asked why they were married with last names, Jaune had been as confused as her but told her to go along with it), and there was also Qrow. That was it, really. Ozpin and Glynda had surprised her by bringing some presents to the Gym for her, but they hadn't stayed for the small party.

Even _more_ surprising was that she'd received a few gifts from further afield, one each from Winter, Weiss and even Whitley. She wasn't sure what to make of those since she'd barely met the latter two, but Whitley had written her a poem of some kind.

Weird.

It was a much smaller thing than what Yang had, but Emerald found herself pleased nonetheless. More pleased than she'd thought she would be. She got hugs from Mrs Rose, which she put up with, hugs from Yang, which she squirmed out of, and a happy hug from Ruby that she bore with infinite patience. At least Mr Xiao-Long just smiled at her.

Emerald _chose_ to hug Zwei, though.

She didn't choose to have Jaune take a picture of her doing so and made a mental note to find and delete it off his scroll if she got the chance.

After a while, the older people had their fill making her blow out candles, accept well-wishes and other stuff like that, and had gone to sit in the corner and talk about boring stuff like they usually did, leaving Emerald, Yang and Ruby to talk.

"Where are all your other friends? You've got to have more than this."

"Who do I `got to` have more?"

Yang punched her arm, unimpressed with the sarcasm. "What about everyone at the ASH Gym? You get on with that Coco girl, right? And Sky isn't half bad. You even said he was a decent fight."

"Yeah, so? Vernal is a decent fight but I'm not inviting her to my birthday party."

"If you did, I'd be worried for your sanity."

Emerald rolled her eyes. Like Yang had room to talk. It wasn't like Ruby was doing much talking, however, since the younger girl was happily munching on some cake and looked dead to the world, content in the sugar.

"So, you spoken to your old man about Beacon yet?" Yang asked.

Emerald frowned. "I'm working on it…"

"Not very fast, you're not. Just ask him."

"It's more complicated than that!"

It had been four or five months since she'd last brought it up and Jaune snapped at her. He hadn't meant it, but the sudden shock of being told off had silenced her instantly. She hadn't had the courage to ask _why_ he was against it.

There hadn't been any better timing after. The news of the White Fang and Atlas broke and people were starting to talk about the possibility of another faunus war. Nothing had happened yet, but there was a lot of posturing and the news channels were acting like it was the end of the world. Jaune had been in calls with Winter ever since it started, and he left each more frustrated than the last.

Given that, Emerald hadn't felt confident enough to broach the issue.

"I could ask him," Yang said.

"No, no, no."

"Why not? He's cool. I can ask all casual like."

"Maybe you should let Emerald do it," Ruby said quietly. She always spoke like that, as if she was afraid they might laugh at any suggestion she made. Emerald never did, especially not when Ruby was speaking in her defence.

"Listen to Ruby," she said.

"Sheesh. You're both ganging up against me?" Yang placed her hands on her hips. "My own sister?"

Ruby giggled. "Sorry, Yang. But it's Emerald's dad, so she should ask."

"Alright, alright. I get it." Yang grumbled at being outvoted and got her revenge by poking a finger into Ruby's slice of cake, stealing some and popping it in her mouth. Considering the full cake was huge and only had to be shared between a small group of them, no one cared. There was plenty left for seconds and even thirds. "Mhm. Tastes better when it's stolen."

"Keep telling yourself you're a rebel," Emerald drawled. "We all know you're a daddy's girl."

"Oh, like _you_ have any room to talk."

Emerald flushed before she could really stop herself, and then glared at Yang for having managed it. There wasn't much hope of denying it, either. Ugh. She had no idea when Yang had risen from `annoying worm` to `annoying friend`. She'd just sort of always been there, something she couldn't get rid of because Jaune was friends with her parents and Ruby liked having her sister around. Emerald would never admit to liking having Yang around her, but there was no denying that she usually spent half an hour each night trading messages with Yang and Ruby. Yang was like dandruff, Emerald decided. She grew on you.

Whether you liked it or not.

"So, who are these rich folks that sent you presents?"

Of course, Yang _still_ didn't have any tact.

"It's the Schnee family. Winter was one of Jaune's first students. She… helped me learn to read." Which would be about the only nice thing Emerald would ever say about Winter. "I met her brother and sister at a dinner before the Gym opened."

"The one that Torchwick robbed?" Yang asked. "Tch, that guy is all over the news recently. He's robbing loads of places."

Yes, and at Jaune's behest nowadays. Emerald kept her expression neutral. She didn't really mind them being involved in things like that – and even if she didn't like Torchwick, she could take some pleasure in knowing he was under control. Jaune didn't trust him, though, so neither would she. "Jaune said he could have taken him but didn't want to risk everyone else."

"Why do you call him Jaune?" Ruby asked.

"Hm?"

"You never call him Dad. Or Daddy. We don't call Dad Taiyang."

"I-It's awkward," Emerald deflected, looking away. "Besides, it's different." Ruby always asked the hardest questions.

Yang didn't. "Forget that, I want to know who the boy who sent you that poem is!"

Emerald blinked. "He's called Whitley."

"Is he handsome?"

"I… guess…?" She didn't really have much to compare him to, and it was a while back. He'd been a little younger than her too, around eleven at the time. That'd make him twelve now, roughly Ruby's age. "He wasn't annoying like you."

"Harsh words."

"True words," Ruby giggled.

"But what I want to know is why he's calling you his `Shining Emerald`. Eh, eh." Yang nudged her in the side. "Anything you want to tell us?"

"My name _is_ Emerald."

"Yeah, but he called you his _Shining Emerald._ "

"It's a play on words."

Yang looked annoyed for a second, and then bemused. "Wait, you seriously don't see anything odd about it?"

"Not really. My name is Emerald. My hair is green. He compared me to an emerald." She shrugged. "What do you want me to say?"

"Uh. Maybe that he likes you?"

Again, Emerald shrugged. "I know. He sent me a birthday present."

Yang groaned and slapped a hand to her face. "No, I mean he _likes_ you."

Emerald raised an eyebrow.

"Yang means that he likes-likes you," Ruby explained.

Personally, Emerald didn't think doubling the word up made the meaning any more obvious. They were both speaking in tongues as far as she was concerned. "I liked him, I guess. He wasn't annoying like the other kids there."

"Ugh. You're hopeless." Yang rolled her eyes. "You'll figure it out. He also said you inspired him to be a huntsman. If you're too dense to figure out what that means-"

"I'm not an idiot," Emerald snarked. "It means I inspired him to become a huntsman."

"You're an idiot," Yang deadpanned.

"This is _my_ birthday party. I can still throw you out."

Yang leaned forward. "You and what army?"

"Okay, okay!" Ruby stepped between them, all smiles and hands as she pushed them away. "No fighting. Not outside the ASH Gym." Ruby pushed a paper plate of cake into Emerald's hands, and then another into Yang's. "Cake good, fighting bad."

"Fighting is good too, you know," Yang said.

"No. Bad Yang!"

"Ru-ow!" Yang rubbed her arm where Ruby had pinched her.

"No! Bad!"

Emerald watched with a smirk, silently spooning fresh chocolate cake into her mouth. Cake, presents _and_ a show. They'd already given her some gifts, but it looked like the presents just kept on coming. Emerald grinned and enjoyed the festivities.

/-/

"Ozpin isn't sure what to do about the White Fang," Qrow said, sat on Jaune's left with Taiyang on the other side. The three of them were drinking, though hardly to excess. "He's annoyed, obviously, but Ironwood says it wasn't something he could have predicted."

"I know, he said as much himself." That had been an unpleasant call, especially because Jaune made the mistake of accusing James at first. He should have known better. James was rash at times, but he was a fair man.

He didn't doubt for a second Ghira's death had something to do with Salem. Maybe not something she'd ordered specifically but orchestrated by her lieutenants. Tyrian and Hazel had already sunk their claws into the White Fang to start the attack on Atlas, so it was a given that they were interested in the organisation. If Leonardo Lionheart could turn traitor, so too could a General in Atlas. He'd never heard the name General Hawk before, but since Ironwood had been a General by the time he reached Beacon, the man had obviously come and gone. He might have been a traitor in the original timeline, but it was just before his time.

"I spoke to Oz about Salem being involved," Jaune said, "There's not much we can do to prove it, but it's definitely possible."

"Not like we can make that information public," Taiyang said. "It doesn't help us much. The White Fang are going to blame Atlas and Atlas is busy trying to run damage control. Doesn't look like it's working all that well."

"It's not going _that_ bad," Jaune said. "Atlas and the White Fang hate one another, but that's a given. At least with Hawk stripped of his position and on his way to prison, the other Kingdoms know Atlas is taking this seriously."

"It won't be enough to stop the conflict."

"It never would have been," Jaune said, with a sad shake of his head. Not just because of what happened, but because the White Fang would have simply found another reason to fight.

"Hey now," Taiyang said, "Let's not be cynical. Ozpin is working to try and open communications with them and no one _wants_ to be a terrorist. This might yet blow over."

"Maybe," Qrow said, taking a drink. "We can hope at least."

Jaune faked a smile. "I'll drink to that."

The three clinked their bottles together.

Sometimes it was hard to remember that everyone here still hoped the White Fang would just calm down, talk or be dealt with quickly. They had no idea just how long-lived an organisation it was going to be. Or how problematic of one.

Ozpin was still talking like they could be dealt with, diplomatically or otherwise. Again, it was hardly Ozpin's fault, and no one could say the headmaster was wasting his time, not without coming across as a huge asshole. Ozpin just didn't know what he did.

 _Although, Ozpin does know Salem has her claws in the White Fang, so he should be able to understand that they're not likely to come over to the good side anytime soon. I just hope Blake is okay._

"I hear you're in talks with the SDC on how they can deal with it," Qrow said.

"You hear? And where do you `hear` this highly sensitive information from?"

"Ozpin." Qrow showed no apology for outing his boss. "And Ozpin hears it from Ironwood, I imagine. Or you, if you've told him."

"I might have mentioned it." Wouldn't have done to raise suspicions after all and his work with Winter was mostly innocent in nature. Certainly not illegal. "She mostly calls me for advice or help with planning. We worked in the Specialists together for a while and she _is_ an ex-student."

"Going back to your teacher for advice, that's kinda cute."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Don't you still go back to Ozpin just about all the time?"

Taiyang snorted. "He's got you there."

"Hey, that's work. Saving the world. Not the same thing. Besides, at least I'm not engaged to Ozpin."

"I've no ideas where those rumours keep coming from," Jaune growled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Winter and I sat next to one another at the Schnee dinner, but that's about it. She's seventeen for crying out loud."

"That's legal," Qrow pointed out.

Jaune bounced an ice-cube off his friend's forehead. Qrow tried to catch it in his mouth but it fell, bounced off his cheek and landed on his bottle, cracking the side. "Unlucky," Jaune teased as beer ran down the inside of Qrow's pant leg.

"Luck has nothing to do with it," Qrow grumbled. He raised the bottle and drank the flow until it was empty. "And I'm just saying, man. There was that article in the newspaper saying the two of you were engaged."

"A tabloid newspaper."

"You didn't deny it."

"I shouldn't have to."

" _The Schnee family_ didn't deny it."

"Same reasoning. Winter looks to me as a teacher and a trusted friend, nothing more. Besides, all our calls recently are about the White Fang and what to do. Menagerie has closed off its borders and expelled all diplomats. It's not war by any means, but it's the tensest peace I've ever seen."

"Do you think it will be?" Taiyang asked. "Another faunus war, I mean."

Jaune grimaced. "I hope not."

Because if it was, it would be something _he'd_ started. Gods, it was hard to see what benefits he'd really brought to the past at this rate. No, that wasn't entirely true. Emerald was happier, as were Qrow, Tai, Yang and Ruby with Summer still alive. Not to mention Winter was better off along with Weiss. He'd done a lot of good.

It was just that Salem and her lot had managed to do a lot of bad, too.

 _Guess it was arrogant to think changing the past would be as easy as fixing a few mistakes. Salem wants the world thrown into chaos so no one can stop her collecting the Relics. A second faunus war would certainly accomplish that._

"A faunus war?" Summer griped, returning. She had her hands on her hips. "I go to the bathroom for _five minutes_ and I come back to find you've started talking about this?" She rapped the top of her husband's head with a rolled-up magazine. "Bad Tai! Bad!"

"Ow! Why me?"

"Because you're the responsible one, or you're supposed to be. I can't hit Jaune because that would be rude, and it's not like anyone _expects_ anything from Qrow."

"That's the Branwen promise," Qrow said sarcastically.

Summer huffed and sat down next to Tai, glowering but not protesting as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She shot each of them a quick glare. "It's Emerald's birthday party, not another meeting with Ozpin. Keep the heavy talk away from the children."

"Come on, Sum. They're not listening."

"They're teenagers now," she said. "They're not idiots. I thought we agreed to keep them out of this."

"We did, we did."

"Well, talking about it around them isn't going to help. Teenagers are curious. _We_ certainly were."

Taiyang sighed. "When you're right, you're right. We're sorry." He looked to Jaune and Qrow, making it clear they were to agree or face consequences. Summer-shaped consequences.

"Sorry," Qrow said.

"My bad," Jaune agreed.

Summer knew they were just agreeing to keep out of trouble with her and she huffed. It was surprising how scary she could be at times, a true team leader. "Fine. This is nice, though. Yang needs more friends like Emerald, mature friends."

"Female friends," Taiyang said with a nod.

"Tai, you can't forbid boys from talking to her."

"Can and will."

"She's growing up."

"And out," Taiyang agreed. "I've prepped my gauntlets."

"You big lummox," Summer giggled. "Qrow, tell him."

"Tell him what? I've already sharpened my scythe."

Summer groaned. "Ugh, you're both insufferable. Look, not every boy Yang talks to is a boyfriend in waiting. You're not going to do this with Emerald are you?" she asked, looking to Jaune.

"Eh, probably not." It wasn't like he could imagine Emerald opening up to a boy in the first place, and as long as it was someone trustworthy, he didn't mind. Of course, if Mercury came along, all bets were off.

Along with the bastard's legs.

"Oh God…" Summer held a hand to her face, and Jaune realised he'd let the little bit of murderous intent show on his face. "You're all hopeless. What is it with men and being so protective? Yang's a big girl or soon will be. She needs to be able to make her own choices in life. Emerald, too."

Jaune doubted she meant it, but she'd hit a little close to home with that and he cringed. His daughter asking about Beacon was still something he hadn't really dealt with, and he didn't know how to even start.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Emerald at Beacon, or that he thought Ozpin would try to use her. It was possible, sure, but Emerald was just too loyal. She wouldn't turn on him like that. Ozpin could try, but Emerald would come straight to him the moment he did.

The real problem was Emerald dying.

Because, at the end of the day, even if he fully intended to _stop_ Cinder and Salem from attacking Beacon and bringing it down, that didn't mean they wouldn't try. He could set up his agents, put Roman in a position of power to say _no_ to Cinder when she arrived, maybe even to force her out of Vale, but that wouldn't stop Salem enacting her plan. She'd find another way. Maybe through the White Fang, maybe with Tyrian, Watts or even Hazel.

One way or another, Beacon _was_ going to be attacked, and he didn't want Emerald to be caught in the middle of that.

The problem was, he couldn't explain that to her.

Emerald knew a lot, about Salem, Cinder and even the Maidens and Ozpin, but she didn't know about him. She didn't know he was a time traveller. As such, he couldn't tell her what _would_ happen to Beacon. If he did, she'd feel tempted to tell Yang, or to try and fix it herself. Worse, she'd ask how he knew.

He couldn't tell her he was a time traveller. Even assuming she believed him – which might be possible – she'd ask _why_ he'd come back and what _she_ was like in the future. Knowing she was an enemy would destroy her, and any trust between them. She'd instantly ask whether he'd only taken her in because of the threat she represented… and the answer would be yes. Even if he lied, even if he said he'd come to love her as a daughter, it wouldn't _change_ the fact that the original reason he'd cared about her in the first place was to stop who she would be in the future. No matter what had come from it, he'd only adopted Emerald _because_ she was his enemy.

Telling her the truth wasn't an option.

But then, what else was there? He knew he ought to give her a reason why he wouldn't let her attend Beacon. Just saying no was neither mature nor conductive to her understanding. He couldn't say it was because he was worried about her or she'd think he didn't trust her. It would be the argument before her match with Pyrrha all over again, and much like with Pyrrha, Emerald would probably run off to Beacon just to prove she _could_ be relied on.

Tell her he had some _other_ plan for her? She might accept that, might even follow it, but then it would be back to square one on convincing her she wasn't a tool. He couldn't say she was his daughter and free to choose her own life one second, and that he had long-term plans and a role for her in the next. He'd only just gotten her to open up and make friends. Closing her off now wouldn't help.

Sadly, there just didn't seem to be any good options. Let her go and she'd run the risk of being killed, either in a targeted attack – since Tyrian and Hazel knew who she was – or as collateral damage. When Adam hit Beacon, a whole lot of students died to bombs, Grimm or terrorists. Emerald could easily become one of those caught by surprise and killed.

"Jaune?" Summer asked, noticing his silence.

"Nothing. Just… thinking on parenting stuff. You know, the future."

She nodded. "Anything we can help with?"

"No. It's fine. Something I need to figure out on my own for a change."

As he watched Emerald show Yang and Ruby the gifts she'd received from everyone, the Schnee family included, Jaune sighed. He'd have to figure it out soon, and more than just how to handle Emerald, how to save everyone and the world. Because time was passing, and at an alarming rate. The foundations were there, Junior and Roman slowly taking over the criminal underworld with his funding and control. Ironwood on the way to becoming General once more.

He just hoped it was coming together fast enough.

/-/

Adam caught Blake by the arm and dragged her into a room. The White Fang operatives she was with stiffened and made to intervene, but once Blake realised it was him, she waved them off. "It's just Adam, I'll be fine."

"With him?" one of them asked. "Fucking human sympathiser."

Adam's hand fell to his waist.

Blake caught it before it could draw anything. She also glared at the masked man who had dared speak. "Watch your tone, Thatcher. Adam has been here longer than you and accomplished a whole lot more. His team is one of the most successful, _and_ he trained me."

"Most successful at being cowards," Thatcher sneered. He did walk away, however, taking the rest of the team with him.

"I don't like them," Adam said.

"I know." Blake rubbed Adam's hand and was rewarded by his shoulders relaxing. "I'll have words with him, Adam. I promise. And I know you're not like what he said. You just have a different way of doing things."

"You mean that I spare my enemies."

"That's what I said."

Adam's eyes hardened. "And you no longer do."

Blake felt the weight of another argument coming on and let out a long sigh. They'd been through this dance so many times now. "Adam, if they try their hardest to kill me, I'm not going to go easy on them. Would you forgive me if I did and got myself killed?"

"No, but I'm not convinced you're putting much effort into limiting damage either."

"Sienna approves of my methods."

"Sienna is a part of the problem!" Adam hissed.

"I don't see why! You're the one who told me nothing would change without action, that peaceful discussion wouldn't fix anything wrong with the world. Why are you shouting at me now?"

"Because _action_ does not constitute _murder."_

Blake's patience snapped. "It did for my father!"

"Blake…"

"No, don't `Blake` me, Adam," she said, pulling out of his hold. She pushed him back, snarling through her watery eyes. "They killed my father. He tried his hardest to prove that things could change peacefully, and he died for it. The laws don't work. They don't protect people."

"What Sienna does is little different! What you-"

"And me?" she whispered. "Am I no different?"

Adam's face fell. "No, Blake, you are. You… You only kill people who fight back, or order them killed, but…"

"But what? This is a war, Adam. I-I know you do things different and I don't get on your case when you take extra risks to try and capture people alive, but you're always attacking my methods. Am I that much of a monster to you?" Blake tried to push him away when he walked forward, arms extended. "No, stop it. I'm just a killer. If you don't like what I do, you shouldn't-" She broke off in a sob as Adam's arms enfolded around her.

He pulled her head down onto his chest as she cried. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way."

"I-I'm not killing unarmed people," Blake sobbed. "Not like they did my dad!"

"I know. I know. I'm sorry. It's just… I don't like it. Ghira wouldn't want you to become like this, taking lives so easily."

"Daddy wouldn't have wanted a lot of things, but Atlas never gave him a choice."

"No," Adam agreed, "They didn't."

"You don't want me to be like this, either," Blake accused.

"I don't."

"Will you hate me now that I am? I don't think I can change it. I don't _want_ to change it. I felt no pity for the people I killed today. They tried to shoot me, so I shot them. I told Thatcher to deal with those who surrendered. He killed them all."

Adam's eyes clenched shut. His words were strangled. "Blake…"

"It's how we do things, Adam. It's how we get results." She looked up from his chest into his eyes. "Do you hate me for it?"

"No."

"But you have what I've become?"

Adam's silence was telling.

"It's not forever," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck. Adam was safe, familiar. He'd been with her forever now. No matter what he said or did, she still got angry whenever people talked bad about him. "I don't want to be like this all the time. I'm not going to become a bloodthirsty monster. I just… It's a war and I'm not going to let people who try to kill me go free."

"It's not officially a war…"

She laughed. "It's close enough. You know that. But once it's over, once the faunus are safe and dad is avenged, I'll stop. I promise. So…" Blake pushed herself up on tiptoes. Her lips ghosted against his. "Can you put up with me until then? Can you trust me until then?"

Adam kissed her back. Soft at first, and then with an increasing need that spoke of his passion. She melted into it, forgetting the troubles of the day. They were young, maybe, some of the others certainly thought so, but being in the White Fang, you had to grow up fast. Both led their own teams now, of which some of the members were older than both of them.

"I said I'd stay with you and I will," he said, parting. "I just… I want to protect you from this, from losing yourself."

Blake laughed and pressed her forehead against his neck. "Isn't that the promise I made to you?"

"It goes both ways."

Blake let the silence between them grow. It was comfortable, but she could still feel his tension, the sense that something wasn't quite right beneath her fingertips. Blake sighed. If Sienna found out, Adam would be in for a world of trouble. He was valuable to the White Fang as one of its strongest members, but Sienna already looked unfavourably on him for his tendency to pull relatively bloodless missions, and to impose the same mentality on his team.

Some whispered that his heart wasn't in it, that he wasn't giving it his all or didn't want to help the White Fang as much as he said he did. Blake silenced those rumours wherever she could. She knew his heart was in it, because his heart was hers, as hers was his. To her guilt, she also knew he would stay as long as she did and put up with whatever she did. No matter how much it hurt him.

Sienna would never find out from her, and if Thatcher tried anything, he'd find out just how replaceable he was.

"I'll try to make things better," she whispered.

The last tension fled him. "You will?"

"I'll try. I… I can't say I'll be perfect, but we'll try to keep a few more prisoners. The non-combatants for sure."

"And what about the Atlas or SDC soldiers?"

Blake huffed.

"What about them?"

/-/

 _Things are becoming worse. The White Fang have become even more aggressive. Just yesterday, one of our Senior Directors was kidnapped and executed. There wasn't even a chance to ransom him, let alone stage a rescue. The SDC has put their weight behind Ironwood, who will be sworn in as General within the week, but it feels as though it is too little too late. The damage has been done._

 _I'm doing what I can to protect assets on our end, limit casualties, but the White Fang are striking at far too many targets. We're not sure if they're seeking to collect the dust they steal for themselves or create a global supply crisis to destabilise the other Kingdoms. Either way, I can't be everywhere and with Menagerie cutting off all discussion, the White Fang's ranks may yet swell._

 _I know we spoke of it before and you were reluctant, but we could really use you over here, Jaune. If not in a combat role, then to help plan. The SDC needs you. Atlas needs you. I need you. Please._

 _I've convinced father to arrange a diplomatic mission to Menagerie under the authority of the SDC. If it's not Atlas, we hope they'll be prepared to listen. Even if we can't calm them down towards Atlas, we might be able to stop the attacks on the SDC. I've promised to go in person. I… know you will not like hearing that. No more than father does. It's dangerous, I realise, but there's no one else we can think to send. I'm separate from the Atlas military._

 _It is my formal request, both as your student, your colleague and, I hope, as your friend, that you come with me. I would feel more confident with you at my side._

 _If you choose not to, I will understand. I will still go, but I will understand._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Winter Willow Schnee_

 _Director of Security_

 _Schnee Dust Corporation_

-SDC Missive Ends-

Jaune cursed as he read the message. He wanted to call her back immediately and tell her she couldn't go, but who else would they send? No one. Winter would ignore him and go anyway, stubborn as she was. Worse, he had _no_ idea how this would go since it was an event that just hadn't happened in his time. She might well die.

"Bad news, I take it," Junior said.

"The worst. I may have to take a trip to Menagerie."

"At this time? That's a recipe for disaster, friend. The faunus over there aren't looking all that friendly right now. Not to people like us."

"That's the issue." Jaune ran a hand down his face. He had to go, though. Leaving Winter to this would put her fate in his hands, and since this was something he'd caused, he ought to be involved in trying to fix it. "Bigger issue is Emerald. I don't want to take her there."

"Obviously. You'd be a shit father if you did." Junior leaned back. He'd grown a little more into himself through their partnership. A little more confident, a little more willing to talk back. Relaxed. He'd also grown into a more expensive suit, now that the Red Axe Gang, along with their allies in the Union 46, had expanded to own even more territory. "I can't imagine the little munchkin is going to be pleased at being left behind, though. Not with her past."

Jaune groaned. "I know."

"You want my advice?"

"Sure."

"Explain it to her. In full. Make sure she understands your reasons, even if she doesn't like them. Make sure she knows for certain that this isn't you abandoning her."

"She still won't like it."

"Course not," Junior said with a shrug, "But it's not about her liking it. It's about her being safe. She'll `like it` when you come back safe and sound. There's nothing you can do in the meantime other than make sure she's safe."

"I know. I have some friends I can talk to." Summer would put Emerald up, he was sure. But Junior was right, he definitely had to have a long talk with Emerald and make her realise just why it had to be this way. "If I go, I'll be gone for a week at most, maybe two if things go badly. How will our ventures stand with that kind of absence?"

"If you're asking whether the Gang needs you, I'd say no. Roman's proving himself as useful as you said. He's keeping some of the bigger families busy chasing him, and they still think he's just an uppity thief being a narcissist."

"Which he is," Jaune pointed out.

"Heh. You know him well. That little sidekick of his, though. She's dangerous."

"Neo? You don't know the half of it. Keep an eye on them, Junior. Roman will stay loyal as long as he thinks he has to. If it benefits him, he might stay loyal a little longer. Keep him happy if you can. In fact, give him a bonus from me. Say, half a million?"

Junior whistled. "That'll put a smile on his face."

"Good. In fact, make it three-hundred thousand for him and two for Neo. It'll still go to him, but she'll appreciate the gesture. Maybe." It was impossible to read Neo, even with his future knowledge. The only things he knew was that she was dangerous, tricky, and that, in her strange way, she genuinely _had_ loved Roman.

He wasn't sure if that was as a father-figure, lover or even just something that amused her, but she'd loved him dearly. Best not to take any chances or get Roman hurt.

"Keep things quiet here while I'm gone but get in touch with Sebastian and the Union. Things… Things need to go a little faster."

"Faster than they already are? In a little under two years, we've taken almost ten per cent of Vale's underworld. In another two years, we might be able to count ourselves among the major criminal families."

A year before Beacon started. It was fast, but not fast enough. Cinder would have alternatives she could go to, when he needed her to come to _him_.

"Not fast enough."

Junior leaned back.

"When I get back, we're going to push. And if needs be, we're going to push the major families ourselves. I don't want us to be among their rank in two years, Junior. I want us to _be_ the criminal family in two years."

"Y-You want to destroy them all?"

"Destroy, subsume. Whatever we need to. I'd rather have Union on board than not, but we're not aiming to be at the top. We're aiming to be the whole lot."

"That's going to cause waves, Jaune. Tidal waves."

Not as much as Cinder would in three years' time. "If that's what we need to wash them away, that's what we'll do. Just prepare the gang, Junior. Things are going to change when I get back. Until then, let the city had a break. It'll need the rest."

"Right…" Junior ran a hand over his face. "Gods, I can't believe I'm about to be involved in this, but you've not led us wrong so far. I'll get it done." He poked a finger towards Jaune's chest. "Just you make sure the White Fang don't start another fucking war, alright? That's bad for business. Everyone's business."

"I'll do my best." Jaune hesitated. "Any news…?"

"No. I've had everyone keep eyes and ears open, but no woman by the name of Cinder Fall or anyone matching the description you gave us has made contact with any criminal families. Not that I can find out anyway. If I knew _why_ you were looking for her, I might be able to find more."

"You won't. Just keep your eyes and ears open, and remember-"

"Whatever she wants, she gets," Junior parroted. "Keep her happy, co-operate and get in contact with you. I've got it, man. I got it. Leave me to my job and go do yours. And sort out that munchkin of yours while you're at it. Before she wraps you so hard around her finger, you can't get out the city without her."

Jaune laughed and left the office. He would need to talk to Emerald, but not yet. There was still someone else who had to know he would be leaving the city again.

/-/

"So soon?" Ozpin tapped his fingers on the desk. His eyes were shut, his brows drawn down. "I can certainly see the angle they're going for. That the SDC is prepared to open communications with Menagerie is a wonderful thing. If it goes well."

"If," Jaune agreed. "That's why Winter wants me along."

"Insurance. Yes, I can see the reasoning. If the heiress of the SDC were to die here, any hope of peace would be lost forever. In fact, Salem might well want to push toward that conclusion."

"That's my main worry," Jaune said, sat on the other side of Ozpin's desk, nursing a warm cup of coffee Glynda had provided. She was stood nearby, listening with Jaune's permission. He knew she'd have been informed by Ozpin anyway, so it made sense to have any advice she might be able to offer. "We already know Tyrian and Hazel are with the White Fang. I don't know if they'd be in Menagerie, but it's possible. We also know they want me for whatever reason."

"Two birds with one stone. Capture you and kill the heiress of the SDC, framing it on the White Fang in both cases. It would all but assure a war."

"Surely it's too dangerous to let them go," Glynda said. She shot Jaune an apologetic look. "I'm not saying to forbid you, but you could speak to Winter Schnee and convince her to change her mind."

Ozpin answered before he could. "If he does, Menagerie will see it as an insult."

"And if we don't at least try, they'll just side with the White Fang anyway," Jaune added. "I'm aware of the danger, but Winter's plan isn't a bad one. It's this or we just go straight into a war, and no one wants that. No one but Salem."

Ozpin drew his hands together. He thought for a moment, shaking his head once he was done. "This diplomatic mission has to go ahead. No doubt that's why James hasn't tried to put a stop to it. I think you're right to want to accompany her, Jaune, even if that puts you both in danger. I'm also grateful that you brought this to my attention."

"It would have been stupid not to."

"Quite." Ozpin smiled briefly. "We are allies in this and it does us no good to keep secrets. Would you be averse to taking someone with you, however?"

Surprised, Jaune blinked. "No. Not at all. Did you have someone in mind?"

"I was thinking to ask Qrow. It will be his decision of course, but he's unaffiliated with Atlas, which makes him a neutral party, and he can offer support both in terms of combat ability and recon. If the worst happens and you are captured, he can affect a rescue or get in contact with myself. Would you be okay with his inclusion?"

"Honestly, I'd be thrilled," Jaune said honestly. "All the help I can get right now."

"Good." Ozpin smiled again. "I wish I could go myself, but a new term is beginning soon. We even have some of your students joining us this year. One hundred per cent of applicants from the ASH Gym made it through the entrance exams."

"We shall yet see if they make it through initiation," Glynda said.

"I'm quietly confident," Ozpin admitted. "But don't tell anyone. A headmaster should not have favourites. Either way, while I can't go, Qrow has time off from Signal before the next year begins and the two of you seemed to have buried the hatchet as it were. If I tell him what's at stake, I'm sure he would agree."

"Thank you."

"Does your daughter know?"

"Not yet." Jaune winced. "I can't take her with me on this. I was going to ask Summer to look after her tomorrow, but I'll need to explain it all to Em tonight. I don't think she'll be pleased."

"I don't doubt it. If you wish, we could prepare a room for her in Beacon. There are hundreds of empty rooms right now since we're between years. She could eat in the cafeteria or the staffroom, whichever she prefers."

"I appreciate the offer, but if Summer is free, I think Emerald would be better off there. She's not very sociable, but Ruby and Yang have managed to get her to open up."

Ozpin nodded, not offended. "Of course. The offer is open if you need it, however." He stood, as did Jaune. "And thank you again for bringing this to my attention. There's little telling what part the White Fang plays in Salem's plans, but I've a personal interest in working against it."

"Same for me," Jaune said, shaking Ozpin's hand. "I'll see you tomorrow if Emerald doesn't murder me first." He grinned, and both Ozpin and Glynda chuckled.

He was only partly joking.

/-/

Emerald stared at Jaune, her mouth open. The words he'd spoken hung in the air, but also struck her in the gut, driving the air from her.

"W-What?"

* * *

 **Oh noes, Em.**

 **So, I'm sure some are wondering why the timeskip now. For the most part it's because even if something big happened last chapter with the White Fang and Atlas, it's not something that was going to have an immediate payoff. There would be a lot of posturing and fallout moments, lots of discussions, planning, panicking – that sort of thing. Jaune explained as much this chapter.**

 **I wanted to skip that and move into the action a little more freely, so skipping a few months worked in my favour this time.**

 **For those keeping track, the main cast are around 14 now, with Ruby being 12.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 1st December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	36. Chapter 36

**Hey all.**

 **To let you all know, there will be a week at Christmas with no updates from me. This will start on Friday the 21st and continue until Friday the 28th, which essentially means that Relic will not update on the 22nd December but will continue as normal on the 29th instead.**

 **I'll be noting this on each fic so that people know – but you can always rely on the dates at the bottom, which will be accurate.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 36**

* * *

"W-What?"

"I have to go to Menagerie," Jaune explained, his tone the same as it had been before, calm, measured. "The situation with Atlas has gotten worse and Winter has to go on her own. Without me, there's a chance she'll be killed. I have to go keep an eye on her."

Her head spun. She nodded along, getting that part. It was the bit after that had left her so confused, so lost, so hurt.

"I can't take you with me, Emerald."

Yeah. That.

"Why?" she demanded. "Why not?"

"Because it's dangerous."

"I can look after myself!"

"Too dangerous for you to do that. It's going to be too dangerous for even me and Winter to look after ourselves. That's why we're going as a group, and Qrow is going to come with us. This isn't something you can fight off, Emerald." He reached for her.

She stepped back.

"Why not?"

"Because it's the White Fang. I know you can fight above your age, but this isn't going to be a fair fight – or a fight at all. If they want us dead, they'll bomb the hotel we'll be staying at. They'll send an army, or just shoot us down from a distance." Jaune hesitated. "I can't look after you and Winter at the same time. It's too dangerous."

He tried to touch her shoulder again, but Emerald was too fast. She dodged back, out of reach, eyes angry and redder than she wanted them to be. She wasn't crying. She was just glaring so hard they hurt. Honest.

"Emerald, don't get the wrong idea. I'm not abandoning you or leaving you behind forever. You're going to stay with Yang and Ruby. It'll only be for a week or two. I'm going to come back and I'm not leaving you here because you're a burden." He brought a hand up to his chest. "I'm worried about you. For you. The thought of something bad happening to you there, it's too much. I can't put you in that kind of danger."

"Then why are _you_ going?"

"Because if I don't, Winter will be in danger."

"Then she's more important than I am," Emerald said. "Fine. Go."

"That's not true. It's not me picking sides, not when the stakes are so different. If I pick you, there's a chance she dies – and that a _war_ happens. If I pick her, the worst that happens to you is that you stay with Summer for two weeks. It's not the same. And I know you don't want that," he said, trying to catch her eye, "But taking you with me is impossible. It's not an option."

Intellectually, Emerald knew he wasn't saying Winter was more important than her. It wasn't the same, she knew that, but that didn't do anything for how rapidly her heart was beating, how desperately her lungs sought air.

"You won't come back!"

"Of course I will. You know how tough I am. Winter's no slouch either, and we'll have Qrow with us."

"No." She shook her head. "You won't come back for me."

Jaune paused. "Emerald, you're my daughter."

"No, I'm not! I'm not!" Her hands clenched into fists and she shouted at the top of her lungs, "I'm just some girl you picked up off the street!"

"Em-"

"I'm no one! I'm nothing! I'm just a stupid orphan. A-And now you're not interested anymore. Now you're going away and you're not c-coming back and… and…" A sob escaped her. She felt so angry at herself for showing weakness that she tried to growl, but it cracked and broke, another sob coming forth. Her frame shook as she hiccupped. "Y-You can't go. You can't."

"Emerald… I have to."

A feeling of intense cold washed over her. She stood there, hands at her side, face turned down, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"It's not that I want to, please believe me," he continued. "It's the White Fang, they're pushing for more violence, and they've dragged Menagerie into it. You remember what I told you about Menagerie, right? How it's where a lot of the faunus were forced to go? Well, the White Fang are trying to get them on board, and if they do, it's going to be a war. A big war. The kind of thing that might reach Vale."

"Winter is going to try and stop that happening, but if she dies, the war begins. But if she doesn't go, the war will probably start anyway. She has to try, and since I'm her teacher and friend, I have to go with her. I'm not leaving you behind because I don't love you, Emerald. I'm leaving you here because I _do_ love you. Because the thought of you being hurt in Menagerie is too painful to bear." He paused. "And you may be a girl I picked up off the street, but you're _my_ girl. My daughter. You're Emerald Ashari now, and that's all that matters. All that'll ever matter."

Jaune knelt in front of her and tried to catch ger gaze. Emerald fought not to let him.

"I'm trying to help you understand, Emerald," he whispered. "I don't want this to be me telling you what to do. I want you to understand _why_ I'm doing this."

"Why does it have to be _you_?" she asked. Her voice had cracked from the crying. It was hoarse and wheezy, barely more than a whisper.

"Atlas can't send anyone because Menagerie hates Atlas for what happened to Ghira Belladonna. It's his wife I'll be meeting, his widow. It has to be someone neutral. Winter is neutral. I'm neutral."

"So is everyone else not from Atlas…"

"True," he accepted, "But not everyone else is strong enough to survive this. You know I'm tougher than that. You know what I can do. I've told you why this has to work or, if it fails, why Winter has to survive the attempt. The other Kingdoms… they're trying to stay out of it so to not invite attacks on them, or to be dragged in if this does become a war. Ozpin can send Qrow, because Qrow is unaffiliated like me, but if he goes, or if someone from Mistral does, it makes it clear to the White Fang that they are enemies."

"T-There's more. There's always more…"

Jaune's hesitation made it clear there was. Eventually, he nodded. "There is, yes. I… I know Kali. I've… I've not met her before, but I know someone from her family, and I know about her. If anyone might have a chance to fix this, it'll be me. And there's someone who might be there – a good friend of mine who I think will be hurting after what happened to Ghira. I want to find and make sure she's okay as well."

There it was. He wanted to help someone else but didn't care about her. And Emerald didn't _care_ if it was selfish to say she mattered more, she did matter, at least to her. She didn't _care_ about these people she didn't know, that she'd never met.

Yes, she might be upset if Winter died, but not enough to lose him, too!

Reasoning with him wasn't working. Emerald bit her lip and stumbled forward. He appeared surprised for a moment but caught her quickly. She pressed her face to his chest and gripped the lapels of his Atlesian coat.

"Don't go," she begged, pushing her wet eyes into his shirt. "Please. Don't leave me."

T-There. She'd begged. She'd asked.

He couldn't go now.

He just couldn't.

"Emerald… I have to."

Nausea swelled up. Not even this? But she'd begged him not to. Why wasn't it enough? Anger swelled up inside of her, and before she could even think to stop it, she'd pushed herself off him, out of his hands and slapped her hand up into his face. It wasn't a good hit. Vernal would laugh at her for it and it was fuelled more from anger and pain than intent, but it still made a meaty _smack_ as it hit him.

"No!"

"Em-"

"NO!" she repeated, hitting him again. Another pathetic hit off his chest. Aura stopped both attacks. "You can't. I won't let you!"

His voice remained patient, understanding. "Emerald, please…"

"I'll tell," she said, desperately latching onto the idea.

Jaune paused.

"I-I'll tell," she repeated, eyes meeting his. Hers were desperate, wide, tear-stained. His were soft, deep. "I'll tell Ozpin everything you've said. Everything we've done. I-I'll tell him about the ruins. And Tyrian. A-And I'll tell S-Summer as well, a-and I'll… I'll…"

Betray him.

Betray him completely. She'd turn on him, take all the trust he'd given her, _everything he'd given her,_ and spit on it. Throw it back in his face and hurt him. He might be imprisoned. She'd still have him, but he wouldn't be free, and he wouldn't be able to do anything. For working with Torchwick and Junior alone, he'd face prison. The realisation forced her to take a step back, fearful that he might stop her.

He didn't, of course. He remained there, on one knee, watching her, face unreadable. No anger, no fear – but she thought she caught a glimpse of disappointment before it was hidden behind a mask of calm.

It was a knife to her heart.

"I hate you!"

"Emerald…"

"I hate you," she ranted, lashing out at him again. "I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU!"

Something snapped. She collapsed to her knees and wailed. There was no sense to it, no reason, she just cried, sobbed, screamed and let it out. All the insecurity, rage and impotent fury that had built up over the last six or so years. Anger at herself, anger at Jaune, anger at the White Fang, Winter, at Atlas, Vale and the world in general.

She wasn't sure when Jaune had in his arms, only that her pathetic cries had trailed off and she was exhausted, literally spent of all energy, sat in his lap, the side of her face nestled under his chin, against his heart. He had one hand on her back and another gently running through her hair.

"I-I won't," she whispered hoarsely. "I won't tell anyone…"

He didn't stop rocking her back and forth. "I know. I never thought you would."

There was no lie she could sense in his words, not that she'd have known how to. He was better than her in every way. She… She was just a kid, despite how she'd tried to be more. How she'd tried to be of use to him.

"There's…" Jaune trailed off, sighed, and then forced himself to continue, "There's something coming, Emerald. Something big. World ending. I've been trying my hardest to stop it, to stop Salem from enacting her plan and killing a lot of people. It's what I've dedicated my life to. This isn't something I expected, but it's happened because of me trying to stop her plans, and I'm worried that if I don't try here as well, she'll win. The White Fang is good for her. She wants it."

Emerald tried to look up at him, but her heart wasn't in it. It ached too much. She snuggled into his chest instead, hiding her face in his coat. If Yang saw her, she'd laugh.

Fuck Yang.

"Salem is going to kill people?"

"Yes."

"Am… Am I among them?"

"You are… in the end. Not just you. Ruby, Yang, me, Winter, Weiss, even Whitley. Hundreds of thousands of people."

"Oh…"

She'd known Jaune was being hunted, chased, and that the one doing it was evil. Wouldn't have mattered if she wasn't, but she controlled the Grimm, so she was bad. Even so, she'd not thought it was this bad.

"That's why I need to do this, Emerald. It's not just for me or Winter. But for you, Ruby and Yang, even Summer, Tai and Qrow. I'm doing it to protect you all. I'm doing it because I don't want to see you be killed." He paused. "The ASH Gym is a part of my efforts. It's necessary, as is taking over the criminal underground, so you can be sure I'm coming back. I wouldn't put all this effort into it only to leave and never return."

She felt something brush against her forehead. Possibly his lips.

"I'll come back for you, Emerald. I promise."

"I didn't mean it," she whispered. Her eyes felt heavy. "I don't hate you…"

He hugged her a little tighter.

"I know."

/-/

Summer fussed over Emerald, saying something to her with one hand on her head and a smile on her face. Yang and Ruby were nearby, offering their own support while Taiyang stood watching. Emerald didn't look pleased, but she hid her emotions well and kept a strong face.

"Guessing she understood in the end?" Qrow asked.

Jaune watched his daughter and let out a long sigh. "In a manner of speaking." He'd had to carry her to bed, and then she'd been reluctant to let go of him. He'd been forced to sleep with her in his full outfit, Emerald hugged against him.

It was the touchiest she'd ever been – and at fourteen years old it was a little out of his depth. Still, it was the first time she'd ever really had someone like him to rely on, and now he was leaving. Even if only for a while.

"Fair warning," Qrow said, "If anything happens out there, I'm taking the bullet meant for you. No way in hell I'm coming back alive to deliver the bad news."

"Qrow!" Ozpin rebuked.

"It's fine," Jaune said. "He's only joking."

The headmaster shook his head. "Even so, some things should never be joked about. Come back safe, the both of you. More than Emerald would grieve your passing."

Jaune nodded.

"I wish there was more I could offer you," Ozpin said, "But I fear that would run counter to the purpose of this expedition. If the goal is to appear neutral, my aid would do more harm than good. Instead, I'll bid you watch over one another, and the young Miss Schnee. Work together as a team."

"We know how it works, Oz." Qrow rolled his eyes. "We'll be fine."

"I hope so. You'll be flying to Atlas first to meet with the SDC, and from there going by boat to Menagerie. That will also be your only way out of Menagerie, so try not to cause problems. If problems find you, do what you must."

Qrow rolled his eyes again and looked to Jaune, as if to commiserate over people who wouldn't take `it's fine` as it was and felt the need to give instructions anyway.

Jaune grinned back.

"I'll keep an eye on Qrow, Ozpin. I'll make sure he doesn't get up to any trouble."

"Hey, man. What happens in Menagerie stays in Menagerie."

 _Honestly, I hope it does._ He had to find Blake and Kali and figure out what was going on there. This was still before the time Blake would have left the White Fang, but she was probably having second thoughts around now. He wasn't sure if he should push for her to leave sooner or not, but he would if he thought she was in danger.

The Bullhead's doors opened, and the pilot stepped out, signalling that they were ready. It was time to go. Summer brought her family forward, smiling awkwardly.

"I wish I could go with you both," she said.

"And leave your boytoy with three kids to look after?" Qrow returned. I think not. He stepped forward and gave Summer a quick hug, then Taiyang a manly wrist-to-wrist shake. He knelt in front of his nieces. "Give your uncle a-"

Ruby and Yang slammed into him.

"Heh." Qrow's grin was just a little too pleased. "Look after yourselves, girls. Make sure to give your old man hell."

"Bring us something back," Yang said.

"Oi. We're not off shopping, you know."

"Be safe, Uncle Qrow," Ruby whispered.

"Will do, squirt. Will do."

Jaune took the cue for what it was and moved over toward Emerald. Summer saw him coming and stepped aside, offering them some small amount of privacy. Not much with everyone nearby, but close enough.

Emerald averted her eyes as he came close.

"We won't be gone that long. The journey is only a day each way and if things go well, we might be out after a few days. If things go poorly, we'll be out even sooner." He smiled at his own joke, hoping she'd laugh along.

She didn't. She shrugged one small shoulder and refused to meet his eyes.

He hummed awkwardly. What was he to do? Hug her, leave, tell her it would all be okay? There was nothing he could say that he hadn't last night, and Emerald clearly wasn't ready to hear it all again.

"Well…" He trailed off. "I guess it's time."

Emerald shrugged again. "Yeah…"

"I'll come back. I promise."

"Okay…"

Heaven save him from a teenager. With a sigh, Jaune moved forward to wrap his arms around her. He pulled her in close against him, ignoring the fact that she didn't try to return the hug in any way. "Wait for me, Emerald. I won't be long."

"I'll look after her," Summer said, stepping forward to place a hand on Emerald's shoulder. She offered him a sympathetic smile, one that said she knew he'd hoped for more. "You focus on looking after yourself." Her hand squeezed Emerald's shoulder. "Say goodbye to your father, Emerald."

"Bye," Emerald grumbled.

Summer offered him a weak smile.

Jaune nodded back. She wasn't going to be happy like this, but there was nothing he could to do _make_ her happy. Better just to go and come back, at which point things could go back to normal. With one last rub atop her head, he turned away. "Back soon, Em."

Qrow, Ozpin and the pilot were waiting for him.

"It'll be six hours to Atlas," the pilot said. "Weather looks clear, so should be smooth. It's a safe route, or safe as can be. Two hours from the border of Atlas to the SDC Mansion."

"Eight hours. Guess I can catch up on missed sleep."

"Summer will talk with her," Qrow said. "She'll make sure your girl knows what's going on."

"I know."

"And Yang and Ruby will look after her."

He knew they would, which was why he was so sure this was the right idea. Emerald coming with them would just put too much danger on her. This was for the best. It was just a shame he hadn't been able to fully convince her of that.

With a shake of his head, Jaune made his way to the ramp, letting Qrow up first and nodding to Ozpin as he wished them well.

His foot hadn't touched the metal when he heard Summer cry out. The sound was followed by quick footsteps.

He'd half turned when something crashed into him.

"I'm sorry!" Emerald gasped. "Come back. Please. I'll wait. I'll keep waiting!"

Jaune dropped his bag, knelt and wrapped his arms around her again. This time, hers worked their way around his neck, holding him tightly. A smile spread over his face as he rocked her back and forth.

"I will, Em. Love you."

"I… I love you, too," she whispered. "D-" She pressed her face into his neck. "Dad…"

/-/

Emerald watched the Bullhead leave with damp eyes. A part of her wanted to chase it, though short of growing wings, there was no way to do so. No one called her out on acting the fool, not that she'd have cared either way.

Yang shifted beside her.

"Yeah, I cried," Emerald growled. "Say it."

"Say what?"

"Call me a baby or something."

"I'm not Vernal," Yang said, and that explained everything. "I used to cry when mom or dad went on a mission and left us behind. You might be older, but it's the same thing. I just got used to it, used to knowing they'd come back."

"Mom and Dad always came back," Ruby said.

Summer touched her shoulder. The woman's hand was warm and companionable. It wasn't his, her _father's_ , but it was close. "You did well, Em. He'll come back."

"I know. He promised he would."

That was good enough for her.

And next time, she'd be strong enough to go with him.

That, Emerald swore.

/-/

"Yo, wake up."

Jaune groaned as something shook him. An eye cracked open, and he realised that the shaking was both a combination of Qrow and the Bullhead coming in for a landing, the winds buffeting against its hull as the stabilisers kicked in. "Are we there yet?"

"Be a dick move for me to wake you up if we weren't. Yeah, we're there."

"Atlas, or the SDC mansion?"

"Mansion," Qrow said, nodding to the window. "Seriously, it's like a small village. Not just a house for them, but for their personal army, servants and everything else. I bet their fucking _pets_ live better lives than most people do."

Jaune wasn't sure they had any pets, not if Weiss' reaction to Zwei in his first life was any indication. Still, he got Qrow's point. The huge structure was of a comparable size to Beacon, at least in terms of the land owned. The mansion sat in the centre of a large, walled off community of other houses that entailed barracks, servant's quarters, stables and more. The gardens stretched off for a long distance, a lot of it just grass, with the occasional flowerbed on the edges.

There was also a landing pad off to one side, on an area that had been paved over as some kind of parking and landing zone. It was this the Bullhead descended onto, following the bright lights lit up to signal them in.

Jaune and Qrow stood once the vehicle was down. Jaune grabbed his weapon and suitcase – which contained more weapons and equipment than clothing, while Qrow picked up his scythe and a much smaller backpack. The two of them made it to the main ramp the moment it started to open, and Qrow hopped out, impatient to get the show on the road. With a roll of his eyes, Jaune followed suit and made his way towards the party that had come to greet them.

Jacques and Winter Schnee were waiting for them, along with Weiss, Whitley and a small collection of staff. There was something odd about seeing the Schnee children with their father; they'd hardly had the best of relationships in the future. It was also a little surprising that Jacques thought them worth a meeting in the first place. Usually, he'd have focused on matters more profitable.

Winter was still dressed like a Specialist, even if she'd never been one. The white and greys complimented the Schnee motif, the only difference being the snowflake symbols on her cuffs, lapels and breast. She looked taller, though that might have just been the way she held herself. She was seventeen or so, but easily looked nineteen or twenty.

She smiled upon seeing him, though her attention shifted to some confusion at the sight of Qrow.

"Winter, this is Qrow Branwen," he introduced. "He's a friend and a huntsman. He agreed to come with us."

"Charmed," Winter said.

"Yeah, I bet you are," Qrow teased, earning a frown from the much younger girl. Uh-oh, it looked like his previous life was repeating itself there, especially with Qrow being so irreverent in front of her family.

Jacques Schnee frowned, and Weiss looked positively scandalised.

"Thanks for getting in touch, Winter," Jaune interrupted, hoping to avoid any dramatics. Or worse, a repeat of Qrow and Winter's fight the first time around. He'd always wondered how they had a history given the vast disparity in their ages. Looks like it was just Qrow being Qrow. "I'm glad you gave us the choice to come with you."

"I knew you'd be angry if I did not," Winter said, ignoring Qrow entirely. She stepped forward and offered him a hand, only to laugh when Jaune drew her in for a hug instead. She returned it. "It's good to see you, too." she whispered. "I didn't want to do this alone. The danger is very real."

Jacques Schnee coughed. "Which, I trust, you will take steps to prevent, Mr Ashari." He held out a hand, which Jaune shook after a moment's hesitation. "Winter is my daughter and my heir, and also a valued member of the Schnee Dust Corporation. We would not normally countenance something like this, but Winter was able to convince both myself _and_ the Board of Directors." Jacques looked inordinately proud of that fact. "As such, the decision was taken out of my hands."

"I'll not let anything happen to her, sir."

"It pleases me to hear this. Be sure to take responsibility for anything that happens to my daughter in your care."

Winter coughed and looked away, embarrassed.

He wasn't sure why. Was she just embarrassed that Jacques was showing this amount of concern for her or something? "Um. Okay?" When she didn't respond, he pushed ahead. "So, is it just going to be the three of us? I'd have thought you'd bring Echo or Delta along."

"Our security forces are still on high alert. I've left them in charge, since I doubt the White Fang will miss an opportunity to strike while I'm distracted."

"Good idea. Have the attacks been that common?"

"Frustratingly so," she said, sighing. "There's one every day, which sounds bad, but many are fought back. I'd say there are two a week that lead to significant losses on our end. It's difficult for us. We have to shore up defences across every convoy, mine or outpost, while they can simply pick whichever they believe to be the least defended."

"Winter has done well in mitigating this, however," Jacques interrupted. "Intelligent, beautiful _and_ dedicated. Truly, the Schnee family is blessed."

Winter looked away from Jaune and coughed.

"I guess she is," Jaune agreed, turning Winter's cough into a hacking, choked gasp. He wasn't really sure why, but she seemed to be okay. "Shall we head off now? I trust you've got a ship and crew ready to take us to Menagerie."

"Y-Yes. A faunus crew. They're trustworthy, and less likely to be troubled in Menagerie. Give me a moment to say farewell to my siblings first," Winter requested. "We can leave soon after."

"Of course, of course," Jacques said. "I shall speak with Ashari more."

Winter didn't reply, she was already talking to Weiss and Whitley, who looked much the same as they had in the future but for a single revolver and holster strapped to Whitley's hip. He'd never learned to fight the first time around.

Jacques coughed and drew his attention before he could think more on it, "Tell me, Ashari. Do you believe the White Fang can be convinced to stop with this madness? I'd like your honest opinion here."

"I think it's unlikely. They're fanatical." And he knew Salem wouldn't let them stop. "That said, I think it's possible Menagerie isn't really loyal to them. They might have planted those flags to mislead us and force our hand. If Atlas were to move aggressively against Menagerie, it would force them to work with the White Fang to survive."

"Hm. Winter has said as much. Still, Menagerie's unwillingness to respond to Atlas is troubling…"

"It is, but there's good reason for it." Kali would never want to talk to Atlas after what they'd done to Ghira. "The SDC, for all the bad press, hasn't done anything to insult Menagerie, though. They should be willing to talk to us."

"I suppose that is the best we can hope for."

Jaune had a feeling that Jacques' hopes were less about peace for peace's sake and more about profitability. War wasn't good for the SDC, even if dust sales would go up. It would be short-term gain at long-term loss, and if things got bad enough then Atlas might just _requisition_ dust, essentially stealing it from the SDC. The White Fang were a problem, but they wouldn't turn the world on its head. Not for a few more years.

A second faunus war would.

"If you'll forgive me, Jacques, I need to speak with Qrow for a moment."

Jacques nodded. "By all means. I shall share some words with Winter."

"Problem?" Qrow asked when he came near.

Jaune looked around quickly to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. Everyone was distracted, or just far enough away for it to be fine. "I want to tell Winter about Salem."

Qrow's expression darkened. "Are you nuts?"

"She needs to know what she's up against. We can't afford to have her die because she was unprepared."

"She's, what, seventeen, nearly eighteen? She can't handle it."

"I trust her."

"Yeah, well I don't," Qrow hissed. "Don't know anything about her or where her loyalties lay. I was iffy enough on Ironwood, but Oz trusts him. He wouldn't trust Winter. Not without getting to know her first."

"I know her. I've known her for years. She's not married to profit, Qrow. She's a disciplined and rational person. If we tell her, she won't tell anyone else."

"That's not a call we can make. Bring it up with Oz when you get back to Vale, but he didn't tell you the truth for you to go off and tell it to everyone else." Qrow ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Look, I get why you want to. Tell her about Tyrian, Hazel and Watts. But make something up. Tell her they're spies we know are behind the White Fang, or criminals after you. But Salem? No. The less people that know about her, the better."

He wasn't going to give. Jaune let it go, even if he didn't fully agree. It was easy for him, since he knew with complete certainty who would prove worthy of trust and who wouldn't. Lionheart would still be in Mistral at this point, and likely a traitor already, proving that Ozpin wasn't quite so full proof in choosing his own allies.

"Alright, Qrow. We'll play it your way."

Winter returned, a bag on her shoulder. "I'm done. Are we ready to leave?"

"You sure you don't want to bring a butler along?" Qrow asked.

Winter's brows drew down.

"I'm sure."

"Great. Then let's go."

/-/

It took an hour to reach the ship Winter had chartered, and as much time again for it to leave the harbour. It was a small fishing and trading vessel with six members of crew, all faunus but most, if not friendly, then at least uncaring of their human passengers. They'd been granted the use of two different rooms, one for Qrow and he to share and the other for Winter.

Qrow apparently wasn't one for ships. Not seasick in itself, he simply didn't have the patience to sit around on them doing nothing. He'd gone below deck for a nap, leaving Jaune to find Winter alone on the bow, looking out over the open ocean.

She heard him coming. "A nice view, isn't it?"

"It's not bad. Have you ever been to Menagerie before?"

"Never." Winter spared him a curious glance. "You?"

"Not in person, but I've heard about it from someone who used to live there. She gave me a fairly in-depth description of the place."

"She?" Winter asked. She glanced away a moment later. "Not that there is anything wrong with that. I was just curious. Could you not have asked this woman to come with us?"

"She died."

"Oh…" Winter cringed. "I apologise."

"It's fine. It was… many years ago. She died well, I suppose, in a fight, along with the man she fell in love with." He wouldn't say it was where Blake had wanted to die, but it had been in itself a death that had meaning. "Either way, what I know about Menagerie comes from her. It can be a pretty wild place. They're not unwelcoming of humans, but there's no telling if that won't have changed now."

"Yes. Atlas' actions around Ghira Belladonna may well have influenced opinion. I still cannot believe General Hawk would do that…"

He could see the thought hurt her or hurt her view of the world. Jaune sighed. "I've got reason to believe it might not be as much of a `mistake` as was implied."

Winter looked his way. "What?"

"The killing. Ghira was innocent, don't get me wrong. But… I think Hawk might have intentionally chosen to do this, and specifically to incite violence between Atlas and Menagerie."

"That would make him a traitor to Atlas. Are you sure?"

"Not really. No way to _be_ sure. But don't you think it's odd that the White Fang attacked Atlas and specifically knew where I would be? Ironwood was already sure there were spies _somewhere_ in the military, and you'd have to be a special kind of stupid to think killing a prisoner in cold blood would be a _good decision_."

"I always assumed it was old age," Winter said. "General Hawk was not a young man. Perhaps he misjudged…"

"You don't get to be a General by being addled, Winter. You don't get to stay one without it, either. He had friends in high places. It's possible he thought they could cover for him, or that he was _told_ they would, but they never did."

"And you suspect this foul play was orchestrated… by whom? Who would be behind this?"

"The same people behind the White Fang's attack on Atlas, and the people trying to steal the technology left behind in Merlot's labs."

"The scorpion faunus. Tyrian, was it?"

"That's him." Jaune looked around to make sure Qrow wasn't around. "Don't tell Qrow, but he's been back since. He attacked me in Vale. Not the city, but the countryside around it." He shushed Winter when her eyes widened. "No one can know! I'm only telling you because I trust you. Will you keep it a secret?"

"Y-Yes. Of course. I won't betray such faith."

"Good. Tyrian was among the White Fang that attacked Atlas, too. He tried to kill Emerald at the time… probably to drag me out of hiding. Qrow knows, but he doesn't think you should be told."

Winter's eyes narrowed. "I don't like him. He's rude and antagonistic."

"It's a part of his charm, but I'll admit he can be a pain sometimes. He's trustworthy and strong, so he has that going for him. Either way, this mission of yours could be a lot worse if Tyrian is there."

"And if he finds out _you_ are coming, he may well be," Winter realised.

"Exactly. We need to be in and out quickly, before news gets back to the White Fang and he mobilises to come here with his allies. There are three in total you need to watch out for on top of him. There's Hazel Rainart, Arthur Watts and…" It was a gamble, but one he had to make. "Cinder Fall. You might be able to find images of the others, but for Cinder you're looking for a human girl with black hair and yellow eyes. She's not a faunus. Normally wears red."

Winter nodded quickly. "I'll keep my eyes open. They're all dangerous?"

"Deadly."

"You realise that if we see them, we cannot be seen to attack first," she warned.

"I know. It would get us in trouble. I'm not sure they'll have the same concerns, so we need to be prepared for an ambush. Even if you don't get on with Qrow, you need to stay close to him whenever possible."

"That won't be a problem, Jaune. I do not let personal feelings get in the way of a mission."

He grinned and patted her arm. "Good. I knew I could trust you."

"I'm glad you feel that way. There's precious little it feels anyone can trust at the moment." Winter looked back over the side. "You were right by the way."

"On…?"

"Going back to the mansion. I was… hesitant at first, but it has gone well. Weiss and Whitley are happier and more responsive. Father expects less of them, so life is easier. I've been able to keep up on my training and father is… he often expresses how proud he is of me."

Jaune moved over to stand beside her. "You sound conflicted."

"Do I? Maybe I am. He's proud of me, but only because he does not know what I truly intended. He thinks I came back of my own choice, that attending Atlas was just to improve myself. It… When we parted, I said terrible things. Things I fully meant and to a degree still do. Having this now… it's better, things are easier, but it feels like I've surrendered, like I've taken everything back and let him win."

"Have you?"

"No. Of course not! He wanted a demure and petite daughter and I'm anything but. I fight, I train, I speak my mind. I'll make sure Weiss and Whitley grow to do the same. We shall _not_ be like mother was. Nor father. I haven't been cowed."

"Then you haven't surrendered. It might look like it to him, but what does that matter? Who cares what other people think. _You_ know you haven't given in. That's all that matters."

Winter smiled wearily and turned to meet his eyes. "Do _you_ believe me?"

"Absolutely."

"Then all is well. I… I am content with that. I'll remain with the SDC; it feels like if I left, father would regress, and life would become even harder for poor Weiss and Whitley. They don't deserve that."

"You don't deserve it, either. _Someone_ is going to face the pressure of being the heir."

"I am the eldest, the most prepared. It makes sense that it be me."

"Is that what you want?" he asked.

"No. But I want Weiss or Whitley under such a burden even less than I do to wield it myself. No one _wants_ to fight the Grimm or risk their life. They do so to protect people they care about. I suppose this isn't much different."

"It really isn't. Battles of a different kind, but for the same reasons."

"That's how I see it," Winter agreed, smiling softly. "And at least I have some support in this, no? You've helped train me, and you've offered advice. You've been someone I can rely on." She looked away for a moment but leaned against his side.

Surprised, he adjusted himself to let her. "I'm glad I could help…"

"Would you always be there to do so?"

"I'll do my best, if you really want an old man like me around all the time."

Winter smiled.

"I think I would like that."

* * *

 **Well, writing about all that crying was tiring. I imagine reading it was as well. I hope the payoff of Emerald's final words was better, and I couldn't really avoid it. I didn't think Emerald would have the capability of remaining cold and angry in the face of Jaune leaving her, and we all know how dependent she is on him. He did have to go for missions in Atlas, but those were detailed earlier as being short things within Atlas, and since they were military, they'd have had transport, etc. So he'd have been gone for 5-6 hours tops.**

 **They also weren't as close back then. Now? Well, it's harder on her, even if she's grown up in some ways. Slowly opening up only means her feelings are there to be hurt all the more by perceived abandonment, though Jaune did his best to make it clear it wasn't that.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 8th December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	37. Chapter 37

**Here we are.**

 **Troll still impersonating people to make racist remarks, etc. Ignore.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 37**

* * *

Menagerie grew larger in the distance, the spires of its unusual buildings growing up in indistinct shapes on the horizon. A landmass that, from a distance, might have seemed indistinguishable from any other. It was the ships around it that gave it away.

Jaune drummed his fingers on the railing as an unusual sense of anxiety fell over him. Fear itself wasn't something he'd never felt before; it was only ten or twelve years previous that he'd lied his way into Beacon and been afraid of just about everything. Since then, he'd faced his fears time and time again.

Being afraid was natural, Qrow had once told him. It was when you stopped being afraid that you needed to worry.

Despite those words, his fear had become muted. He'd gotten into the swing of things, relied on his knowledge of the future, gotten lucky in those instances when he'd changed it. Putting a random man from Vacuo in charge of a new mega-company was one such example. It worked out in the end. Running into and picking up Emerald worked out. Killing Junior's father worked out. Saving Summer worked out.

The White Fang hadn't worked out.

An unsettling tension gripped his stomach and he turned away, taking some relief in not looking at the approaching island. The uncertainty of _not knowing what was to come_ was a surprisingly frightening thing. It amazed him that most people – no, all people – had to put up with this every single day of their lives.

 _I've gotten used to knowing the future,_ he realised. _That's dangerous for someone planning to change it._

This would be the first real time he would walk into something new, something that had changed in a meaningful way. He couldn't say he was looking forward to it. His hand fell to his hip, touching the hilt of Crocea Mors. It traced a little further, to the shotgun on his other leg, the knife in the back of his pants, the three flashbangs he'd attached to a bandolier under his left arm, above his sword, and then to the handgun hidden on the inside of his jacket, near his right armpit.

It was not the first time he'd checked each of them today. The nervous action helped calm him.

"Stop checking your weapons, man," Qrow begged. "You're making _me_ feel nervous here. Nervous and inadequate."

Jaune grinned, though there was a little desperation in its humour. "Your one weapon is cool, too."

"Screw you. It's mecha-shift. It has multiple forms."

"And if any of those break, or you drop or lose it, you're completely unarmed." How many times had Ruby lost her scythe and proven such? "I'll never understand why people thought it was a good idea to take two or three weapons and combine them into one."

"It's convenient."

"That's what I'll never understand. When did `convenience` start to be more important than survival?"

Qrow laughed. "You know, you sound like an old man sometimes. Back in my day…"

"You both sound like old men to me," Winter said, interrupting. The heiress strode between them to the bow of the ship, ignoring Qrow's roll of the eyes and sarcastic facial expressions.

Jaune smiled indulgently, less insulted and more amused. He probably did sound like that. "You don't get to insult us for acting older than we are, Winter," he teased. "I'm not sure you ever acted like a teenager."

"I shall take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't one," Qrow offered.

"I was not talking to you, Branwen."

"Got a problem?"

"Yes. One irritating problem."

Suffice to say, the time at sea hadn't done much to mend the rift between Winter and Qrow. A rift that had come out of nowhere and seemed to be more due to intrinsic differences in personality than any history or past.

There went his and future Ruby's theory that Qrow and Weiss' sister had once been an item. It looked like they were just genetically predetermined to not get on. Like Blake and Zwei, or Nora and dentists. With a nostalgic smile, Jaune stepped between the two and pushed them apart. "Okay, you two. Calm it down. Qrow, act your age. Winter, act the age you're acting."

"Sorry, sir," Winter said automatically.

"I'm not `sir` anymore, remember."

"A-Ah. Of course. It was automatic."

"Oh, I bet it was," Qrow said, wriggling his eyebrows. Winter shot him a deadly glare, but Jaune cut it off by stepping between them again, blocking her sight of Qrow with his own body.

"I get it," he said. "It's hard for me to call Ironwood by his name sometimes. Still, _you're_ the SDC representative here and we're your escort. That means you're our boss. If you want the people from Menagerie to listen to you, you'll need to remember that."

"I know." Winter nodded, eyes firm. "It was a momentary lapse on my part. I'm more than aware of what is on the line here. I'm ready for this."

"I believe you." Jaune sighed and looked back over his shoulder. "That goes for you too, Qrow. We both need to act like subordinates. Can you do that?"

Qrow, for all his taunting, smiled. "Yeah. Just getting it out my system before we arrive."

"Insufferable rogue," Winter grumbled.

She had no idea. Though, compared to his sister, Qrow might as well have been the patron saint of kindness.

"Before we get there, and before I lost the chance to ask," Winter said, "Do you have any advice for me here, Jaune?"

"I…" He ran a hand through his hair. "I actually don't." It sucked to admit it, but he offered an embarrassed smile in apology. "As much as I might give it off sometimes, I'm not exactly all-knowing or skilled in everything. Diplomacy – as in, actual diplomacy – is completely beyond me. If you want something fighting, I'm your guy. If you want someone training, I can do that. Track something in the wilderness, I'm good. Talk to someone… convince them to see things my way peacefully?" He recalled Roman, Junior and even King. "I'm useless at that."

"I… see…" Winter regarded him carefully. "I suppose it's good to know there are _some_ areas I can be better than you in."

"The list isn't as small as you'd think. I'm really just a fighter."

"A fighter and a father, and good at both from what I've seen." Winter smiled for a moment, but let it fall as the ship's bell began to ring, signalling both for their sake and the dockworkers of Menagerie that they were coming in to bay. "I suppose I shall be fine. Father insisted on lessons of negotiation and sales since I was young. Some of those I learned, despite my efforts not to." She cocked a brow in his direction. "Watch and learn, Jaune. Perhaps I can teach you a thing or two for once."

So said, Winter held her head high and descended the ramp that had been laid, stepping down onto the wooden jetty.

Qrow followed, though he took the moment to grin as he walked by Jaune. "She wants you."

"Don't be stupid, Qrow."

"Oh, that's rich." Qrow chuckled and stepped past, down the ramp to stand on Winter's left. He stood lazily, a counter to Jaune's more rigid caution as he stood on Winter's other side as she faced the welcome party.

It was four faunus – varied in appearance and type. The leader was burly, but not in an intimidating way. Broad shoulders, thick arms, but from heavy work and labour it seemed. He was dressed in loose robes of green and cream and welcomed Winter and her entourage to the island. Of the three with him, two appeared to be huntsman-trained, or just looked it. The other was smaller, a scribe or administrivia agent of some kind if the clipboard was anything to go by.

One of the guards eyed Jaune warily. A woman with dark eyes and silvery hair. Her eyes trailed over him, looking for weapons. He did the same in return, counting a collapsible spear on her left hip and a knife in a sheathe below her right knee.

"Miss Belladonna would have met with you normally, but she is busy with matters of state. I hope there is no offence taken."

"None," Winter said, "Given her situation, it is more than understandable. Menagerie and the Belladonna family has our sympathies for the injustice done to them."

The faunus stilled. For a moment there was anger on his face, raw anger, but he forced it back down. "Thank you, Miss Schnee. I'm afraid that Kali Belladonna cannot meet with you until her business is done. I have been instructed to see you to accommodations in a local inn. Your rooms have already been booked and arranged in advance for you."

The Belladonna family had a house more than large enough to put them up, so the decision not to was either one made because Menagerie didn't trust them, or a move designed to make it clear what they thought of them. Winter had to know it, but her hands were tied. Complain, and she would look entitled.

"That is most generous, thank you."

/-/

They'd been granted three rooms in a well-kept and maintained inn run by a friendly old couple. Friendly enough, especially towards humans which was something of a relief, but the individual rooms were a problem.

"We split up, we make ourselves targets," Qrow said.

Neither Jaune nor Winter argued. They both knew it. The only thing holding him back was the idea of forcing Winter to sleep with them, even if it wouldn't be her sleeping _with_ them. Somehow, it had seemed easier back in the Specialists, though there had always been the rigid military structure to make things that little bit more formal.

"It is a necessary sacrifice," Winter said softly. "I am fine with it. I trust Jaune implicitly."

Qrow, sensing the obvious insult, crossed his arms. "Wow. I see how it is."

"We'll all have to share a room," Jaune sighed. "Winter gets the bed. Qrow and I can take the floor. We all brought bedrolls just in case, so it's hardly an issue. We'll arrange bathing when it comes to it."

"You wash my back, I wash yours?" Qrow offered.

"T-That would not be proper," Winter stammered.

"Cool down, Ice Queen. It was a joke." Qrow could have left it there, but he wouldn't have been Qrow if he did. "Or did you get worked up thinking about it? It's fine. I don't mind sharing my old pal here if you like. I'll wash his back, you get his fro-" He was cut off by Winter throwing her bag in his face and storming into the room, red faced.

Jaune stepped by, catching the door before it could slam on them. "You just had to, didn't you?"

Qrow was grinning when he pulled the bag out his face. "I did. It was a need that could not be denied."

"You're like your sister in that regard."

 _That_ wiped the smile from Qrow's face. "Oh, fuck off. I'll go for a drink downstairs and see what rumours I can pick up. You handle her highness." Qrow made his way towards the staircase, turning back at the last, "And use protection!"

Jaune groaned. He'd never been so sure it was possible to both love and hate a person as he did Qrow. And to think, Ruby and Yang had to _grow up_ with the guy. They were stronger than he'd ever imagined.

Winter was fussing with her sabre when he entered. She had a cloth out and was cleaning the blade, having detached the smaller parrying dagger from the blade so that she could reach into the mechanisms and clean them. Her face had lost a little of its colour, though her eyes burned with fresh intensity.

Closing the door behind him, Jaune said, "He doesn't mean it, you know. It's just how he is."

"Aggravating, irresponsible and incapable of thinking before he speaks?"

"All of those things. It's a part of his charm."

"I do not find it charming."

"Eh." Poor Qrow. "It's an acquired taste."

"What is it you find appealing about him at all?" she asked. "Don't say it's because he's a joker. Delta joked, but he knew when to put humous aside for the sake of the job. He's been helping me run the security decision. Branwen," she spat the name, "Is nothing like that."

"It's hard to explain…"

Hard because it made no sense in this time. He'd not really liked Qrow even when they left Beacon and moved through Mistral. He hadn't _disliked_ Qrow; he just hadn't _liked_ him either. He was for the most part a complete stranger. He'd also been loyal to Ozpin and dismissive of Jaune's chances in taking on Cinder and avenging Pyrrha.

He'd been right to do so since Jaune hadn't had a snowball's chance in Vacuo of beating Cinder one on one when she had the maiden's powers, but that still hadn't done much to endear the man to him. It was probably after Ozpin revealed the truth about Salem – the _real truth_ – and Qrow lost his temper that he'd started to get closer to him. By the time Qrow died, they'd been comrades in arms and Qrow was a teacher and mentor he both trusted and respected.

None of that would satisfy Winter, of course.

"I can't really explain it. We didn't click by any means. Actually, we fought a lot. He hated me. He's definitely got a lot of sharp edges, and I'll admit he can be annoying. It's always teasing, though. All in all, he's got a good balance."

"Balance?" Winter shot him a confused look. "A balance of what?"

"Of being a huntsman and being a regular person. I can't pretend to have much of the latter, and, if I'm being honest, I reckon you don't either."

Winter looked away.

"I'm not saying that's bad, but both you and I sometimes put too much effort into things. I'm so focused on my goals that I forget to slow down and live my life. I guess Qrow's a reminder that I can, that it's possible. I like that."

"I guess…"

"Don't let it bother you," Jaune said, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not saying you're married to work or that there's something wrong with you. Just remember that Qrow can switch between joking and professional when he needs to. He'll do what has to be done. We should focus on what _we_ need to do."

"Yes." She nodded and laid her weapon down. "I suppose you're right. I will… I shall try to be more understanding of his… peculiarities. I am just stressed. There is a lot resting on this and I don't feel I'm ready to decide the fate of Atlas. If I fail here, history will remember that Winter Schnee could have stopped the war but didn't. How can I live with myself if that comes true?"

"Hey. You can't act like _you're_ the only one at fault. You didn't start this, and it may be that you can't avert it. That's not your fault."

"I know. I know." Winter sighed and tapped her head. "I know it up here, I swear. I am not so arrogant as to think the world revolves around me. It's just anxiety. My gut is thinking the worst even if my head knows better. Frankly, I'll be glad to get this meeting over with. Get it out in the open."

"Yeah." Jaune thought of Kali, or what he knew of her – and then of Blake. In many ways, his thoughts echoed Winter's more than she could ever realise. "I guess we can only wait and see what happens. They didn't turn us away. That has to be a good sign."

/-/

Despite his comments, Qrow didn't bother going for a drink. He enjoyed it with Tai or Summer, and even with Jaune, but drinking on your own wasn't fun. He wasn't about to be that kind of guy. He also wasn't dense enough to let his guard down and get drunk in a place like this – which sounded racist at first, but really wasn't meant that way.

The air above Menagerie was warm, providing some nice thermals to coast on, letting him glide between rooftops and save some energy.

No one ever quite realised how exhausting flapping your wings was. Birds didn't do it all that much, carefully rationing however long they had to on an instinctual level. Not having been born a bird, despite his family's odd naming traditions, Qrow didn't have those instincts. When he and Raven had been granted the power by Ozpin, they'd had to learn how to fly from scratch.

It had been both an embarrassing and hilarious time – and a fond memory for him, rare where Raven was involved. He could still remember the look on her face when Summer cradled her little raven body in her hands and crooned over how adorable she was, and the flush on Raven's cheeks once she turned back.

She'd refused to talk to Summer for a week.

Good times.

He missed them.

 _Things change,_ he told himself, landing on a thatched roof and steadying himself with one wing. It was all instinct now, earned through practice. _Ray made her choice. The damn tribe was always more important to her. Damn it, Ray. What happened to you?_

He hated her, but it was hard to hate your family. Sometimes, he felt the anger slip, and then the doubt came. Shaking his head, he hopped to the edge of the roof and looked down into the streets of Menagerie. There was no time for doubt now. He had scouting to do.

A couple of other birds squawked at him as he approached, threatening to fight him by aggressively flapping their wings to make themselves look bigger. Territorial displays, and all for a stupid spot on the edge of the roof.

 _Fuck off!_ Qrow hissed, the sound coming out more as an angry "Caw!" He lunged at the bird, not nearly as worried about getting his talons dirty.

The dumb thing flew off, panicked.

 _Yeah, and don't come back!_ He "Caw-Caw" ed.

Fucking birds.

People didn't realise how entitled the little shits were. Don't even get _started_ about mating season. Fucking hell… If it wasn't some prissy female crow trying to entice him, it was hormonal males trying to scare him off with stupid displays.

Yeah, the power to turn into a bird hadn't _quite_ been as easy as Ozpin made it out. Go figure.

It made him a good scout, though, and that counted. No one bothered to look at the bird listening in to your conversation, and the two faunus below – openly wearing White Fang masks – were no different.

"Already arrived. Schnee from what I hear."

"The big bad himself?"

"Nah. His daughter."

"The Ice Witch?"

"One and the same."

"Tch. I heard from some of the vets, she's in charge of the SDC's private military. You think they'd cop it if she was taken out?"

"Don't even think something like that, idiot. Not our decision to make."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. A faunus can dream, right?"

"As long as that's all it is. Sienna will know what to do, and if she says we do nothing, then we do nothing. Or do you want Adam to hear that you tried to take justice into your own hands?"

The first faunus shivered. "No way. I heard what he did to the last guy who tried. He's a fucking psycho."

"He gets results. Guess that's all that counts. Besides, he's in bed with the Belladonna girl. Long as that's happening, he's not going anywhere. Best you keep your mouth shut and follow orders. It's what I'll be doing."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Doesn't make it any less boring."

"Don't I know it. Come on, less chin wag, more walking." The two moved on and in the opposite direction from the inn Winter and Jaune were currently at.

Qrow considered following but held back. It didn't look like they was any immediate danger, and it was probably best if he kept an aerial view over the inn rather than go out his way to hunt down the White Fang. That was the kind of thing he needed to run past the other two first. If he went missing, best they knew where he'd been.

Looping through the air a few more times, Qrow kept his eyes on the locals and listened in on a few conversations, usually whenever he caught one of their names being mentioned. Scaring off another two birds, ignoring a braying seagull and giving an evil glare to an old faunus lady that tried to tempt him with a crumb of bread, he got a general feel for the state of the island.

The obvious thing was that the White Fang were present, but more than that, they were present and open. There was no hiding in the shadows and no glares. Masked figures walked among the populace and no one batted an eye. Recruiters spoke of the benefits of the White Fang and the courageous actions they were taking in the name of equality and people listened. Menagerie wasn't militarised by any means, but it was open to the idea and they clearly didn't see the White Fang as a _terrorist_ organisation.

Ozpin wouldn't be pleased. Hell, Qrow wasn't pleased and he had a whole lot less at stake than Ozpin and Ironwood did. This was going to push back attempts to integrate faunus into the Kingdoms, not to mention justify a lot of racists, which, in turn, would make life harder for faunus in the Kingdoms, driving them here out of desperation and into the hands of the White Fang. A vicious circle if he'd ever seen one. Jaune was right to want to come here and do something about it. Question was, would they be able to?

A procession making their way down the street caught his eye. Not for their outfits or faces, but because they were accompanying the guy who'd met them before and making their way towards the inn. Looked like the wait was over, and unless he wanted to start trouble, they'd best find _three_ humans waiting for 'em.

Flying back down, Qrow landed on the windowsill of one of their empty rooms and hopped inside. The transformation was quick and finished before his feet touched the floor. Good timing; he caught the sound of footsteps downstairs.

"Break it up, lovebirds," Qrow called, rapping on their door. "Looks like business is on."

"See anything?" Jaune asked, with that infuriating look that said he _knew_ Qrow had gone for a flight and knew that Qrow knew that he knew.

Grumbling, he nodded. "A couple of things. I'll fill you in later."

"Any danger?"

"Depends on your definition of the word. White Fang doesn't seem to like us. Big shock, I know."

"And here I thought we'd be making friends."

"Sounds like orders are confused. That, or they've not decided what they want to do with us yet."

Jaune hummed. "That might be a good thing."

"My thoughts exactly." Qrow watched as the Menagerie group crested the stairs and looked towards them expectantly. "Let's try and make sure that doesn't change."

/-/

The Belladonna mansion had a whole lot more guards than expected. If it hadn't been obvious before, the increased security here hinted of conflict in the future. Not towards them, hopefully, but the threat of war with Atlas. There were figures in the windows, by the doors and even patrolling the grounds. A large party of them met their procession and spoke to the one leading them.

"Ambassadors from the SDC," the lead faunus explained, "here to meet with the chieftain. They're expected."

"I remember." The grey-haired man in charge looked toward Winter menacingly, but his attention soon slid to Jaune and Qrow. They were by far the more well-armed, as Winter had chosen to come without her weapon. "You'll not complain if we accompany you, of course."

Jaune tensed.

Winter didn't let herself. "Of course. We do not wish to impact your security."

The faunus nodded and barked some orders to his men. There were six in total and they spread around their party, forming a loose formation. It might have been mistaken as one to protect them, but the faunus' attention was focused inwards, keeping them from escaping.

He had to give it to Winter, she handled it well. He didn't think he'd have been as confident without a weapon – and to be fair, she probably wasn't confident. Just hiding her nerves well. It had been her call to come unarmed, as a sign of peaceful negotiation. He couldn't say he liked it, but Winter knew more about this than he did.

"Have there been attempts on the chieftain's life?" Winter asked.

"One or two. None successful."

Surprised, Jaune's eyes widened. He couldn't believe there had been any at all. Who would have done it? James would never agree to something like that, not when things were already so sensitive. _Don't tell me there are people in Atlas still running around behind his back. He needs to get it under control._

Unless it was the White Fang trying it. According to Blake, they'd tried to kill her parents in their time, thwarted only because of her, Sun and Ilia. If they removed Kali now and made it look like an attack by Atlas, they might be able to secure Menagerie's aid.

 _Shit. Don't tell me I need to protect Kali, too. This is complicated enough as it is._

"So you're aware, you're not the only visitors here," the same faunus said. "We were aware of your arrival, but we had little idea if it would be today, tomorrow or later in the week."

"There were last minute preparations to make. It won't be a problem."

"Good. Chieftain Belladonna has been busy since…" The faunus cut off with a growl. "Since she was left to handle everything on her own. She could not stop work for a day, just to meet with you."

"I wouldn't expect her to," Winter said. "It's enough for me that she has agreed to meet at all. The Schnee family and the faunus have not had the best of interactions. I hope to change that."

The faunus grumbled, "Actions recently would suggest otherwise…"

"Do you mean my defence of attacked SDC property?" she asked, with remarkable calm. "If so, I will apologise if anyone you knew was harmed, but cannot apologise for defending people from violent attacks. I hope, from one person involved in security to another, that you can accept that."

Jaune tensed, expecting the faunus to lash out. He certainly looked angry enough to do so. To his surprise, however, the man laughed.

"Ha. Fine words. Guess I'll have to."

 _Winter's good at this,_ he realised, looking toward his student. She didn't feel much like a student now, older, more mature, having filled out. Winter's head was held high, a small, confident smile in place. Despite being unarmed, she walked with an assuredness few could match. Maybe it was just a switch of their respective specialities, but he almost felt seventeen again. Useless.

No, that was silly. If he was useless, it was only because there was no one to fight. In that case, being useless was the best-case scenario. He could only he stayed useless for the whole damn thing.

Two more guards appeared at the end of the next corridor, flanking a closed door. Light peeked from the crack beneath and voices hummed from inside. They stood to attention, but relaxed when they saw the faunus escort.

"Ambassadors," one of their escorts said.

The first guard nodded. "Wait. I shall ask if they may enter."

It would be a petty insult if they weren't. Kali had been the one to summon them, after all.

Fortunately, the guard returned quickly. "The chieftain will meet with them. She bids they be allowed to enter alone."

The escort tensed. "But surely-"

"She is not without protection."

He relaxed. "Ah. I see… I have no complaints then." The faunus stepped back, leaving Winter to face the guards alone. "We shall continue our patrol. If you wish us to escort them out once they are finished, contact us."

"We shall." The guard watched them leave and turned to Winter. "You and your entourage may enter, but beware, draw arms or cause trouble and we _shall_ respond. This is not Atlas. We will not stand idly by."

Winter remained unbowed. "That won't be a problem."

"Good. Make sure it's so." He opened the door and ushered them inside.

Kali Belladonna stood waiting.

He'd never met her, for all that he'd heard about her. He'd seen a picture of her next to Ghira, which made her look short, but in reality, she was rather tall. Everyone just looked small next to the giant faunus. Her skin was tanned and dusky, her eyes – so like Blake's – a deep amber. Her black hair was cut short and framed her face, while her ears stood pertly atop her head. Her outfit was a combination of black and white, but in robes that marked her as a person of importance.

His eyes roved over her, but quickly shifted to the _others_ in the room. Two people, both masked, both from the White Fang, which _should_ have been what bothered him – that she'd meet with them openly – but it wasn't.

What bothered him was that he recognised them both.

Blake.

And Adam.

Jaune's hand itched towards Crocea Mors. Adam was the only one to notice and he turned his hips to the side, angling his own sword for a proper draw. For a second, it felt like a fight was imminent. Any bloodlust that might have rolled off Adam was swallowed by his own.

There were few people he hated more than Adam Taurus.

Winter broke the tableau, stepping forward. "Chieftain Belladonna? My name is Winter Schnee, representative from the SDC. Thank you for agreeing to meet with us."

"Not at all, my dear. Thank _you_ for coming." Kali looked to Blake and Adam. "I hope you don't mind if I allow a few other representatives to listen in. It wouldn't do to play favourites, after all."

Kali made no mention of Blake as her daughter, even if the ears and hair hinted at it. Maybe it was just obvious for him.

Blake stood silently. Fourteen or fifteen now, she was obviously still with the White Fang. Was she having doubts? Had she already decided to leave? Or was she still trying to convince herself to stay? It was impossible to tell. The mask did a good job hiding much of her expression, and she had the self-control to keep her mouth a flat line.

Ironically, Adam told him more. The mass-murdering psychopath was bothered, tense. His fingers twitched and his eyes, barely visible through the mask, flicked between his party and theirs. He seemed surprised or upset. There was a good chance he hadn't expected them to be here, and he clearly didn't like it.

That was something they had in common.

"Would it not be better if we met with you individually?" Winter asked, also eyeing Blake and Adam. She was angry, furious. No doubt at the loss of good people. Even so, she managed to stay calm. "I wouldn't want to make this more complicated than it already is."

"Oh, there's no need for it to be complicated. They'll behave." Kali looked to Adam and Blake. "Won't you, dears?"

Blake nodded silently.

Adam grunted. "We shall."

"Well, there you have it," Kali said, smiling. "This is a peaceful meeting, no bloodshed needed. I do hope you'll promise the same for _your_ friends. Especially _him_."

It took Jaune a second to realise who they meant.

"Jaune!" Winter rebuked, glaring at him. Her eyes dipped to his hand, firmly wrapped around the hilt of Crocea Mors. "Jaune," she hissed, "Stand down _now_!"

It was the shock at being told off by Winter of all people that broke him out of it. The anger vanished for a second, and in that second, he felt a wave of horror. Shit. They'd gotten all the way here, and here he was, messing things up. His hand shook as he pried his fingers off his weapon, forcing his hands to link before him. It was hard, especially with Adam right in front of him.

"Sorry. Momentary lapse…"

Winter's eyes narrowed. There was concern there, but more immediate panic. "If you're going to be a problem, I'd ask you to leave. You can wait back at the inn."

The thought terrified him. "No! I… I won't be a problem. I apologise." He forced himself to nod to Kali, Blake and even Adam. "And to you as well. I meant no insult."

Kali's smile was benign, forgiving.

Blake's was less so, severe and suddenly as tense as Adam had been a moment before. Her hand had freed itself from her pocket, and although it had yet to reach for a weapon, she was prepared. More of a surprise was that it was _Adam_ who took Winter's role, reaching out to place a hand on Blake's wrist, pushing her hand down.

"If we're finished with the little displays, why don't we take a seat." Her eyes narrowed, and her voice lost its soft edge. "After all, there is much to discuss."

/-/

Raven was a woman who had done many criminal things in her life. She had stolen, killed, stolen and killed, and even driven while drunk.

Without insurance.

Without a driver's license.

Or a car.

Hm, come to think of it, that had been one hell of a hen night.

Either way, there were few lines Raven hadn't crossed at least once in her life, and she'd started to think she'd lost the capability to feel guilt or unease at all. Once you'd left your child behind, become a feared bandit and attacked innocent people, other actions sort of lost their moral impact.

Which was why it came as such a surprise that Raven cringed at what she was doing.

This was a line she had not crossed, nor thought to.

It was a line she hadn't ever thought she'd be faced with.

Curiously – and with more than a little squeamishness – Raven poked at the blue blanket with the tip of her sheathed sword, nudging it just slightly aside. The figure slumbering away rolled over, forcing Raven to jump back. She held her breath, eyes wide.

Luckily, the small child didn't wake.

 _Thank the Brothers for small mercies,_ Raven thought, letting out a long breath. _Bad enough I'm sneaking into a boy's bedroom again, but if he wakes and sees me…_ She shuddered. There would be no living this down. No amount of banditry would wash off the stain of people thinking she was some creep who snuck into little boy's bedrooms for… reasons…

"It's not like that," she hissed to the sleeping brat.

He mumbled in his sleep.

"Damn it, I said it's not!"

Raven winced a second later, ready to summon a portal and flee if he woke up. Fortunately, the stupid brat slept the sleep of someone with no sense of self-preservation. _A soft idiot, obviously. Civilian. Definitely not trained in any way._ It wasn't like she needed his habits to tell her that. Huntsmen children his age would at least have a weapon laying around, but his bedroom was filled with posters, comic books and other useless trash.

A no one, basically.

Except she could for some reason make a portal directly to him, despite never having known or met him. If they'd met briefly, it shouldn't have been enough to form a bond.

Confusing.

Raven hated things that were confusing.

 _Let's see what your name is,_ she thought, moving over to a desk. It was covered in comics and empty cans of soda, which she nudged aside with an indignant scowl. There, buried under it all, was a red-covered schoolbook with a year, class and name written on the front in childish scrawl.

Jaune Arc.

Hm. Oddly enough, Raven couldn't find it in herself to feel surprised.

 _Well, that's a thing._ She eyed the sleeping brat once more. Even in the dark and with a decade or more between them, she could see some similarities between Jaune and Jaune. Gods, that was going to be confusing. Jaune and Brat. Yes, that fit better. The closeness wasn't enough to make them identical, but the shade of hair, the nose and mouth were sort of similar. A family resemblance, perhaps.

Except the names. The names were identical. Curious coincidence. Same hair, facial features and just about everything else as far as her Semblance was concerned.

Real fucking coincidental…

 _That means…_

Raven's head ticked through options. It took a minute or two, a minute of standing in some random kid's room watching him sleep. The gears turned, clocks ticked, her eyes clenched shut as she thought.

"It means nothing makes sense," she finally hissed, voice low. "Either my Semblance is playing up, Jaune has a body double or I've developed an immaculate affection for some shitty kid I've never met in my life. Remotely. Over a distance of hundreds of miles."

Fuck, if this was Qrow's Semblance playing tricks on her, she would _kill_ him.

Jaune – the real Jaune – would probably have an answer. Not that he'd give it to her. And even if she asked, it would require admitting she'd stalked some kid. Not. Happening. She wasn't even sure why it bothered her so. She could ignore the bond like she did Tai, Summer and Qrow's. She was used to cutting bonds. This would hardly be any different.

Except it would, because it was connected to Jaune, the real- oh, for crying out loud.

 _If I want to ignore this, I need to cut Jaune off too. I could do that. Hardly be a problem._

Sure, he was rich and had loads of beer, a sweet-ass couch and a bed especially for her. And he understood her in a way few others did. He was someone she could relax with, talk with, get drunk with, all without the usual nightmarish feelings that dwelled up among her tribe or, Gods forbid, with Qrow.

She and Jaune weren't alike per se, but they were probably closer than anyone else was.

And _he_ wasn't falling for all of Ozpin's little deceits. That alone made him a better man than most the population of Remnant.

 _Which leaves me back at square one. Great._

And the kid was awake.

And staring at her.

GREAT!

Luckily, he was too sleepy to be very intelligent. "A-Are you the tooth fairy?"

Raven froze.

"Yes," she said, slowly, painfully. "Yes, I am."

"Oh…" A kid his age should have known better. He looked like he was still half asleep, though. Despite that, he turned in his bed and reached under his pillow, producing a tooth of all things. He held it out like a gruesome trophy. "Here."

Raven leaned back. "Do you _honestly_ still put teeth under your pillow? At your age?"

"Sure. You're here, so you're real."

"I… You know what, fine." Cringing, she took the tooth and backed away, opening a portal. "Uh. Thanks. I'll… go now…"

"Wait!"

Raven paused and looked back.

He had a hand out.

"What?"

"You owe me," he said blearily. "For the tooth. You're a tooth fairy. You have to pay me."

"I… but…" Raven pinched the bridge of her nose, then cringed, realising she still had the kid's horrible tooth in it. Ugh. "Fine. Whatever. Here." She reached into her pocket and pulled out fifty lien or so, dumping it in his lap.

"W-Whoa. Fifty!?"

Raven stepped through the portal before he could say anything else, or worse, actually wake up and realise what was going on. Arriving back in her tent on the other side, she took a deep breath and let it go. More questions, even less answers.

She eyed the tooth, grimaced, and flicked it away.

Stalk a kid, get called a tooth fairy and then get _robbed_ by said kid.

"What a night…"

* * *

 **We'll get some Adam and Blake PoV segments next chapter. I wanted to not have them here because even if you probably all could guess Adam and Blake would be here, I didn't want to confirm it prematurely.**

 **Also, hello Raven. Still curious, hm?**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15th December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	38. Chapter 38

**Small mistake last chapter. I suggested that Raven wasn't sure his last name was Arc, when I'd already confirmed before that she knew. I wasn't in a situation to check online as I had no internet access when I was writing it, and couldn't remember exactly if I had or hadn't, so I erred on the side of caution.**

 **Anyway, I'll go back and change it. To confirm, Raven DOES know that Jaune Ashari's name was Jaune Arc beforehand.**

 **As a quick reminder, next chapter is in TWO weeks as I am having my one week off to rest, recover and have Christmas without having to meet deadlines.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 38**

* * *

Adam was becoming reluctantly used to being the focus of people's ire. If it wasn't Sienna at his perceived weakness with regards to the human prisoners, it was the more fanatical White Fang members who revelled in the bloodshed. But even outside the organisation, he was aware that his face and name had become… somewhat well known. It hadn't been a problem at first – he'd even been proud of it – but as the White Fang's reputation became bloodier, his own had as well.

All that, despite his attempts to dial down the violence. There was some morbid irony there, he was sure, but it did little to make his current situation any less awkward.

The Schnee, Winter Schnee, was Director Security for the SDC, and had more than enough reason to hate his guts. Even assuming she knew that he did his best spare prisoners, which was unlikely to impossible, she would hate him for being the most successful of her enemies, and responsible for training and organising numerous more raids led by others, many of which had not adhered to his instructions on limiting casualties.

There was blood on his hands, and much of it from her people.

It might not even matter to her that Blake was here and far more willing to shed blood. Blake wasn't as well-known, not as visible. It was _he_ who had made a name for himself. Blake might in time, but for now the violence would be blamed on him and Sienna. But in all seriousness, it was not Winter who really drew his attention, rather the dangerous man she'd brought with her.

A white, Atlesian coat – military in style, but left open, revealing a bandolier of grenades, a handgun and the hilt of a sword the man's hand seemed unwilling to release. He wore no armour beneath, but a dark grey shirt leading up to a ragged, ratty, sand-brown scarf that had seen better times. His face was weathered, like a rock left out in a sandstorm, flecked with tiny scars and shadowed eyes. A faint beard had begun to grow, grey hairs dotted occasionally among the golden yellow that fell roughly to his shoulders.

Jaune Ashari, the Specialist.

Ex-Specialist in military terms, but that wasn't what Adam meant. Among the White Fang, he had become a… not a famous figure per se, but at least known, considering his appearance at their initial attack on Amity, and the fact he'd routed and slain some of their best. He had been given the nickname `The Specialist` in reference to both his position and his skill.

Considering he'd departed Atlas and even been castigated by the people there; the White Fang had no interest in hunting him down. They had enough enemies without making more. Still, he was a known figure and his name, and his presence here, carried weight.

Blake certainly realised that, glaring at him as she was. He and his unit had been responsible for arresting Ghira, and although he had left Atlas long before Ghira died, Blake clearly blamed him for it in some way. Her hands continued to itch towards her weapon.

Adam touched her leg beneath the table, making her jump. He shot her a meaningful look, silently asking her to stop looking so antagonistic. She rolled her eyes and complied, switching her glare to the Schnee instead.

It was frustrating, though not surprising, that the Specialist's glare did not switch from him.

 _Even with Blake staring at him like she wants to leap across the table and tear out his throat, I'm the one he considers the monster here. Typical._

Adam made a show of bringing both hands above the table and laying them down, one over the other. The message was clear, that he could draw no weapon without making it painfully obvious. Ashari noticed and relaxed his own grip but did not take his eyes off Adam.

"I'd like to start by offering our condolences for what happened to your husband," Winter Schnee said. "Naturally, the SDC had nothing to do with what Atlas' military does, but we've thrown our weight behind James Ironwood to become General of Atlas. We believe he will bring the one responsible to justice."

Kali handled herself well, showing little reaction to the reminder of her widowed status. Adam knew it was a front, having granted Blake and Kali privacy the night before to grieve as a family. He would have felt a monster to intrude on that.

"Thank you," Kali said. "Though it does little to bring him back, I appreciate the sentiment."

"I was there at Amity as well, and I personally saw Ghira Belladonna surrender peacefully to arrest. He had nothing to do with the White Fang's attack. Had I been asked, I would have spoken in his defence."

"My Ghira was ever the optimist." _A shame that it was not rewarded,_ her silence seemed to say. "But please, I would rather we didn't speak of Ghira here. Though I mean no offence, you are not family, Miss Schnee. I would rather keep my affairs private."

Winter nodded. "I understand."

Ashari's eyes darted to Blake as Kali spoke, softening for the barest instant before flicking back to Adam's hands, as if they might have sprouted a knife in the moment of weakness. The interaction itself was so sudden and random that others might have missed it, and Adam was sure no one else had noticed. He only did because he was paying just as much attention to the man as he was in turn.

 _He knows._ Adam wasn't sure what to make of it. _Blake's hair is a similar colour to Kali's, but it's longer and straighter. Her skin is paler, her face rounder, and with the mask on, it's all but impossible to see any familial resemblance._ Kali was even more tanned than her daughter, thanks to living in Menagerie. It would have taken a much longer inspection to realise the two were related, and yet he had seen it immediately.

No, he hadn't seen it. He had to have known beforehand.

Spies? That seemed unlikely, especially given how Blake's name rarely got out. She'd only been going on raids of her own for a few months now, and it wasn't like they left individual calling cards telling the SDC who orchestrated each.

 _So, how does he know Blake? He was clearly looking for a reaction to the mention of her father. Did he speak with Ghira before he died?_

"Our main purpose here is to reach out to Menagerie," Winter said, "But also to ascertain Menagerie's current stance on the… attacks on our people."

"To ask if Menagerie is responsible?"

"No. We know the White Fang is behind the attacks, they've claimed responsibility many times. It is more that the current news places Menagerie as having joined forces with said terrorist organisation."

"Terrorists?" Blake interrupted. "You would call us that, you-"

"Ahem?" Kali cleared her throat. She did not call Blake out, neither by name or the title of daughter, but rather kept things official.

Blake quieted. With an angry nod, she let Kali continue.

"Thank you." With a smile, she turned back to Winter Schnee. "I'm afraid that is a complicated question to answer, my dear. Menagerie has yet to decide on an official stance, but one thing we can say is that we do not yet consider the White Fang to be a terrorist organisation."

Adam monitored the reactions of the entourage. The man with the dark hair rolled his eyes, as tired of politics as Adam was. He remained quiet, though, content to let everyone else talk. Winter Schnee narrowed her eyes, obviously unpleased but polite enough not to say it.

Ashari, though. He let his eyes close and let out a sad, little sigh, as if he knew already what Kali's response meant. As if everything to come was but a forlorn conclusion, all hope of any eventuality other than Menagerie's support foregone.

"Might I ask for some clarification there?" Winter asked. "The White Fang have attacked and murdered SDC employees, many of whom were only doing their jobs transporting dust legally mined and refined from one location to another."

"Such is a tragedy, yes, and highly illegal," Kali replied. "Menagerie does not approve of such methods."

"And yet you do not denounce the White Fang as terrorists?"

"Menagerie is… undecided."

Winter's eyes flicked to his and Blake's. There was anger there, but also stubbornness. So alike to Blake in a way, but also controlled enough to not let the rage overtake her. Adam felt a curious sense of respect for the woman.

"I would think the presence of White Fang agents beside you as running counter to that suggestion."

"Menagerie must keep its options open, Miss Schnee. It wouldn't do not to listen to their side of the argument. And besides, while the White Fang have certainly engaged in criminal activity, Menagerie does not have an extradition treaty with Atlas. As such, Atlas declaring the White Fang to be terrorists had no impact on our own laws. It would hardly be the first time Atlas has taken a stance opposed to our kind."

"But the White Fang attacked Amity! They were literally responsible for Ghira being arrested."

Adam felt a flash of guilt. He glanced to Blake, whose hands gripped the table with so much force her knuckles turned white. She blamed herself still, and he couldn't tell her not to. She would point out how he blamed himself in return.

"That may be, but I do not begrudge the White Fang causing his arrest anymore than I begrudge Atlas arresting him in the first place. It was a safety precaution, and Atlas was right to want to question him." Kali's eyes narrowed. "What I begrudge, Miss Schnee, are the actions that came after – and the _murder_ of my husband. Something that the White Fang, being absent from Ghira's control or influence, had _no impact on_."

"Atlas is guilty of that, I agree," Winter said, "But those were the actions of General Hawk, who is currently being tried for-"

"The actions of a Kingdom cannot be washed upon a single man. He may have ordered it, he may even have been the one to kill my husband, but Atlas had a responsibility to protect him. It was not General Hawk who failed, nor was it General Hawk to has tried to shift the blame. Atlas may not have driven the knife home, but they allowed it. It is up to me to live with the consequences now… and Atlas."

Desperate, Winter Schnee said, "But the SDC had nothing to do with this…"

"I know," Kali said, smiling, "And that is why you are here talking to me and not idling your time in a cell."

The Schnee flinched.

"Calm yourself, dear. If Atlas had sent people, I might have punished them a little. Not murder – I would not go as far as Atlas did – but I might have put the pressure on. You, however, are innocent of that, and, I dare say, innocent of your father's own crimes against my kind. I will not blame you or your family for what befell Ghira."

"Thank you," Winter said, nodding in obvious relief. "We – I – appreciate that. Still, I need an answer as to what Menagerie has decided with regards to the White Fang."

"And you shall have it, once we have decided. I'm not withholding the information to spite you, my dear. I simply haven't decided yet. That is why they are here," she gestured to Blake and him, "and you are here as a counter proposal, no doubt. I'm happy to meet with each of you to discuss. Until then, you're free to stay in Menagerie, so long as you adhere to our laws."

"Yes, of course." Winter bowed her head, knowing there would be no more she could ask for. "Thank you for your hospitality, Chieftain Belladonna. If you have need of me, I am willing to speak at any time."

Kali nodded. "Thank you. I'd actually like to ask what your companions think."

Winter appeared surprised, but Adam wasn't. Kali had always been quick to speak her mind, and even quicker to notice when someone else wanted to. She must have noticed Ashari's reaction and found it curious. Or maybe she just wanted to speak with the person who had last seen Ghira.

"I won't take offence at anything you say," she assured them. "But I will speak with _any_ member of the White Fang, so it's only fair if I'm prepared to speak to all of you as well, not just Winter."

"I-I suppose," Winter said, clearly not as enamoured.

The man in black spoke first. "Eh, I'm cool with it. Way I see it, Remnant has enough problems without starting another war. You shouldn't shack up with them because it's clearly going to do that. Let them stay if you like, don't call them terrorists if you want, but if Menagerie joins forces with the White Fang, it's going to lead to war."

Kali smiled indulgently. "You suggest caution, then?"

"Yeah. Guess so."

"Interesting. And what about you?" she asked, looking to Ashari.

Finally, Jaune Ashari's eyes left Adam's, looking to the chieftain of Menagerie. He held her gaze for a long moment, not, Adam thought, as an attempt to intimidate her, but because the man felt like one who took his time to think before he spoke. He was one to consider his words carefully. Kali let him, meeting his gaze with an unconcerned one, immune to any danger he might pose. Eventually, he spoke.

"I think you should remember just why the White Fang originally began, and what it was aiming for. Equality can't be won at the point of a sword; all you do is reverse the order of things. Supremacy under a different banner. Ghira would never have approved of this, nor the decision I believe you've already made."

"You bastard!" Blake screeched, standing so suddenly that she kicked her chair over. "How dare you speak of what he would have wanted! I'll-"

Adam placed a hand over her mouth and dragged her down. Blake kicked against him wildly and he had to tighten his hold lest she do something reckless. He didn't want her getting close to Ashari when the man was already a hair's breadth away from bloodshed.

Kali looked his way and nodded gratefully. She then sighed and turned back to the Specialist. "I think Ghira would agree with you, young man. I think he would regret how things have turned out here more than he would his own death. I think he would want me to be the better person and not give in to my anger. But tell me… do you have any family?"

The expression that flashed over Ashari's face could best be described as complicated. At worst, anguished. "My family is dead," he said. "Murdered."

Kali's eyes closed. "I'm sorry. You have a daughter, though, I believe."

He tensed. "I do."

"And what would you do, Mr Ashari, if your daughter was in danger? If she had stepped onto a path that might claim her life, and if there were those who would see her dead. What would you do?"

"I…" His eyes closed softly, almost as if he had accepted defeat. "I would protect her."

"Yes. Yes, you would. A good father would. A good mother…" Kali sighed. "I do not pretend that Ghira would not be distressed at this, but I believe he would feel worse at the thought of his family being alone and separated in so trying a time."

The Schnee and the other did not understand, that much Adam could tell. Ashari did, however. He knew, and Kali had somehow realised that he knew – even if Blake hadn't fully. She had gone still in confusion, her body slack against his.

"I have already lost my husband. I will not lose any more, whatever cost I must pay."

"I understand." Ashari looked down. "For what little it's worth, I'm sorry it came to this."

Kali's smile, and her eyes, were filled with sorrow.

"For what little it's worth, I forgive you."

/-/

Jaune downed the remainder of his third glass and signalled the bartender, a faunus of some unidentifiable breed, black ears and some pale stripes across their face. He hadn't dared assume he was a skunk or something similar. It would have felt racist to ask.

The man grunted back. He hadn't been thrilled to find a _human_ in his bar, but a healthy dose of respect for the human's armaments prevented him causing a scene. He filled a new glass and pushed it over, snatching the lien in return without a word. The tavern was a different one to where they were staying, rattier and darker, the kind of dive people went to in order to drink away their problems over cheap beer and cheaper food. A couple of faunus played pool in the background, and more were watching the TV in the corner, but no one wanted to come speak to the single human.

That was fine with Jaune. He wasn't much in the mood for conversation.

The booze was bitter on his tongue, made all the more so for the current situation. Winter hadn't been thrilled with his performance once they got back to their inn. Surprised at it, certainly, but not in a good way. There had been more than a fair bit of shouting, and since it was deserved, he accepted it, excusing himself with some weak excuse to drink. Qrow, sensing he had issues to work through, agreed to stay behind and look after their charge. Neither of them had asked about the exchange with Kali. Small mercies.

He couldn't even blame her for wanting to humour the White Fang. Not now that he knew her reasons. Before, Blake's split from her family hadn't led to this, but then the White Fang hadn't been condemned by Menagerie, either. As he understood it, Blake and Sun had returned to Menagerie to find the Fang an everyday part of normal life. That hadn't changed here, but then the White Fang hadn't been so aggressive so early in the past.

Either way, with Ghira dead, it made sense that Kali wouldn't want to leave Blake to handle things on her own. Even if she didn't personally agree with the White Fang, she might support them just to have access to her daughter. _This is a complete shitshow now. How was I supposed to guess Ghira being arrested would cause all of this? How was I supposed to predict it?_

The simple answer was that he wasn't. Most people didn't live their lives predicting the future.

The chair beside him scraped back. It took him a second or two to realise someone was sitting down, or that they'd come so close without him hearing. His instincts were already dulled by the alcohol.

When he realised who it was, however, any such feelings fled.

"I'm unarmed," Adam Taurus said, "I've come to talk. Nothing more."

Jaune's hand, which had already gripped the hilt of Crocea Mors, tightened for a moment. Adam was right here in front of him and unarmed. There would never be a better chance to take care of one of the future's biggest issues. It wouldn't even be like Emerald, because Adam _had_ broken the law. He had already started on his path. It wouldn't be punishing someone for mistakes they hadn't made yet.

But it would draw the wrath of the White Fang and Menagerie on Qrow and Winter, not to mention Atlas, possibly Vale and even Emerald. The chances of him killing Adam here and surviving to go back to Emerald were slim. Grudgingly, he released his weapon.

"Barman," Adam called, "Rum and soda. On the rocks."

"Sure thing." the faunus replied. He took a little more care in mixing Adam's drink, mostly the minimum that would have been expected of someone. "There you are."

"Thanks." Adam paid the man and then, to Jaune's surprise, reached up to remove his mask. He laid the porcelain thing down on the counter and took a long drink. He had the face of a model, much to Jaune's frustration. Handsome, straight features, an expressive mouth and a straight nose. A small scar marred it, cut diagonally across his nose and brow, between his eyes.

For a man that hid behind a mask, Jaune had always expected Adam to be uglier, if only because of a vicious smile or cruel expression. Right here and now, Adam looked as tired as Jaune felt. If he had to guess Adam's age, it would have been at somewhere between fifteen and eighteen.

"You figured out they're related, didn't you?" Adam asked.

"No idea what you mean."

"I think you do. Blake and Kali; you figured it out. Or you knew beforehand."

"Maybe." He took another drink. "What of it?"

"The Schnee and your friend didn't know. Why not tell them?"

Why did Adam care? Jaune sighed. "It wasn't something I thought they needed to know." He hadn't expected Blake to be there, after all. Not in that very room. Now, it might have to change. Winter needed to know what she was working with.

"Hm." Adam leaned an elbow on the table. He didn't look at him, however. They sat staring forward, or in Jaune's case, down into his drink. "I'd like to apologise for Blake."

Jaune stilled. "What?"

"For what she said," Adam explained, either missing or misunderstanding his surprise. "You weren't wrong. I knew Ghira, had the honour of working with him, not that he ever approved of me." The terrorist chuckled at some distant memory. "He wouldn't have approved of this. Blake was wrong to insult you for saying it. She won't say sorry, so I will on her behalf."

Adam apologising? Jaune bit back his snort. The world really was turning on its head. Still, he was apologising for Blake's actions, not his own, and Jaune couldn't find it in himself to hold Blake at odds for what she said. She'd lost her father, after all. "She doesn't need to apologise. I shouldn't have said what I did in front of her."

"Probably not. Thanks for understanding…"

"Maybe I should be the one apologising to her," he offered. If he could get close to Blake, or in private, he could push the idea of her leaving the White Fang. It was dangerous to push it now, but if Blake left _before_ Kali made a decision, she could choose not to support the White Fang.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Of course he didn't. It would put the White Fang in a bad spot if they didn't win Kali's support. Blake was their bargaining chip. Even so, he asked the question, if only to put Adam on the spot. "Why not?"

"She isn't… Blake isn't fond of humans right now. I'm sure you can understand why."

"Is that what she told you, or just what you're assuming?"

"It's what she's _shown_ me. In action, deed and word."

Something about Adam's voice had him on edge. It was enough that he didn't challenge the terrorist, even though he wanted to. It was still early. Was Blake still misled or believing in the White Fang's goals? No, she had to be having doubts by now.

"It's anger, I think," he went on. "I hope… I don't think it will last. The pain is still fresh and she's lashing out, trying to deal with it. I think she blames herself a little as well. Even if Ghira would have been arrested whether we joined or not, the fact we did still places some blame in our hands. I've tried to live to what he would have wanted, but… It's not always easy."

"You attack SDC convoys," Jaune pointed out.

"I do what I can to limit casualties."

"Ha. I'll believe that when I see it."

Adam paused in the act of taking a drink. He shook his head a moment later and finished it, placing the glass down with a solid clink. "I guess there's no way to prove it to you. I don't expect you to understand or agree. I'm just here to try and prevent any bloodshed between your group and mine."

"Funny that they'd send you of all people."

"They didn't send me. They don't even know I'm here."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that," an angry and feminine voice said. Blake stood to the side of the bar, hands on her hips. What shocked Jaune the most, was how comfortable the White Fang mask looked on her. "What do you think you're doing, Adam? Consorting with… his kind." Her eyes flicked to Jaune's and took in his surprised expression. "What are you staring at?" she hissed, hand falling to Gambol Shroud.

"The woman who is causing a scene," Adam said, standing. He placed a hand atop Blake's preventing her from drawing in the cramped bar. "Who else is he supposed to look at? Don't read into it. As for what I'm doing…" His eyes slid back to Jaune's. "Making conversation. Little more."

"If Sienna-" Blake cut herself off with another glare towards Jaune. "Never mind. You shouldn't be here. Come on. We've already got somewhere to stay, and it's nice than this. You promised to have dinner with us tonight."

"I… did…"

"Then come. Leave your _friend_ behind."

Adam looked ready to argue but decided against it. He finished the last of his drink and nodded one final time to Jaune, before Blake grabbed him by the elbow and literally dragged him out of the bar, silently fuming the whole time.

Jaune watched them go, unsure how to process what he'd just seen, or what it meant. He'd seen Blake angry, of course. Numerous times. Sometimes at him, more commonly at Yang or Sun. That had always been a flat, lidded stare designed to make you feel small and insignificant. It had been different here, even with most of her face hidden behind a porcelain mask.

She looked furious…

/-/

"So…" Qrow began. "Just gonna throw this out there, but did it seem to you like there was a little subtext in that meeting?"

"Between Jaune and Belladonna, Jaune and Taurus or Jaune and the White Fang girl?"

Qrow considered the distinction for a moment before answering in the only way he could. "Yes."

Winter closed her book with a sigh. Qrow was neither the first nor the last person she wanted to be stuck in a room with, but she recalled her mentor's words about him being professional when he needed to be. She would give him the benefit of the doubt, for now.

In truth, Winter's thoughts had also been on Jaune and his interactions with the various people they'd met. His immediate fury around the White Fang dwarfed even hers – and to think, she'd been concerned she might not be able to temper her feelings towards them. She hadn't expected Jaune to be that much worse. He'd almost sunk the negotiations then and there.

"Jaune knows a lot of people," she said carefully. "If you look at those he interacts with, they're all quite influential. Ironwood, my father, Ozpin, the RTE."

"The who?"

"RTE. The telecommunications-" Winter paused, realising Jaune might not have told Qrow for a reason. "Never mind. My point is, Jaune is well-travelled and well-connected, so it's not impossible that people recognise him. He assured me he'd never met Kali Belladonna before, however."

"That didn't sound like two people who have never met."

"I think she knew of him. He was involved in the arrest of her husband. I am… concerned about the White Fang knowing of Emerald, even if they have reason to."

"You and me both," Qrow grumbled. "I'll tell my team. We'll keep an eye out."

Winter offered him a grateful nod. She could not do the same, being confined to Atlas, and in truth, she needed to look after Weiss and Whitley until they were old enough to protect themselves. And father, she thought. Odd that he'd somehow wormed his way back into her life, even if she still couldn't tell how far towards `profitability` his affection went.

"I believe the greater reaction was between Jaune and Taurus," she said.

"Yeah, you could say that. I thought we were starting the bloodbath early for a second there." Qrow adjusted his position on the bed, placing his odd weapon beside him, still within reach. His eyes flicked to the window but, sensing no threat, returned to her. "I guess it makes sense. They did make an attempt on his daughter's life in Atlas. Can't expect him to be pleased about that."

"No, but I expected him to control himself. He's always seemed so… unflappable."

Winter didn't fault him feeling anger, but she felt left out on the reason as to why it was all aimed at Taurus. From everything she knew, he'd been a non-factor in the invasion. Yes, he was a problem for her, but Jaune shouldn't have any personal enmity towards him.

"And the girl," she added, "He looked at her… strangely."

Qrow chuckled. "Jealous?"

"Not like that." It took Winter a second to realise what she hadn't denied. "And no!" she growled, flushing a little. "I mean… It was like he recognised her. Again. Like he recognised all of them. He knew exactly how to speak to Kali to get a reaction."

"Yeah, but not a good one."

"No…" Winter sighed. "I don't think he cost us anything, but Jaune seems to think she's already made up her mind. I'm of a similar opinion, but I can't afford to think that way."

"Never assume, huh?"

"Never. If I do, I might throw away what small chance we have. She did not throw us out of Menagerie, so that is at least some small mercy. I don't want to imagine she would countenance an attack on us, and I don't think the White Fang will with their alliance with Menagerie in the balance."

"You thinking we should limit Jaune's interactions with them?"

Guilt rose up inside her, but she agreed. "I am. At least, as much as is possible…"

"I don't necessarily disagree. He's not a kid, either. Tell him. He'll understand."

He would. He was far more mature than many, and he genuinely wanted this peace agreement to work, like her. She would just need to sit him down, explain her reasoning and then politely request he not try and talk with Kali or the White Fang agents anymore. Winter bit her lip.

"Or," Qrow groaned, noticing her hesitation, "I suppose _I_ could be the one to do it. Teenagers, seriously."

Winter weathered the deserved insult, "I would appreciate that."

"Yeah, yeah. You don't want to do anything to upset or make your _mentor_ disappointed in you. I get it. So, do I give the two of you space if I see a sock on the door? Or do you want to use a `Do not disturb` sign for when you're going at it?"

A scowl worked its way onto her rapidly reddening face. "You are a detestable individual. Do you realise that?"

"And you're fooling no one. Do you realise that?"

"I'm fooling Jaune," Winter grumbled.

"Yeah. Amazingly enough, I think you are."

/-/

"What are you doing, Adam?"

"I was gathering information…"

"I don't think it was that. Don't lie to me, Adam. Not to me, please."

It was the look on her face that caused him to cave. He moved forward without thinking, taking her hands in his. "I'm sorry."

"Are you having doubts? You, of all people?"

"Never. Not for the cause," he assured her, aware of just how dangerous the question was. Blake would never turn him in to Sienna, but even saying such things out loud might draw her ire, or the attention of her enforcers, Hazel and Tyrian. "I'm committed to what we're doing, otherwise I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't lead the raids I do. It is just…"

"The methods," Blake said knowingly. "You've said as much before." She sighed and looked away, fishing in her pocket. "Here." She drew out another mask and offered it to him. "If they see you walking around without one, they'll think the worst."

Adam hummed, took and secured it to his face. "As if some don't think it already. I've heard the rumours. I'm all but a traitor already to some."

"Not to me. And not in my hearing."

"Don't get angry on my behalf, Blake. I can look after myself." And, in truth, he didn't want to imagine what Blake might do to such people. He didn't think she would kill someone for giving insult, but she would be furious and might hurt them under the guise of a spar. In his mind, that was just as bad.

"I sometimes think I can't understand you, Adam. You spend more time than I do fighting them, yet you share a drink with one."

"Them, Blake?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

He did, and that was the problem. Blake saw a distinction between human and faunus, made worse by the fact that humans had killed Ghira. "I didn't see a problem with it. I was hardly giving away White Fang secrets – not that Sienna would trust me with any in the first place. And aren't we fighting for equality? That implies we would be on the same level. I don't see how sharing a drink with a human runs counter to that."

"It runs counter," she said slowly, meaningfully, "because _he_ is on the side of Atlas and the SDC. He's not an unrelated innocent, Adam. He's a fighter. He's a Specialist!"

"He quit. We all know that."

"After arresting Dad!" Blake snapped. "He took my father and left him in that prison! It was the Specialists who were in charge of the security. They're the ones who took him!"

"But they weren't the ones who killed him…"

She tossed her head to the side, tears sparkling in her eyes. "They as good as did! If someone is killed in prison, you blame the warden. They arrested Dad but didn't charge him. They just abandoned him with people who hated him, left him to their mercy. How is that right!?"

"It's not right, but-"

"And then he leaves. Just quits Atlas and walks away, leaving my dad in prison!"

"Blake-"

"My dad didn't get to walk away, Adam!" she sobbed. "He didn't get to decide he was tired of it and leave. No, he stayed there and followed the rules – and he died for it!"

"I realise, and we _will_ make Atlas pay. I'm all for that…"

"I-I know." Blake calmed down a little. She stepped forward and pressed her forehead against his chest, taking some small comfort in the proximity. "Sorry, Adam. I… I guess being home isn't making things as easy as I thought it would."

"I knew it wouldn't. Do you want to leave? We could have someone else deal with this…"

"No. Mom… it's good to see Mom, and I don't want to leave her alone." Nor did Kali want the same with Blake, it seemed. "And besides, I can help the White Fang like this."

"Your health and happiness are more important than the Fang's goals."

Blake smiled. "Thanks, Adam. I won't tell anyone you met with him." She hesitated. "Don't meet with him again."

"I really don't see the problem…"

"He's the enemy. It'll make things difficult."

"He left Atlas."

"And we both know he'd go right back if a war started." Blake's eyes met his, and Adam found he couldn't argue. "He's loyal to them, and to the Schnee. If things get worse, he's going to be standing across from us, and I don't want you to get hurt because you pull your blows. He's dangerous, Adam. I don't want to lose you."

"But he helped us, once. He saved us at the rally…"

"He did." Blake's eyes closed. "But he didn't help us after, nor did he help Dad. He showed us that words aren't enough, that we need to act – but he also proved that you need to go the whole way. He gave up halfway through. We can't afford to. Even if you don't like what we have to do, even if I don't like all of it, someone needs to do it. If it isn't us, then who? Who do we put that responsibility on?" She shook her head. "I'm not going to force someone else to do something I can't, Adam. If we want to make things right, someone has to get their hands dirty."

He understood that, he really did. Words had failed for so many years, until the point that humans could throw rocks at them when they tried, and no one would bat an eye. Casual abuse against those faunus who dared ask _why_ they were treated so poorly. They might say the White Fang were evil for falling to violent means, but they had tried the peaceful approach for over a decade. No one cared to listen.

But if he were being honest, a large part of why he wanted to create a better world was for the woman opposite him. He didn't have any family, no loved ones to help, and he wasn't so altruistic as to say he was doing this for some hypothetical faunus child in the future. He wanted to change the world for Blake. But Blake was being changed along the way.

Adam wasn't sure he liked it.

* * *

 **Something else to note here quickly, but some were confused so I need to clear it up. Winter does not know that Adam has been sparing people, and so can't really inform Jaune. Winter knows that "some of the attacked convoys come out safe" and "some come out massacred".**

 **Yes, the survivors might mention Adam's presence at some of the safe ones, but that wouldn't prove to Winter that he wasn't also at the ones where people died – as suggested by Winter when she cursed Taurus' name. All Winter would realistically know of Adam is at best his name and reputation for success. The White Fang aren't exactly going to advertise the fact that their best warrior is a human sympathiser. Winter wouldn't know enough about his specific methods to inform Jaune and make Jaune realise how much Adam has changed, etc.**

 **And even if she did, would Jaune believe it without seeing it?**

* * *

 **Quick Reminder: Next chapter is in TWO weeks**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 29th December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	39. Chapter 39

**Hey all. I'm back. Merry Christmas to all and a great new year. I'm grateful for my short rest if nothing else.**

 **One or two thought if strange how Jaune would get the name of "Specialist" when he barely made an appearance against the White Fang in Atlas. I'd just remind you that his appearance, limited as it was, was to face off against and force Tyrian and Hazel to retreat – two individuals who are seen as Sienna's personal enforcers, and the true power behind the White Fang. Whether or not he fought hard, most White Fang grunts would have publicly seen on television the moment of Jaune Ashari forcing their retreat.**

 **That Tyrian and Hazel left of their own accord wouldn't really be known by the WF. To them, it looked like Jaune and Summer scared them off.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 39**

* * *

Winter's request that he stay out of negotiations didn't come as much of a surprise, even delivered by Qrow. He knew he'd messed up by bringing up Ghira in front of both the wife and daughter. Staying out of things was a small price to pay.

"But I'm not willing to leave you two alone."

"Hey. _I'm_ not the one engaged to an eighteen-year-old girl."

"Qrow, be serious." Jaune groaned. He turned to the red-faced Winter, no doubt embarrassed by the stupid comment. "Ignore him. He's been reading too many tabloids. I don't trust them not to try something, Adam especially."

"Y-Yes. Of course…" Winter coughed and glanced away. "Either way, I'm fine with you accompanying me for protective detail – I don't trust them either – but please refrain from saying anything… provocative. That said, I wasn't aware Adam Taurus and you had history."

He didn't. At least in this life. Then again, neither Qrow nor Winter would know that.

"He hurt a close friend of mine. Basically crippled her."

Winter gasped. "Is she…?"

"Alive." Now, at least. Yang was safe back in Vale. "It doesn't matter. I'll be on my best behaviour. I promise."

Winter nodded. "That's all I ask."

/-/

"Winter."

"C-Chieftain Belladonna."

"Nonsense. Call me Kali. I insist."

If there was one thing to say about Kali, it was that she treat people well. Even he, who had not only reminded her of her pain but also been involved, if tangentially, in the loss of her husband, received a warm handshake. Winter got a hug, and seemed unsure what to do with it, letting her hands dangle limply behind the older woman. Qrow snorted, amused.

They weren't alone, of course. Apart from the ever-present guards Kali had, there was also Adam and Blake, though he reminded himself he wasn't supposed to recognise the latter. Not that it mattered. The secret was shot there thanks to Adam.

Jaune kept his eyes off them, despite how much he wanted to catch Blake's eye and speak with her. While the two of them had never been as close as he and Ren, Nora or Ruby, the faunus was still a part of his life and a good friend. They'd travelled together, suffered together and fought together. That built bonds. Bonds Adam wouldn't test with cryptic warnings.

 _Blake looked like she hated me at the tavern, but she's just lost her father. A little anger is understandable._ It would have been more unusual if she'd _not_ been upset. As much as it pained him to admit it, it was probably a good thing she had Adam to rely on for now. Or better yet, her mother.

"Kali, then," Winter said, breaking free of the older woman's grasp. "Thank you for agreeing to see us again so soon. I'm glad your mind hasn't been decided yet."

"My decisions affect all the people of Menagerie. I can't afford to be rash. That goes both ways, of course." She gestured to Adam and Blake. "While you may have your… issues with the White Fang, it's not in Menagerie's interests to declare them terrorists."

"I… I'm not sure I understand Laws are laws, surely."

"They are, but it isn't always so simple. Come, sit. I'm sure our guards would be more comfortable if we stopped standing out here forcing them to do the same."

One or two of the faunus guards chuckled, another thanking Kali for her thoughts. They were led into a simple meeting room that might once have been a library of some sort. Many of the books were dusty from lack of use, though the two large chairs by the fire were not. Ghira and Kali might have sat together at it and reminisced on the past or hashed out matters of state over some warm tea. No longer.

Winter sat in the chair indicated, with Kali opposite. The guards took a few seats scattered around the room, content at least to _appear_ at ease, even if they were not. Blake looked irritated by something, or at least her lips were tugged down. Adam was more reserved, although, to Jaune's surprise, the man met his eyes briefly and nodded with something akin to respect.

A greeting? From Adam? He shook it off and focused on Winter and Kali once more.

"It's not a matter of politics or mistrust, but one of laws – and a little of practicality. While the White Fang to you are an obvious terrorist organisation, that is from the perspective of Atlas. We have our own perspective. Now, I'm not saying that we _agree_ with what they did. Attacking innocent civilian targets was a terrible decision, and one unworthy of the White Fang's name."

That seemed aimed at Blake, who stiffened.

"That said, what happens in one Kingdom is the business of that Kingdom, not others." Kali watched Winter's face. "I can see I've confused you. Let me give you an example. Here in Menagerie, it is illegal to discriminate against humans or faunus. Yes, despite not having many human residents, Ghira and I saw this equality ratified into law immediately. There are harsh punishments. Fines, convictions. In rare cases, even imprisonment. This is Menagerie law. It is not Atlas law."

"Atlas has faunus labour laws-" Winter began.

"Please, Winter, let's not insult one another by pretending those are the same. You know first-hand just how little those are enforced, let alone the loopholes present. Many were put there by your father's lobbying."

Winter's head fell, shame visible on her face.

"Now, I don't blame you. That would be a little unfair, no? But what I'm saying is that even with evidence brought forwards by ourselves, it would be all but impossible to accrue a conviction for anyone responsible for beating or even causing the death of faunus due to negligent business practices. We could demand extradition, stating them criminals by our law, but I'm sure you know what Atlas would say."

"Your laws aren't our laws. As a citizen of Atlas, they'd be tried by Atlas' laws."

"Precisely. We both know who that would fall in favour of. Of course, there's also matters of practicality to consider. The White Fang, violent or not, have done no harm to Menagerie or its people."

"They've done some harm to your reputation," Qrow pointed out.

Kali laughed. "Oh please, as if that's changed anything. Most of the world sees us as a backward kingdom of animal-breeding misfits anyway." While Kali seemed remarkably blasé about that, the same could not be said of the other faunus in the room, who stiffened and growled under their breath. "Whatever we do, we're always seen as rejects from the faunus wars. The very fact the White Fang is a faunus organisation would have been enough to put us in the crosshairs. Even if I personally ended each and every one of them, the people would still somehow blame us for their very existence."

Winter leaned forward. "So, you're saying you'll do nothing because it doesn't cost you anything…?"

"That makes me sound incredibly lazy, doesn't it?" Kali tittered. "But you have it the wrong way around. It's not that doing nothing would cost me nothing, but that doing something about the White Fang would cost me – and Menagerie – everything. Even if we wanted to, even if they were actively harming our people, we simply don't have the strength to declare ourselves enemies to them."

"Atlas would help."

" _If_ we wanted to fight them," Kali said. "As I said, the White Fang has broken no laws while they've been in Menagerie. Not a single bar fight they haven't broken up themselves. No theft, no vandalism. A little graffiti here and there, but Sienna has been very clear on exposing the one's responsible and letting us deal with them. More often than not brash teenagers. We had some yesterday, didn't we, Andre?"

One of the guards grunted. "Yes, Chieftain. I sent Marcus out to watch as they cleaned the walls themselves. A little community service will remind them not to vandalise property in the future."

Kali nodded. "You see? As much as the White Fang have committed crimes in Atlas, they simply haven't done anything here. More than that, they're a stabilising presence. They support our law enforcement and even help keep the Grimm away."

"For their own purposes, Kali. They're trying to appear nice so they can get more recruits."

"Of course. Do you think I didn't realise that? Even so, it doesn't change the fact no laws have been broken. Now, if they were to commit any crimes, I would not hesitate to see those responsible charged. That, of course, would apply to yourselves as well. It would be the individual, however. Unless Sienna herself orders the White Fang to do wrong in my home, I have little reason – practical or sentimental – to make enemies of them. I have to think of Menagerie as a whole. Not just my own personal feelings."

"But can it be said that you're really unbiased here?" Winter asked.

One of the guards stood. "How dare you!"

Jaune was up a moment later, though he didn't draw his weapon. It caused a chain reaction. First another guard, then Qrow, finally the rest. Somewhere in the middle, Adam had stepped in front of Blake and laid his hand on his weapon.

"Down, down. All of you." Kali waved her hands and glared each of them down, Jaune and Adam included. She didn't stop until all were seated. "Goodness. My own child was easier to herd than you people." She chuckled at the memory. "But as for bias, I think you might have it the wrong way, my dear. Would I not be biased _against_ the White Fang, considering that Ghira and I were effectively betrayed and forced out, our life's work stolen from us and then, as a direct result, my husband's life as well?"

Winter had no retort.

"Make no mistake, I do not like the Schnee name, the SDC _or_ Atlas. But I am not particularly enamoured of the White Fang, either." Kali sighed dramatically. "And yet here I am, forced to commune with both – and at the same time. What did I ever do to deserve this?"

"I would like to apologise," Winter said formally, bowing her head. "Those words were ill thought and undeserved. You've been a gracious host so far, even considering the Schnee family's historic crimes against the faunus."

"Crimes?" Kali leaned back, smiling coyly over a hand brought to her lips. "My, you would not believe how Ghira and I longed to hear a Schnee utter those words. To hear it admitted so freely."

Winter, as blunt as ever, held Kali's gaze. "There's nothing else to call it. In time, I would see it changed. Personally, if needs be. I do _not_ hold the same regard to the faunus that my father does, _despite_ the White Fang's actions."

"That would do a lot in the future to repair relations between our peoples."

"But not now?"

"The future is the future. I will hold hope, but I cannot commit to it."

"You said you don't hate the SDC, though," Qrow interrupted. "Does that mean you're against the attacks on the SDC convoys?"

"Naturally."

"Can't you call on them to stop those, then? Using violence to get what you want isn't exactly the right way to do things."

"Will the SDC sell to us?" Adam asked. "If it will, I'll try and have the attacks stopped immediately."

"Adam!" Blake hissed.

"There you have it," Kali said. "Sell to the White Fang and the attacks will cease."

It was a good deal. A wonderful deal. Sadly, Winter didn't have the option of accepting. "The laws of Atlas prevent it. We'd be labelled accessories to terrorism…"

"In that case, the attacks cannot stop," Adam said. "The White Fang needs dust. If we'd thought for a second you might sell it to us fairly, we'd have never attacked those convoys. Unfortunately, we all know you would not."

"It's not our choice," Winter tried.

"Attacking your people is not mine, either. It's a necessity for us to acquire dust."

Jaune felt like calling bullshit but, recalling his promise to Winter, refrained.

"Can't you mine it yourselves?"

Kali was quick to explain. "You might not be aware, but Menagerie was chosen as a place to send us away for more than just its distance from the more `civilised` people. It was chosen specifically because it lacks any natural dust deposits."

"All the better to keep the faunus down," Blake said. "And it was the _Schnee_ who identified the island for that purpose."

The meeting didn't get any better from there.

/-/

Lunch became an excuse to break off negotiations and let heads cool. Kali, ever the gracious host, had a spread of meals made available for them, and, more importantly, separate rooms in which to eat them. Tensions were already high enough as it was without inviting disaster.

Being an island-based kingdom, seafood was on the menu. It probably pleased Blake and explained why she liked it so much. Jaune bit into some fresh salmon, savouring the soft flesh and the explosion of flavour.

Winter picked at her own food, pushing some prawns about her plate with a fork.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"W-What? No. Of course not."

He knew better than to take her word at face value. "Winter. You know I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"I know, but…" She trailed off.

Odd. Winter had never been evasive around him before, and even if she'd aged a good five years since they first met, she was still in some ways the precocious and direct girl. If she didn't understand what he told her then she'd tell him. If she wanted clarification, she'd ask for it. The only thing that had changed since then was her being back home with her father and-

Oh.

Of course.

"I'm not going to get angry if things aren't going well, Winter. We're in this together, remember? I'm not your father – nor the Board of Directors."

Winter looked surprised, though she recovered quickly and laughed. "You're right." She shook her head ruefully. "I've picked up some bad habits. I guess it was inevitable." Her face became more serious, more honest. "I'm worried about the way things are going in all honesty. It's not Chi- Kali herself, it's not the White Fang here, either. The girl is aggressive and obviously doesn't like us, but Taurus is… more reserved than I'd expected."

Jaune hadn't failed to notice that, but still said, "What did you expect of him?"

"Violent rage. A supremacist. At the very least, someone who would rant and rage and be eager to take my head. He's actually been… quiet. Apart from his reaction to you, it almost seems like he doesn't hold any enmity towards us. He's just… doing his job."

"His job as a terrorist."

"I'm not excusing him, Jaune. Only pointing out that he hasn't been a problem. What worries me though is how long this is taking."

"It's only been two days. I thought you said this might take a week."

"Two days for us to get _nowhere_. I expected a week, yes, but that was to hash out details, to try and limit aggression and maybe work out a way to stop the senseless slaughter of SDC personnel. We're two-sevenths of the way through and I haven't even been able to get Kali to tell us whose side she's on."

"She's stalling," he realised.

"That's my thought. The question is, what for? If it's to attack us, why bother? We're outnumbered here, and the White Fang have a presence on the island that we don't. They already have the numbers to deal with us."

That was true and given the Schnee name's bad reputation with most faunus, Kali could probably have trumped up some fake charges and had them hunted through the streets. No one would have cared to hear their side of the argument. What else could she be waiting for?

Something to do with Blake?

It was possible. What exactly, he didn't know, but Kali might have been playing it slow to give Blake more reason to stay. Something about her not being willing to leave a Schnee to influence her mother. Without knowing exactly what was going on between the two of them, he couldn't say.

Whatever the case, it wasn't ideal for their purpose here. They needed a decision, and preferably before the more reckless people in Atlas started to take things into their own hands. With a possible second faunus war on the horizon, it would only take some frightened people deciding it would be a good idea to force what faunus remained out of the Kingdom, no doubt into the claws of the Grimm, to light the first spark. The White Fang would ride that.

Salem would ride it…

 _I really need to sit down and make a list of all the little changes I've caused. Most of them have been good, at least from the point of view of Ruby, Yang and Weiss. Even Pyrrha should be a little better with her sister back, and not having the same pressure of having to win everything, but the White Fang has been a definite mistake._

Was there anything else? In a word, yes. There was Sun, Emerald, RTE and Winter's presence back with the SDC. Those changes, small as they seemed, might have had more impact than he'd at first realised.

"I'll have to check when I get back."

"What was that?" Winter asked.

"Just thinking of Emerald," he said, the lie coming easily. "How are your siblings coming along?"

The distraction worked, Winter's face lighting up. "Very well! Weiss and Whitley are growing into their own, especially now that father is placing less responsibility on their shoulders. I was worried they'd be jealous at first, especially Whitley, but it hasn't been the case. He's training to be a huntsman."

"Whitley is?" he asked. Strange. He never had before.

"He's coming along very well. A little younger than Weiss, but since they're both training with me their levels are at least somewhat comparable."

That explained the revolver he'd seen on the young man's hip, but not _why_ he'd suddenly decided to change so drastically from what he had been the last time. "Any reason why he wants to become one?"

"I'm not sure myself. A part of me thinks it's a desire to make something of himself. Before, he was always convinced he'd be working in the family business, what with me on the verge of being disowned and Weiss determined to become a huntress. Now that father is supporting us both once more, Whitley doesn't have much chance of taking over."

So, becoming a huntsman was either a move to pick a new career, or maybe just an impulse decision. He'd have to keep an eye on it since, again, it was a change he was in some small way responsible for.

"Is he any good?"

Winter smirked. "You'll have to test him yourself to find out. He's less physically conditioned than Weiss, but he knows it. He fights with his mind; a very tactical combatant. He's not above a few tricks, either. I think you'll approve."

As long as Whitley was nothing like his father, he was sure he would.

"He may also have a small crush on Emerald."

"No way. Really?"

"I'm afraid so."

"But he only met her _once_."

"Yes, and he met her when the only girls he has ever met before are pampered, polite princesses playing their political games on the small scale. Well, them and his own sisters. Even if it was only for a moment, I think Emerald made _quite_ the impression on him."

He grinned lopsidedly. "Should I be worried?"

"Only for Emerald's sanity. He's been practicing poetry and singing to try and win her over."

This time, he really did laugh. "That's adorable."

Winter smiled. "Isn't it?"

/-/

The laughter through the thin walls reached Adam's ears. It was hard to decipher who exactly it was, but he expected it to be Ashari and the Schnee. Interesting that they could share mirth in a situation like this.

Blake's fist slammed down on the table. She stood, face clouded with anger.

"Blake?" he asked.

"Going for a walk," she hissed. "Don't wait up." She stormed away from the table before he could offer a word, opening the door and then slamming it audibly behind him. The laughter on the opposite side of the wall paused for a moment, as had likely been her intent.

Adam sighed. He should have known it would set her off. She'd probably been trying to listen in, prepared to catch them in some lie or scandal. He wasn't sure if Blake's anger towards Atlas and the SDC was the sole cause here, or whether she was angrier than usual because her hated enemies had come into her family's home.

When you couldn't even feel at peace within your own home, where could you?

"Oh dear," Kali said, a hand before her lips. "She always had a temper, but…"

"It's become worse of late. At least since they arrived." Adam bowed his head towards their host. "I'd like to apologise on her behalf."

"You want to apologise for _my_ daughter being rude?" Kali's smile was equal parts amused and tired. Outside of the meeting hall, away from prying eyes, her exhaustion showed. There were bags under her eyes, and they were red from what he knew were doubtless bouts of crying. This was a woman falling apart, one who could not afford to fall apart because of everything that rested on her shoulders.

"I feel I should apologise anyway. I'm the one who led her astray."

"Blake isn't so weak-willed as to follow someone she doesn't agree with. And to my eyes, it looks like the opposite is true." Kali watched him, her eyes piercing through his mask. "I hope you don't mine me saying, Adam, but neither Ghira nor I ever really… appreciated your being around our daughter."

The news didn't surprise him. "I'm sorry."

"Ghira was always afraid you would influence her. I saw something in you that worried me. Passion, yes, but a passion aimed in a direction Ghira and I had once tread. We didn't want to see Blake make the same mistakes we had."

"It must be your worst fears confirmed."

"It is, but more about Blake than you. You've matured, Adam."

Somehow, it didn't feel a compliment.

"It's not a natural maturation. I'd say it's something similar to what Ghira once faced, the shock of doing something you regret, of facing up to the reality that words are so much easier than actions. Living with the regret that comes as a part of it. With the guilt."

His stomach churned, unwelcome images flashing through his mind. "I've tried to limit casualties…"

"I can tell." Kali moved, reaching one hand towards him. She stopped an inch from him, silently asking permission. When he didn't refuse, she gently took the mask off and looked at him. He wasn't sure what she saw, but it must have been terrible for her face softened. "Your thoughts are written across your face."

"That bad?"

"No one your age should wear a face like that. I suppose I should be grateful that even twisted with anger, Blake doesn't feel doubt as you do. There is bliss in ignorance."

"For however long it lasts," he said, taking the mask back. He considered putting it on, but the porcelain felt heavy and suffocating. He laid it on the table instead. "Things weren't supposed to be this way. Not with the White Fang, not with Ghira, and certainly not with Blake."

"Plans have a way of running away from us."

"I realise that now. I don't believe we started wrong. Action _is_ needed. Your methods, Kali, they never worked. So long as we remained peaceful and easily quashed, people were willing to overlook and ignore us. No one _wanted_ change. It's just… It wasn't supposed to be another faunus war. It feels like we're headed for one despite the Schnee's efforts to stop it."

"Just like the humans don't want to treat us equally, I'm not sure Sienna wants peace."

"No." Adam's eyes hardened. "Or if not her, those two she relies on. They're the real power behind the White Fang and everyone knows it. I can't tell if Sienna is complicit or being forced. Either way, she doesn't do anything without speaking to them first." He sighed. "It's all I can do to stay with Blake. Look after her. What little she lets me…"

"I appreciate all you can do," Kali said.

He nodded back. "What of the Schnee and these ambassadors? You've been trying not to make a decision."

Kali leaned back in her seat and brought a hand up to her forehead. She looked incredibly frail for a moment, or, if not frail, weathered. Adam wondered how much sleep she'd gotten recently. As much as he, no doubt. The nights were never easy.

"What decision can I make?" Kali smiled bitterly. "You may come here from the White Fang, but it's a token gesture and everyone knows it. If I reject you, I'll be removed. Banished if I'm fortunate, but we both know it won't come to that. An accident or a violent expulsion. Branded a race traitor in Menagerie of all places. I'd never survive. On top of that, Blake is dedicated to your cause. If I don't support you, I leave her to suffer alone. She's already lost her father. Can she really afford to lose her mother as well?"

Adam remained silent.

"And of course, that means declaring my intent against Atlas, doesn't it? Dragging the people of Menagerie into a conflict they're not ready for. Damned if I do and damned if I don't. The White Fang will have their support base either way. Through alliance, or through a coup. Tell me, Adam, what am I to do in this situation?"

"I don't know…"

Kali chuckled. "Then you're as I am right now. It's all I can do to stall, to try and drag it out and hope the flames of war burn down to embers. Of course, take too long and I'll suffer for it. No matter what I choose, someone suffers."

There was little he could say. As much as it galled him, the White Fang _had_ become the kind of organisation that would push Kali's hand. Tyrian would not hesitate to kill her if it saved him a little time. Sienna would not hesitate to order it. It would no doubt be blamed on the Schnee party, leading to war justification over the murder of both Ghira _and_ Kali Belladonna.

In fact, the plan seemed so simple, so certain, that he couldn't help but wonder why it had not already been arranged. Blake, probably. And him. Sienna didn't want to lose either of them at this important juncture.

"I'm sorry, Kali. If I could go back, if I could change things, I would…"

"No one can travel through time, Adam. It's up to us to live with the consequences of our actions, good or bad. My only request… is that you be there for my daughter. Help her to live with the consequences of her decisions."

Adam bowed his head. "I swear it. Whatever happens, I'll stand by her." His eyes slid to the door Blake had left through, and he picked up his mask with a sigh. "If you'll excuse me, I should probably try and find her."

"Yes. Make sure she isn't harassing my other guests please."

The mask settled back into place and Adam was out the door, nodding briefly to one of Kali's guards. That the man straightened and nodded back was a poor sign for Kali. If support for the White Fang was already so widespread, her reluctance to form an alliance might already be making its way back to Sienna. She could not stall for much longer.

Adam wished it could be different.

 _We could have made ourselves seem the honourable ones in this engagement. Atlas killed Ghira in cold blood, but we look no better. If Sienna had listened to me, we could have taken and released prisoners. We could have won some emotional support from the other Kingdoms, not enough to be recognised, but to stave off a full-scale war._

Kali's words echoed in his mind, that Sienna might not _want_ peace.

 _Could we win another faunus war if it came to it? Maybe. We won the last. But Atlas has been advancing ever since, and Menagerie is barren when it comes to dust. No. We'd be swept aside on the battlefield. Our only hope has always been hit and run, but with the biggest population centre of faunus being an island…_

There was nowhere to run. If Atlas wanted to remove their support base, they could bomb Menagerie and there wasn't anything those living there could do about it. The fledgling kingdom would be wiped from the map.

"This is suicide. We can't fight this war…"

Sienna was going to get them killed.

"-cialist."

Blake's voice. Adam tilted his head and moved towards it, wondering who she was speaking to.

"Yes. Yes, I'm sure. It's him."

She must have been on her scroll, because there was no response he could hear.

"She's coming around. It's just taking time. No, you can't push her. She lost Dad. She needs ti- I know, I know. It'll happen, I'm telling you. The bigger problem is-" Blake cut off, eyes wide as she noticed Adam stood before her, arms crossed. "I have to go," she said into the scroll. "No, no. Nothing's wrong. Bye."

She ended the call quickly and pulled the flimsiest smile he'd ever seen.

"Was that Sienna?"

"Just a report."

"Why are you reporting to her? I was put in charge here."

Blake's eyes slipped away. "Adam, it's not what you think."

"Oh? Seems to me it is. She doesn't trust me, does she?"

"Damn it, Adam. What do you want me to say? No. No, she doesn't trust you. Why should she? You go against her orders nine times out of ten. You question her methods. You question Tyrian and Hazel. You even run around behind _my back_ to speak with humans. No. She absolutely doesn't trust you to do this properly, and I'm not surprised!"

Adam held her gaze firmly, letting the words – and the hurt – was over him.

Her expression fell once she realised. "N-No, I didn't mean it like that."

"I think you did."

"No. No, no, no." She reached out to grab his arm, but he hadn't tried to turn or leave in the first place. "Adam, please, I'm not saying _I_ don't trust you. It's Sienna. A-And I mean, it's not a surprise, is it? You had to know she doesn't trust you." She laughed nervously. "It's not exactly a well-kept secret."

"It's not. But I didn't expect my own girlfriend to be spying and reporting back on me."

And it hurt more than he'd expected it would. Perhaps in the darker parts of his mind, he'd anticipated it, but anticipation didn't mean acceptance. He'd still hoped she wouldn't, or that it would just be his pessimism flaring up.

Proven wrong on both accounts, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to think or feel.

Blake didn't, either. "I'm not spying on _you_ ," she said weakly. "It's… I'm reporting _as well_ as you. Not on what you're doing, but what's happening. And I'm doing this to help you."

"How does that work?"

"Sienna doesn't trust you. Tyrian and Hazel don't trust you. That's bad, Adam. That's really bad. If it gets much worse, they might think it safer to get rid of you. I don't want that, and if it makes them feel better that I keep an eye on you, that's what I'll do." She touched his hands. Hers felt cold. "Don't you see? I'm doing this for you."

For the first time in his life, Adam thought he might have hated her.

The sentiment was buried quickly.

"Alright." He couldn't force a smile, but he could pretend it didn't hurt. In the end, this wasn't about him. He'd promised to look after her and that was what he'd do. "I'll leave it be, but what do Tyrian and Hazel have to do with this?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Adam met her amber eyes, looking deep into them. "You know I don't trust them, Blake. They're bad news. Stay away from them."

"I know, I know." She stepped forward and gave him a quick hug. "Trust me, Adam. I know what I'm doing."

/-/

"Another day of nothing achieved," Qrow complained as they reached their inn once more. "I swear, this trip isn't nearly as exciting as I thought it'd be."

"That would be a good thing," Winter snarked.

"Yeah. Just sayin'…"

"Maybe less of the saying," Jaune said, feeling equally as tired. And that was without him having to handle all the back and forth Winter had. With her suspicions that Kali was stalling in the air, he'd paid more attention to what was and wasn't said and had to say that Winter was on the money. Kali wasn't saying anything of value. Much of the conversation was explanations of law, difficulty and discussions that bordered on sophistry. Nothing that they could rely on. Nothing that could be used to bring things to a peaceful conclusion.

It was vexing. He had no idea what to do short of confronting Kali himself, and that had `bad idea` written all over it.

"I'm going downstairs," he said. "Gonna see if I can't get an idea of what's going on from some locals."

"Is that a good idea?" Qrow asked.

 _I can do it safer,_ his silence seemed to say.

"It's late. It'll be easier to do some proper scouting tomorrow during the day when people are outside and chatting. Right now, everyone is inside where it's warm. Even the birds are asleep."

Subtle it was not. Qrow's eyes widened marginally, but he nodded and leaned back into his seat, content to leave the questions for now and accept the decision. People wouldn't jump immediately to Qrow being some kind of magical transformation bird if they saw a crow acting unusual, but the fact remained that if a bird flew into a building, it would draw attention or be shooed out. Qrow would be better used in the light of day.

"I'll keep an eye on Winter, then," he said. "Good luck and try not to get drunk."

"Hah. I'll leave that to you."

"Me?" Qrow looked genuinely confused. "I never drink on the job."

"Right. Forgot." Another thing he'd changed. No telling if that was a good or bad thing, but at least Qrow's liver would thank him. _Really not sure what I did to turn him off alcohol, though. I'm not taking the blame for this one._

The tavern was at it had been the night before. Quiet, quieter still for his appearance, and with a general lack of warmth to the human in their midst. At least this time the bartender didn't look confused to see him, nodding grudgingly as he sat down.

"Usual?"

Jaune smiled. "Please."

Drink received and paid for, Jaune sipped silently, trusting that the silence would dissipate once the faunus realised he was just there to drink. True enough, after two or three minutes where he caused no trouble, people began to talk again. Quietly at first, but then with increased volume. Some laughter broke out, along with the _clink-clink_ of glasses and wood bumping together.

There were three elderly faunus off to the left talking about the war. The old war, that was. Reminiscing, though not in a morbid way but rather on friendships made and lost. He wondered if it was the current state of affairs that brought talk of war to their minds, or if this was just a special occasion.

Another pair were talking about something more mundane. Relationship issues. A third table were joking about this or that, including a derogatory joke where the punchline was that a Schnee put his own children to work in the mines. The faunus laughed at the coarse jibe.

When the stool beside him scraped back, he paused. Adam, again? Once might be an accident, but twice in a row spoke of more. Jaune glanced over and opened his mouth to say so, only to freeze at what he saw.

"Ashari. Isn't it?" Blake asked. The shock must have shown on his face. She crossed her arms. "I guess Adam was right about you knowing me. You wouldn't look like that otherwise. How? I don't think I've ever met you."

She hadn't, and neither had he – but his mind grasped for the one excuse. "You were at the protest in Atlas."

"You remember that?" She was shocked. "You could remember _one face_ in the crowd? That's… ridiculous. I've completely changed since then, not to mention the mask." Behind it, her eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you. There's no way you could recognise me by my hair, eyes and chin, not against someone you saw almost five years ago."

"I do." It was the only thing he could say, really. "Not just you, though. I recognised Adam from it."

She held his gaze for a moment, before letting out a breath. "You must have a memory like a computer."

"Something like that." He grinned, genuinely pleased to have a chance to talk to her alone, away from Adam and the rest of the White Fang. "Did you have something you wanted to say to me? If it's about your father, I'm sorry. I knew he was innocent; Ironwood did as well. He was in the middle of proving it when…"

"I get it." Blake's teeth were gritted. "Just… Don't talk about him. Please."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well…" She cut herself off.

 _Sorry doesn't bring him back._

"I'm not here for that," she said. "I'm here…" She hesitated. "Adam sought you out, spoke to you. He seems to think you're worthy of respect. I can't say I agree, but he can make his own decisions."

A little more surprise flickered through him. Adam respected him? What?

"You're working for Atlas," she said. "You're on the other side."

"I'm not on anyone's side, Blake. I don't work for Atlas. I volunteered to come here, partly because Winter was a student of mine and I didn't want to see her hurt, partly because I don't want another faunus war. It would tear Remnant apart."

Blake's hands clenched. "You could just give us what we want. Equal rights. Genuine laws that stop people from mistreating us."

"If I could do that, I would…"

Jaune allowed himself a chance to look his old friend over. Blake looked so incredibly frustrated, so incredibly _let down_. She'd never wanted what the White Fang had become, but he could understand why she'd gotten wrapped up in it. She'd explained as much. A person could only take being beat down so many times before they got angry. The White Fang's goals weren't horrible, just their methods.

It was early, but this wasn't so far off the time Blake would cut ties and escape. Close enough for him to take a risk.

"You know this isn't the right way to do things, Blake. The killing… It's not right. You're not wrong to want things to be better, but the way the White Fang does things is tearing the Kingdoms apart. It's tearing you apart, too."

"W-What?"

"There are other options. Other ways to make change."

"Peaceful negotiation?" she spat. "We tried that. Mom and Dad tried that for _decades_. It didn't work. Politics, getting elected? Yeah, good luck. Try that when every single human in power wants to keep you down. There was actually an Atlas Councillor that was almost faunus, but a scandal ended his career at the last second. It was later proved to be false, but by then the damage was done. Faunus don't get a fair chance."

"I'm not saying it'll be easy, but killing…? I know you hate that."

"You don't-" She bit the words off and looked away. "That's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

Maybe it was too soon, or maybe she was already doubting the White Fang and he was only twisting the knife, hurting here more. "Okay. What was it you wanted to talk about?"

"It's about this." Her hand waved towards the room. "About your mission here, about… about Mom." Her eyes closed. "Adam says you already know we're related."

"I do," he admitted.

"Tch. Surprised you didn't say something."

"It wouldn't have made the meeting any less awkward."

She sighed. "I guess not. Look, I wanted to make a few things clear. Can we speak candidly?"

"Of course."

Blake looked around awkwardly. "Not here. The White Fang have an image to uphold."

"Right." He downed his drink to hide the sarcastic twist of his lips. The White Fang wanted to look like the good guys to the rest of their people, so they couldn't be seen to curse out a peaceful Atlas ambassador or admit any of their plans. "You have somewhere in mind?"

"Just the street. Somewhere we won't have to worry about eavesdroppers." She seemed surprised when he stood and gestured for her to lead. "You accept?"

"Sure."

"You… Why would you agree to leave with someone you don't even know?"

 _Because I trust you._

It was what he thought, but what he couldn't say. He'd look an idiot if he did and, without any history between them, possibly a creep as well. He had no reason in this lifetime to trust her and given that she'd joined a terrorist group, he really shouldn't.

But he knew her better than that. Knew her beyond the White Fang. She wouldn't be a part of it forever, and one day she'd decide to leave. From the stories she'd told her team, some of which filtered through to his, she'd always been reluctant to harm innocents.

"You don't make any sense," she growled, frustrated. "Fine. It's what I want, so it's not a problem."

She turned and flounced away, expecting him to follow. One or two patrons watched, but their curiosity didn't extend to getting up and following. The moment they were out the door, they were essentially alone. Although, someone could walk out at any time.

"Here." Blake nodded to a side street, dark at the late hour but empty of people. The two of them slipped into an alley of sorts, little more than a narrow road between two buildings, connecting one street to another. "This should do." She sighed again. "I can't believe you would just come out here with one of us, without even asking what for…"

"What can I say? I think you're trustworthy. I'm good at judging people." He leaned against one wall and crossed his arms. "So, what was it that couldn't be said in front of others?"

Blake opened her mouth but cut off when hurried footsteps sounded behind them. The head of the alley was cut off by hooded figures. Turning, Jaune realised the way they'd come was equally closed off. Crocea Mors was in his hand a moment later. Pushing Blake behind him, he faced those in front, spying the faint sight of white masks under their hoods.

Damn it. He'd been arrogant to think he wouldn't be watched.

"Blake, I'll cut through those in front. When I make an opening, you need to run."

Blake sighed. "That won't be necessary."

Pain lanced through his back, drawing a cry and a reflexive slamming of his aura into place – too late by far to prevent the damage. He'd not thought to activate it, not for once thinking his back might be in danger.

Stumbling to one knee, he looked back, back to Blake and the blood that soaked the blade of Gambol Shroud.

* * *

 **I'd just like to quickly remind people – since I've heard this comment a few times in the reviews – that Jaune does not have all the information and different PoV segments that you do. He doesn't have any reason to suspect Blake had been driven to the White Fang. All he knew was that she was in it (as she was in the original timeline) and that her dad died, which excused her aggressiveness to him in the first meeting with Kali, as Jaune was partly involved in that.**

 **Jaune doesn't know that Adam has been trying to temper her. He doesn't know that Blake's been killing people. All he knows is that Blake was a close friend in his last life (and genuinely one if the hug between them in S6 is anything to go by), and that Adam was a mortal enemy and a psycho. Jaune has bias and, up until this chapter, had never seen anything to speak against it other than Adam's word in a tavern – which he is hardly going to trust. Blake is one of his friends. She died fighting alongside him. He isn't going to instantly jump to her being evil because Ghira died. That would be silly. His own bias in seeing her as a friend aside, he has future knowledge that suggests she'll not be loyal to the White Fang.**

 **People have been asking why he hasn't noticed and why he is so dumb, but the reality is that seeing is believing. He needed to see it. At the time, he hadn't even heard** _ **rumours**_ **that Blake was active in the White Fang, so jumping to "Oh no, I changed the timeline" would have been horrendously meta, and also OoC. I think that most people realise this, but there are always some vocal ones that don't, so here you go.**

 **Of course, this might just be the `proof` he needs.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	40. Chapter 40

**Here we go. Not much to say other than our silly troll pretending to be other people and making racist comments is back, having retained his dedication to stupidity over the Christmas break. That's impressive, I suppose. Like someone headbutting a wall over and over would be considered an impressive display of dedication to a pointless task.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 40**

* * *

Jaune's aura slammed into place but the damage was done. He hadn't thought to shield his back, trusting his old friend and comrade to protect it. The thought that she might not hadn't crossed his mind. He staggered away from her, confused, disbelieving. Blake, Team RWBY's Blake, one of his best friends, had stabbed him in the back. Jaune gasped, one eye scrunched shut through the pain. The wound hurt, but her attack cut far deeper, straight into his heart.

"Why?"

"That would be because of me." A large, heavy-set figure stepped forth from the ranks of the White Fang behind him, muscles and broad with tanned skin. Though he wore the White Fang mask, it barely fit his face. "We meet again, Jaune Ashari."

"Hazel Rainart…"

Blake rushed past him, her sleeve brushing against his arm. Jaune knew he should have stopped her, taken her hostage, but his mind was still sluggish. He watched her run up to Hazel, pumping what aura he could to his injury and activating his Semblance. The wound would close given time.

"You've done well, Blake," Hazel said, placing a hand atop Blake's shoulder. "Debilitating but not fatal. You serve the White Fang well."

Blake nodded. "Of course." Her eyes flicked back to his, "It was… surprisingly easy to get him out here."

Shame and anger pooled in his gut. Damn it. Jaune grit his teeth and cursed himself. What an idiot he'd been. If it had been anyone else – _anyone else_ – he wouldn't have agreed to follow them outside alone. He'd let his guard down, trusting too much in a person he considered one of his best friends. The fact that Adam of all people had warned him about this only made it worse. Jaune looked about the White Fang quickly, only to find the man missing. Gasping, he turned back to Hazel and Blake.

"Do you really think the White Fang will get away with this? What, you think one of the ambassadors from Atlas goes missing in Menagerie and people will think it an accident? Don't be ridiculous. This is going to mean war."

"Perhaps," Hazel admitted, "But that depends on what your allies choose. Rest assured, they will not be harmed if you come peacefully. No one need die this day."

"Generous of you."

"It is. Consider your situation. You're surrounded, injured, and even at your best you might struggle to defeat me." Hazel said it without arrogance, his voice calm and reasoning, like a teacher explaining something to a child. "Worse yet, if you call your allies for aid they will be placed in grave danger. Trapped in the middle of Menagerie, it would be a bloodbath. From there, news of the fallen Schnee heiress would be the final spark required to ignite a war. The bloodshed would be immense."

"Alternatively, you could come with me and meet my employer. Your friend would be spared."

Blake looked to Hazel. "This wasn't part of the agreement."

"It is now, Blake."

"But you answer to Sienna."

"Our relationship is a little more complicated than that. Suffice to say, Sienna knows what is happening and understands. Worry not. You won't be going against her orders."

"But letting the Schnee escape…"

"The White Fang's conflict with the Schnee is but a small factor of this conflict. There is no need for unnecessary violence at this time."

Blake looked troubled; Jaune pounced on that.

"He's not loyal to the White Fang, Blake." he called. "Not loyal to Sienna, either. He's owned by another – someone who isn't faunus at all and doesn't care a whit for your cause. All she cares about is causing a war, and you and yours are the pawns."

"That-" Blake shook her head, scowled and brought her weapon forth. "Like I'd believe you. You're with Atlas. You killed my father."

"Blake-"

"Don't say my name like you know me!"

"Blake." Hazel's hand on her shoulder tightened in warning. He drew her back just a little, facing Jaune once more. "Enough. Your only option is to surrender to us. Drag your friends in and they will die. Don't cost them their lives for your arrogance. My orders are to take you alive. Take solace in that. If she wanted you dead, we would not waste our time with this. You need not die here."

Alive. Salem wanted him alive. For what, he had no idea. That frightened him. He was the only one who knew the future and while he'd never tell her, he wasn't sure she didn't have some esoteric way of getting it out of him. Armed with future knowledge, she could end this conflict early. She'd know exactly who the maidens were, where to find them, and who the biggest threats to her future reign might be. Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Ren, Nora and Pyrrha. They'd all be killed as children.

Gritting his teeth, he dragged Crocea Mors up into a guard position.

"Don't be a fool," Hazel remarked. "Do you believe Ozpin will support you if you are caught here, or that he might rescue you? If he acknowledges that an ambassador was harmed on Menagerie soil, it will force Atlas to act. They would condemn Menagerie, forcing them into the White Fang's hands. He won't do that. It would cost Remnant too much. Instead, he will bury knowledge of you. Oh, I am sure he will feel bad about it, or convince himself that he does, but he will make the decision he believes is best, no matter what it costs."

The worst part about Hazel trying to worm his way under his skin was that it was working so well; the man knew Ozpin or knew enough about him. The Headmaster would _hate_ making such a decision, but he'd all but have to. Worse, it was a decision Jaune could approve of. Damn it. Then again, Hazel wasn't the only one who knew things he shouldn't.

"Like your sister, Hazel? I wonder what she would think. She might hate Ozpin for failing her, but what would she think of her dear older brother for doing this?"

Hazel was an immovable rock but for a moment, for the briefest instance, his form shook. The anger never reached further, never showed in those empty eyes, but it had been there. "I can see why she is so interested in you now, Jaune Ashari. I'll enjoy helping her drag those secrets from you." He raised a hand. "Bring him down."

The White Fang closed in quickly from both sides of the enclosed alleyway. The space limited them to four abreast with little room to swing a weapon. They were rough and, for the most part, untrained. But that was still eight-to-one odds and he was draining aura. His wound had stopped bleeding, but it took concentration.

Reaching under his jacket, he pulled out a small metallic cylinder, flicked the hoop-ring out of it with his thumb and tossed it on the ground in front of him. With his other arm, he covered his face and eyes.

"Flash!" a smarter terrorist shouted in warning.

The _bang_ was sharp and sudden, and despite his closed eyes and the arm before him, dark spots still danced in his vision. His opponents had it worse, particularly with their night vision so late in the evening. Staggering and in some cases having fallen to their knees to paw at their eyes, they were unprepared for his counter-attack. The first fell as he slammed the hilt of his sword into the back of their head, the faunus having managed to turn himself around in his blindness. The second was quickly disarmed and brought down by a punishing blow to the underside of his chin.

It would have been easier to kill them, he contemplated, but that would leave even more problems behind. If the White Fang killed him and Winter and Qrow reported it, Menagerie would be blamed and dragged into the war. If the White Fang here were killed and he escaped, _Atlas_ would be blamed, and Menagerie would be forced into the war. The politics behind the skirmish were messy, exactly what Hazel wanted.

Rushing through the melee, he backhanded and tripped those who got in his way. Hooked his arm around the necks of others and threw them into their friends. Stomped, kicked and rammed heads into nearby walls. In the midst of it he came across Blake, one hand on the wall to keep herself upright while she waved Gambol Shroud limply in front of her. Jaune's hands twitched, caught between a desire to both help and clothesline her.

Hazel took the option away, crashing down on him with a distorted roar. His eyes and muscles were already glowing faintly, proof of the dust he'd injected into himself. The first blow Jaune caught on the flat of his sword. He grunted as he was pushed back a few inches, one foot digging down for purchase. Hazel _ground_ the fist into him, forcing Crocea Mors down through raw strength alone as his other drew back. Jaune cursed and dropped to one knee, giving up the fight entirely and letting Hazel knock him back. Better to be thrown back then hit by the big bastard.

Landing softly a foot or so back, Jaune skipped a few more paces out of reach and watched his opponent. Hazel was one of the most difficult of Salem's lieutenants. Cinder was complicated due to her range advantage, and Tyrian was fast and could – with his tail – deal a fatal blow very easily, but Hazel was one of the few who could take a beating and continue to dish it out. He could end a fight quickly or drag it on, winning through endurance. He'd been capable of facing multiple huntsmen in the past, and even at the end had taken a couple of his friends down with him.

 _I don't fancy my odds here. Chance of escape?_

A quick glance behind showed the White Fang already getting to their feet. While not individually a problem, nor even in their limited numbers, they would bog him down through the sheer press of bodies, giving Hazel a chance to catch him and knock him out. Aura or not, Hazel would hold him down and keep punching until even the crust of Remnant gave way.

Gunfire would draw attention; that would be bad. Explosives would do the same, not to mention the risk of innocent casualties. His fingers brushed against different options under his coat, but each went ignored. This wasn't a good fight. His options were too limited.

Hazel's weren't. He closed in again, bringing both hands down in an overhead attack. Jaune ducked back and was knocked even further as dust expelled from the giant's arms, exploding against the ground. Jaune landed and rolled but was quick to get back on his feet. He swept Crocea Mors around as he did, forcing the White Fang suddenly all around him to back up. He was barely able to get it back in front in time to block Hazel's follow-up attack.

His bones grated with each punch he blocked. He tried to deflect them where he could, knocking them aside. His shield would have been even more useless, giving Hazel a large target to pound on until Jaune's shoulder broke. Instead, he tried to crate space where he could, occasionally throwing out his own attack. Hazel batted one such swipe away with the back of an aura-coated hand and brought his fist down and under, up towards Jaune's stomach. Left open, Jaune tensed and brought his knee up to block.

A pained grunt left him as Hazel followed through, expelling dust directly into his shin. His aura flexed and held, but the sheer power behind it still snapped his leg back, sending pain lancing up his pelvis. Nothing was broken, but he limped back, cutting toward Hazel's neck and forcing the larger man to take a step back.

"You're outmatched, Ashari," Hazel said calmly. "You're only making this harder on yourself."

"Gee. Fancy me not wanting to go and visit Sa-" Someone came up behind him and this time he was ready. Spinning, he brought Crocea Mors up, slamming the cleaver away, reversed and brought it down.

Blake's eyes widened.

"Shit," he hissed, pulling back at the last second. He wasn't able to stop entirely – and with her in his guard, couldn't afford to. He pushed forward instead and rammed his sword into her face, catching her with the flat and a little of the guard. Something cracked, and blood poured from her nose. Her aura prevented any more damage, but she fell with a startled cry.

Hazel's fist buried itself in the small of his back – straight into the mostly-healed wound Blake had left him. Jaune's lungs were all but crushed, breath exploding from his mouth as he folded back, staggered and then fell to one knee, tripping over Blake's body as he did. His sword fell, his arms wrapped about his stomach as he tried to breathe. The wound had re-opened and was bleeding profusely. His vision swam, and he tried to get back up onto one knee, only to bowl back over and retch violently.

"Collect and bind him. There's a Bullhead waiting to take him away."

"Yes, sir. Thatcher, get the-"

A howling gale struck the alley, throwing the speaker to the floor. It was as sudden as it was impossible, a localised hurricane that came in a fraction of a second. It was followed by an agonised scream cut off, and the tell-tale sound of feet hitting the pavement. Jaune struggled to see what was happening but could only make out Hazel's legs and those of the other White Fang.

That and the cries of shock, rage and panic. Steel clashed against steel, followed by the sickening squelch of flesh. Whistling heralded death, even as another far stronger gale hurtled through the narrow space, toppling Blake back over his body and sending them both down in a tangle of limbs. It was followed by a crack of thunder from the heavens. The night before had been calm. It still was.

"A Maiden," Hazel whispered. Shock mixed with irritation, but also a subtle hint of pleasure. He looked down to Jaune and grunted, then stepped back and turned away, leaving the White Fang to their fate.

The black and red figure tore through them easily, her long, crimson sword dancing from throat to throat, ribcage to thigh, hip to shoulder. Fully masked, Raven showed none of the mercy he'd tried to and cut through the faunus like a scythe might wheat. Spinning and twisting, she made it look easy, like a dancer on a stage. Not one of the terrorists managed to strike her back, despite the many who tried. Those that came close were blasted away by fierce winds as the woman's eyes burned with an unnatural fire behind her mask.

"R-Raven," he croaked, trying to stand. His arm got tangled with Blake's as she did the same, struggling to get up and fight the woman. She scrambled for Gambol Shroud, and Jaune had the presence of mind to kick her feet out from under her before she could. The girl stumbled with a yelp and cracked her head on the floor. Though she groaned, she remained conscious, aura having softened the blow.

Disarming one of the last remaining faunus, Raven gripped their sword and hauled it out their hands, the other holding her own as it pinned the man to the wall. He gasped and struggled on the blade but slumped and fell when she drew her weapon free. Turning her back on the dying man, she strolled towards him, sword point dripping blood onto the floor.

"You nearly fell to this rabble? I'm disappointed. Has Vale made you that weak?"

Blake cursed and rolled over to reach for her weapon. She gasped when Raven's boot stepped on her wrist, the older woman looking down on her with bright red eyes.

"Adorably." Raven kicked Blake in the face quickly, stunning her, and then placed her foot on the younger girl's shoulder to roll her onto her back. She tried to move, but Raven pushed down on her stomach, keeping her pinned. Her sword reversed, held up vertically and ready to come down through Blake's breastbone.

Blake struggled wildly.

"Good night, girl."

"RAVEN, NO!" Jaune lunged as best he could, only just managing to slap the side of her sword with his bare hand. It was a weak slap but she hadn't accounted for it. The strike came down to the side of Blake's neck, missing by a few inches. The girl shivered.

Raven tutted and looked his way, demanding an explanation.

"D-Don't kill her. She's important."

"Hm. You'll have to explain that to me later." Raven regarded Blake for a moment before she sighed and stepped off. The young faunus' relief was short lived as she immediately stomped down, striking Blake across the face with the heel of her boot. Blake's body shook and her head snapped back. She slumped, unconscious.

Content with her display of savagery, not to mention the bodies all around, Raven stepped over the unconscious girl and looked down at him. She didn't offer a hand. It probably didn't even cross her mind to.

"You look like shit."

"They… caught me by surprise."

Still unimpressed, Raven raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"I… underestimated them. And there was another, one of Salem's lieutenants." Her eyes widened behind her mask. "He saw you," Jaune said. "I'm sorry. He figured out what you are."

"Shit." Raven summed it up with admirable accuracy. "Well, the secret wouldn't have lasted forever. They had to already know the Spring Maiden came to my tribe. They would have come for me eventually." Raven nudged his shoulder with her foot. "You going to stand?"

"Y-You going to offer me a hand?"

"No. Why?"

Groaning, Jaune rolled onto his front, panted for a few seconds and then pushed himself up onto his knees. It was easier from there, though when he reached out to grab onto something, he gripped Raven's belt. Naturally, not wanting to admit weakness, she allowed it, letting him drag himself up by virtue of her clothing. Luckily, it held.

"You're welcome," she drawled.

"Thank you." Sarcasm or not, she deserved it. "And thanks for saving me. How did you know?"

"Semblance. Felt it. Ask Qrow the rules. He'll tell-"

"Everyone gets one, right?"

Raven stilled for a moment, watching him from the corner of one eye. "You always did know more than you ought to. I'll take a wild guess and say that's why Salem wants you."

"You'd be right."

"Of course." Raven sighed. "And I assume the consequences of her gaining said knowledge would be catastrophic. As if there weren't enough problems with Ozpin and the Relics." She paused, watched him, and then rolled her eyes at his lack of a reaction. "And of course you know about those. Why wouldn't you?"

It occurred to him he should have acted with a little more confusion, but considering how his back was shredded, he felt he could be forgiven. Concentrating for a moment, he saturated the area with his aura and focused on healing the damage. Hazel was a monster of a combatant, though even he wouldn't have been able to do so much so quickly if it weren't for Blake's sneak attack. Stinging from the betrayal, Jaune glared down at his unconscious former friend.

"I fucked up."

"Tell me about it. I can sense Qrow nearby. I presume you want me to act as your glorified taxi service now."

"I-I'll pay you back for it."

"Yes, you will."

Raven drew her sword and tensed for a moment, before she brought it down in a one-handed swing, tearing a red and black portal into the space in front of them. Gripping Jaune's arm, she pulled him towards it, stepping through with him behind her.

In the small room they stepped into, Qrow, Winter and a hooded figure leapt to their feet. Winter and the figure drew their weapons.

"Raven!?" Qrow hasped, and then quickly snapped a hand out in front of Winter. "Wait, put that down. She's…" He hesitated, eyes sliding to Jaune. "An ally. Of sorts…"

Raven chuckled. "Charming."

"Who is she?" Winter asked. "How did she get here? What's going on, I-" Her eyes widened as she saw him, slumped over with one hand on his stomach, blood dripping onto the floor. "Jaune!" Concern over Raven forgotten, Winter rushed over to take him, the older woman happily letting Winter support his injured self. "Sit down," she said, leading him to a bed. "Qrow, contact Kali Belladonna, see if we can get some medical attention."

"That-" He hissed as Winter touched the wound. "Ah! T-That wouldn't be a good idea."

Judging from the scowl on Qrow's face he already knew the answer, but he asked anyway. "Why?"

"Because the White Fang just stabbed me in the back."

"So," the hooded figure said, "I was too late."

Looking towards the man, Jaune couldn't find it in himself to be surprised. Not in the slightest. "Adam."

"Ashari," Adam returned, nodding politely. Even so, his hand touched his sheathed weapon. "Blake. Did you…?"

"Alive. Unconscious, but alive."

Adam breathed a sigh of relief, releasing his sword and letting his hand fall to his side. The cloak covered him once more, leaving only his face, bare of even a mask, revealed. "Then I thank you for your restraint."

"Adam came here to warn us that we had to leave," Qrow said, shooting the faunus a cautious, but not antagonistic, look. "Said that someone was coming for us, someone we might not be able to deal with."

"Hazel Rainart," Jaune said.

Qrow stiffened.

Adam nodded. "Yes. I assume you already met with him? I'm amazed you managed to escape."

"I nearly didn't." He nodded to Raven. "Had a little help."

Raven snorted and crossed her arms, kicking one foot back to rest on the wall as she leaned against it and closed her eyes. She'd removed her helmet and mask at some point, though she refused to acknowledge Qrow and his confused expression.

"I wasn't able to prevent a tragedy, then," Adam said. "I should have known Blake wouldn't tell me the truth on when Hazel would arrive. I thought I had time." He shook his head and muttered something under his breath. "Either way, you need to leave Menagerie. Both for your sake and for the White Fang's."

"Why should we do anything to help the White Fang?" Winter demanded angrily. She dabbed with a towel at his back, having already removed his coat and pulled his shirt up to get at the wound. "You've attacked one of our own and tried to kill him. Why should I not bring this straight back to Ironwood? Or better yet, Kali herself?"

"Because the girl who stabbed your friend in the back is Kali Belladonna's daughter."

"Talk about a political clusterfuck," Qrow said. "You said you left her alive, right?"

"Unconscious but alive. Less so the rest."

Raven snorted, making it clear who had dealt that damage. Qrow's eyes hardened but no one dared challenge the woman, less so Adam and Winter, who had no idea who she was or what she was capable of. She kept her eyes closed around Qrow, feigning disinterest. He had a feeling it was to prevent him catching any unnatural light within them, however. If he found out she was the Spring Maiden, Ozpin would push to have her brought to heel.

"Hazel Rainart is dangerous and won't stop at this," Adam said. "He may even bring Tyrian in." He would now that he knew Raven – a maiden – was here. "You need to leave before that happens. Those two wouldn't care if the White Fang was dragged into a war, and Sienna Khan supports them. The best thing you can do to preserve any sense of peace is leave. Leave before they can force your hand, or ours."

"Why are you doing this?" Jaune blurted out. "Why help us?"

Adam sighed. "Isn't it obvious?"

"This guy would have to fight in a war as well," Qrow pointed out. "A war the White Fang isn't likely to win. Frankly, I'm surprised _more_ people aren't trying to stop it."

"Sienna has purged dissidents to her rule. Some by force. The core that remains in charge are fanatically loyal and despise humankind. They've passed much of that onto the recruits they train. I'm one of the few moderates that remain."

That all made sense, but it was the concept of _Adam_ being the moderate that he struggled with, just as he had with the thought of Blake betraying him. It was foolish, too much focus on the things that had happened in his time and not enough on this one. He knew it was stupid, but it was hard to let go. Hard to accept that he and Blake might be enemies, or that Adam might not be.

"Just sit still," Winter urged. "You're hurt and not thinking straight."

"Y-Yeah. That must be it…"

"I have a ship that's willing to smuggle you out," Adam continued. "They're old friends and loyal to Ghira. They don't like the direction the White Fang is going and can be trusted. That said, if your friend here has the means to travel instantaneously…"

"Raven," Qrow said hesitantly. "Will you help us…?"

Raven let out an aggravated sigh. "I guess I'll have to. The less time I waste here, the better."

"Thanks, Raven. Seriously. Thanks. What about you?" Qrow asked Adam. "You're not exactly looking happy in the White Fang. You could come with. I know Ozpin would be willing to help you out, maybe set you up to help bring Sienna and those two people helping her down."

Raven snorted. "Oh, I'm sure Ozpin would be more than willing to add another piece to his board."

Qrow scowled at his sister.

"I appreciate the offer, but no." Adam stepped back. "I have a responsibility here. I've fulfilled it in warning you to leave, though I wish I could have arrived before any blood was shed. I'll do what I can to keep the White Fang starting a war. All I ask is that you do the same on your end." Adam tugged his cloak up to better cover his face. "Good luck."

He made his way out, closing the door behind him. Jaune watched, as did the others, but while they were bemused and a little surprised, his mind was racing. Adam wanted to stay with Blake. He must have decided the war was a bad idea because Blake would be hurt. He didn't know what he thought about that. In the past, Blake had reviled Adam, but here…

Was he supposed to feel bad for Adam?

"Interesting guy," Qrow remarked. "Not what I expected."

"Me neither," Winter agreed.

Raven coughed meaningfully.

"Right." Qrow stood. "Time we cut our loose ends and get out of here. Ozpin can send Kali a missive once we're back and explain why we had to leave. If she can't figure it out from the dead bodies Raven left behind. Either way, staying even another hour is asking for trouble."

"I can leave immediately," Winter said. "If we can go to Atlas, I can get Jaune medical supplies."

"Impossible," Raven grunted.

"Her Semblance doesn't work that way," Qrow explained. "It only-" He was cut off by the click of Raven's sword coming free of its sheathe. A small, quiet warning, but a warning nonetheless. "But it's her secret to share, I guess." The sword clicked back down. "Portal is to set locations. Vale is the only one we've got going. Jaune. You good to move?"

"I'm healing it." The wound was already beginning to feel less obtrusive. Without being able to look behind him, it was hard to tell how much had healed, but since Winter had stopped with the towels, he assumed the bleeding had stopped. Whether it was a pretty sight was another matter. A doctor could handle the rest, or he could in front of a mirror. "I'm good to go. Raven?"

/-/

Qrow was the first one through the portal, and not at all surprised – but a little disappointed nonetheless – to find Ozpin's office on the other side. The headmaster was sat behind his desk, even at so late an hour, though he had made the motion to stand when the portal opened. Seeing Qrow coming through and not an attack, Ozpin had paused halfway, confused and, if Qrow read him right, perhaps even a little hopeful.

That wouldn't last. Raven saving their bacon was one thing – and what a thing it was – but he doubted she'd be willing to stay, let alone recreate Team STRQ once more. Qrow shook his head in a silent warning to Oz, telling him not to push.

Winter came through next, supporting Jaune with one arm over his shoulder, the other on his chest. He wasn't so injured as to need it, but the gesture seemed to make the girl feel better, so Jaune let her. Raven came last, eyes refusing to meet Ozpin's as she closed the portal with a flick of her sword. As the sounds between the two locations ceased to intermingle, a tense silence fell over the office, broken only by Jaune's heavy breathing.

"You are back," Ozpin said, somewhat needlessly. "Early." Also needless. "Unannounced. Via portal. Covered in blood." Immortal time-wizard though he may have been, this was perhaps the first time Qrow had ever seen Ozpin lost for words.

It didn't last.

"Come, sit him down," he said, hurrying around the desk and drawing out a chair for Winter to push the injured man down into. Jaune sat side-on, leaning against the rest with his back exposed to the air. "Do you need medical attention? I can have a doctor brought, or a first aid kit if this is to be discrete."

"No. I'm fine."

"Mr Ashari, are you sure? No bravado please."

Jaune laughed but shook his head. "It's stopped bleeding and I'm focusing my Semblance on it. The pain – it's mostly the tightness. Muscles moving, sharp breathing, the usual. Nothing is fatal. She didn't mean for it to be."

"She?" Ozpin asked.

Jaune remained silent. He wore an expression caught somewhere between frustration and grief.

Qrow stepped in for him, filling Ozpin in on the story. Somewhere in the telling they took what seats were available, Ozpin behind his desk and Winter on the last remaining seat by her mentor. That left Qrow to stand to the side, arms crossed. Raven had migrated to a window and was staring out, her back to them all.

Ozpin listened intently, silently waiting for each and every detail and leaving any questions until the end. Once Qrow was done, Jaune provided a little more detail on the ambush, including the presence of Hazel Rainart and the attempt to capture him. Alive.

"Disturbing," Ozpin said. "Very disturbing. We knew you were a target, but to realise they would go this far. It's problematic."

"A target!?" Winter hissed. "Why? From whom?"

"The White Fang," Ozpin said.

Winter's shoulders bristled. "With all due respect, sir, that is a lie! The White Fang didn't care for him beyond being a familiar face from Atlas, and Adam Taurus explicitly said Rainart and Callows were working for another party."

"This is news to us," Ozpin lied easily. "Information we have yet to decipher. In time, we might be able to find out who it is."

"That's-"

"Winter," Jaune grunted.

"But-"

"Leave it." He touched her hand and looked into her eyes, some silent communication Qrow wasn't privy to. The girl looked frustrated for a moment but surrendered with a silent growl.

"Fine." Her eyes met Ozpin's, the respect from before gone. "I will pretend to believe your words, _sir_."

Ozpin chuckled. "Thank you, Miss Schnee. I believe we have bigger problems on our hands at the moment, however. The White Fang have a stranglehold over Menagerie, and one of the ambassadors we sent was injured. This is going to reflect badly."

"I won't be injured in a few minutes," Jaune pointed out. "Not even a scar."

"You're suggesting we conceal information on the attack?"

"Don't act so surprised, Ozpin. I know it's what you want to do. We go public with this, people will only despise the White Fang more. Them and the faunus in general. The only people that helps is our enemies."

"What if the White Fang claim we killed a load of theirs and split?" Qrow asked.

"We deny it. Who are people going to believe, us or a terrorist organisation?"

"Menagerie has evidence."

"As Kali said, Menagerie's laws are Menagerie's business. I don't think she'd be willing to share it, not when it would drag her into the war. She was already stalling before we arrived. I've a feeling she'll keep stalling."

"A small positive," Ozpin said, "And I agree with your suggestion, Jaune. We shall conceal the information."

Raven snorted loudly.

Jaune did the same, albeit quieter. It troubled Qrow how similar they could act. "My suggestion," Jaune said, amused. "Sure. We'll go with that. We'll have to make up an excuse of how we got off the island, but that shouldn't be too hard. We can even say that the mission was a success, that we were welcomed to Menagerie, well treated, and that the Chieftain has not thrown her support in with the White Fang. It's technically true."

"Not yet," Qrow pointed out.

Jaune shrugged. "Still true, even if we miss off the `yet` part."

"Anything that might delay a war is valuable," Ozpin agreed. "I'll inform Ironwood of the truth, of course, but I'm sure he will agree with the course of action. All in all, this is perhaps the best we could hope for."

"An ambush and being driven off?" Winter asked.

"I think we all expected to find Menagerie in a full alliance…"

He wasn't wrong. Qrow had agreed to go along to help keep Winter and Jaune safe, but that was required specifically because they'd all but given hope on a warm reception. A good job they'd given it a shot, or they might have written Menagerie off already. Of course, it was only a matter of time before the White Fang pushed the issue, but time might mean everything.

Not all missions had happy endings, though. That was one of the first things Qrow learned as a huntsman. Sometimes, you couldn't save the village, couldn't find all the lost people. But if you could even come away with one good thing, then your presence had prevented a tragedy. They were all alive, they had valuable information, and perhaps even a foot in with Taurus, who they knew now to be a reluctant agent. That was a profit, all things considered.

"Thank you all for your hard work," Ozpin said. "I can have rooms prepared for you tonight if you wish. You're free to go to your own homes, but it is late…"

"I'll take a room here," Qrow said. "Too late to be waking, Summer, Tai and the kids up."

"I'll go home," Jaune decided, "And pick Emerald up in the morning. It's almost midnight." He looked to the side. "I'll also put Winter up for the night." Winter looked surprised, but quickly nodded. "And Raven if she wants it."

And just like that, he addressed the Nevermore in the room.

"I won't need it," Raven said, turning away from the window. "I've done what I came to do."

"Won't you stay, Raven?" Ozpin asked. "Even for a night, or a chance to talk-"

"You know why I won't." She reached for her sword, drew it and created a portal. "I have nothing to do here."

Qrow caught her by the wrist before she could step through.

Raven's eyes narrowed. "Let go."

"At least talk to Summer and Tai if not Ozpin," he whispered. "It's been years, Ray. It would mean the world to Summer…"

He wasn't surprised when Raven pulled her wrist free, nor when he received no response. Head high, Raven walked through the portal and out of sight, back to wherever she was in Mistral. It closed behind her with a hiss, leaving him standing there, one arm outstretched.

Not for the first time, Qrow wondered where they'd all gone wrong.

/-/

Jaune pushed Oobleck's notes, bottles of water and other minutiae off his desk, creating space. An empty pad slammed down, pen moving across the pages. He wrote the name `Blake` and beside it `Adam`. From there, he drew two lines, one arrow pointing to each in a circle. Above it, he wrote, `switched roles`. Drawing an arrow from that, he noted `Ghira's death`, followed by a question mark.

Were there other motives? Hard to say. Just to be safe, he added `White Fang begins early`.

Drawing a line from Adam's name, he added some more notes - `calmer`, `reserved`, `loyal to Blake`, `not loyal to White Fang`. Did that make him a potential ally now? The thought had him scowling, but Blake's betrayal had cut deeper. He wrote `Ally?` next to Adam's name and then, after a long moment of hesitation `enemy` beside Blake's.

This wasn't _his_ Blake.

 _This_ wasn't his Adam.

He had to start remembering that. Stop living in the past. Stop assuming everything would be the same, or that things would work out.

Moving to another page, he began to take more notes, detailing the changes. The name `Sun Wukong` had a few notes surrounding it, that he'd given him money, mentioned being a huntsman. The only arrow to come from it was `More likely to become huntsman? ` and one from that which read, `Positive change`. Sun, at least, he was sure he hadn't let down.

The Xiao-Long-Rose family was more complicated. Summer alive led to a happier Ruby and Yang, along with a better future for Taiyang and Qrow. Each of their names was circled, little lines coming from it with notes on the end.

Qrow didn't drink. Was happier. Good changes. Taiyang was more positive, more involved in his children's lives. Summer, obviously, was the same. He tried to think of the potential changes and eventually wrote down `More training for Ruby and Yang` next to it. In the past, Qrow trained Ruby for the most part. She might be able to pick up more from Summer.

Ruby…

`Averse to training`, he wrote. `Doesn't attend ASH Gym`, `nearly died at invasion`. He tapped his pen on the paper for a few minutes and swallowed. `Doesn't become a huntress?` he wrote.

That could be a problem. He'd noticed her staying away from him but written it off as her being socially awkward or, understandably, a little reluctant to be near the guy who cut a person in two right in front of them. It was perfectly reasonable, and he hadn't thought it meant anything. Stupid of him.

"Summer's death motivated her. Without Summer dying, Ruby's reasons to become a huntress are pretty much just following the family business. That's not good enough." She needed more, if he wanted to push her in the right direction.

And what was the right direction? Was being a huntress what was best for her, his best friend? Did he have the right to decide how her life should go? If she didn't _want_ to be a huntress, could he say that she had to, just because she had been in a past life?

Above her name, he wrote `Decide`, and left it there. For now.

Yang was stronger. Faster, more skilled. Not quite the equal of her seventeen-year-old self yet, but by the time she was that age, she'd be better. More cautious as well thanks to his training. She wouldn't fall for tricks so easily, even if it was unlikely Adam would ever take her arm. `Keep training her`, he wrote beside her name.

Winter, Weiss and Whitley had more notes, none bad, none pressing, at least for now. Their lives were, while not perfect, a lot better than Weiss had described them in the past. He'd made good changes there, helped them. He made a note beside Weiss' to see if Winter wanted her trained by him – a good chance to push Beacon as her final destination, because right now, with her father not being the asshole he had before, there was a good chance Weiss might pick Atlas Academy.

After a second's thought he wrote `Same as Weiss` next to Whitley.

It was a change he'd caused, best to see it through.

Ren and Nora came next and Jaune cursed at the question marks all around them. He'd saved them, sure, and given them supplies to get by on – but other than that, he'd all but abandoned his teammates. In the past, they'd survived, so the chances were good they'd done the same here, but the situations weren't identical. What if by giving them supplies he'd caused them to skip a village? What if they took a detour, thinking they were equipped for it, and died? Or hell, not died but decided to do something else with their lives? What if they never came to Beacon, never even became huntsmen? He had no guarantee they would.

`Find them`, he wrote. `Try and make them come to Beacon`.

`Check on Pyrrha`, he wrote beside her name. He'd all but left her after the tournament, trusting her sister to look after her, and in the future to keep her safe. Losing that tournament was, he thought, a good thing, but by not tracking the fallout, he'd left himself with nothing but question marks around her name. Even if he _had_ saved her from the lonely life of the Invincible Girl, wouldn't that just mean she had no reason to attend Beacon?

Finally, he reached the last page.

`Jaune Arc`.

It was surrounded by question marks, the only way it wasn't being a single word, `Ansel`.

The clock on the wall ticked twelve. Midnight. Winter was already asleep, granted a room, and she hadn't been surprised at all to find he lived in a mansion. He had a feeling she – or more likely her father – knew about Rashem and the RTE. At least she didn't know about Henry Waters-Brown, and even if she found out, he trusted her to keep it a secret. For now, she was fine, and she'd accompany him tomorrow to pick Emerald up from Summer and Taiyang.

He should get some sleep, he knew, but the question marks before him, covered across numerous pages spread out over the table, around all the people he knew and the little things he'd changed, wouldn't let him.

With a sigh, he drew a chair forth and set the kettle to boil.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **So, Jaune realises his error and sits down to try and work his way through things. Obviously, this isn't him first realising it, he's made a point of mentioning things he knows he has changed many times through the story, but it's the first time he's decided to sit down and make a concerted effort to document, identify and incorporate those changes into his plans.**

 **And, of course, Raven's appearance to save Jaune would hardly go without notice, leaving aside the fact that Hazel identified her as the maiden. Naturally, the White Fang arc isn't over. There will be fallout from what happened.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 12** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	41. Chapter 41

**Here's the next chapter**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 41**

* * *

Hiding the documents he'd written the night before with the tome from the ruin, Jaune met Winter at the bottom of the stairs, some bacon and eggs already sizzling away in the frying pan. Winter appeared surprised by the gesture, freezing on the bottom step for a moment before recalling where she was and why and stepping towards the kitchen.

"You don't have to do this for me."

"I woke up early," he lied. In truth, he'd worked through the night. "And don't worry, I'm used to it with Emerald." He flipped a rasher of bacon over. "Did you sleep well?"

"As well as could be expected. It's hard not to think of what must be going on in Menagerie."

Nothing good, that was for sure. Having decided to take more notice of the changes he was making, he'd thought long and hard on what the fallout for Menagerie would be, eventually coming to the conclusion that he just didn't know. Blake should keep Kali safe, but what happened next really depended on what move the White Fang made. They had a whole lot of dead bodies they could blame on them if they wanted. The fact they'd fled would only make things look worse.

"Will you be calling Ironwood and Jacques today?" he asked.

"Yes." Winter sat down at the table and accepted the plate he offered, now with two slices of toast, egg and bacon atop it. "Thank you." She waited for him to sit down opposite with his own before continuing. "I'm not sure what they'll say, though. Ironwood will want to avoid any potential war, but father. His opinions on the faunus have not always been kind."

"You're his heir. He'll listen to your opinion."

"I hope so. I'll have to head to Beacon straight after this and use the CCT. I'll be there for a few hours, so don't wait up on me."

"We'll go together. Summer and Taiyang are going to meet me there with Emerald. If you need somewhere to stay after, you can come back here. Just let me know."

"Thank you."

He picked at his food for a moment, Winter doing the same. He'd always prided himself on being the one in the know, but right now he felt as useless as he had when he'd first joined Beacon. It was uncomfortable to realise just how many of his advantages came from knowing the future. A future that had now changed so much that he was all but lost.

"Do you think this will lead to war?" he asked, surrendering to Winter's better knowledge.

"I don't know. It really depends on what the White Fang want, but they might not _want_ war."

"Not how it looked to me."

"They're not stupid, Jaune. Any group who can outwit both the SDC and Atlas while lacking support from any of the four major Kingdoms is one to be respected. We can't tell anyone what they did without sparking tensions that will _help_ the White Fang's recruitment, and they know that. They likely knew when they planned the ambush that there would be nothing we could do in reprisal. From their point of view, it was a win-win situation."

"Except for all the dead faunus."

"Which they can blame on us," Winter pointed out. "Sure, most people won't believe it, but if even a few do it's going to be a problem. There are always fringe groups, faunus on the edge of joining who might be swayed. If you'd killed the Belladonna girl…"

"Then Kali would have instantly joined with the White Fang for revenge," he realised. Gods, he hadn't expected they'd go so far. Or maybe they hadn't, and they were just assuming too much. Even so, Blake wasn't nearly as safe or important to the White Fang as she seemed to believe.

"I'm not sure they will push for a war, however. As Taurus said, a war is not something the White Fang can win. Less so if they join with Menagerie officially. Right now, the anonymity lets them hide behind civilians. If Menagerie goes to war with Atlas, there will be little to stop Atlas invading or bombing the entire island into the sea."

"Apart from ethics, I hope…"

"Ironwood might not, but others…" Winter shrugged helplessly. "Either way, the White Fang's biggest advantage right now is that they're not seen as having a base of operations we can attack, and that there aren't any ways for us to push them back. We're stuck on the defensive. If they were to join with Menagerie and declare war, they'd be forced to fight. If they abandoned Menagerie, no one would take them seriously."

"You think they'll keep things as they are, then?"

"I think they'll try. As long as they're on the cusp of war, resentment against faunus will grow, feeding their ranks. They can also stay as terrorists and keep from any pitched battles."

It was a good theory and likely what Sienna wanted, but there was one little problem.

"I'm not sure Hazel would let them."

"Hazel and Tyrian… There's more to them that you're telling me. Ozpin and Branwen know, too. You act like you know what their goals are, or at least understand them more than you do the White Fang's." Winter leaned forward. "Jaune, please, my family and my life are on the line here. If there's anything you can tell me, I need to hear it."

"I-It's not my secret to tell, Winter. Ironwood knows-"

"I'm not Ironwood. I'm not a part of Ironwood's command anymore." Winter's eyes met his, firm but desperate. "I'm one woman trying to protect her family from harm, trying to understand what's going on while others play games around me. Please. I need to know what is going on."

Jaune leaned back, stalling for time. He'd never thought to tell Winter and Ozpin never would, Winter only finding out years later by the time the war was in full swing and the secret could no longer be kept. By then, it didn't really matter. Winter had fought on their side and been loyal, though she'd died long before the final battle. Then again, he already knew his future knowledge was flawed. Winter was far from the woman she'd been, and back with the SDC might never become as she had.

But he trusted her. Not because of his knowledge of the future, but because of the time they'd spent together in this life. He knew her more here than he ever had before, and the Winter before him was someone he trusted. More than that, she trusted him.

He'd made so many changes without really considering them. Perhaps it was time to _own_ some of those changes.

"Hazel and Tyrian work for a dangerous woman named Salem," he began slowly, laying his hands on the table. "Except that _Salem_ is not really a woman at all. Or at least not human. Not anymore…"

/-/

Winter excused herself the moment they reached Beacon and rushed towards the CCT, paying Ozpin only the favour of a polite nod. Her worldview had been shattered in the past hour, but she held herself firm despite it. She had promised never to speak of what he had without his permission, and not to tell Ozpin, Qrow or Ironwood what she knew. Her knowledge didn't extend to time travel or his past life, only what he knew of Salem.

It was enough to give her answers, and to make her understand the games being played around her.

Was it reckless to tell her about Salem? Possibly, but he had to start making allies, allies he could trust and not those born of convenience based on his memories of the future. Winter was one of the few people he'd met in this time that he had only limited experience with, yet she'd quickly progressed from the young girl he'd trained to a woman he could respect as his equal in many regards, his superior in others.

"Good morning, Jaune," Ozpin greeted. The headmaster approached with a warm smile and a mug of coffee. He'd once called it hot chocolate, but he doubted any man could drink chocolate quite so much and not be thoroughly sick of it.

"Morning," he returned. "Any news from Menagerie?"

"Rumours that the ambassadors have fled after causing a scene. No real details yet but there is talk of an `investigation` taking place." Ozpin's face was calm and non-judging. He would have heard everything there was to hear from Qrow, and so knew exactly how little it was their fault.

"I wonder what they'll find."

"As do I."

"Have you informed Ironwood?" he asked.

"I have. James will be meeting with the Council of Atlas today to pass information along, though I'm sure he will wait for Miss Schnee's report for appearance's sake." Seeing the question in Jaune's eyes, Ozpin elaborated, "James was angry but not unsurprised. No one really expected a warm welcome in Menagerie, let alone fair play from a terrorist group."

"We still had to make the attempt."

"Yes. Sometimes, it is all we can do to try. At the very least, no one can accuse us of not having given our all to prevent any escalation. That will hopefully keep too many faunus from joining ranks with the White Fang."

"Have there been any attacks in Vale?"

"Not yet."

The yet hung in the air, since they both knew Vale wouldn't remain safe. The Kingdom could be just as bad as Atlas when it came to mistreatment of faunus, so there were plenty of faunus would be disillusioned and desperate enough to try and force a change. Not all had to become violent extremists, and those that remained hidden and fed information to the White Fang could be the most dangerous. That wasn't a change he'd made fortunately, seeing as how the White Fang always expanded to Vale in time, but it was one he might be able to limit nonetheless. When Cinder attacked Beacon, it was made possible thanks to Adam and the White Fang. Considering how Adam was now, that might not happen - but it could just as easily be Blake in charge.

Then again, it might just as easily _not_ be Cinder.

He didn't think he'd done anything to affect her, but considering the name was almost certainly fake, he just had no idea.

The sound of a Bullhead's approach cut such thoughts off. Though Summer and Taiyang could easily make it through the Emerald Forest, Yang, Ruby and Emerald could not. Or rather, they could but shouldn't have to at their age. Jaune watched the Bullhead's arrival, as did several students who obviously had better things to do, but whom let curiosity win out over such things. Had he ever been so childish? Yes. Absolutely. He recalled trying to serenade Weiss outside her room and felt a little heat creep up his neck.

The Bullhead's ramp was only half down when a figure blurred out, landing, stumbling and then rushing towards him. Jaune was already down on one knee when Emerald hit him. He made a loud `oomph` and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey there," he teased.

"You're injured!" she hissed. "He said so!"

"Qrow…" Jaune growled. Had the man never heard of subtlety?

"Emerald, Yang and Ruby overheard Qrow talking to us," Summer explained as she caught up, her husband and children with her. "They were _supposed_ to be asleep, but we heard someone gasp and found the three in their pyjamas huddled outside the door eavesdropping." Summer fixed the three with a firm eye, though only Ruby and Yang had the grace to wilt. Emerald was too busy running her hands over his chest and shoulders, trying to find the injury.

"The wound has already healed," he said, both for Emerald's benefit and Summer's. "I had it healed soon after the fight, but things moved quickly. It was really only five minutes from the fight's end to us arriving back in Vale."

"So I heard," Taiyang grunted. He had a distant look on his face, and it took Jaune a second to realise he must have been thinking on Raven's help and what it meant. To a man who had finally managed to move on from such an incident, Raven's return likely brought a host of complicated feelings. Knowing she'd returned to aid _another man_ hardly helped. As over her as he was, Jaune wouldn't have been surprised if Taiyang hated him a little for bringing back such feelings.

Summer shot her husband a worried look, but knowing there was nothing she could do, turned back to Jaune. "Why didn't you heal it in the fight?"

"I did, but the whole fight only lasted two minutes at most. I managed to turn it from an open and bleeding wound to closed and healing, but then it was re-opened when Hazel Rainart got a hit directly on it. It's not easy to maintain my Semblance in the middle of a fight for my life, not when I'm distracted by being stabbed in the back and there's more than ten people to keep track of."

"Who stabbed you?" Emerald asked.

"Never you mind," he said, ruffling her hair. He didn't want Emerald developing a hate for Blake, less his adopted daughter going off on a crusade to fight her. "I'm back, alive, and so is everyone else. That's a good solution as far as I'm concerned."

"Guess it is," Tai said, shaking off his memories. "Welcome back. Emerald was on best behaviour."

"I'd believe that if I didn't see your eye twitching."

Summer giggled. "Emerald was on good behaviour; Yang was not and may have dragged her into some things she shouldn't have been. Nothing bad," she assured him, "Just some late-night bedroom sparring. They were made to clean it up."

"Really, Emerald…? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Emerald considered the question and came to the appropriate answer. "I won."

"Oh, you son of a-"

"Do _not_ finish that statement, Yang Xiao-Long," Tai said.

"Draw at best," Yang muttered, looking away.

Jaune laughed and rubbed Emerald's hair, content to let her dart behind him and start to poke at his lower back. If she wanted to make sure for herself that he was healed, so be it. There wasn't even a scar anymore. He'd come without his coat, so she had easy access. Instead, he found his attention sliding to Ruby, who he had all but ignored since coming to Vale. Or not ignored per se but trusted to look after herself. A little scare wouldn't keep Ruby down, or so he'd thought. He'd failed to realise that this was _not_ a Ruby who had grown stronger through the loss of her mother. She hadn't overcome her grief and grown for it, and even now kept one hand on her mother's cloak.

She looked nervous, but also, he felt, a little intimidated. Nerves were fine, nerves were Ruby Rose. Fear was not.

"Is there a problem?" Summer asked.

"Hm? No. Sorry." He looked away as an idea came to him. "Just thinking that I owe the two of you for looking after Emerald and the Gym so much."

"You don't owe us anything," Taiyang said, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder. The message was clear; that Taiyang felt he owed _Jaune_ for saving Summer's life. Taiyang grinned. "Besides, it's nice for Yang and Ruby to have someone their own age to talk to. They left a lot of friends behind in Patch and it's not easy getting used to living in the city. Less room, less nature, more crowds. Yang can't just go outside and fight with her uncle anymore."

"Same for Emerald, but the offer still stands. If you ever want a night to yourselves or have an anniversary or something, I'd be happy to look after them. I've got more than enough room and Emerald could use the company."

Summer seemed to perk up. Meanwhile, Taiyang displayed the sudden excitement of a man who'd been denied loud sex due to having children and just realised it might be back on the menu. He glanced at Summer to see what she thought, only to find her grinning back impishly. Taiyang flushed and laughed nervously. "Well, if you're offering…"

Yang, sadly, was not an idiot. "Ewww," she hissed, edging away from her parents. "Gross."

"We'll work something out," Jaune said. It wouldn't be immediate, but the best way to figure out what was going on with Ruby was to talk to her. This would be a chance to do that. He wasn't even sure if he _should_ influence her to be a huntress if she didn't want to be. He'd cross that bridge when it came. There was still a chance she wanted to be, but felt she couldn't, that she was being held back by fear, doubt or something else.

"We'll let you know," Summer said.

"If I may," Ozpin interrupted, "I'd like to have a word with Summer, Qrow and Jaune in my office. Alone. There are certain… questions I have." The latter felt aimed towards him. Raven's assistance? The reason why he'd been dumb enough to trust a random White Fang girl? Exactly why Hazel wanted him so badly he was willing to risk war? It could have been anything.

"Can it wait?" he asked instead. "I've just got back and wanted to take Emerald out for a meal."

"It's rather important…"

"Is it related to the White Fang?"

"Not entirely."

"Then it's not an immediate issue," he said, looking to Summer for aid. "I'm not going anywhere, and I've got to get the ASH Gym back up and running, so I'm sure it can wait. How about in a couple of days, on the weekend?"

"That's fine with me," Summer said.

Ozpin looked frustrated, but concealed it quickly, bowing out with a nod of his head. "Very well. How does noon on Saturday sound?"

Early, to be honest. That would give him three days to figure out answers to all the questions Ozpin might have, all without giving up Raven as the Spring Maiden or Blake's connection to him. "Saturday sounds fine. Thanks, Ozpin. I appreciate it."

"Not a problem, Mr Ashari. Not a problem."

/-/

Winter stood in front of the CCT screen, her head bowed. Her stomach had fallen when her father answered the call immediately. She'd expected, and even hoped, that he would be too busy to take it. She'd called Ironwood first for that very reason, taking the easier option. Sadly, Jacques' secretary allowed her call straight through.

"I apologise, father," Winter said, bowing. "The talks did not go as hoped."

" _So I hear."_ Jacques' face was carefully neutral. _"Menagerie is yet to press charges, but the White Fang have claimed through their less than reputable outlets that you and yours killed several of their own. I assume that this is a story misconstrued."_

"Misrepresented, yes. They tried to kill Jaune. He defended himself."

" _I see. There is little we can do about that. The attacks will continue, then?"_

"Yes, father. I'm sorry."

" _Was there anything of value learned?"_

"Kali Belladonna, chieftain of Menagerie, is not a staunch supporter of the White Fang as first thought, and Adam Taurus is more moderate than expected."

" _Is he not the one attacking our convoys?"_

"It seems we were wrong there. The ones he attacked are the ones where our people were found captured but alive. It's other White Fang that are killing prisoners."

" _Interesting. I am not sure how we can use this to our advantage, but it is something worth knowing. I trust you will be able to make use of it, Winter?"_

Winter flinched, surprised that her father wasn't angrier. "I'm not being punished?" she had to ask.

" _I am not in the habit of punishing employees for impossible tasks. Had I thought peace even remotely possible, I would have invested more into this. It is only because you and Ironwood were so obstinate this happen that I played along."_

"I-I see." While it was nice to know she wasn't in trouble, the lack of faith bothered her. "You assumed it was fruitless from the start, then?"

" _Some people cannot be reasoned with, Winter. Terrorists are just that. They may hide behind claims of justice and equality, but all they are is violent dogs proclaiming their own brand of superiority."_ Jacques made a loud sound of disgust. _"And they wonder why we never took their proposals seriously."_

Winter remained silent, despite that she wanted to point out that if they _had_ taken the faunus seriously, this would have never happened.

" _I will be shoring up the manor's personal defences and security teams,"_ Jacques said. _"Your budget will be increased to match, both of your security forces and your own personal budget. Keep yourself safe, Winter. The White Fang would love to make an example of a member of our family."_

"On that note, father, I'm worried about Weiss and Whitley. War or no, the attacks on Atlas aren't about to slow down and our family will be firmly in the crosshairs."

" _I do not disagree. You would not bring this up without a suggestion, Winter. Go on. I shall hear it."_

"I… I would like to suggest the two of them leave Atlas for the time being."

To her relief, Jacques did not explode. His eyes did narrow, however. _"Explain…"_

"Vale is much safer than Atlas at the moment and the White Fang aren't likely to try anything here for fear of dragging Vale into their conflict. Signal is also a premier school, and both Weiss and Whitley have expressed an interest in joining Beacon when they are older."

" _A fact I am still not sold on. Atlas Academy is more than good enough for their needs. Our family name is respected there."_

Which was exactly the problem from their point of view. Weiss did not like the burden that came with it, while Whitley wanted to make a name for himself. Neither would find it possible in a school which owed too much to the Schnee family to treat them normally. Her own meteoric rise through the years proved that.

"A chance to visit Vale early might get that out of their system," she lied. "Let them see the world outside of Atlas, escape the danger and also get the little bit of rebellion out of their systems. As a bonus, they could attend the ASH Gym here. It would doubly prepare them for their life as huntsmen."

Winter held her breath as her father considered the point, visibly leaning back in his seat.

"They're not safe in Atlas, father," she pressed, "If they were kidnapped, it would compromise the SDC. We'll not have a chance to sneak them out if a war does occur. Right now, the White Fang are distracted. This is our only opportunity."

" _I will accept on one condition,"_ Jacques said with a heavy sigh.

Winter's eyes widened. "Yes. Thank you!"

" _You have not yet heard the condition."_

"Anything," she promised.

" _I will not trust just anyone to protect them and you must come back to Atlas to take over the security here, as is your position. As such, you will need to leave them under the care of someone."_

"I have two trusted Agents who would do it well." Delta and Echo were jokers, but they could do the job.

" _No. My condition is that it be your fiancé who takes them."_

"W-What?"

" _That is my condition. I will await your answer, daughter, and it is good to see you safe."_ With that final parental parting, the screen flashed black, leaving Winter standing with her mouth open and her eyes wide.

Jaune was going to kill her.

No.

 _Emerald_ was going to kill her.

/-/

"Sounds like you had an interesting time," Roman said, sat on the edge of Junior's desk with a cigar in his mouth. In his absence from Vale, the thief appeared to have discovered his fashion, now wearing the white coat and black bowler hat he'd become famous for in the future. Neo had yet to fully adopt her own and stood off to the side, handily beating Emerald in a staring contest via the use of her Semblance. Then again, judging by the fact Neo hadn't claimed her win yet, there was a good chance Emerald was using her own Semblance on the girl in turn. To each of them, it must have appeared as if the other had not blinked for a good five minutes straight.

Jaune left them to it. He'd already taken Emerald for a homecoming meal and promised to read a story with her later that night. Also a spar, and a full retelling of his time in Menagerie, and breakfast tomorrow at her favourite place. He had a sinking feeling she'd been testing her boundaries on that one and he'd somehow failed. The look on her face as she rubbed her hands together certainly suggested further demands.

Well, it wasn't like he couldn't afford to spoil her.

Junior's office had gone through something of a transformation in his absence and now included a minibar stacked with various drinks over by the corner, in addition to his usual wooden desk and seats. Junior was mixing a cocktail behind it, moving with enthusiasm, if not the easy grace he'd later been known for. It seemed more a hobby than anything, but likely a precursor to his decision to buy the Club. The bar was neon lit and marble-topped, the front the same dark-wood panelling that the rest of the office sported.

"Interesting is one way to put it," Jaune said, accepting the cocktail Junior provided. It was a little too sweet, but not bad for a self-proclaimed amateur. "The White Fang are making their move and there's a good chance they'll turn their attention on Vale soon."

"You sure?" Junior asked. "What do they have to gain here?"

"Recruits, respect, wealth and a wider base of operations, but that's not the real reason. The true power behind the White Fang has their eyes on Beacon."

"This is that Hazel and Tyrian guy, right?" Roman asked. "The ones who showed up in Atlas. I did a little digging and I don't mind telling you that what information there is on them is scant. Worryingly so. What do they want with a huntsman academy? Plenty of those around the world, most less guarded than Beacon or Atlas."

Roman was someone who had been against them in the future, at least until he'd died. Ruby had been the one to witness that and Jaune couldn't say he'd had all that much interaction with the thief. That was probably for the best, since it stopped his perception being coloured like it had with Blake. Even so, he couldn't say he trusted Roman fully. He'd shown once before that he would switch sides if he thought it in his best interests.

Still, he couldn't give them nothing.

And thankfully, he didn't have to. He'd thought long and hard on what story he could weave on the way to meet Junior, and in the end it was memories of Pyrrha which gave him the answer.

"Ozpin and Ironwood have been working on some unusual technology that has leaked to the people behind the White Fang. It's a device with the ability to transfer the aura of one person to another, granting them greater aura reserves and potentially the ability to use another Semblance." The lie came easily, as all good lies based on the truth did. He had no idea if the transfer machine was finished yet, but if Roman and Junior were to find a way to dig deeper, they might actually find evidence of it, only proving his point.

"Seriously?" Roman asked, leaning in. "Wouldn't that be fatal for one side, though? It sounds pretty shady."

"That's why it hasn't been used or announced yet. It's not perfect. Of course, the consequences are only a problem for people who care to keep both sides alive. If it were safe, Ironwood and Ozpin could use it to disarm dangerous criminals and make them safer to the public."

"And if the White Fang got it, they could subjugate an entire species, make it so humans could never hope to match their faunus oppressors," Junior said, "Or create super soldiers." He downed his glass and slammed it down. "Wonderful. Have I told you that I hate you recently? Because life was a whole lot simper before you waltzed into it."

"Heh. Sorry."

"Sheesh, this is big," Roman said, equally shocked. "I figured it was something big, but maybe money or a weapon. I mean, this is a weapon of sorts, but shit. I'm not liking the idea of terrorists with ten huntsmen worth of aura each and ten Semblances to boot. Explains why you think they'd want to come here first. Get something like that and you're pretty much set for the rest of Remnant."

"And let me guess," Junior said, "It's at Beacon, meaning that if the White Fang _do_ get it, they'll have conquered Beacon and have a handy source of kids to drain aura from."

Even Roman appeared sickened at the thought of so many students being killed. Perhaps it was too early in his career to do that himself, or maybe he felt he had no choice in the future. Whatever the case, the gentleman thief didn't like the suggestion now.

"You see my problem," Jaune said. "The White Fang probably aren't going to invade here for fear of making more enemies than they need, but they'll make inroads and do some work behind the scenes. There are plenty of criminal families who would work with the White Fang for access to something like that, and the best way to destabilise Beacon is through the underground. That's why we need to take control. And fast."

"Not going to be easy," Junior warned. "Ever since Roman's been increasing his robberies, they've beefed up security."

"Hey, that was on _his_ instructions," Roman said, pointing at Jaune.

"It was," he agreed, earning a sigh of relief from Roman and a confused look from Junior. "I want them on edge. I want them to gather all their forces and consolidate their operations. It'll make it all the easier for us to take them down."

"Not for nothing, Jaune, but even if you're powerful, you're only one man. They'll have huntsman-level people working for them. At least the big families will. You might be able to beat one or two, but can you handle twenty or thirty?"

"Not in a fair fight. I don't intend to give them that."

Junior and Roman exchanged nervous glances, but knowing they were in the deep end already, nodded. "Right. Well, as long as we're clear on you not wanting a pitched battle, I guess we're in. One thing I want to make clear, though. This gang is something I built up from scratch. I'm not going to throw lives away without knowing the full plan."

"Same," Roman said. "Except that there's only two lives on the line here. They're infinitely more important, though." He grinned.

"The plan is simple, but I want Roman and Neo working on something else."

Roman cocked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Junior, I want you to expand our territory aggressively. Only take on the small and weaker gangs but use whatever funds you need."

"It should be possible, but the bigger gangs will take notice…"

"That's what I'm hoping for. Sooner or later, they'll decide to meet up to decide what they want to do about us. That's when we're going to strike."

"Those kinds of meetings come with strong peace agreements. We mess with those, no one will respect us. We'll have everyone united against us."

True, and that was dangerous - but the slow approach wouldn't work. Jaune had never been a great strategist, mostly taking what inspiration he could from lessons from Pyrrha and watching Weiss and Ruby in action. One thing he'd come to realise, however, was that sometimes you just had to go big. Cinder brought Beacon to its knees because no one expected it to be possible. Her and the White Fang had been outgunned, outnumbered and frankly out powered, what with the Atlas military there _and_ Ozpin and the other huntsmen, yet she'd still managed it and gotten away with everything she wanted.

Much of that had been cleverly taking over the Paladins and Knight units, but even that had been crazy - sneaking Roman on board those battleships and trusting him and Neo alone to overwhelm an entire ship's worth of crew. All in all, Cinder won because she'd attacked in a way that was so unexpected, so impossible, that her opponents hadn't even thought to plan for it. She'd also struck during the Vytal Festival, at a time when Vale's security was so great that the entire Kingdom ironically let its guard down.

He could emulate that.

"If we do it well enough, there'll be no one _left_ to unite against us. We'll attack when they least expect it, when they gather in one place, and we'll cut the head off the Taijitu in one blow. Put ourselves at the top, absorb what remains and dare anyone left to challenge us."

Junior swallowed. "Yeah. I mean, that works in theory. Assuming everything goes perfectly. We fuck up even one thing, though, and we're toast."

"Then I guess we'll just have to not fuck it up," Jaune said.

"Crazy bastard." Roman laughed. "What about me? No more raids? I was enjoying the challenge."

"I think you'll enjoy this one just as much. I know you're good at finding rare valuables and lifting them. How good are you at finding people?"

"Kidnapping? Not really my style…"

"It's really more of a lost and found. I want some people tracked down. You don't need to do anything with them or contact them in any way. I just need to know how I can get in touch with them. Addresses, details, what they're doing at the moment."

"Sounds easy enough. I can break into the registry over the weekend and run the names through Vale's database. Shouldn't be too hard to find a hacker capable of that."

"They're in Mistral."

"Mistral?" Roman sighed and took the cigar from his mouth. He ground the remains into an ashtray on Junior's desk. "Well, I always did want to travel. Take a little longer to get there, but same story. Might be a little more expensive if I can't use my usual sources. You paying?"

"How does a quarter of a million sound? I'll also cover costs."

Roman grinned. "Sounds like I need names."

"I've got three. Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie and Cinder Fall."

/-/

Adam placed the bouquet of flowers down into the narrow glass vase, taking care to make sure there was enough clean water to keep the stems wet. White lilies, Blake's favourite. Odd given her propensity for wearing black, and her name, but she'd always loved them more than anything else. He noticed that there were already some flowers there, with a little tag proclaiming them from Kali.

He made sure not to disturb those, and to stand his own `get well` card beside Kali's own. In a way, he was relieved Blake was not awake yet. It would only lead to a conversation he wasn't sure he was ready for. Blake had gone behind his back to try and attack the ambassador, while he in turn had gone behind hers to warn them.

They would need to have words after this, but for now, with Blake injured, that could wait. He ran his hand over her forehead, brushing some hair from her skin, careful to avoid the nose that must still have been sore. It was badly bruised.

"Get well soon, my sweet. I'll handle things here."

The man behind him coughed.

Adam's eyes closed and a hiss escaped him. "Can I help you, Rainart? Or did you also come to check on Blake?"

"She will live," Hazel replied, voice gruff. "Broken nose, bruising and two cracked ribs, along with other minor damage. I did not come for her. I came for you."

"Minor? She should not have been harmed at all." Adam's fingers clutched the edge of her bed. "Her team was massacred. Massacred because of an operation _you_ convinced her to take part in. One that should have never happened."

Blake would blame herself for that, no doubt. Adam had hated the team, Thatcher especially, but she'd found some solace in them and now they were dead to a man. No survivors but for Blake herself, and only because Ashari seemed to have some misplaced affection for her. Adam's hands clenched into fists. He could hardly believe he only had her still because of that affection. Things could have been so much different, and it was all Hazel, Tyrian and Sienna's fault.

"Do you really want to do this here?" Hazel asked. "Or would you prefer it be outside?"

Adam stood. He would not disturb Blake or her flowers. "Outside."

Hazel nodded and turned away, marching through the halls of the small hospital – more of a ward attached on to a local doctor's surgery, Kali's own. It was up in a sparser part of Menagerie, away from the hustle and bustle of the main city, the better for the patients to heal and not catch any untoward germs. The ward sat beside a grassy field that bordered a small patch of woodland. It was that Adam followed Hazel to, gripping his sword the entire time.

"We are alone here," Hazel said, removing his hands from his pockets. "Speak your mind."

"You're a blight on the White Fang," Adam said, drawing wilt with a hiss. The crimson blade shone in the morning sun. "You and Tyrian care _nothing_ for the cause, or the casualties. You're risking war with Atlas, a war we can't win, and now you've crossed another line, placing the woman I love in danger for your own purposes."

Hazel remained facing the opposite direction, his large shoulders rising and falling with each breath he took. "Yes," he eventually said. "I placed Blake Belladonna in danger, and worse, I left her to die when the tide turned against us."

It was too much. Adam's lips peeled back, and he surged forward, wilt rushing in towards the man's unprotected neck.

At the last second, Hazel turned. The man's speed belied his size as he batted the sword away with the back of an aura-enhanced fist. His left foot stamped forward, carrying his weight as he slammed his fist into Adam's stomach, down and under his ribcage.

Air, spittle and a little blood splashed from Adam's lips as he was lifted off the ground and sent flying back into a tree. Hazel followed, pinning him to the tree with one hand while his other gripped Adam's wrist, wrenching the sword from his hand. It fell to the grass with a soft `thwap`. Glaring into the man's eyes, Adam kicked wildly.

Hazel ignored it. He dragged Adam up the tree bark so that the two men were face to face, despite how Adam choked and coughed, feet suspended several inches off the floor.

"I can understand your hatred for me," he said, voice still as harsh as gravel. "I can respect your desire to protect the one you love." His hand gripped a little tighter, cutting off Adam's air flow. "Unfortunately, my respect does little to determine what happens here. There is not a faunus in the White Fang who is not aware of your stance. Tyrian wanted to handle you himself. I convinced him to let me."

"Erk- ack!"

"If it were Tyrian here, you would not yet be dead. He would draw out your suffering for his own amusement. You would die in agony. I consider that a waste…" Hazel released him suddenly and Adam fell, clutching his throat with both hands as he gasped for air. "You are fortunate I do not Tyrian's opinion. Go back to the woman you love and stand by her. But beware, Adam Taurus, that though I may respect your choices, there are many who do not."

Hazel turned away, all the while Adam glared at his back.

"I make no excuses for what I did, or for the hurt she went through. But if you step out of line again, it will be Tyrian who deals with you, not I." Hazel paused and spoke back over his shoulder. "For Blake's sake, and your own, I hope you make the right choice."

As Hazel walked away, Adam struggled onto his hands and knees, gripping a throat he could hardly breathe through. He pressed his forehead against the cool grass and tried to collect himself. Wilt lay nearby, discarded.

He felt just as helpless as he had back then, before the White Fang ever started.

/-/

"He deflected the meeting."

"Maybe he's just tired," Qrow said.

"No. It was a deflection. He did not wish to talk."

"You're reading into things, Oz. We just went through some stupid crap out there. If I were him, I'd want to have a little time to centre myself as well. Besides, it's not like he's going anywhere. He offered to hold a sleepover for Ruby and Yang. Does that sound like a guy about to run away?"

Ozpin steepled his fingers and hummed, understanding, if not accepting, Qrow's point. He was not used to being denied so easily, but at the end of the day it mattered little. Three days was little time to wait and there were other things to be done.

"I suppose you are right. Do you have any inkling as to _why_ he would be hesitant, however?"

"Well, yeah." Qrow rolled his eyes. "Raven."

"She was one topic I wished to bring up with him, yes. You believe he does not wish to answer questions about her?"

"Hard to say." Qrow crossed his arms and leaned back against the frame between two windows. He had one leg kicked up against a pane, no doubt smudging it terribly. "Her saving him was a surprise on my end, let me tell you. I didn't think she had it in herself to make a bond with anyone. Not anymore."

"Your sister is still human, Qrow. Despite the decisions she may have made."

"Could have fooled me…"

Ozpin sighed. Qrow was far too involved emotionally with this case. Understandable, given it was his sister and that Raven had left her husband, Qrow's best friend, and abandoned Qrow's niece. It still caused problems because Ozpin just knew Qrow was not being as diplomatic as he could whenever he was sent to speak with his sister. It was such a shame Qrow was the only one he could send to try and win Raven back to their cause. Or rather, it had been. If Jaune could be sent in Qrow's place, he might be able to convince Raven to come back to them, or at least to operate under his instructions.

The only problem was that Jaune himself was being just as cagey, and Ozpin's long-ingrained paranoia was beginning to play up.

"Look, I don't think there's any need to panic yet," Qrow said, interrupting his thoughts. "Scene was pretty damn awkward back there, what with Summer, Tai and Yang right in front of him. Wouldn't surprise me if he didn't want to talk in front of them."

"I offered to let Taiyang look after the children…"

"Yeah, but Summer would have told Tai whatever was said straight after."

"You were not always so firmly on his side."

"No, and I'm not blindly believing everything here either," Qrow said. "He made some weird ass calls on Menagerie. Wandering off on the words of some White Fang chick. Who does that? He knew where we were and what the risks were."

"Yes. It was quite the uncharacteristic move."

"Beyond that, he knew Taurus and Kali Belladonna, not to mention he said the White Fang girl was her daughter. That's a lot of inside information for someone who claimed to have never been to Menagerie before."

"Do you believe that?" Ozpin asked.

"I think so. He was looking around the place like he didn't know it. Had that look, you know. The one where you're cautious and don't know a place, so you're always looking around, mapping it out in your head."

Ozpin nodded. "I know the feeling."

"Yeah. He had that, and he had to rely on the faunus guards for directions. Meanwhile, Kali acted like she'd never met him. So, no, I think it was his first time."

"Which raises the question of how he knows."

"And how he knows Raven, and what he's doing forming a bond with her – and how he knew I could turn into a bird, too."

Ozpin frowned. Yes, those were all very poignant, very dangerous questions. The knowledge was so much that Ozpin might have suspected him to have the Relic, but then, what question could he have asked to have gained so much? The rumours had it that the Spring Maiden _was_ within Raven's tribe, however. It was a thought he could not dismiss.

Had Raven entered the game and taken the Relic for herself? She should have known how dangerous that might be. He would need to speak with Leo, make sure no one had stepped foot in the chamber beneath Haven.

"Anything else to report?"

"Not much. He asked about Winter and her family and asked me about how everyone on our side was doing. Normal conversation. Mostly, he was focused on the job."

"Hm." Ozpin let it go. There was little that could be done until the weekend. "How _are_ the children doing?"

"You asking me when I've been away for a couple of days?"

"I'm asking about Miss Rose."

"That's Mrs Rose."

"You know what I mean, Qrow."

" _Ruby_ ," he made sure to stress the name, "is fine. Precocious little bundle of love, joy and sugar. Like Yang before she became all teenager-y and a smartass. If I had my way, she'd never age another year and stay like this forever."

"And her trauma?"

"What trauma? She saw some things she didn't like and that spooked her. You'd be scared, too, if you saw someone cut in half in front of you at her age. Summer's taken her to doctors. They say there's nothing wrong with her."

"She used to want to be a huntress."

"And she changed her mind. Kids do that all the time."

"Ruby needs to become a huntress, Qrow."

"No. _You_ need her to become a huntress." Qrow's eyes narrowed and his posture became just a little more defensive, a little more antagonistic. "I know Tai already said it, Oz, but this isn't any of your business. Ruby's her own person. Whatever she wants to be, she'll be. I'm loyal to you and the cause, but don't ask me to pick sides between my nieces and you. You won't like what side I pick."

"Of course, of course." Ozpin sighed but waved one hand in surrender. "I was merely concerned."

Qrow hummed, not believing it for a second.

"Let's consider how we'll deal with Raven, hm? Our information suggests the Spring Maiden is in her tribe. I'd like for you to try and confirm this…"

* * *

 **Despite that I find Hazel's backstory (the little we know so far) to be impenetrable, I like his character, more because it stands out as being quite quirky compared to Cinder's diabolical laughter and "I am evil, rawr" characterisation. I like the aspect of moderation he brings, even if it didn't really get to shine when Adam killed Sienna in the show. It hints at things, and thankfully, it does so without screaming the answer in our faces, which is nice. Let's us imagine and try and figure out what's going on.**

 **Also, poor Jaune is quickly being set up to host a boarding house for problematic teenagers at this rate.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 19** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	42. Chapter 42

**Ugh. Feeling a little ill this weekend. Probably because it's colder here than it has been at any point over Christmas. Global warming or not, I have to wonder if there shouldn't be a point at which we just admit that the Roman calendar no longer fits (or that the seasons don't fit it) and that we say:**

" **Look, we just need to accept that Winter comes and lasts later. As such, Winter is now December – March. Spring is April – June, etc…"**

 **Sounds crazy to just "change" the seasons, but it feels to me that this is what's happening whether we like it or not.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 42**

* * *

When Winter returned to the house, she'd asked if she could speak to him in private. An important conversation, she said. Something that could not wait. He'd recognised the look on her face and sat down, expecting some terrible news of the White Fang's response to their flight in Menagerie. What he didn't expect were the words that crossed her mouth.

"I need you to look after Weiss and Whitley for me."

Jaune stared at her, bemused. "What? Like, go to Atlas and babysit them? I'm not sure Ozpin would like that, and I have the ASH Gym to run."

"Not in Atlas, no. I was…" Winter swallowed. "I was hoping you might be willing to foster them here in Vale. Only for a little while. A few weeks. Perhaps months." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Or however long this White Fang situation takes…"

"Years," he said, knowing full well it would.

"I don't think it will be _that_ long."

"I do, Winter. I can't look after those two for that long on my own!"

"They're independent and fully capable of looking after themselves. I've made sure of that with my training. They wouldn't need constant monitoring or engagement from you, just a place to stay where I know they will be safe. Please, Jaune, Atlas isn't safe for them. The White Fang are going to be looking for people to kidnap. I cannot see Weiss or Whitley hurt because of something they had no hand in."

She wasn't wrong. Weiss had spoken of board and family members who were abducted and killed. With the timeline now being so different, it could easily be her or Whitley. There was no relying on the past as a means to keep them safe.

"What about Atlas Academy? Couldn't Ironwood look after them?"

"Atlas is in the firing line of the White Fang. If they're going to have agents anywhere, it will be in Atlas. Considering Atlas is a combat school it would be all too easy for an `accident` to injure or kill one of them. And Ironwood will be too busy to watch over them if this comes to a war."

"They'd have to stay here," he argued. "You know I can't let Ozpin or Oobleck anyone find out I live here. It's part of my disguise…"

"You're planning to host the Rose-Xiao-Long children in time. You would need to have a separate abode regardless. And Weiss and Whitley would be capable of keeping a secret if you phrased it in a way they might understand. Simply say you wish to keep your wealth hidden to avoid vultures and they will immediately know what you mean."

 _Ugh. She's right on Ruby and Yang. They'd be blown out the water if they saw me living in a place like this. I'll need a secondary house that's not quite so impressive._

"Still…"

"I know it's a bother, Jaune, but I would never ask this if the situation weren't dire." Winter stood and moved before him, and, to his horror, got down on one knee. "I will beg if I must. Weiss and Whitley mean the world to me. I will go to whatever length I need to in order to see them safe."

"W-Winter!"

Her head dipped, hands touching the floor. "Please, Jaune. I will repay you in any way I can. Offer you anything I can…"

Leaning back, he brought a hand up to his face, dragging it down as he let out a groan. Seeing Winter like this was painful. Looking after two more kids would be even more so. On the other hand, they were his friends – or Weiss was – and they were in danger. Weiss had stood by him enough times to earn this a hundred times over, and wasn't it a part of his new plan to do _something_ to check on how Weiss and Whitley were doing? He needed Weiss to go to Beacon instead of Atlas. Considering how long the war was going to last, this would be the perfect excuse.

More than that, he could take a hand in her training. Teach her the tricks she'd learn in time but teach them sooner. If Weiss entered Beacon at the same skill level she'd been when they'd fought Salem, then Team RWBY – assuming it even formed, and without Blake it looked unlikely – would be stronger than ever. Yang was already on track to be better than she had been.

Considering the danger ahead from Cinder, Weiss needed all the training she could get.

"Fine…"

Winter's head lifted. Her smile was radiant. "Truly?"

"J-Just get up," he said, waving a hand towards her. "Looking so pathetic doesn't suit you. You're my first student, assumed-champion of the Vytal Festival and heiress of the SDC. You shouldn't be on your knees for anyone."

"Thank you!" Winter stood suddenly, clumsily. "Thank you, Jaune. Thank you so much!"

Blushing, he looked away. "Yeah, yeah. It's fine. I'll have a new house purchased before the week is out. I take it you're okay with them joining the ASH Gym? Only way I can keep an eye on them if I'm working there every night."

"Of course. I'll have tuition paid directly to you, along with a stipend for looking after them. In fact, you can use that as an excuse for purchasing a larger property. Father knows of your wealth and your efforts to conceal it; I'm sure he would be _more than happy_ to act as though he bought you the property. Weiss and Whitley need not know any different."

Jacques Schnee happy at a chance to remind the world that he was rich? Nooo. Surely not…

"Still not sure why your old man has such faith in me."

It was Winter's turn to look embarrassed. "W-Well, I… that is… it's… ah…" Her face turned as red as a cherry and she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"You made me sound too good to him?" he guessed, imagining Winter's praise of his training.

"Yes!" Winter jumped on the excuse. A little _too_ quickly. "That is what I did."

He wasn't sure he believed her on that one, but he couldn't see much of a reason otherwise. In the end, it didn't matter. He'd agreed and would need to look after them. Luckily, Weiss had never been a difficult person to be around – assuming you weren't clumsily trying to woo her – and the Whitley of this time looked a whole lot more grounded.

"I guess I'll have to tell Emerald she'll have roommates…"

"I… already took the liberty of informing her of the risk."

"Really?" Jaune grinned. "Is that why she's currently hiding in her room and refusing to even _look_ at you, let alone talk to you?"

"Perhaps…"

/-/

Roman stepped out of the commercial airport and into the morning sun of a new Mistral day. Bright, warm and with a gentle breeze that brushed against his face, it was everything he didn't want after a long flight and one too many drinks.

"Ugh. My head." Grunting, he dug out a cigar and lit it. A whole flight without a smoke was a killer, let alone the screaming babies, old folks talking about random shit and the snoring. Gods, the snoring. "Remind me never to fly commercial again, Neo. That was disgusting."

His little companion grinned but gave him a nod. She'd not had as many problems, closing her eyes and being out like a light. Or at least good at pretending she was. Naturally, she was bright and bubbly, all the better to make his headache worse.

"Asshole sending us out to Mistral. Can't believe this."

He didn't have anything against Mistral per se, but it was rather galling considering the effort he'd put into forming a base and a reputation in Vale. No one had even recognised him here. Him, the gentleman thief, the scourge of Vale. Security guards and air hostesses had looked straight at him, smiled and asked if he needed anything for his daughter.

 _I don't look old enough to be her father, do I? No way. I'm as fashionable as ever._

Neo couldn't read his thoughts, or at least he hoped she couldn't, but her smile was just a little too self-satisfied for his liking. Roman reached out and rubbed her hair down over her eyes, earning a growl and a meticulous parting from the now annoyed girl. Perfect.

"Right. So, the boss wants us to find these three brats. Assuming they're brats. Not sure why or what for, but considering the bitch behind him, I don't want to risk disappointing him just yet."

The money helped as well obviously, as did the rep boost he was getting from working with Ashari, but the biggest reason to stick with him was that chick with the red sword. Roman had seen a lot of powerful people in his time, but none so casually murderous as her. It didn't help that finding records on her hadn't yielded much. Only a name and a team she'd once been on. Raven Branwen, Beacon and Team STRQ.

Not like Ashari was any less of a problem – and he at least had more records. Atlas Specialist, filthy rich, well-connected and ambitious. Roman wasn't sure Ashari would be able to take over all of Vale's underground like he wanted, but he wasn't a betting man either, not where his life was involved. Better to stick with the winning side for now, or at least until Ashari stopped winning.

Then?

Well, they'd have to see. Turning on the guy was an obvious option but one with `Dangerous` written all over it. He didn't fancy his odds there.

"Let's find a place to get some breakfast first and we can grab a hotel after." He noticed Neo's curious expression. "No, I didn't eat that slop they call airline food. Did you?" She nodded. "Seriously? Braver than me. What did it taste like?"

Neo stuck her tongue out.

"Yeah, thought as much. Come on, let's go get some real food."

Seeing as they'd landed in the heart of Mistral, the city as well as the Kingdom, it didn't take long to find a place that had some seating outside for them to sit at. The boss had given them quite the budget, so Roman didn't blink an eye at Neo's indulgent order and instead joined in, ordering three breakfast platters piled into one plate. "Long flight," he explained to the waitress, winking. When she blushed and smiled back, he mentally high-fived himself.

"And what would your daughter like?"

Son of a bitch…

Neo pointed her choices out in silence. Most assumed her shyer than mute and let it go. Neo's height and cherubic face led most to misjudge her age and morality. Few could believe they were in the presence of a dangerous killer. Oddly enough, that hadn't worked with Ashari. He'd taken one look at Neo and never let her out of his sight since. The subtle mannerisms and movements showed that he considered Neo more dangerous than Roman himself. Galling, but not inaccurate.

The food came and went, devoured patiently as Roman considered their options and went over plans. The census was an easy route to finding names but couldn't be accessed so easily. While hackers and crooked officials were a lien a dozen, finding them was not quite so easy and he didn't have the connections he did back in Vale. Ashari had suggested he try orphanages for two of the names, but that wasn't as easy as it sounded. The city itself might have had one or two but considering that families were usually torn apart by Grimm, most orphanages tended to be in the villages and towns outside the city, and there wasn't much time to detail population, records and such with Grimm all around.

Mostly, those smaller villages lived on their own. They'd come and go as the Grimm willed, and the cities themselves didn't pay much attention. Sad fact of life, but fact it was.

"I'm thinking we check out a few nightclubs," he said, partly to himself but also for Neo's benefit. "I hear Mistral has a thriving underground, but it's a little different from ours. All honour debts, duty and nonsense like that." Crazy people, those Mistralians. Didn't they realise that lien was the only real thing you could rely on? "Don't want to get mixed up with that if we can help it. Ideally, we'd be in and out with what we need before they even realise what's going on. Not sure Ashari will appreciate a rivalry with a criminal family outside Vale."

Though that was hard to say. Who knew how far the guy's ambitions went? It might not be a bad thing if that were true, since Roman could stay behind as a lieutenant of sorts and run Vale. Hm. That sounded nice.

 _Focus, Roman. Focus. Not going to be anything worth running if the White Fang come along and mess things up in their usual style. Those animals have got no common sense._

"I guess we'll start with-" He glanced at Neo and found her face-deep in a magazine. "Hey! You even listening?" Neo shook her head without looking up, much to his irritation. "What's so interesting that you're ignoring me?"

With a wide smile, Neo flipped the magazine over and pushed it across the table to him, pointing at a double-page spread article of some sort. There was a main image of a girl in bronze armour with bright red hair armed with a spear and shield.

"An interview?" He read on. "Tournament happening, Pyrrha Nikos expected to win. Open to any and all competitors. Don't tell me _you_ want to take part."

Neo snorted, shook her head and pointed a little lower.

"Asking about her odds? Heh, modest for someone her age." He snorted when the interviewer asked about her defeat in Vale and some sort of scandal, which the Nikos girl deflected quickly. Yeah, the boss would be amused about that. It wasn't until the interviewer asked if there was anyone Nikos _did_ feel would be stiff competition, that he paid more attention.

" _I'm sure everyone will compete to the best of their abilities and I won't underestimate any of them, no matter how unknown they might be. As for individuals I do know, however. I'd like to face off against the new girl entering the scene. Cinder Fall."_

Roman let the magazine fall flat. Leaning back, he let out a puff of smoke and rolled his eyes at a widely grinning Neo.

"Yeah, yeah. You win, Neo. As usual."

One out of three, and on the first day. That wasn't half bad.

"Says there's a smaller set of matches taking place a few days from now. What say you and I attend and see what this `Fall` character has to offer, hm? I'm sure the boss will appreciate a little more information."

She pondered the question and looked at him sideways, eyes narrowed.

"After we get some rest and ice-cream, naturally. I'm not a heathen."

Neo nodded happily.

/-/

As the night rolled in, the industrial parts of Vale began to come to life. It wasn't what one would expect, those areas being businesses that traditionally stayed open from 9-5, but they came to life with a different sort of clientele. Sex workers, drug pushers, gang members and the other aspects of Vale that would go unwelcome in the wealthier, more residential districts of the city. The police could never dislodge all of them and often times didn't try. Better to keep the people of Vale safe than conduct a crusade that would never yield results.

Back when he'd been in Beacon, some guys had talked about the stuff going on in these parts. He doubted any of them had ever been, but there were those who boasted about it. Silly locker-room talk for the most part. He'd been just naïve and young enough to believe it and be impressed.

Here, seeing it in person, he was less so. The people were grimy and poor, while some of the women who smiled enticingly his way were missing teeth.

"You sure you two should be out here with me?" he asked the two underage girls.

"You sure _you_ should be out here, sir?" Melanie Malachite asked back sweetly. "You're the one who stands out. Not us."

"Like a slab of premium steak," Miltia added. "I'm not sure who's going to jump us first, muggers or hookers."

Embarrassed despite his age and experience, he laughed nervously and let the two lead him past women who catcalled for his attention and promised more than just a good time. Past beggars too. The Malachites had warned him that anyone begging out here was to be avoided. They were often dangerous.

"I'm still not sure what Junior wants me to do out here."

"We're shutting down another gang," Miltia said.

"Yes, I know that." He rolled his eyes. "I got the call from Junior and made my excuses to leave Winter and Emerald behind."

"Babysitting?"

More like Emerald babysitting Winter in this case, keeping the older girl from figuring out what he was up to. "Something like that. Anyway, I don't see why Junior wanted me to take care of this personally. The gang should have more than enough resources to do this themselves."

"We do," Miltia said, "But this is a little delicate."

"Oh?"

"The area is well-populated and something of a tourist attraction. For a specific kind of clientele," Miltia said with a little sneer. He'd seen the men coming and going, and some kids as well, male or female, buying drugs and whatnot. "A lot of people here are jumpy, which means if we send in a huge wave of our boys, they'll probably get mobbed by these idiots before they even made it to the WCB."

"WCB?"

"West City Boyz," Melanie said with a roll of the eyes. "And yes, that's a boys with a Z on the end."

"The name may be a joke, but they're not," Miltia added. "They basically run a lot of the low-level drug trades across the city. The kind of drugs the main families don't want to get into, either because they're too cheap or too dangerous. The kind of stuff that fucks people up permanently."

The kind of drugs that were bad business, basically. The more established families wanted repeat clients and relatively safe operations. Bodies were the opposite, especially those dying from overdoses. It was the kind of thing the city couldn't ignore. It was the kind of thing that had him on edge, even before they'd reached this gang.

"They look out for thrill seekers or the destitute, get them hooked and then fleece them for as much as they can before the poor bastards die," Miltia said. "The city doesn't overlook it per se, but it's always the lowest dregs of society so it's just not as important. Besides, the WCB tend to use independent dealers. They're more the manufacturers. They take a particular shine to young people who can withstand the drugs a little longer than the older ones."

If the Malachites aimed to make this personal, they'd succeeded. "Right." Jaune scowled and touched the handgun hidden under his grey jacket. He'd come in a business suit, though carefully adjusted to allow more movement. "And Junior's arranged a merchandise trade. I'm assuming I'm not picking up T-shirts and posters here."

Melanie giggled. "Not quite."

"We're pretty well-known, so we'll act the guards for the poor little Red Axe member sent to make the trade," Miltia said, nodding to the briefcase in Jaune's hand. "Just try to leave one or two alive, okay? We need to know where their main facilities are."

"Junior doesn't know?"

"WCB are more like organised and dangerous amateurs, which makes them hard to pin down. We're looking for their drug labs, but those could be just about anywhere. Warehouses, apartments, even abandoned buildings. Anywhere you can set up a little drug lab is a possible location."

Knowing what he did about drug making – that was to say absolutely nothing – Miltia's answer didn't provide much information. In the end, he was just the muscle. He shrugged, nodded and accepted that he was going to be letting two fifteen-year old girls organise a drug trade in front of him. Ruby – his Ruby – would have been so disappointed.

 _Yang would understand. She knew how bitchy these two really are._

"Meeting spot is up ahead," Miltia said, nodding towards a building.

It was, by all looks, a factory of some sort. It was still in use judging by the good condition of it, but the parking lot out back was open and there was a sheltered part on one side. Inside that, he could see a few figures. Or rather, he could see the lights from scrolls, cigarettes and the like. It was a much more open place than he'd expected.

 _Makes sense, though. They wouldn't meet us anywhere that's important for them._

"Let us do the talking," Melanie said.

The WCB crew – and the name still sounded ridiculous to him – were a motley bunch. Melanie called them amateur and the title certainly fit. There was no distinctive uniformity to the six people waiting for them. No uniform, gang markings of similar style of dress to help them differentiate one another in the fight. Instead, they wore casual clothing. Four guys, two girls. Jeans, hoodies, jackets and track suits. For weapons, he saw mostly guns, but also some wickedly sharp and jagged knives proudly strapped to their hips.

He didn't think they knew how to use them. Not unless they were all left-handed, for they'd strapped them to their _right-hand_ sides. One had even put it on their boot, making it even harder to draw in the midst of a fight.

Were these kids really all that dangerous?

Yes. Sadly. They were dangerous not because of their skill or organisational ability, but _because_ they were young, reckless and stupid. The older criminal families were wise enough not to work with such abhorrent drugs. These kids ruined lives and couldn't care less, all because the short-term benefits of money and power was too much to resist.

"Red Axe Gang?" the apparent leader asked. He was a grimy teenager who couldn't have been older then seventeen. He looked Melanie and Miltia up and down. "Heh. Or are you here for a little fun? I can provide."

"I very much doubt _you_ could provide at all," Melanie said dryly.

"We prefer _men_ thank you," Miltia added, grabbing Jaune's ass and squeezing. "We're really not interested in children."

The gang member scowled, both at the twins and at Jaune. "Fuck you."

"We just said we wouldn't, kid. Stop wasting our time. Have you got the drugs or are you wasting our time? Trust me. You don't want it to be the latter."

"West City Boyz don't waste anyone's time. Jin. Show 'em."

A smaller and wirier boy with bloodshot eyes approached with what looked to be a typical school backpack, the kind any normal kid might own. He put it down on top a metal barrier and zipped it open, revealing several parcels wrapped in a combination of white and brown packaging. The leader grabbed one and pulled it out, tossing and catching it with one hand.

"You're looking at premium quality here. You won't find better anywhere in Vale."

"Yeah, cuz no one else in Vale is dense enough to work with it," Miltia muttered. She eyed Jaune and nodded once. "How can we be sure it's the proper stuff?"

"Want to test it?" the leader asked, drawing a small knife and offering it to her.

Miltia leaned back. "Fuck no. I've seen what that stuff does to people. It'll do. John, show them the money."

John, huh? It was a fairly obvious pseudonym, but he supposed it didn't matter. Most of these guys wouldn't know who Jaune Ashari was, let alone place him as being involved in shady drug deals in downtown Vale. He stepped forward, reversed the case and opened it, revealing stack upon stack of lien. One-hundred thousand in total. A pittance in the reserves he and the Red Axe Gang had, but a significant figure for a large gang of druggie youths.

"Shit. Good doing business with you," the leader said. "Very good. We don't normally let people sell second-hand, but if you're going to pay this well? Hell, it saves us the effort of peddling it. Jin, give 'em the merchandise."

The nervous boy approached him and held out the bag. He looked young and very much out of his depth. He also looked hooked on drugs and suffering for it. "Here," he whispered, holding the bag out.

He took it, offering the briefcase with his other. The WCB visibly relaxed once it was traded off. Grins, laughter and a little softening of tension. The ones who _had_ been keeping their hands on their weapons let go. The others relaxed.

Jaune slammed the butt of his gun into the back of Jin's skull. The boy stiffened, groaned and fell.

"SET UP!" the leader yelled, drawing his gun.

Taking aim, Jaune shot it out his hand, the kid dropping with a pained yelp. The other members of the WCB were shocked at the sudden turn but, whether it be loyalty or addiction, tore their weapons free and attacked. Three opened fire, wildly missing him as he ducked and used their fellows for cover, darting into melee while Melanie and Miltia went wider.

Up close, they lost the advantage of their massed gunfire, and, considering the difference in skill between them, they made for easier prey. He snapped his hand into the way of one's stab, catching the girl's wrist before the blade could hit him. Sliding his fingers around her bony wrist, he twisted and snapped it, drawing the girl's body in front of another, forcing him to stall. He placed a foot on the back of the injured girl and kicked her into her friend, taking both to the floor.

Another was on him before he could finish either. Drugged up to the nines, they attacked with the ferocity of Grimm, and with a similar disregard for their own safety. Unfortunately for them, they weren't Grimm. They lacked the claws, strength and animal-like speed. Knives slapped uselessly against his aura, bullets went wide, and hands broke on his face. Clumsy punches, sloppy execution, weak efforts.

Melanie and Miltia were having a similar go of things. They'd been stronger than these idiots before, but after a few months training at the ASH Gym and testing themselves against people like Yang, Coco, Emerald and Vernal, the twins had been forced to accept that they weren't top dog anymore. They'd bitched and whined, but taken to the training with the intensity of people who desperately wanted to pound someone's face in. Probably Yang or Vernal's.

Miltia brought down a gang member and caught them as they fell, following one of his lessons to never dismiss an opponent who seemed out. For one, they might not be, but secondly, they could serve as weapons. Miltia used her downed opponent as a human shield to block three bullets that might have inconvenienced her. Drawing the unconscious and likely now dying man's own gun, she squeezed six back, injuring the one shooting her.

Melanie kicked her opponent away and looked to Jaune, "Don't let them get the money!" she yelled.

He wasn't the only one who heard it. The leader had been downed in his first shot, but the damage was to his fingers. He'd been cradling his hand on the floor, but hearing Melanie's words, looked up to see the briefcase not too far away from him. Desperate to salvage something, he scrambled towards it.

Jaune tried to intercept, but one of the drug-addled youths wrapped their arms around his legs and dragged him down. "Get off!" he grunted, struggling with the teen. Another leapt on him from behind, hidden reinforcements the WCB must have brought in case things went bad.

"No!" Miltia yelled. "He's got the cash!"

"So long fuckers!" the leader yelled. "The West City Boyz won't take this laying down. Expect a visit from us!"

"Stop him!"

"Kinda busy!" Jaune yelled back, blocking a knife from reaching his face. He kicked out, breaking the aggressor's elbow. He watched from the corner of one eye as the leader fled out of the open car park and booked it into the nearby streets. "He's gone."

Melanie paused. "Yeah? Well let's clean up then."

Nodding, Jaune bucked the first teen off him, twisted the knife and plunged it into the shoulder of the second. The fight, which had until that pointed seemed at least somewhat even, turned on a dial. Melanie and Miltia stopped messing around and he dismantled his own opponents with ease. The remaining WCB seemed shocked by the sudden change. That hesitation cost them, and none were allowed to escape.

"One, two, three captured, including the kid," Miltia counted, stepping over the bodies. "Not bad. And the idiot took the bait, too."

Jaune brushed down his suit. It smelled of crap now. "Do you really think he'll take that back to their base, though? I mean, he has to know that trackers are a thing. Ours is well hidden, but he'd have to be an idiot to discount the possibility."

"Eh. I'm sure if he was thinking straight, he'd transfer the lien to something else and ditch the case," Melanie admitted, "But I doubt he's thinking straight considering what just happened. That kid is going to run all the way back to his bosses and cry about how they were betrayed, but how he was so awesome and smart as to escape with the money regardless. Please don't kill me, and all that. He'll be so eager to kiss ass and get himself out of trouble he won't even _think_ about what may or may not be in that case."

"I suppose so." You tended to miss things when you were terrified. "But those in charge won't be that stupid."

"Nah, but that's what we've got these guys for. The WCB will shore up their defences and prepare for a fight. We'll find out exactly where to hit them from our captives. They're small fry, but they're big and a visible gang. We take them out and the main families are going to take notice. That's what you want, right?"

He nodded. "Right."

The families would take notice, but so would Vale. This wasn't going to stay hidden for much longer, especially with what he had in mind. At the end of the day, though, it had to be done. The White Fang had pushed his plans along, sped things up. It was time he did the same.

"Let's get these guys out of here," he said. "I can hear sirens approaching."

"Late as usual. Let's drag 'em out the way and I'll call Junior. Get a car to pick us up. As for interrogation… well, that won't be too hard. These guys are all addicts, and we've got the drug they're addicted to."

"Hm." It was regrettable they had to do stuff like this. Especially when he was trying to improve things in the future. "Miltia, Melanie."

"Yeah?"

"Make it clear to Junior that if they co-operate, they're to be let go. More than that, whether we take over their operations or not, I want these drugs off the street."

Miltia looked upset. "You sure? There's a lot of lien in this."

"You want lien, I'll provide it. I won't let the Red Axe Gang move into this territory. Make that clear to Junior." Jaune touched a hand to his gun in silent warning. "I'd hate for there to be any misunderstandings."

Nervously, the two nodded.

"Yes, boss."

"As you say, boss."

/-/

Jaune was back. No, _Dad_ was back. As ever, the word created a strange sense of bliss and some overly sweet feeling in her stomach. Sometimes when she thought it, she felt the need to look around, just to make sure no one had heard her. Odd, since Yang and Ruby said it all the time and so easily about their own father. Maybe they just had more practice.

He didn't look hurt; expected really. He was way too strong for some nameless gang members to pose a threat, and even if a bullet did catch him, he could just heal it. It hadn't really crossed her mind that he might be in trouble, and that wasn't childishness on her part. She knew of the danger. She just knew how powerful _he_ was.

Few others did. Winter had an inkling, but she didn't _know_ like Emerald did.

Even so, as Jaune came back in and sat down, and as Winter excused herself to do some work of her own upstairs, Emerald found herself hovering around Jau- her dad. He looked tired. Not emotionally, just physically. It must have been a long night. He was always over-working himself. She knew why, or at least a little. That Salem woman wanted to take him away and Dad didn't want that. As such, it made sense to fight. He wasn't doing this out of greed or stupidity, and because of that, she didn't have any problem with him leaving her alone every now and then to fight. He wasn't doing it because he wanted to; he was doing it because he had to.

Still, she couldn't quite accept that. There was something wrong with it. Something that had her standing before him with a nervous yet firm expression on her face.

"Em?" he asked, shortening her name affectionately. She tried to pretend that didn't make her happy. "What's wrong? I'm perfectly okay if you're worried. I didn't even get into a proper fight. It was just a lot of running around."

"It's not that."

"Then what?"

What indeed. Emerald ran her tongue around the inside of her mouth as if testing for the answers. In the end, only one thing came to mind. "I want to help."

Her father cringed. "Emerald…"

"I want to help," she said again, this time accompanying her statement with a fearsome pout and the full crossed-arm treatment. She'd seen Mrs Rose do it to Mr Xiao-Long and he _always_ gave in to what she wanted. "You've said I'm strong enough. I've fought Grimm and these are just thugs. I can fight them."

"They're gang members."

"Untrained gang members," she said, "Weaker than even Grimm. You let the Malachites fight."

"Junior lets Melanie and Miltia fight," he countered, "And that's different. You don't need to help, Emerald. Me and Junior are just dealing with a few small gangs. I'm not going to get injured like I did in Menagerie."

"You're still going to fight people who want to kill you. I can help. My Semblance-"

"Really ought to remain a secret. At least for now. It's a really valuable tool – a tool for _you_ to use as you wish," he quickly added, not wanting her to think like she used to. Emerald rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't throw it around in every situation you can."

"Like you do?"

Go back a year and she'd have never dared challenge him like this. Things changed. Emerald didn't believe he would hurt her, not for a second. If he wanted to boast about keeping his Semblance hidden, though, she'd call him out. _No one_ had figured out her Semblance. He threw his around like it was chump change.

"Ouch," he said, laughing. "You got me there. My awful use of my Semblance aside, I still keep some things hidden." He poked her on the nose, earning a cross-eyed look and a scowl. "My Semblance isn't _only_ healing. That's just what I let people believe. As for helping with the gang stuff, I know you're strong enough to look after yourself, but it's not that simple. I worry about you."

"And I worry about you," Emerald whispered. She wouldn't let him deflect her with nice words, though. Not this time. "Does that mean I can ban _you_ from taking part?"

"No."

"Then why can you ban me?"

"Because you're my daughter and I'm your father." As an excuse, it made no sense from her point of view. "And don't talk so loudly about this," he hissed. "If Winter heard…"

"I wouldn't have said anything in front of her and she's gone now. It's fine."

"Still! We can talk more about this later."

"Hmm." Emerald gave him a look. She wasn't sure how much she trusted him on that. She could read an excuse as good as anyone could and this had all the marks of a `later that would never come` kind of thing.

Her dad noticed her scepticism. "I promise! We'll talk about it later."

"But why not now? There'll be Winter's brother and sister later. It'll be even _harder_ to talk later."

And why was he so reluctant to let her take part? It wasn't like she was weak – and this wasn't all that much she was asking. He'd let her fight Grimm without complaint and these guys would be weaker than that. She could take bullets thanks to her aura, and wasn't it better for her to get practice where he could be close enough to intervene and save her if things went wrong?

 _He's worried about me,_ she thought. _He doesn't want to see me hurt._

The hypocrisy was aggravating. She was worried about him. Why was his worry that much more important than hers? Why was it okay for him to lock her away in a safe little house while he ran around risking his life? It had barely been a day since he'd come back from Menagerie after being stabbed in the back. He needed rest. Or, failing that, he needed help. Help so that he could spread the problems out and get more time to take a break.

Jaune, seeing her standing there awkwardly, wore a complicated expression himself. After a few moments he spread his legs a little wider on the couch and tapped a hand on his lap. "Come here."

Emerald was quick to comply, though not, as she had before, out of fear of repercussions. She moved over and sat on his lap, not at all embarrassed by an action that should have been reserved for someone much younger. If Yang or Ruby were here, she'd have glared Yang into submission. Wouldn't be needed with Ruby since she'd understand.

They'd had over ten years of sitting on _their_ Dad's lap. She hadn't. She'd take what she could get not.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her stomach. "This can't just be about me getting hurt. You know I can look after myself, and you know these gangsters don't have a chance of putting me down. What's wrong?"

"Nothin'" Emerald replied gruffly.

"Em…"

"I said nothing, Dad!"

Dad. The word was still one she was getting used to in her head and speaking it out loud was embarrassing. He seemed surprised, too, though not in an unhappy way. He drew her a little closer and she leaned into his chest. He was warm.

"I grew up with seven sisters, missy, so I know when a girl _or_ a guy says `nothing` like that, it means something is wrong. Talk to me. I can't do better if I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

"Seven sisters?" Emerald asked curiously, looking back up over her shoulder. Come to think of it, he'd never really talked about the distant past. She could remember some things, that his name was actually Jaune Arc, not Jaune Ashari, but he'd never really mentioned his family to her.

Did that mean _she_ had more family? What would they think of her? What if they didn't like her and asked Jaune to get rid of her?

 _A silly thought,_ she rebuked herself. _He changed his name. Even if they were still alive, he wouldn't get rid of me for people he changed his name to escape. They were probably horrible._ Or something horrible happened to them and he wanted to forget.

Emerald didn't dare ask which. It would only hurt him. Instead, she focused on his question and the lingering problem keeping her up at night. "I don't like how you keep leaving me aside…"

Dad didn't dismiss the problem out of hand, which pleased her. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"When you do things with Junior, I have to stay here. When you meet with Oobleck, I have to hide. When you go to Menagerie, I have to stay with Aun- S-Summer," she corrected, dark spots of colour appearing on her cheeks.

"Auntie Summer?" he asked, delighted.

"N-No. I didn't say that!"

"I don't mind. That would make Yang and Ruby cousins, no?"

Embarrassed, Emerald buried her face in his chest. She hit his side to let him know she didn't appreciate the teasing _or_ his attempts to change the subject. He sighed.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe," he said. "And I know you want me to be safe as well, but I couldn't take you to Menagerie. It was too dangerous."

"You took me into the wilderness."

"I can protect you from Grimm."

"You can protect me from gangsters, too," she pointed out. "You did when you first took me. And besides, I'm stronger now. I can almost beat Vernal one on one."

"Emerald, you've never landed a proper hit on her…"

"I said almost!" She glowered back at him. Vernal was older, faster and stronger – and a bitch. _No one_ had beat her in a fight except for Jaune, Mr Qrow and Mr Xiao-Long. Vernal could probably kill all the gangsters herself, so that wasn't a fair comparison at all. "It's not fair if I'm always being the burden."

"You're not a burden. I just don't want you to feel like you owe me something. I don't want you to think you're a tool I'm keeping around for an explicit purpose. You're not."

"I know." Emerald let out an irritated sound. "I know I'm not a tool anymore. That's not what I'm saying!"

"Then what are you saying?"

"That I want to help! Not because I feel like I have to be useful or you'll throw me away, but because I _want_ to be a part of this." The difference was important, she felt. Before, she'd been trying to satisfy him, to justify her place. Now? Now, it was different.

"Why?"

"Does it matter?" she asked.

"It does to me," he said. His face was rigid, deadly serious. "Is it because of me? Is it because you think this is what I want?"

"N-Not just you," Emerald grumbled.

"Then what?"

She whispered something under her breath.

Jaune leaned closer. "Hm?"

"I said I want to keep things as they are," she muttered, embarrassed. "I want the ASH Gym to stay. I want Yang to not get hurt and Ruby to be safe. I want you to be safe as well," she added, "But you're strong. Ruby isn't even training and if what you say about Salem is true…"

Salem had the White Fang and she'd seen what happened to Atlas. She'd been there when Ruby was almost killed, herself as well. Dad had saved them, but he might not always be there to do so. Atlas hadn't been a home for her, but it had nearly become one. She'd liked it there. Sort of.

Vale was different. More time, more people and things to be proud of. She had a name here, she had friends, she had a position in the Gym and even a trophy from a tournament she won here. It was here that Dad took her in, here that he changed her name, here that he bought them a house and gave her a room.

The city had become a home to her – and Salem and the White Fang were going to mess that up.

Jaune's face ran through a gamut of emotions. Surprise, relief, amusement, and then finally a wide smile. A proud smile. "You want to protect them…"

"N-No," Emerald said, equal parts gruff and embarrassed. "Maybe," she conceded a second later. "I just… just…" There wasn't an excuse she could think of. She devolved into mumbled curse words and complaints that Yang was somehow all to blame. In the end, she gave in. "I have a life now. Vale is my home. I want to fight to protect it."

"I'll fight for the both of us," he said.

"Then I'll help, and it'll be _three_ people fighting," she countered. He didn't like it, but she pushed on. "I don't want to do this because I think you can't, or you'll be hurt. I want to do this because you're not the only one with something to lose. I _refuse_ to lose the things I've gotten here. You're fighting to stop Salem. You took me as your daughter. I'm involved, no matter how much you don't like it. They might even come for me."

"I'll kill them if they do," he hissed. There, right there, the murderous man he'd once been and terrified her with returned. This time, however, Emerald basked in it. For a time, anyway. She didn't want to be the protected one anymore.

"I'm not asking you to throw me in the worst of the fighting. I just want a role. Something to do. Something that I _know_ will help. You can't do everything, so you have Roman and Junior doing things on the side. I want something like that. Fighting gang members could be it. My Semblance can help and they're weak enemies."

He hesitated. It wasn't an immediate `no`, though. She could see the indecision in his eyes, feel the uncertainty in how he drew her a little closer unconsciously. She'd practiced this speech. Practiced the words to use, words she knew would get through to him because he'd _understand_.

"I want to help you."

He bit his lip.

She was close, she knew it. She pulled out the big guns.

"Please daddy…"

/-/

"Please, dad!"

"NO!" Nicholas Arc slammed a fist down on the table, shocking Jaune _and_ his sisters. "I've said it once and I've said it again. I will _not_ teach you to become a huntsman. This isn't a life for you to live. You've no understanding of what it's like."

"I know-"

"You _think_ you know. You think it's glory, fortune and bravery. Well it's not. It's blood, dirt, dead bodies and screaming children. It's grief, loss and a constant fight for something unattainable. You're nearly _fifteen_ , Jaune. If you'd asked when you were ten, then maybe. But at your age? What can I possibly teach you in two years?"

"I'll try my hardest!" the young boy said.

"Your hardest won't be hard enough. Kids train for seven years before getting into a proper academy. Most have fought Grimm by now. You've never even _seen_ one."

"But-"

"You're unfit, untested, untrained and you have _no_ ability to withstand pain. A huntsman is a _fighting career_. If you're afraid to bleed, you won't keep up with the training."

"I will!"

"No." Nicholas shook his head. "My word is final. You're too old to start and you've no idea what you're asking. Video games and movies have filled your head with nonsense, son. Take it from someone who _is_ a huntsman. I know what it's like out there." His hard eyes softened, though Jaune noticed it not. "You're not ready for that kind of life, Jaune. Please understand."

"Oh, I understand," Jaune said. Anger raged inside him. Anger at the injustice, the unfairness. "I understand that you don't care about my dreams!"

"What dream? You wanted to be an actor last year and an athlete the year before. I was happy to encourage you in those but you've _never_ shown an interest in being a huntsman."

"Can't I change my mind!?"

"Not when you're this old!"

"FINE!" Jaune slammed his hand down and knocked his chair over. "FINE" he said again, tears in his eyes. "See if I care. I'll become a huntsman on my own!"

"Jaune!" Nicholas yelled as he stormed away. "Son. Oh, for the love of-"

"Let him go, Nicholas," his mother said. "He'll be okay. He just needs to get it out his system."

He didn't think he was supposed to hear that, and his mom _had_ whispered it, but in the silence left behind from his father's shouting, he caught it nonetheless. The doubt burned. Even mom didn't think he was serious about this. No one did. So he'd had a few dreams in the past, so he hadn't stuck with them. He wanted to be a huntsman now. Was that so bad?

Apparently, yes.

Storming from his house, Jaune dashed into the nearby forest. It was still within the bounds of Ansel and safe from Grimm, protected by constant patrols from the local militia, and a perimeter wall around the village itself. It wasn't even really a forest, more a collection of fifty to a hundred trees making a small wooded area. Reaching a quiet spot, Jaune fell onto a stump and tried not to cry.

It just wasn't fair!

A stick snapped nearby.

Jaune's head whipped to the side, finding the culprit immediately. The figure wore a mask that reminded him of what he'd read about the Grimm. She was tall, masked and garbed from head to toe in black and red clothing, replete with a long sword at her hip. She looked dangerous, deadly and not at all a part of Ansel. But rather than scream at the evil-looking woman's appearance, Jaune slammed a hand down on the log.

"It's just not fair!"

"What isn't?" his fairy godmother asked. Okay, she wasn't a fairy and he didn't actually know _what_ she was, but after what felt like twenty or so different visits over the past few months, he'd just kind of gotten used to her. She came and went as she pleased, and no one believed him when he told them about her. Given that everyone thought she was an imaginary friend, Jaune just sort of rolled with it and stopped telling anyone.

It wasn't like she ever did anything to him, so what was the point of panicking? If she _did_ mean him harm, she had plenty of chances and there wasn't much he or anyone could do about it. After realising that, he'd started to relax around her. She'd never said what she wanted or why she kept appearing to watch him or look through his stuff, but he'd stopped asking. All that mattered was that she was a familiar figure, and, oddly enough, a comforting one.

His fairy godmother.

"Dad won't teach me to be a huntsman," he explained, frustration still clear in his voice. "He says I'm not ready or too old or too weak."

"You are all three of those things."

"Yeah, but that's because I'm untrained," he said, scowling back. "Isn't a fairy godmother supposed to _encourage_ her charge?"

"I've told you before I am _not_ your fairy godmother," Raven growled.

"Then what are you?"

"That should not concern you."

Then he was going to call her his fairy godmother. "The point is, I'm not going to get any less weak or unready if I can't train. How am I supposed to get stronger if no one will give me a chance?"

Jaune trailed off, realising that for some reason Raven was staring at him a little more intently. The woman's bright red eyes were visible through the slits in her mask, and unless he was mistaken, they looked… intrigued.

One hand came up to her chin, the other falling to the hilt of her weapon.

"You want to become stronger?"

"Y-Yeah."

"How badly do you want it?"

"Badly," Jaune said, standing. Just to prove them wrong, to prove that he _could_ do this. "I'll do anything."

"Anything, you say?"

* * *

 **Music to a Raven's ears.**

 **Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find some more headache medicine to deal with the pounding in my skull.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 26** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	43. Chapter 43

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 43**

* * *

Summer arrived at Beacon with Qrow, the two stepping off a Bullhead together and down onto the soft grass they'd lazed on as teenagers. The evening sun was already setting, red light of dusk piercing past the central spire that housed the headmaster's office and casting elegant shadows on the forest that surrounded the school. The air was chill, with the hint of frost that suggested at the expected winter in a month's time.

"Thanks for coming with, Qrow. I know you usually fly ahead."

"Even my wings can use a rest every now and then. Besides, I wanted to see how the girls were doing."

"Always the favourite uncle, hm?"

"With Jaune around, I need to step my game up."

Summer smiled into her hand and tried not to laugh at the genuinely indignant expression Qrow wore. He'd always been the cool uncle, not just by virtue of action but in there not being any competition. That was until Jaune showed up.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they still think you're as exciting as ever."

Qrow grumbled a response.

Stepping through the entrance of Beacon they were met by Glynda, who greeted Summer warmly and Qrow a little less so – likely due to some faux pas on his part. "I'll take you to the conference room Ozpin has set aside."

"No tower?" Qrow asked.

"Not tonight. He thought it best if everyone were able to sit down and his office isn't always so spacious."

"Do you know what this is all about?" Summer asked. "All I know is that he wanted to talk to us all. I had to ask Tai to look after the girls tonight on his own."

"I apologise for that," Glynda said, despite that it was not her fault. "As for the meeting, I believe it was with regards to recent events. I'm afraid I do not know more."

"Is Jaune here?" Qrow asked.

"I'm afraid Mr Ashari has yet to arrive."

Glynda led them through the main hall and by the elevator that led up to Ozpin's office, deeper into the school and towards the VIP areas. Those were called such due to the occasional visit by important dignitaries – not a common occurrence, but relevant enough to have their own part of the school. In times of strife, the Academies were considered neutral grounds for meetings. Or so the theory went.

The room set aside for them was spartan, little more than a square room with a round table in the centre, six chairs around it, and a cabinet by the back wall. In it was a globe, some books that Summer doubted anyone had ever bothered to read, and a jug of water with some upturned and stacked crystal glasses.

"I shall have to leave you here," Glynda said. "Please, help yourselves to whatever you may need. The headmaster will come down once everyone is gathered."

"Sure. Thanks, G."

Glynda offered a final glare towards Qrow and sauntered out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Qrow shrugged and made his way to the table, drawing a chair out and sitting down, kicking both feet up to rest on the surface.

Summer reached across to push his boots off. "Really, Qrow, you're not going to get a girlfriend at this rate. Not that I think Glynda would be a good match for you."

"Harsh. You sayin' I'm not good enough?"

"For her? No."

"Heh. You always were blunt. Leave it be, Sum. I'm happy as I am – or are you fishing for some cousins for Ruby and Yang?"

"I wouldn't say no to a niece or nephew."

"That why you adoptin' Emerald?"

"She already has a father."

"Sure – and you're practically adoptin' him as well."

"Oh, shut up." Summer pushed his feet off _again_ , glaring at him to make it clear she'd use her weapon if he tried a third time. Really. He liked to tease her about her habits of adopting strays – a habit she was frankly convinced she didn't have. Taiyang had hardly been a stray and even though both Qrow and Raven applied on that front, it had been her responsibility as team leader. "Do you know what this is all about, Qrow? Ozpin has never been this stressed before."

"Hm. Stressed is a good way to put it. The enemy is making their move. Has him on edge."

"The White Fang and those behind it."

"Not to mention the assassination attempt on you."

"That was years ago."

"Kinda the problem, I think. Whatever they're planning, they've been planning it for a while. We're the ones on the back foot."

The door clicked and opened, Glynda returning once more but leading the last member of their little meeting. Jaune looked tired, bags under his eyes and a certain droopiness to his lips. He still managed a smile on seeing them. One Summer returned.

"Hey!" Qrow lazily held out a hand.

"Hey yourself." Jaune slapped his palm against it as he passed by, doing the same for Summer and taking a seat on her other side. He didn't kick his feet on the table but rather spread his legs out under, slumping a little.

"Long night?"

"Kind of. Looks like I have a few more coming up."

"Anything exciting?" Qrow asked.

"The complete opposite." Jaune looked up as Ozpin entered the room. "I'll tell you later."

Summer nodded and looked to Ozpin as well. The headmaster moved quickly, like a man in a rush, drawing out a seat and sitting down with little more than a brief nod to each of them. His normally impeccable clothing was creased and worn. His mug was nowhere to be seen.

"Summer, Qrow, Jaune," he greeted each of them in turn, drawing the last out a little. "Thank you for making time to meet with me. I would have preferred to have handled this sooner, but I understand our original time was not convenient."

"I'd just gotten back from Menagerie. I was tired – not to mention injured."

"Did your Semblance not heal that?"

"Sure. But it still took some energy out of me."

"My apologies then. I'm not fully aware of how your Semblance operates; perhaps that is one of the things we might discuss today – among other topics."

"Uh. Sure. If you want…"

Summer watched the byplay uncomfortable. Was it just her, or did those questions seem a little too insistent from Ozpin? She looked to Qrow for answers, but he was staring ahead with the focus of someone doing his best not to be seen.

"Let us put our cards upon the table," Ozpin said. "We all know of Salem and her goals. We know that she is behind the White Fang's recent actions – and, we know from Jaune and Qrow, that not only do most White Fang members not know of this, but not all are happy with it either. At least _some_ good came from such an ill-fated mission."

"Hey! We tried our best…"

"I'm not suggesting anything less, Qrow. Only stating facts. Still, it goes without saying that your retreat was forced because Jaune allowed himself to be ambushed." Ozpin looked to the man in question. "Do you have anything to add on that front?"

Jaune crossed his arms, frowning. "It was an error of judgement."

"Yes. I believe that goes without saying. What I was asking, however, is just why you made this error. What possessed you to follow some random White Fang member out from the safety of your tavern and into Menagerie?"

"Are you suggesting something, Ozpin?"

"I'm not sure, Mr Ashari. Should I be?"

Summer looked between the two and a nervous feeling wormed its way into her gut. Neither looked like they were prepared to draw weapons – and the fact that both were unarmed led credence to that – but if they had been armed, she might have expected their hands to be on them. The atmosphere was charged. Qrow looked as uncomfortable as she felt.

"It was a mistake."

"There is more to it than that, I'm sure. We are all of us on the same side here."

Jaune's eyes narrowed. "You don't sound like you believe that…"

Summer stood, slamming a hand down on the table. "Enough!" she snapped, silencing both men and making Qrow jump. Her hands shook and while she wasn't used to arguing with Ozpin like this, she forced herself to continue. "Ozpin, you sound like you're accusing Jaune of something. Stop it. We're all working together here; there's no reason for us to be at ends." She turned on Jaune, anger waning just a little. "And Jaune, I don't think Ozpin meant to sound like that. We're just trying to understand what went wrong. If it's something you can't say, tell us, but at least help us understand why. But this arguing is pointless."

The two men did not quite quail under her gaze and neither apologised. Ozpin sat back a little, however, and Jaune closed his eyes and sighed. She wanted to knock them both around a little in the ring but would content herself for now with stopping this nonsense.

"She was someone I once knew. I trusted her because of that…"

Ozpin leaned forward. "How did you know her?"

"I met her before – in Atlas. If you're expecting some grand conspiracy, you'll be disappointed. She was part of a White Fang parade, back before they went violent. I met her and we talked. She was a nice girl."

"And because of this alone you decided to trust her in hostile territory?"

"I thought I knew her. Turns out I was wrong."

"You should have informed Qrow and Winter of what you were doing!"

"I should have," Jaune admitted, shrugging. "It was my mistake. My error of judgement. I'm used to working alone and did so. That's all there is to it. She led me into an alley, I was ambushed and tried to keep her out of it, then got stabbed in the back. Raven saved me."

"That is another matter," Ozpin said. "Your relationship with Raven…"

"Is not what you're suggesting."

Summer caught the way his eyes flicked to hers as he spoke, telling her that he knew full well what her team had been before. She wondered if Raven had told him, or if Raven had talked about her at all. If Raven hated her.

"Raven saved me from a ruined village in Mistral. She picked me up along with a couple of other survivors, let them go but kept hold of me because I was injured. Later figured out it was because she wanted to fight me, see how strong I was."

Qrow chuckled. "Sounds like her."

"But when Qrow arrived, she decided to test me in a different way. I'm not a part of her tribe and only knew her for a week or two."

"Yet she was willing to come to Menagerie to save you. Why?"

Jaune shrugged. "You'd have to ask her. Maybe she considers me a friend. It's hard to tell with her."

"You are being evasive, Mr Ashari."

Summer made to interrupt again but Jaune beat her to it.

"I'm being literal, Ozpin. If you think I'm being evasive it's because I don't have all the answers either. Raven doesn't come with an instruction manual. Maybe if she did, you wouldn't be having the problems with her you are. I know she doesn't trust you-"

"How?"

"Because she told me." Jaune's answer silenced the headmaster. It shocked her, too. "Raven told me straight up that she didn't trust you – after I beat Qrow for her. Told me that she'd never go back to working under you, nor trust you ever again."

Biting her lip, Summer looked to Ozpin. "Why?" she asked. "Why does Raven not trust you?"

"I am unaware, Summer."

 _Now who's the one being evasive?_ Summer thought. There was no telling if Jaune was being honest, but given Ozpin's reaction, it seemed on point. Raven had said she didn't trust _Ozpin_ , though. She hadn't said she didn't trust her or Tai.

"If you were thinking of using me to get through to Raven, I wouldn't."

"It had been an idea, I'll admit. You do not believe it will work?"

"Well, for one, I don't have her Semblance, so the only way I can get a message to her is if she chooses to get in touch with me. Secondly, I got the impression she'd never work with you. Sorry, but considering how much I owe her right now, I don't want to get on her bad list."

Qrow snorted but said nothing. He didn't have to. Raven had always been quick to anger – and very slow to forgive. Yang had inherited a bit of that, at least the temper part.

"We'll leave Raven for now then," Ozpin decided. "On the White Fang, I am still disappointed by your actions, but I shall let them go."

"Appreciated." Jaune clearly didn't care for Ozpin's opinion.

"That said, I think it would be best if you stayed away from them for now. You're too public a figure and now tied intrinsically to Vale. The White Fang has little reason to pressure Vale at the moment, especially if they're about to enter armed conflict with Atlas. I don't want to give them reason to change targets."

"You're going to let them attack Atlas?" Summer asked.

"Not by choice, no. But if Salem truly does with to use them, I'd rather it be on the only Kingdom with an active military. With James in control, the White Fang would have little chance of victory through traditional means."

"With that Hazel and Tyrian guy, I doubt traditional means will be their only option," Qrow warned. "Not so much Tyrian, but Hazel strikes me as a guy smart enough to find a way around a problem. He's the brains there."

"I've already sent the information we have on him to James."

"Me too," Jaune said. He shrugged when Ozpin looked his way, annoyed, "Just for safety's sake. Winter had to report to him, after all."

"Of course. I understand fully."

It was like two chefs trying to prepare the same meal, Summer decided. Both were working on the same objective, the same final product, but each was adding the same ingredients when the other wasn't looking. Jaune seemed like the kind of chef who wanted them to both work apart and make two cakes, while Ozpin wanted Jaune under him, employed, and for Jaune to bow to his experience.

Summer didn't think that was going to happen anytime soon.

The discussion went on for a little longer, both on the issue of the White Fang and then on their immediate plans to fortify Vale. Subtly, of course. Ozpin would do most of the work through the Council, who were obviously invested in keeping terrorists out of the Kingdom. They were left with little more than menial tasks to keep an eye out on the area, though Jaune was asked to vet his students for any who might show signs of wanting to learn more dangerous skills.

Eventually, the conversations trailed off. Easily two hours or more and late in the evening. Summer checked her scroll and reflected disappointedly that she wouldn't have time to tuck the girls in. Taiyang would do it in her place but it really wasn't the same thing. _I promised Ruby a bedtime story, too. I'll have to wake up early to make cookies as an apology now. Ugh…_

"Is there anything else to discuss?" Ozpin asked finally.

Summer was already halfway up when Jaune spoke, earning an audible groan from her.

Both he and Ozpin looked her way. Qrow sniggered.

"U-Um. It's nothing," she said, laughing weakly. She sat down. "Continue, please."

"Right…" Jaune looked like he was hiding amusement at her expense. "Figured I should let you know before it happens, but I might be planning a little trip with the ASH Gym in a week or two. It's not Salem related, but I'll be out of the Kingdom with it."

"Again?" Ozpin and Qrow asked at the same time, Qrow with a little dread. "Please tell me you're not leaving me to babysit those monsters again…"

"Not this time, no. There's a tournament going on in Mistral – a big one. I was thinking the Gym could attend and take part. Was going to hold a miniature tournament between the members as a try-out. Enter one student in each category, invite their parents to come with and give them some experience on the tournament scene."

"I see." Ozpin linked his hands before him but didn't appear upset at the suggestion. "I suppose this is a business decision as much as anything else."

"Sure. It's good experience, though. Especially if we're thinking their future enemies might be more human-like than Grimm." Jaune looked her way. "Yang is a shoo-in by the way, so you're more than welcome to come along."

"Hm. Yang _has_ been eager to try her luck again after that Pyrrha girl beat her."

Jaune grinned. "Pyrrha Nikos is in the tournament. She's the favourite to win."

"Then Yang will be all for it!"

"I'm also doing it to try and push the Gym out there a little more," Jaune said, more to Ozpin than her or Qrow. "I'm going to be looking for promising students in Mistral and offer scholarships to any who want to come and study in Vale. Figured that might be something you'd be interested in."

"I might be, if we can convince them to join Beacon after." Ozpin rubbed his jaw. "I'll talk with Glynda about it. We don't have tuition, so I can't offer any incentives there. Perhaps a bursary or subsidy for living expenses. I assume you have your eyes on the aforementioned lady?"

"Pyrrha?" If Jaune thought it odd to call her by her first name, he didn't show it. "I'd love that, sure, but I don't think it'll happen. Her father didn't exactly like me."

"Oh?"

"Mostly for his daughter losing. He accused Emerald of cheating."

"Ah, I see. Regrettable. Still, I don't see a problem with this. In fact, getting you out of Vale and in the news lines for something _other_ than a failed diplomatic meeting in Menagerie might well be a good thing. I assume it won't be a long trip."

"Tournament is a two-day affair. I figure people will want to be there a day or two early to look around and leave the day after. The Gym can cover expenses for competitors, but anyone else would have to sort themselves out. Winter helped me work out the insurance needed for me to take any kids on their own, though. Long as I have parental permission."

"I've not had any reports of activity from Salem in Mistral. I can speak with my old friend Leo, but the last we spoke, things were quiet."

"Yeah." Jaune's face flickered, though only for a second. "It was quiet when I was there. Apart from a village being attacked – but I think that was an unplanned tragedy."

"What about Hazel?" Summer asked. "If people learn Jaune will be there, he certainly will, too. Is there a chance he might attack?"

"It would be unwise of him. A huntsman tournament is bound to be attended by strong huntsman families and their children. They already attacked Atlas in similar conditions and that – while a shock to everyone – cost the White Fang dearly. I doubt they will try to do so again openly for fear of making an enemy of Mistral and the rest of Remnant. That won't prevent them attempting another ambush if Mr Ashari separates himself from others, but I hope he has learned his lesson there."

"I have. Don't worry, I'll play ball."

"Good. And assuming Miss Xiao-Long goes, that will mean that Summer, Taiyang and Qrow will go as well. If the four of you were to stick together, I expect Hazel would be hesitant to try his chances. He retreated already once it was him and Tyrian against Jaune and Summer. All four combined, I expect they will look for a better chance in Vale." Ozpin clapped his hands together. "Now, if that is everything-"

"Actually… there is one more thing."

"Yes, Mr Ashari?"

"I'm also going to have two wards in the form of Weiss and Whitley Schnee in a few days. They may well be living with me and Emerald for a couple of months, maybe even longer."

Ozpin groaned. His hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Salem's number one target living with the two children of the _White Fang's_ number one target. Do you exist to make my life difficult, Mr Ashari? Or is this just an unhappy coincidence?"

Jaune laughed weakly.

"Definitely one of those..."

/-/

Summer caught up with Jaune again as they were departing. Leaving Qrow behind with Ozpin she jogged ahead and found Jaune waiting outside, looking down at a message on his scroll. He put it away as she approached and turned towards her, smiling tiredly.

"Hi Summer. What's up?"

"Shouldn't I be the one to ask that? What happened back there?"

"Which bit? Me gaining two more quasi-kids?"

"You know what I mean," she said, glaring at him a little.

"Me and Ozpin, huh?"

"Yes."

"Not much to say to be honest; what you see is what you get. He's paranoid."

"I wouldn't say you're all that much better, Jaune. I mean it kindly, but… well, you _are_ pushing back a bit. The two of you should be working together, not butting heads over little things."

"I wouldn't consider this a little thing, Summer, but you're right." He sighed. "Sorry about back there. To be fair, I'm still kind of pissed about Bla-" He cut off, and then, realising it was no longer a secret, continued, "About Blake stabbing me in the back." He rubbed his arm.

"It really hurt you, didn't it?"

"What? No, no. I had it healed in a matter of minutes. Hazel just opened it again."

"I didn't mean it hurt like that…"

He leaned back, eyes wide for a moment. Then, with a sudden sigh, he relaxed again. The smile he offered was for show, the melancholy behind it obvious. "Yeah, I guess it did. I can't really explain it, but I trusted her. Stupid of me, I know, but… It would be like if Qrow stabbed you in the back."

"He wouldn't," Summer said, no doubt within her.

"Yeah? That's how I felt about Blake."

"Oh." Summer looked away briefly. "I guess that explains why you were so upset."

"Hm. I shouldn't have taken it out on Ozpin. If you get a chance…?"

"I'll apologise on your behalf."

"Thanks." Jaune walked by, prepared to head into the Emerald Forest and take the dangerous – at least for the average person – way back to Vale.

Summer caught his arm before he could. "Can I-"

Words failed her.

"What is it?"

The knots in her stomach coiled all the tighter, leaving her nauseous. A part of her, a big part, wanted to remain silent, but she had to know. "Raven. Did she… Did she say anything about me? At all? In the weeks you knew her. Did she…"

"Did she mention you?"

Weakly, she nodded.

"She didn't. I'm sorry."

"Oh…" Summer smiled. Smiled and sniffed as a tear threatened to break free. "I… well, I guess that's expected. Ha. N-Not sure what I was thinking. Sorry for asking. In fact, forget I did."

"Summer." Jaune's hand rested on hers. "She didn't say anything bad about you, either. I don't think she hates you. She just-"

"Can…" She bit her lip. "Can you not? Make excuses, I mean. I… You know, she came to save you when you were in danger. She saved your life. White Fang attacks and she's right there, fighting and killing to get you out – then gets Winter and Qrow out as well. Like a hero."

He shuffled awkwardly. "Yeah. Sort of…"

"But when I was attacked by Hazel and Tyrian, when I was on the verge of death…" Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Nothing. _You_ were the one to save me, and only after I'd already nearly died. Do you – Do you think it was something I did? Do you think it's because I went and married Ta-?"

Jaune wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in against his chest. Summer buried her face into his white coat and tried not to cry.

"No. I don't think it's any of that. Raven is… complicated. But what problems she has, she has with Ozpin. Not you. If I see her again, I'll try and talk to her."

Summer sniffed. "You said you wouldn't for Ozpin."

"You're not Ozpin."

It was hypocritical, but Summer nodded, leaning her head against him. Raven wasn't a topic she could talk to Taiyang or Qrow about; it hurt them too much. The questions had gone unanswered for over a decade now, and while she was afraid of what the answers might be… It felt good to have someone she could talk to about her old teammate. The woman who had once been her best friend.

"Thank you…"

/-/

Emerald had a purpose.

No, not a purpose – a responsibility. Those two things were different, the former suggesting she existed as a means to an end, and the latter that she had been trusted with a great task. Sure, it wasn't fighting gangsters or Grimm, but Dad hadn't needed her for that. Tonight, he'd be attacking some drug den with Junior's crew and while dangerous, it wouldn't be a threat to him. Instead, he'd caved before her pleading eyes and told her what he planned.

That alone was enough to prove he trusted her implicitly, since he left nothing out – telling her about Salem, Tyrian, Hazel and what he was hoping to do with Junior, Roman and that stupid Neo girl. But more importantly, he'd given her a role to fulfil, a responsibility he knew he could trust her to see through. Something _only she_ could do. A way to help him.

It wasn't fighting or a life and death struggle, but, after he'd explained fully why he wanted – no, needed her for – she'd understood. It was important. Real important.

"Someone's been told some good news, eh? Don't tell me. Winter finally left?"

Emerald tried to glower at Yang but failed. She was in too good a mood for it. Her friend – and yes, she was forced to admit that somehow, some way, Yang was a friend to her – was busy getting changed out of her ASH Gym training outfit after a hard training session. The girl's changing rooms were busy, most changing while some panted or stretched sore muscles. Training at the gym was always hard, relentlessly so, but the results spoke for themselves.

Of course, Emerald had been cheery throughout, but since she got to the Gym before everyone else, Yang had been forced to wait until everything was over for a chance to corner her. Incessant gossip that she was, it hadn't taken long.

"So, am I right? Has winter changed to spring?"

"Your puns need work – and no. She's leaving tomorrow morning, but even then there's two more coming."

"Eh? How many girlfriends does he have?"

"Not girlfriends! Winter's siblings."

"Oh!" Yang's eyes lit up and then narrowed, a smile creeping across her face. "Is that the boy who wrote you a poem for your birthday?"

"Yes. Whitley. And his sister, Weiss."

"I'd really rather know more about Mr Romantic, thanks."

"Mr Romantic…?"

"You know - the poem?"

"What about it?"

"It was a gift to you. A romantic gift."

"It was a gift given on my birthday. I got gifts from loads of people, including you. Are you suggesting _you're_ into me?" Emerald leaned back for good measure.

"Ugh. You're hopeless. Welp, I can't wait to meet them. Are they coming to the Gym? Guess they'll have to if your dad is working here every afternoon. Ooh, do you think they'll take part? I mean, Winter can fight, so they must know a thing or two." Yang, as always, was capable of speaking for the both of them and continued to rattle off questions and then answer them before Emerald had a chance to.

That was fine. Emerald sought out Vernal – making sure the stupid, arrogant, stuck-up bitch was close enough to hear her before she interrupted Yang. "If you really want to know why I'm in such a good mood, it's because there's a tournament coming up and Dad is thinking about entering the Gym into it."

Vernal's head cocked in her direction, but the girl – who Emerald knew to be one of the Bloody Woman's people – scoffed.

Yang, however, perked up. "Wait, seriously? Yes! I've been itching for a chance to avenge my defeat."

"The one who beat you is there too."

Yang's eyes flashed red. Her smile was manic.

"Of course, there's a chance you might not be picked to represent the Gym."

"W-What!?" And her eyes were lilac again. Also, very, very wide. "W-What's that supposed to mean? Em, come on. You know I'm good for it. You've got to tell your old man!"

"Well, Dad only wants to enter a select few people. If the Gym does well, it gets more money and the like. Reputation. We want to be sure everyone who enters can win."

"I can win! I can totally win!"

"I don't know… You didn't do so hot the last time."

"I made the semi-finals!"

"You lost."

"So did everyone."

"Except me." Emerald reminded her. Okay, that wasn't a part of the plan, but it felt _good_ to see Yang's flat expression. "Just saying."

"Grr. Fine. What do I need to do to prove I can fight in this thing?"

"Dad is going to hold try-outs in a couple of days. You'll have to do well in those, and I _think_ he's only going to take one person from each year group."

Yang's eyes narrowed. "That mean I have to beat you?"

"No. I get a pass."

"Because you're daddy's little girl?"

"No…" Emerald fought back her flush unsuccessfully and Yang – along with a few people listening in – laughed. "Because I'm already a champion from the last tournament. If I go, I'll get an automatic seeding through the qualifications stage. Anyone else would have to qualify to even get in. The try-outs will be to see who from the Gym gets to try."

"Then I'll definitely win," Yang said, equal parts confidence and bravado. "The only one our age who can hold a candle against me is you."

"And Sky."

"Pft. He gets distracted whenever I grapple him."

Emerald glanced down to Yang's breasts again. "I wonder why."

Poor Sky. Fifteen, in the midst of puberty and with no idea what to do about Yang's grabby nature. It wasn't his fault, but he paid for it each and every time. At least Jaune seemed to know what was going on and took the guy aside for some friendly advice about not underestimating or trying to be gentlemanly to girls you were fighting.

"I think he wants three people to go – three in addition to me."

"That's easy, then," Yang said. "Me, Coco and ass-features."

"What was that, bitch?" Vernal yelled, snapping a towel at the back of Yang's legs. The sharp crack had Yang yelping. "Should watch your mouth if you don't have the skills to back it up. Or you want me to plant your face in the mat again and make you cry out for mommy?"

"Fuck you."

"Adorable." Vernal crossed her arms and waited to see if Yang would try anything. She didn't. "Heh. Typical. Easy to run your mouth, harder to back it up. And besides, who says I'd be interested in some lame ass tournament between kids? I've got better things to do."

"What's the matter?" Emerald asked. "Scared you'll lose?"

"If you want me to be insulted, you should say something even remotely believable."

Aggravatingly, Vernal wasn't even wrong. She'd been trained in a bandit tribe by the Bloody Woman, and although she was nowhere near her father's level, she was somewhere between them and a professional huntress. Emerald would have honestly guessed Vernal to already be at the level of the average Beacon first-year student. Maybe even a second year. That was why Dad needed her at the tournament so badly.

"Well, it's your choice." Emerald shrugged. "Not like it matters; there are plenty of others who'll try."

"Ha. Let them. Fighting kids for a trophy is a waste of time."

That needled her. She loved her trophy, earned by herself and polished regularly as it sat in the glass-fronted cabinet her father bought her.

"I'm not gonna try and convince you, then. Means more training for me and Yang."

Vernal paused. "What?"

"What?" Emerald asked innocently.

"You said more training. What did that mean?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Brat…" Vernal threatened, pulling her towel taut.

"Dad is going to give the ones who get through personal training," she said quickly, backing away and also bringing her hands down to catch the towel if Vernal tried it.

She didn't; Vernal had gone still. "Personal training?"

"One to one training. Personal. He wants everyone to make a good show, so the further you get in the tournament, the more training you get. I dunno what, exactly, but I heard him talking to Winter and he had something special in mind. Something he said he trained her in when she all but won the Vytal Festival."

And everyone knew Winter had been about to. Sure, it wasn't official, but bookies, historians and the general public all agreed Winter was the unofficial winner. There hadn't been anyone who could take her on – all thanks to Jaune Ashari's personal training.

"Oi. What you shits all lookin' so hungry for!?" Vernal snapped, cowing some of the other girls into submission. "You want to get that spot, you're gonna have to beat me." She flexed an arm in warning. "You think you got what it takes?" Several looked away. "Thought not. That training is _mine_."

Hook, line and sinker.

/-/

Jaune fought back a yawn. Another night with Junior and the Malachites – one equally hard work, but not difficult by any means. It was just hard labour as far as he was concerned, even if they had taken some horrifying drugs off the streets and crushed a gang at the same time. The news should have been good, and it was, but there was also the reality of what might happen to all the addicted people in Vale. Some might get over it, but others might very well turn to violence to try and get their fix.

There was little he could do about that. Not unless he wanted to let Junior provide more drugs for them – a line he wasn't willing to cross.

At least Emerald had come through on Vernal. He could have convinced Raven's little spitfire to fight if he'd talked to her himself, but she was like Raven – or wanted to be. She'd try to get more out of him, make him pay for her effort in time, money or training. Hell, she might have demanded a spot living in his home, and he knew Emerald would draw a line in blood if that happened. Better to have Emerald trick Vernal into volunteering on her own. Though she tried her hardest, she had a long way to go until she was as sneaky as Raven could be.

Winter was busy greeting Weiss and Whitley, the two stepping off a private Bullhead flanked by SDC guards. It had landed in Beacon, the better not to draw attention. Ozpin stood politely nearby, but distant enough as to not intrude, along with Glynda and Qrow.

"You think you'll be okay with them?" Jaune asked, laying a hand on Emerald's shoulder.

"They weren't annoying the last time. Maybe…"

He squeezed gently. "Try your hardest."

Weiss looked much like he remembered her, albeit a little stiffer, a little less open. Jacques' influence had waned according to Winter, but Weiss was still a long way from the outgoing and snappy partner of Ruby Rose. That would only come once she felt comfortable enough to let her hair down and cut loose. Or as loose as a Schnee could.

Whitley was the enigma. His crush on Emerald aside – and he made a note not to try and be too intrusive there – the boy was a complete mystery. He hadn't expressed any interest in being a huntsman the last time and had, at first, been a miniature version of Jacques. But with Jacques changed here and Winter's involvement in his life, there was just no telling how different the boy might be.

He nodded and smiled at Winter, a smile that appeared honest, and then patted the revolved on his hip in answer to a question. It was the only visible weapon he wielded, but he carried himself well enough. Confidant, if a little arrogant.

 _I suppose I'll have to test him. Weiss, too._

Still, it would be good for Emerald to have some more people around – and good for him to have a chance to stop any more changes to the timeline. There had been so many mistakes already that taking a personal hand in ensuring Weiss went to Beacon was just the best idea. Whitley? Well, it couldn't hurt to push him in a similar direction. Who knew, Weiss might befriend and inspire Ruby into being a huntress once more. She would be behind on training, but if he took over her personally, he could possibly get her to the level she'd bee at before by the time she was fifteen.

"Good job on Vernal by the way. Are you happy with the next step?"

Emerald nodded. "I can handle it. You can trust me."

"I already do, Em. But be sure to ask me if you need help. We're in this together."

"Hm." She smiled, cheeks turning a rosy pink. "Together."

Winter had apparently finished with what little instructions she'd given her younger siblings – presumably that they not cause him trouble, not embarrass her and all the other typical requests his own sisters had given him whenever one of their friends was hired to babysit him. He'd failed every time, of course, but that was him.

"Weiss, Whitley, you've met Mr Ashari before. Remember what I told you."

Weiss stepped forward and offered him a picture-perfect curtsey. "It's a pleasure, Mr Ashari. Thank you for agreeing to look after us."

Whitley placed a hand over his heart and bowed. "You have my gratitude as well." His eyes slid to Emerald, a small smile appearing on his face. "And it is a pleasure to see you as well, Emerald. I hope you've been well."

Emerald shrugged, neither catching not understanding his interest. "Not bad."

Winter and Jaune exchanged amused smiles.

"Their luggage will be delivered to them and a stipend to you," Winter explained. "They have accounts of their own linked to the company and if you need anything – anything at all – don't hesitate to contact me or the SDC."

"It'll be fine, Winter. We'll be fine."

"Yes. I know. I just… Never mind. You're right."

"Look after yourself as well, alright? The White Fang are going to be more serious than ever. You can't let your guard down."

"I'll try not to disappoint your teachings."

"It's not about disappointment, Winter. It's about you being safe. If things ger rough, back out. You're more important than a little dust. You've got family who would miss you." He grinned. "And let's not forget about me."

Winter smiled down at his chest. Her eyes didn't meet his. "Yes. I… I realise. Thank you, Jaune. It also means a lot to me that you would look after Weiss and Whitley for me, despite the effort. I want to thank you for that."

"It's no problem."

"You still deserve thanks. Proper thanks."

Winter closed her eyes and took a quick breath. Without warning, she stepped forward, brought both hands up to cup his cheeks and brought his face to hers.

It was over before he could process it. A moment of shock, a moment of confusion – a brief eternity of warm lips on his, a body against his, and then Winter was drawing away, face red, eyes locked onto his.

"T-Thank you," she said again. "I hope this makes my position clear."

All he could do was stare after her as she turned away, walking proudly back to the Bullhead with her head held high, her shoulders firm and her hips swinging back and forth. The little girl he'd trained had become a woman.

He wasn't sure how he hadn't realised that fact.

"Is this the right time to say I told you so?" Qrow asked, sauntering over. "Because I _totally_ told you so."

/-/

"Our informants tell us the Schnee children have fled Atlas."

"Cowards."

"Children. Not cowards. There is a difference."

"Your… opinion is noted, Adam, but please recall what it is we must do. Sacrifices must be made for the betterment of faunus lives. Children though they may be, they are not innocent."

"Nor are they their father, Sienna."

"Be silent. Or would you rather I ask Tyrian to explain it to you."

Adam gritted his teeth and kept his eyes low. _For Blake,_ he reminded himself. _This is for Blake's safety, not mine._

"I thought not. The children are out of reach for now. We have enough on our plates with Atlas – and striking a blow against the older Schnee members will send a much stronger message."

"We're going after the bastard himself?"

"Not quite. Jacques Schnee will be heavily guarded and sure to flee if put in danger. Besides, would it not be a grander accomplishment to rob him of everything first? To let him watch as his empire crumbles around him?"

The suggestion brought a round of cheers, jeers and laughter – some joking about how he might cry or weep for their mercy. Only one remained silent, knelt with his head bowed, eyes clenched shut.

"What's the plan, then? We going to strike at the SDC directly?"

"That would require forces we do not have," Adam said.

"Ha. You can puss out and run back to your girlfriend if you like. Me and mine can handle it."

"You would die in a moment. Actually, on second thought, sure, go for it. I'll enjoy hearing of your failure."

"You son of a-"

"Now, now." Sienna smiled down on them like an indulgent parent. She enjoyed the rivalry, the petty squabbling. No doubt, she felt it kept her position secure. As though the support of Hazel and Tyrian would not do that already. "There's no need to argue like children – and Adam is right. This time. Attacking the SDC directly would be foolhardy. What we need is a bargaining chip."

"You mean a hostage," Adam sneered.

"Call it what you will. For your last failure, I think you will be the one to secure this for us. You've had little problems with your raids in the past, Adam, and keeping those who fight you alive seems to be something of a speciality of yours…" Sienna managed to sneer the latter, along with several of those around him. "You should have no problem doing the same if it's a part of my orders, then."

"I can move when Blake is healed."

"No. I think you should go ahead. Leave Blake under my care."

A hostage. Sienna was taking Blake hostage. Worse, Blake would agree if it was an order from Sienna. He didn't have a choice.

Adam clenched his teeth harder. "Fine. What is it you want?"

"Winter Schnee."

"Of course." He frowned. "And if I retrieve her and the SDC agrees to bargain with us, will we honour any agreements made?"

Sienna smiled cruelly.

"Why don't you leave all the little details to me, Adam."

/-/

"I am disappointed, Hazel."

"I understand, my Queen, but I bring good news. I have discovered the identity of the current Spring Maiden. Though I do not know her exact location, it should not be difficult for Watts to locate it."

"That _is_ good news. Well done." Strangely, the knowledge did not excite her as she thought it might. It was good, and yet she found herself troubled still. Her fingers drummed on her throne. "Did you discover more about him?"

"He knows things he should not. He knows of you, and of my sister."

"Intriguing." Troubling. Impossible. No. Only improbable. "Continue to look into him, Hazel. I want him before me. I want him broken. I want him serving me or I want him dead, but not until his mind has been plucked of all that might prove useful."

"I understand, my Queen."

"No, Hazel, I do not believe that you do." Salem watched the man's face, read his surprise – and also his fear. "Your actions with the White Fang please me. Tyrian's, also. They are a valuable tool, a promising one, and yet I would cast them aside in a moment to secure him."

Hazel reeled back a little. "He is that important?"

"I do not know. But what I do know is that little groups like the White Fang will come and go a thousand times. An opportunity like this will not." Her hand clenched into a fist. "He bears my mark, Hazel. He bears a mark that only I can give, but which I know I have not given. It screams out to me, dogs my dreams. I _must_ know the answer."

"I believe I understand."

"Do you? Explain it to me, so that we might be certain."

"He precedence. If an opportunity might arise, nothing is too valuable to sacrifice if it means an opportunity to capture or kill him. The White Fang are expendable. The Maidens are expendable. All of them."

The Maidens would pass on. The Relics would continue to exist. As would she, as would Ozma, but the potential she might gain from acquiring one such as he? That was a prize that would not last forever.

"Precisely, Hazel. See to it that Tyrian understands there will not be another opportunity for failure."

"I will see it done, my Queen."

"And see to it that _she_ understands this as well."

Hazel hesitated. "Do you believe her ready?"

"I believe her expendable. It is the same thing."

"Of course. I'll see it done."

The seer grew dark and Salem dismissed it with a wave of her hand. It would set her back to spend everything on this venture, but time was a commodity she had in abundance. Ozma did not yet realise the significance of what had fallen into his lap, and this Ashari seemed prepared to keep it that way. Such was fine by her. She would have him.

And through him, all of Remnant.

* * *

 **Ah, Winter. Making your feelings clear at last. Might have wanted to guess from Emerald's ignorance that she inherited it from someone.**

 **Who is the _she_ they refer to?**

 **Well, we'll perhaps see.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 2** **nd** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	44. Chapter 44

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 44**

* * *

Mr Ashari lived well.

Father had told them of Mr Ashari's hidden wealth and made it clear they were not to go against his wishes on that front lest they jeopardise Winter's marriage prospects, and while Weiss had initially been against the idea of her sister marrying some distant and unknown businessman all the way in Vale, Winter had made her feelings abundantly clear.

Not a training session went by without Winter saying, `Jaune would have done this` or `Jaune would have never let me get away with that` or `Jaune always says…` Jaune, Jaune, Jaune. Weiss would admit to having become sick of the name.

Sick, but also curious. Not curious enough to _want_ to be shipped off to Vale and away from home for goodness knows how long, but curious enough to stomach it without _too much_ complaining. At the end of the day, Winter just wanted to keep them safe. Father? Well, a few years ago Weiss might have said he didn't care, but he was a lot more relaxed of late. Weiss was forced to admit that he _might_ just have agreed with Winter because he, too, cared for them in some way.

Regardless… here she was in Vale, an altogether less accomplished Kingdom, and being shown around the Ashari household by the man in question and his adopted daughter. Weiss had liked Emerald. She couldn't say they'd spend much time together, but she'd been a no-nonsense sort who didn't care for names, position or stabbing you in the back for some perceived gain. That already made her better than most of the people Weiss dealt with on a daily level.

But then Whitley.

Oh, Whitley…

If Winter was `Jaune, Jaune, Jaune`, then he was `Emerald, Emerald, Emerald`. Always asking Weiss whether he looked good in this, what would Emerald thing, how does this poem sound? Had she been any less a virtuous paragon of patience, she might have stabbed him and Winter both.

"And these will be your rooms," Mr Ashari said. "One on either side of the corridor – and each has an en-suite, so no worries on having to find the bathrooms. We've no idea how long you'll be here, so feel free to treat them as your own. If you want to re-decorate, I'll help."

"Thank you, Mr Ashari," Weiss and Whitley said in unison.

"Please, call me Jaune."

"Then thank you, Jaune," Whitley quickly said, smiling dashingly. Clearly, he'd decided the easiest way to Emerald's heart was through her father. "I'd like to extend my gratitude on both me and my sister's behalf for your hospitality."

 _Trying to sound like father? Maturity doesn't always mean old age, Whitley._

Weiss had a feeling she was in for the long haul on the Whitley-Emerald train. At least until she went insane and could finally be spared from it all. "Yes, thank you," she added, bowing. "We realise this cannot be an easy transition and will try our best not to burden you in any way."

"Hey. No talk of being burdens. Come on, I'll show you some of the other rooms."

He continued to show them through the house, detailing rooms they might find useful such as the kitchens, dining room, living quarters and more. There was even a small library. None of it was as grand or impressive as the Schnee manor, but it looked a lot more lived in. It could have been so much worse. At least there would be room aplenty to move about and study; Winter having made it clear that their grades were not to drop in any way, or she would be disappointed.

Mr Ashari – Jaune, she reminded herself – was… unusual, she wanted to say, but couldn't. Judging anyone based on the Schnee's standards was probably hypocritical, especially when _they_ were the unusual family. Jaune was open and friendly, or at least managed to look it. He answered Whitley's questions without pause, didn't seem upset to have them and wore a pleasant smile the whole time.

If he was trying to impress them for Winter's sake, he was doing well, and, Weiss supposed, she could not fault him for that. Winter was a woman who deserved such effort.

"I'm sure Winter has told you about the ASH Gym and how you'll need to attend. I hope you're okay with that."

Whitley smiled. "Not a problem!"

"Yes." Weiss was more reserved with her nod. "Winter informed us."

"Great. I know you came for the dinner opening your father arranged, but you'll get to see it later. The people there… Well, they're a little unique, so I hope you'll give them a chance. I'm sure if Winter's been teaching you, you'll not have any problems slotting in, but I'll do a spar to test you first. Don't want either of you getting hurt."

Weiss pushed down her irritation. It was a fair precaution to make with children not his own. There was no offence intended, for he simply did not know their capabilities. "We understand, Mr- Jaune. Thank you for the opportunity."

"No need to be so formal here. It's just the four of us." He scratched the back of his head, running his fingers through shoulder-length blonde hair. There had never been a blonde Schnee before. Perhaps he would be the first. "Ah. I'm sure you'll get used to things. I'll go prepare some lunch for us. The two of you are welcome to have a little explore of your own. Nowhere is really off-limits." He paused to place a hand on Emerald's shoulder.

The girl looked up at her adoptive father inquisitively.

"Show them around, won't you? Make sure they understand everything."

Emerald tilted her head to the side, green hair spilling across her face. "Okay." She waited for her father to leave before turning back to them. The girl's smile fell, replaced with a neutral frown. "Dad wants me to make sure you understand, so I will. You're near the bottom of the pecking order."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"There's the dirt, Vernal, the Grimm, _you_ , Winter, random people on the street, Yang and Ruby, _me_ , Auntie Summer and then Dad."

"I'm not sure this is what your father meant by helping us understand," Weiss pointed out. "Also, how is Winter so low on that? She kissed him."

Emerald scowled. "You're right. She drops to lower than the Grimm."

"That's-"

"Not as low as Vernal, obviously. No one is."

"You-"

"I'll strive to step higher in your opinion, then," Whitley said, interrupting Weiss yet again. He stepped forward, took Emerald's hand and laid a small kiss on her knuckles. "I'll prove to you that I'm worthy of your respect. If that is acceptable?"

"Huh? Sure." Emerald looked down at her hand, confused. "As long as you don't try and get between me and Dad."

"I would not dream of it."

"Then fine."

Whitley looked as if he'd been granted the world on a plate.

Weiss could only sigh and bring a hand up to her face. She'd gone insane and been locked in a mental asylum. It was the only explanation. _Give me patience, Winter. I've a feeling I'm going to need it._

/-/

Well, the introductions hadn't gone too badly.

He'd been worried that Emerald might not react well to two more kids in the house, but he'd returned to find them all alive and well – Whitley was even smiling, and while Weiss had more of a `despairing` look on her face, it wasn't anything he hadn't seen time and time again with Team RWBY. Weiss was good at expressing her sarcasm without it being obvious and likely thought he couldn't tell.

Heh. He knew her mannerisms better than she did in some ways.

 _Hopefully, I'll be able to convince her to open up a little. Weiss was always cagey around new people. Whitley, on the other hand, is a bit more of a surprise._ Not his liking Emerald; that was obvious even if Winter hadn't told him in advance, but rather the way he carried himself. Confidence without arrogance, often letting one hand rest on his right hip, ready to quick-draw his revolver if needed. Some things about them were going to be different. A spar would be a good way to find out just how far Winter's training went.

Lunch was a naturally awkward affair because no one knew how to act around anyone else. Whitley and Weiss politely complimented his cooking even though they'd likely had better from premier chefs day in and day out, while conversation was limited to where they were in their studies and in what ways he could make life easier for them in Vale.

All in all, it was an awkward mess, but not something be could force his way through. Only time would help them get to know him.

The house they were in was actually a new one. _Another house_ in Vale, but he had the lien for it thanks to RTE and there was just too much risk of Oobleck figuring out who Henry Waters-Brown was if they stayed there, especially if he had to dress up _with_ Weiss and Whitley there. The new property was a little smaller than the last and they'd moved over the important stuff, including the tome he'd found in the ruin. Last thing he needed was someone stealing that while he couldn't protect it.

He'd have liked to have found a way to leave a note for Raven too, but since she would portal to him wherever he was, there wasn't much of a chance. He'd just have to find an excuse for Weiss and Whitley if a drunk bandit turned up and started to eat them out of house and home.

 _There's a whole lot of things that could go wrong, but having Weiss here is worth it,_ he thought, watching her subtly as she ate. _If I can have her meet and befriend Ruby, things might still work out. Even if they don't end up on the same team, even if Ruby doesn't want to become a huntress, a little friendship couldn't hurt._

"Is something wrong, Mr Ashari?" She'd caught him looking.

He coughed.

Emerald frowned.

"Just thinking about where the two of you will fit into the ASH Gym. We're having try-outs for a tournament in Mistral. Do you want to enter?"

"I think that might be unfair," Weiss said, bursting Whitley's bubble. The boy had looked on the verge of saying yes. "If this is for the ASH Gym, it wouldn't be reasonable for us to show up and take spots on the team like this."

"Weiss might be right," Whitley said, sighing. "But we'll be happy to cheer people on." He looked to Emerald. "I bet you'll win just like the last time. Another trophy to add to your collection."

Emerald smiled. "I'll do my best."

Hoo boy. Whitley was getting closer and further away from his goal at the same time. Complimenting Emerald was a good way to make her like you, but unless he made it clear what his intentions were, she wasn't going to respond. Not unless she figured it out herself.

 _And I just realised I never gave Emerald the talk. And she's nearly fifteen._ Huh. That was pretty terrible now that he thought about it. Wincing, he made a mental note to invite her into his room at some point and explain, preferably away from Weiss and Whitley so as not to embarrass her.

Either way, he wasn't going to step in or get too bothered by Whitley's attention. As long as he didn't do anything to upset Emerald or try and force her to do anything she wasn't ready for. And frankly, if he did, he was fairly confident Emerald would put him in his place herself. Honestly though, judging from the looks he was giving her Whitley was crushing hard and was unlikely to do _anything_ that might upset her.

Adorable. He wondered if he'd ever been that bad.

" _Hey there, Snow Angel_."

Jaune choked on some cabbage.

"Are you okay, Mr Ashari?"

"Y-Yes. Just remembered something unpleasant."

Well, at least Whitley was doing better than he had. There had to be something to say for that. Also, something to say for Winter kissing him – but that was a can of worms he wasn't prepared to open just yet, if at all.

"Eat up and get what kit you have ready. We'll need to head to the Gym early to prep it."

"Yes, Mr Ashari."

"Yes, Jaune."

"Okay, Dad."

 _Sheesh. It feels like I'm running a day-care here._

/-/

The ASH Gym was well-maintained and, if Weiss were being honest, a lot emptier than she'd expected. Father seemed impressed with it, but on a commercial level, it felt like there could be more customers. The facility was certainly big enough for it. The space also wasn't utilised to maximise profitability, with bleachers and stands on a balcony for parents to overlook students, where he could have just had more space _for_ students.

Of course, it wasn't her business, so she didn't comment on it. If he wanted to focus on quality over quantity, that was fine. He _had_ won the tournament before, after all, so she would assume it was profitable enough, if not entirely efficient.

In the changing rooms, Weiss was already packing away her clothing into a locker, noting again that despite there being fifty or more lockers here and presumably fifty more on the men's side, there were only around fifteen or so female students.

At least their tutelage would be personalised – though still more spread than she was used to. Weiss had never had to share a teacher's attention with anyone other than her brother before. This would take some getting used to.

"Hey! You're the new girl, right?"

Accurately guessing she was the `new girl`, Weiss turned to a rather tall and well-developed blonde girl with a frankly over-sized bust. She wore the same grey ASH top that Emerald and a few other girls did, but it was stretched to bursting. Pretty and yet rather muscled in the arms, the girl was obviously a huntress-in-training.

"I am new here, yes. Can I help you?"

"Maybe. Just had a few questions. The name's Yang. Yang Xiao-Long." The girl extended a hand, which Weiss took after a moment's thought.

"Charmed. I am Weiss Schnee." Not an immediate reaction to her name, which was unusual. The name Yang was familiar, however. _I think it was on Emerald's list. Someone higher ranked than us… not that such would be difficult. The only ones below were Winter and some other person I've never heard of._

"Yeah. Emerald told me all about you. You're livin' with her and her old man, right?"

"Mr Ashari. Yes. Are you familiar with Emerald?"

"Best friends. We hang out all the time."

 _Emerald has friends? Amazing._ "You know her, then. Is she always so…?" Weiss struggled to find a polite way to say it.

"Aggravating? Blunt? Bitchy?"

"Yes." Well, if this girl was going to say it for her… "All of those."

"Afraid so. Trust me, we were _not_ friends at first. Got into a big fight – I won, of course – and basically hated one another. Em is prickly as hell and speaks her mind even when she really shouldn't." Yang raised her voice, "Not to mention she's a _huge_ daddy's girl. Ain't that right, Em?"

Weiss winced, especially when a few other girls in the changing room laughed at her host's expense.

Emerald, however, simply looked up and nodded. "Yes. I am."

"She doesn't see it as an insult," Yang whispered. "Doesn't even understand why it is one. Believe me, she's ridiculous about it, though. You want an easy way into her good graces; only say good things about Mr Ashari. But not _too_ good. You can admire him, but if she thinks you're admitting too much, you're back to square one."

"That is… frankly, that's ridiculous…"

"Yep. That's Emerald for you. You should have seen the look on her face when one of the moms around here tried to chat him up. Pressing herself all over him. Honestly looked like she was about to pick up a chair and break it over the woman's head, even if she was a civilian. Possessive little daddy's girl."

 _Is that why she dislikes Winter? How foolish!_

Still, it wasn't like she could say that about Emerald. The two of them had to get along. "Thank you for letting me know. Yang, was it? I appreciate the warning."

"Heh. No problem. I'd have to hear the bitching from Emerald if things got rough, so it helps me to give you a little advice. Still, nothing comes for free."

Of course; she ought to have expected it. "What do you want? Money, influence, dus-"

Yang's face pushed so close to hers that Weiss staggered back. "I want to know about your brother!"

"W-What?"

"Your brother. He's the one who sent Emerald that poem, isn't he?"

"Po-? Oh, I can't believe he actually _sent_ it." And now she felt guilty because she hadn't really listened to it, just said she had and said it was good while thinking of something else. "But yes, my brother is here. Please don't tell me you _liked_ his poetry."

"Pft. No way."

"Oh, thank goodness…"

"I just want to meet the guy with the hots for my best friend."

"To threaten him?"

"Nah. To help him so I can see the look on Em's face when she finally realises he fancies her. I'm predicting full mental shutdown. Maybe even shout for `daddy` and run to him for advice. It'll be awesome."

 _This_ was Emerald's best friend, the girl who scored higher on the list than she did? The entirety of Vale was an insane mess. Where were all the normal people? Where were all the sane people? Weiss shook her head and backed away, not even answering Yang. As she did, she bumped into someone.

"Ah, my apologies, I-"

"Fuck off, washboard."

"E-Excuse me…?"

The girl, short-haired and angry, crossed her arms. "What? Did I fucking stutter? Watch where you're going, especially if you're gonna be bumping into your betters like that." The girl pushed by her, knocking Weiss back a step as she did. All the other girls got out of the angry one's way.

"Excuse me!" Weiss repeated, voice higher. "I do apologise for bumping into you, but such rudeness is – are you even listening to me!?"

The girl wasn't, clearly. She walked out of the changing rooms and away, never once turning to acknowledge her in the slightest. The door flapped shut behind her, leaving Weiss fuming on the spot, hands clenched at her sides.

"Why, that arrogant, rude, abrasive…"

"Ah." Yang slid up beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Weiss forgave the familiar motion, if only because she was _nowhere_ near as aggravating as the short-haired girl. "I see you've met our resident bitch. Like a dog in heat, she has to put the other girls in line. Or at least that's what Coco says."

"Not within her hearing," another girl – presumably Coco – grumbled.

"Yeah." Yang grinned. "Sucks, but she can back up being that much of a bitch. Everyone hates her, but the truth is, she can probably beat everyone. She's that vicious."

Weiss took a deep breath to calm herself. It only partly succeeded. "Vernal, I presume?"

"Huh, yeah. How did you know?"

"Call it a lucky guess…"

/-/

Yang collapsed down on one of the mats next to Emerald and wiped the sweat from her brow. "She seems nice."

"Who?"

"Weiss, you idiot. You know, your new roommate."

"We're not sharing a room. She has one for herself. So does her brother."

"Yeah? Makes me realise I've never actually seen your house. How much room do you have?"

Emerald smirked. "Enough."

Rolling her eyes, Yang turned away to watch the last few people finish their workouts. Jaune was as brutal as ever, but there was a reason for him to be extra so today. Everyone had been told about the try-outs, and although they wouldn't happen tonight, Jaune was going to be making cuts based on general fitness. Those who couldn't keep up wouldn't have a chance to try-out this time.

It was harsh, but, Yang figured, probably needed. Not everyone at the gym had actually fought competitively like she and Emerald had, so they didn't realise just how brutal it was. Not unusual to be beaten until you were knocked unconscious. Hell, Emerald beat the Nikos girl in a way that had her screaming like a banshee.

 _And I can beat Emerald half the time, so I should be good enough to beat Nikos if I see her again. Assuming she hasn't improved._ Which was pretty damn unlikely, but hey, she'd improved as well.

New girl – sorry, Weiss – wasn't taking part in the torture – sorry, training. Apparently, they were going to spar with Jaune afterwards while everyone else got a rest, and they weren't planning to try-out for the tournament at all.

Unbidden, Yang's eyes slid over to the boy beside Weiss. Her apparent brother, Whitley.

He was definitely an interesting one. Somewhat short, but pretty cute in a boyish, smooth-skinned kind of way. She wouldn't call him handsome, but she could definitely see why some people might be interested. He had something of a dashing air to him as well. It was the waistcoat and the gun, she felt. Made him look like something out of a movie. He also had a charming smile, bright eyes and that distinctive white hair.

"Too feminine for me."

"Huh?" Emerald looked over to her. "What?"

"Whitley. He's cute, but not my type. Looks more like a pretty boy than a handsome man. Maybe he'll grow into it."

"Maybe."

"You don't think so?"

"I don't really care," Emerald said. "It's none of my business."

"Oh, but I think it is~"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Ugh. You really are too innocent. So, how was your first meeting with him in however many years? Was he happy to see you?"

"I suppose." Emerald looked away again, back to those still running laps. "Friendly, attentive. He took the pecking order well."

Yang's face turned white. "Ugh. You realise when I suggested you do that, I meant it as a _joke_. Please tell me you're messing with me. You did _not_ say that to them."

"Shouldn't I have?"

Yang groaned.

"It fit," Emerald said, not even seeing what she'd done wrong. "Besides, they didn't seem angry. He said he'd meet my expectations. Something about standing beside me."

"And you don't think that wording is interesting at all?"

"Not really. He knows not to try and get ahead of me. Or to try and steal Dad."

"Hopeless. You are absolutely hopeless. Did he do anything else? More poems, flowers, a kiss?" Yang wriggled her eyebrows.

"Oh. Yeah, he did."

She choked. "W-What?"

"He kissed me," Emerald said.

"HE KISSED YOU!?"

To her credit, Yang realised her mistake quickly. Hard not to when the _entire gym_ went silent and looked in her direction – students and parents alike. She was on her feet, eyes wide and face red, staring down at Emerald.

In turn, Emerald glared back up at her.

"Is there a problem, Yang?" Jaune called.

"U-Um. N-No, sir. Sorry." Her ass hit the mat hard, her face bright red.

"Good." Jaune rolled his eyes and turned back to those training. "Did I say you could stop? Are you already done? Get moving. If you can't handle a hundred laps without fainting, you're not ready to compete in Mistral. Run, run, run."

Yang kept her head low until a few minutes passed and people stopped paying attention, though even then she noticed some of the other girls – and some guys who had already finished – leaning in to listen to their conversation.

"He kissed you?" Yang hissed, thankfully at a lower volume. "On the lips?"

Emerald blinked. "No."

"W-Where?" Yang asked, head spinning. All sorts of wild possibilities came and went.

"On my hand."

"Oh." She let out a long breath. "Okay, that's fine. And a little romantic, I guess. Sort of." It was old fashioned, but she could already hear a few of the girls listening in swooning. The guys looked unimpressed and if any tried to take her hand and kiss it, she'd let them kiss her fist. Still, if this Whitley had done it honestly and without an ulterior motive, she supposed that was sweet. _I mean, he sent her poetry, so he must be pretty old fashioned himself._

"I'm not sure what the big deal is," Emerald said.

"Yeah. That much I can tell. You'll figure it out… probably. If not, I'll be there to have a good laugh at your expense."

Emerald glowered at her.

"I know, I know. I'm the best friend you've ever had."

"Something like that…" Emerald grumbled to herself.

The last few people to pass the fitness test crossed the finish line, some in worse shape than others. There were far more who had given up half-way, more among the girls than the boys. Yang didn't think it anything to do with fitness and more to do with the fact that _Vernal_ stood as an opponent for most of them in the try-outs, so the older girls didn't bother to try. They all knew they couldn't beat her.

Even the younger ones would have a hard time getting past herself, but the boys were a little better off, there being less stand-out candidates. That wasn't to say they weren't tough; there was just no `Vernal` waiting at the end to smash your face in. They were a lot more even in their skill levels.

"Now, we won't be having the try-outs tonight, but we will be welcoming two new members to the ASH Gym. I'd like you all to say hello to Weiss and Whitley Schnee, who will be staying here for a while."

Yang clapped politely while the others gave their own responses. Some recognised the names – not exactly hard – but not all were fans of the family itself, especially the faunus students.

"Now, Weiss and Whitley have generously offered not to compete in the try-outs because of how new they are and to give you all a better chance." A few more pleased reactions from that. Yang would have been pissed herself if they brought someone new in for _one day_ and that person stole her spot. "But before we get into the swing of things, we'll be having a little spar to determine their level. Everyone, I'll have you move back. Emerald, could you help set the mats?"

Emerald was on her feet immediately. "Yes, Daddy."

A few sniggers. Ugh, she really needed to corner Em and explain why `dad` was a cooler term of address than `daddy`. Then again, Em probably wouldn't care. Yang hadn't been lying earlier; Emerald really was a daddy's girl. _Sheesh, Em. At this rate you're gonna be trying to find a boyfriend who looks just like him or something. Doubt there's anyone who's going to fit that criteria._

To be honest, if there was, she'd be taking a crack at them first. Mr Ashari was definitely too old for her, but Yang would happily admit he had style. That was the kind of guy she liked; just a little more her own age. Well, not like there were many fifteen-year olds as mature as old men, either. Sigh. Such a cruel world.

Emerald single-handedly fought to get the mats into position until Yang sighed and went to help, shaking off Emerald's glare as she did. "I'm just helping, sheesh."

"Dad told me to do it."

"Not as a challenge. Don't take everything so literally."

Working together, it took them a few minutes to set the mats up in such a way as to make a large enough fighting area. They then retreated to the benches at the back wall, where Sky had saved them some seats. He smiled at her and flushed slightly when she winked back. Heh. He was alright. "Thanks," she whispered, sitting. "So, Em, you think this'll be a close fight?"

Emerald looked insulted. "No."

"Not saying they'll beat him. I mean, do you think it'll be even slightly close, what with him holding back and all."

"Hm. Not sure. I've never seen them fight. Rapier and a revolver; both dust but neither mecha-shift."

"There's a motor on the rapier," Yang said. "Dust cylinders?"

"Probably. Varied elemental effects. Since that looks like a revolver and he _uses_ a revolver…"

"Assume the same. Yeah, I get you."

Another aspect of training at the ASH Gym; identifying as much about your opponent as you could before the fight even began. Yang had never been one to care before but would admit that was what cost her against Pyrrha Nikos. In a way, it reminded her of Ruby, back when her little sister still wanted to be a huntress.

 _She used to be so into weapons back then. Damn those White Fang…_

"It's starting!" Emerald hissed. "Shh."

/-/

Jaune stood before the Schnee siblings with Crocea Mors drawn but held point-down in front of him, tip against the mat. They were smaller than he remembered them, but then maybe it was just he who had grown bigger.

"The two of you can face me together," he said. "I'll be holding back for obvious reasons, but I'd still like you to try your hardest. I'll slowly increase the difficulty until I can defeat you. Don't be dispirited when that happens; I _am_ much older than you."

"It's fine," Whitley said. "Winter defeats us regularly."

"It is slightly more even two on one, but she still has the upper hand," Weiss confirmed.

"Good. There's nothing wrong with losing; only in not learning anything from the experience." He was proof of that thanks to Pyrrha's training. He'd made a damn career on losing fights. "Combat will continue until your aura reaches the red, at which point we will stop. Keep to the ring, but you can enter it again if you are knocked out. If you knock _me_ out, however, I will count it as your win. Similarly, you can retire at any time."

"Understood." Weiss swept Myrtenaster before her, while Whitley individually loaded bullets into his revolver one at a time. Each had a different colour to the casing, hinting at dust stored within. Interesting approach.

"You may begin when ready. I'll wait until you make the first attack."

Whitley paused. "You'll wait?"

"Sure." Jaune adopted a resting pose with both hands atop his sword, leaning on it. "If you want to plan briefly, that's fine. Just be aware that if you try and make this last five minutes, I'll be forced to do something. We don't have all day."

"A minute or two, though?" the young man asked.

"Fine with me."

Weiss and Whitley exchanged some downright dangerous smiles with one another. It was his first warning he'd messed up – though not the only one. The two stepped close to one another and readied their weapons. Rather than attack, however, Weiss fell to one knee and focused on the ground in front of her. Whitley brought the revolver up before his face, touching his other hand to its side in what looked to be a prayer-like gesture.

Twin Schnee crests etched from white light spread out on the ground beneath them, two seals overlapping.

 _The Schnee Semblance? But Weiss- Ah. Winter. Well done. I probably should have expected this._

Winter had been the one to master her Semblance and later teach it to Weiss, with Weiss only perfecting it long after Beacon fell. With Winter staying home to look after her siblings, however? Well, it looked like the two had benefitted.

 _And I promised to stand here and not do anything until they're ready. Nice one, Jaune. You deserve everything you get for this one._

White Nevermore began to flutter about the two, not in the numbers Winter could manage, but a good ten or twelve between them. No Knight structure this time; but then, Weiss had no scar across her brow either. Might never. Juvenile Nevermore might be all she learned to summon at this time, and in small numbers, but her repertoire would expand if she attended Beacon and fought more Grimm.

The more immediate problem was that the two weren't stopping – and that he had tricked himself into standing there like an idiot while the two Schnee built up an army of Grimm to face him. Already, ten Nevermore had become thirty, and it didn't look like they were going to stop anytime soon.

 _I gave them five minutes and they're going to use all of it. Clever._

"Three minutes remaining," he called, just to make it clear he wasn't going to let it happen forever. Already, he could hear some of the parents up in the stands laughing. He was sure Summer and Taiyang would be among them, taking great pleasure in his self-imposed misfortune. "And remember students," he called, "This is why you do _not_ allow an opponent all the time in the world to prepare for a fight. Learn a lesson from your instructor's mistake."

A few chuckles, along with an indignant snort from Vernal. Clearly, she felt he'd have no problem.

Well, there was a difference between having no problem and being an idiot. They weren't mutually exclusive.

Fifty, sixty, seventy – they stopped at eighty Nevermore, and judging by the way Whitley wavered, the process was taxing enough that he could expect it not to happen again. All in all, they were proficient at it, though not nearly as much as Winter was – or Weiss in the future. They had been able to use this mid-combat, parrying a blow, falling back and instantly summoning Grimm as a distraction. Right now, these two needed time and focus.

"Ten, nine, eight…" Jaune counted down, making sure they heard. He knew they had when they scattered – vanishing into the mist of white, avian forms. "Four, three, two, one." Crocea Mors came up. Jaune sighed. "Begin," he groaned.

The avalanche struck.

The force of it alone knocked him back a few feet. Nevermore cut themselves to ribbons on the sword held before him, but there was no way he could actually swing it. Doing so would have required insane upper arm strength, especially with so many Nevermore smothering him. Instead, he closed his eyes and pushed his aura to the fore.

Killing eighty Nevermore wasn't reasonable. It would wear him out, not to mention distract him and let the two try to summon more, if they could. Besides, summons had never been Weiss' main tool of the trade. Glyphs were.

And with his eyes closed, through the repeated stinging of beaks and claws on his aura, he _felt_ the glyph come to life beneath him.

He dove into the mass of Nevermore before it could complete.

A whoosh of air behind him spoke of the glyph going off. Most likely something designed to jettison him from the ring. It blasted some Nevermore back, but the majority continued to hound him like a swarm of angry rapier wasps, stinging, pecking and flapping against every part of his body. A very real danger would be running out of the ring without even realising it, because he could barely make out anything past his knees, let alone the floor. His vision was reduced to white wings and blue eyes.

The crack of a revolver had him twisting to the side. The Nevermore weren't fast or controlled enough to move and several died as a bullet pierced through the mass, missing his face by a few inches. Through the hole left behind, he saw Whitley, but the gap was filled by Nevermore once more.

Importantly, he hadn't seen Weiss.

 _So, Whitley likes to distract with summons and shoot from afar. Clever. He's probably not as proficient in melee, but that's where Weiss comes in._ He knew Weiss could be devious. Whitley could have gotten closer and fired, giving him less time to react. Shooting from so far, it almost seemed like he _wanted_ Jaune to attack.

Weiss must have had a trap ready – likely glyphs littered between him and Whitley to form a veritable minefield. It was obvious; but obvious did not always mean ineffective. Whitley fired twice more, the first shot missing but the second aimed so that when Jaune dodged, he took the second on his chest. Ice burst from the point of impact, creeping up his jacket and freezing his muscles. He scraped it off quickly, still ignoring the constant barrage from the Nevermore. His aura trickled away, but it was a slow loss, and the Nevermore _were_ slowly dying – either against his sword or being crushed underfoot as he moved.

Whitley wasn't his first target – despite that he should have been. Weaker, slower and without a good melee option, he was a tempting target but that was their plan. Instead, Jaune swept an arm before him to clear some Nevermore away and looked for Weiss instead. In a brief instance where the Nevermore parted, he spied her off to the left, near the edge of the ring with her hand on a glyph she was forming.

"Not on my watch, Weiss."

He'd said he'd increase the difficult as needed, and while he'd not expected to have to ramp it up so quickly, that only proved how valuable Winter's training was. They should have been proud of the fact.

Jaune doubted they _were_ proud when a cylindrical canister rolled out from the mass of Nevermore towards Weiss.

"Weiss," Whitley yelled, "Look out!" In an attempt to save her, he shot at it.

Big mistake.

The bang was deafening and, he imagined, the flash of light was just as painful. Flashbangs really were great weapons, both against faunus in the dark due to their low light vision, but also against tricky Schnee children who had swarmed him with Nevermore. He couldn't actually see the flash himself, but he knew it had hit because Weiss cried out, and because a fair few of the Nevermore veered off course suddenly, smacking into the floor, his body or out of the ring entirely.

The few that had kept their eyesight, the ones on the inside with him, were too few and far between to obscure his vision any longer. He saw Weiss on one knee, an arm over her face and Myrtenaster swinging left and right in front of her to ward off any potential attack.

He made sure to moderate the force of his blow a little as he swept Crocea Mors under Weiss' guard. He aimed for the blade just above the cross guard instead of her, caught her sword close to her hand, and then flicked it to the side quickly. Weiss would have been trained to keep hold of her weapon no matter what, but not even being able to see him, let alone prepare for it, she gasped as Myrtenaster was torn from her grip and sent skittering away.

"Whitley, help! He's here!"

A bullet pinged off his shoulder, sending sparks shooting down his arm. His hand twitched and he almost dropped his weapon. Before he could fire again, however, Jaune grabbed Weiss around the shoulders and hauled her up in front of him. She was too small to cover him entirely, but she did cover a good three-quarters of his body.

"Going to shoot now?" he asked Whitley. "Or are you going to try your luck in saving her?"

The young man hesitated. "I'm not sure I could beat you in melee, sir."

He sensed, more than felt, Weiss try to summon a glyph beneath them both. Stepping out of it, he leant back, pulling her feet up off the floor. "Ah, ah, ah. None of that. Retire and I'll let her go."

"And if I don't?"

"I'll come over there, using her as a human shield, and make you retire."

Whitley sighed and holstered his weapon. "I yield."

"Whitley!"

"He has us beaten, Weiss. Let's not be unreasonable here. He didn't fall for the glyphs at all. In fact, he knew exactly what we were planning. Our strategy failed."

"He has a point," Jaune whispered to Weiss. "You both did well, and on a normal person that would have worked. I just happened to know how you fight by training Winter. Don't beat yourself up over it."

"Grr." A little bit of Weiss' nature shone through – that self-same frustration that had her shouting at Ruby time and time again, but she bit back on it and slumped in his arms. "I yield as well. Thank you for the lesson, Mr Ashari. We'll do better next time."

"I'm sure you will." Letting go of Weiss, he patted her head and turned to Whitley and the audience. "Good fight, you two. Everyone, remember, a battle plan is only as good as your ability to implement it. Their plan was perfect, but it didn't work. Why?"

"Because they're weak."

"Someone else," he said, sighing.

"They didn't have any contingencies," Coco said. "Once it failed, that was it."

"Close. I'm sure Weiss and Whitley had a few other tricks up their sleeves, but they didn't have any that they could use individually, or that wouldn't require their eyesight. They may have had contingencies in place, but not one for being blinded and having Weiss taken hostage."

He looked to the siblings. "That's something we'll work on. Winter wants you two able to look after yourselves, and by the time I'm finished with you, you'll be some of the best huntsmen around."

Whitley looked excited. Weiss was annoyed but bit her lip and nodded.

At the very least, they were taking him seriously now.

"Get back in line with the others and we'll let some other people fight. Vernal, since you're wanting to run your mouth, come up here and face me. Everyone else, get ready to give critique for her once we're done."

"Because she's weak!"

"Fuck off, Xiao-Long!"

"Once we're done, Yang," he said, sighing. Those two were a real handful. "And for that, you can spar against Emerald, Sky and Simon after. All at once."

"What!? Three on one? But they'll crush me."

"It'll be valuable lesson in facing off against larger numbers." He shrugged. "Or on not baiting people by insulting them. I forget which."

Yang sighed and let her head fall. "Yes, Mr Ashari…"

* * *

 **Not too much in the way of world events happening in this chapter. I was hoping for it to be a bit more of a slice of gym one, especially as showing Weiss and Whitley's entrance into it, since the ASH Gym is going to be in the focus for the next few chapters, especially with the trip to Mistral coming up. The characters in the ASH Gym had fallen to the side with the actions between the White Fang and everyone else.**

 **Oh, and I know that Jaune didn't mentally address Winter's kiss. Don't worry, I didn't forget about it. He's just not processed it yet and most of the PoV's were of other people for that reason.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 9** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	45. Chapter 45

**As mentioned in White Sheep, I actually have a small FAQ on my profile. It's nothing special, but it has answers to questions I'm commonly asked in PM's and reviews, so if you are thinking of asking me something, would be good to check that out first as I answer some questions I get asked ALL the time.**

 **It's nothing revolutionary, though, so don't feel you need to dive in there now. Just me taking the PM's I get asked time and time again and answering them in one place.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 45**

* * *

Qrow, Summer and Taiyang sauntered towards him. The grin on Qrow's face said he'd more than enjoyed watching Yang and Vernal be knocked around, and while Taiyang had a little more concern, none of them looked angry about it. They were huntsmen after all; bruises were a part of the learning process.

"So, are you gonna rely on flashbangs for everyone from now on?" Qrow asked. "Seems to be a signature weapon."

"I'll stop using them when they stop working. People really need to not stare at something thrown toward them."

"To be fair, we're taught not to take our eyes off a threat either," Summer pointed out.

"Then I guess the flashbangs stay. Though I'll need to ask Ironwood if he can get me some more; unlikely if the war kicks off. No offence, but Vale's military surplus isn't quite what Atlas' is."

"As if anyone would be surprised by that! Bunch of warmongers…"

"Qrow." Summer shot him a look, and then Jaune one, no doubt checking to make sure he hadn't been offended. "He doesn't mean it. And those two were very good," she said, changing the subject. "I didn't expect them to be so proficient. Isn't Whitley Ruby's age?"

"A little older, but not by much," Jaune said. "They were both trained by Winter, and, being of the Schnee family, I'm thinking there were certain expectations placed on them."

"That they be as bitchy as the Ice Queen herself?"

"That they do well, Qrow," Taiyang said, sighing.

"I know, I know. I'm just messing with him." Qrow punched Jaune's shoulder and hooked an arm around him. "So, did the man himself tell you two that he made out with little Miss Ice Queen herself?"

"Jaune!" Summer gasped, scandalised. "She's fifteen!"

"He means Winter."

"Oh." Summer flushed.

"And way to walk right into the stereotypes yourself," Qrow teased. "Poor little girl hasn't even spoken to you and you're already calling her Ice Queen. For shame, Summer. For shame."

"Shut up!" Summer's face was bright red and she looked more like Ruby than she ever had before. For a moment he thought she might hide behind Taiyang, but she collected herself and stomped on Qrow's foot. His aura protected him.

"So, Winter, huh?" Taiyang said, stepping in to offer his wife some defence, and throwing Jaune under the Bullhead at the same time.

"No," Jaune replied.

"Yes!" Qrow cheered. "Right on the lips. Just walked up and took him just like that. Didn't think she had it in her." Qrow elbowed his side. "Should have seen this lug's face. Couldn't tell if he was even breathing. Complete mental breakdown."

"Qrow…"

"What did Emerald look like?" Summer asked, smiling.

"Fucking ice-cold rage."

"Oh, that's so cute!"

It really wasn't. Jaune looked to Taiyang for aid but got a shrug which seemed to say `I have to deal with this all the time; just accept it and move on`. Sighing, he pushed Qrow's arm up and over his head and stepped out of elbow range.

"It's not what you think it is. Winter was just thanking me-"

"Dude. You _cannot_ be that naïve. You just can't be."

"I'm not." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm just trying to convince myself gratitude was all it was, and you're not helping."

"Oh." The humour fell from Qrow's face, along with Summer's. Taiyang looked just as serious, but not quite as surprised. "Shit," Qrow breathed, "Talk about putting a downer on things. I take it the news isn't well received, then?"

Summer looked like she wanted to say something but wasn't sure how.

"It's not that. I just… Things are complicated right now. This isn't what I need." It wasn't what Remnant needed, but certainly not him. "It makes things harder. Makes it harder to be objective about things."

"Is that so bad?" Taiyang asked. "It's not like she's trying to make you do something illegal."

No, but he already was – and that was a problem mixed in. What if Winter found the truth out about that? What would she think? Nothing good. It would break her trust in him. Even if she eventually got over it or accepted the necessity, things would be awkward. Complicated.

"Look, I'm not saying I'm some broken man who can't handle a woman liking him." He smiled sarcastically. "I've been through loss. And yes, losing someone I think I loved, and who loved me. It hurt a lot at the time and still does, but I know she would want me to move on and I have. It was a long time ago. But now isn't a good time for me to involve someone else."

"Because of…" Taiyang looked around. "Certain enemies?"

"Exactly."

"You're worried for her, then?"

"Course I am." How could he not be? "Winter is my student, my friend. I trust her. And she's stuck in the middle of a warzone she had no hand in making. Her life is on the line every day."

"Well, if she's already in danger," Summer began.

"It's not the same. The White Fang are a threat, but you all know the people behind them are worse. And they want me," he said, drawing sympathetic gazes from each. "I'm fine with that. But the more connections I have, the more people they have to go after. You lot are fine; you can look after yourselves _and_ you're close by. Winter isn't."

"A hostage to get to you."

It was something he'd been worried of for a while, and while he hadn't let it stop him making friends, it had made him be a little more cautious. Winter had enough trouble on her plate without Salem going after her.

"Just tell me," Summer said, stepping forward. "If none of this was happening, if they weren't after you…"

Jaune grinned. "I'd have to get around the age difference, but I'd be willing to go on a couple of dates and see if it worked out. I'm hunted, Summer. Not blind or asexual."

"Could be batting for the other team."

"Not with you around, Qrow." Taiyang said. "You'd be enough to turn any gay man straight."

"Hey. Fuck you, too."

Summer laughed, apparently happy with his answer. Probably happy that she didn't have a friend who was falling to pieces around her. To be fair, he had been all of that before, soon after Pyrrha's death. He'd considered his life worthless, his purpose little more than to kill Cinder and, if needs be, die doing it.

Ruby had gotten to him first.

Maybe it was a Rose thing, fixing broken people.

Either way, while Jaune wouldn't go so far as to call himself normal – what time traveller could? – he wasn't about to break down or have a `no one could love me` moment.

"I'm worried about Emerald as well, obviously, but I can look after her myself, and it's not like she would have been safe if I hadn't picked her up. Winter, though? As much as I care for her, I'm not willing to entertain the thought of returning her feelings. Not just yet."

"But if it were safe?"

"I'd consider it. Happily."

"I guess that's all I can ask for," she said. "Have you told her?"

Jaune's grimace said everything.

"Jaune! You need to be honest with her. The poor girl confessed her feelings to you and is going to be crushed if you turn her down, more so if you don't help her understand _why_ you're doing it."

"I know. I know. It's just… I'm not sure how to. Not the telling her part," he said quickly, before Summer could jump to the painfully obvious and painfully unhelpful answer. "More convincing her. Keep in mind this is Winter Schnee. She isn't some delicate flower about to gasp at bad guys after her. She's practically ex-military, heads the SDC's private army and walked into the middle of Menagerie to entreat with the White Fang."

"Ha. Good point." Qrow laughed. "She's got bigger balls than most huntsmen."

"That's kind of my problem. How do I tell Winter _without_ her going `I don't care` and pursuing me anyway? Worse, how do I convince her not to try and find these people herself?"

Because while Winter already knew who Salem was and the danger behind her, she didn't yet have a personal reason to go after them. A Schnee always got what they wanted. Jaune wasn't sure why he'd suddenly become it, especially after his spectacular failure in courting Weiss, but apparently, he was.

 _Who knew that all you needed was confidence, experience, a better figure, a wiser personality and the actual capability of backing up my stupid boasts?_

Oh, wait. Literally everyone!

God, how had Weiss put up with him? Patience of a saint.

"I was thinking of just lying to her."

"Jaune!"

"What? It's better she be hurt emotionally than kidnapped by the personification of evil, surely."

"You… I…" Summer looked like she couldn't think up a counter argument, but she stamped her foot anyway and jabbed a finger into his chest. "No. Absolutely not. You are not to tell her _anything_ until you run it past me first. Understood?"

"Yes _mom_ …"

Qrow snickered.

"Really, I feel sorry for the poor girl already. Leave it to me. I'll think up a way around this; preferably one that doesn't scar or break her heart."

That was fine with him. He could delay dealing with the issue _and_ leave it to someone far better at it than he. He'd have pointed that out but was afraid of what Summer might do to him. Instead, he said a quiet `thank you` and left her to it.

"Do you think we should have done the same?" Taiyang asked, worried.

"What?"

"With you keeping her out of it. We had Yang and Ruby…"

"But you're not personal targets," he said.

"Summer was."

"Alright, but you didn't know about it. Point is, this is different. I _know_ Winter would be made a target. A very high profile and well-known target. Ruby and Yang are kids. They can be kept out of this."

"They _will_ be kept out of this," Summer said. "I've already told Ozpin so."

Jaune remained silent, though he didn't fail to notice Qrow's wince. The two of them knew Ozpin wanted both of the sisters in Beacon, and not to teach and let them go. He wanted the next generation of Team STRQ for the war against Salem. When you lived forever, you had to think about who would fight alongside you in twety or thirty years' time. Not just who you had to hand.

Still, in an ideal world he would be able to deal with Salem and prevent those two ever being dragged into it. In that regard, Summer's wish was something he could get behind.

"I hope so, Summer. For Emerald's sake, too."

/-/

Vernal huffed and pushed past Yang Xiao-Long, making sure to trip the girl as she went. Yang fell hard and with a squawk, landing flat on her tits in nothing but a set of underwear. A couple of people laughed; more when Yang swore vengeance on her.

"Sure. Whenever you're strong enough to give me a real fight." Vernal shot back, slipping out the door with a sneer.

Fuck Yang. Seriously.

If it wasn't her being so half-arsed to training and treating everything like a game, it was her doing it with Raven's face, which was the biggest insult of all. The brat had potential, sure, but not as much potential as _she'd_ had at that age and even that hadn't been enough to catch Raven's eye.

Looking out past the changing rooms, Vernal spared a nod for the only other student there she _did_ approve of, Coco Adel. Still a pussy, still a weak-ass city dweller, but willing to take hit after hit and keep coming. The girl had spunk. Never complained. Always got back up. Vernal liked that. The obsession was fashion was fine as long as it didn't get in the way of being strong. Weird, but fine.

She spotted Jaune Arc, or Ashari as he liked to claim it, talking with a few of the adults. Most of them were as equally pathetic as their kids, civilians either wanting the glory of tough kids, or to make them more able to protect themselves. She could het behind that to a degree, but the fact they wanted their kids to do it instead of them?

Cowards.

At least the ones Jaune was talking to – and the ones he cared about – were different. Just went to show he had good taste. Well, most of the time. Summer Rose, Qrow Branwen and Taiyang Xiao-Long. Homewrecker, traitor and the man himself.

Vernal was sixteen, but damn, she could see what Raven had seen in Mr Xiao-Long.

Daaamn.

Qrow was a bitch, obviously. Traitor turned preacher, whining about how what they did was wrong. Boo-fucking-hoo. Tell it to the Grimm. She wasn't sure if his attitude pissed her off most, or the fact he didn't even recognise her as being from the tribe. Showed how little attention he paid. Then again, he was always too busy whining about how Raven was treating him to use his eyes.

Summer Rose?

Vernal didn't go there. Knew better than to. Anyone who could take something that belonged to the boss and get away with it was someone outside her ability to deal with, and Vernal wasn't stupid enough to think that just because she _looked_ friendly and weak, she couldn't tear a Grimm's head off with one hand.

"Oi, fuck-face!" Vernal called.

"What!?" Qrow and Jaune asked in unison, turning her way.

"Not you, douche." Vernal sneered at the Branwen traitor. "I'm talking to someone who actually matters."

"Why, you-"

"Qrow." Mr Xiao-Long held his teammate back. "Sorry, Vernal. He's a little high strung. But you shouldn't use language like that. You can be strong and still be a lady."

Vernal flinched back and felt her cheeks heat up. Her – treacherous and pathetic – heart beat a little faster and she looked away. "Y-Yes, Mr Xiao-Long. Sorry." Fuck. She could get lost in those eyes. Or those biceps. The guy could stand to wear a jacket or something, if only for the sake of her hormones. "Can I speak to you alone, Mr Ashari?"

Jaune sighed but agreed, making his excuses to the other adults before leaving with her. He took her out onto the mats, not for a fight for once. She was already battered and bruised from his spar. As usual, he hadn't held anything back. He'd trashed her. Absolutely demolished her.

Just how she liked it.

"What is it, Vernal? News from Raven?"

"The boss wouldn't need to use me as a messenger. It's about this tournament."

"The one in Mistral. Sure. Is it about the try-outs?"

"Yeah. In a way." Vernal huffed and planted both hands on her hips. "Why the fuck are you holding try-outs for something like this?"

He looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Biting back a growl, Vernal looked around to make sure no one was listening in. "Look," she hissed, "You can't actually be thinking that it's gonna change anything. Who the fuck is going to beat _me_ in a fight? If you want the best here, you're looking at her and you know it. Why waste time on try-outs?"

"To be fair for one-"

"Life isn't fair. Any moment a Grimm can rip your head off and the poorer people get to live outside the walls to see it. Sooner they learn that, the better."

"And secondly," he said, frowning at her, "I need more than one person to compete."

"Then let the others fight and start training me."

"So, what you're saying is that _you_ shouldn't have to go through the try-outs."

"I'm _saying_ it's a waste of time. I don't care if you want me to beat up some spoiled brats, but the least you can do is not insult me to my fucking face by suggesting there's any doubt in this competition at all." Huffing, Vernal crossed her arms. "You're treating me like I'm weak. Like any of these idiots can beat me."

Jaune sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't look any the worse for wear after their fight. He'd not used a flash bang on her – but then, she knew better than to fall for it. Proof that he knew she was strong enough to take seriously. Better than even those siblings and definitely better than Yang Xiao-Long.

"Vernal, I _know_ you're the strongest student here. That much is obvious."

Her back straightened and her lips curled up. _No,_ she told herself, _be firm. Firm expression. No excitement._ She couldn't help it, though. The praise – small as it was – had her feeling giddy. "Then why waste my time?" she asked.

"Because even if they lose to you, they're still learning something from the process – and I can't be accused of having favourites."

"Am I your favourite?"

"Not if you keep calling me fuck-face you're not."

Vernal let out a bark of laughter. "It's an affectionate nickname."

"Sure. I'll pretend to believe that."

"Heh."

She wasn't lying; it was affectionate. Sort of. No one in the tribe had a title like that, other than the boss, and he wasn't even a part of the tribe to begin with. Enough of one as far as she was concerned, but not officially. Still, she had to have something to call him. Jaune was too impersonal, too distant.

And their first meeting hadn't been the best. She'd called him something just as bad then, and going back on her word now? Calling him something nicer? It would have made her look weak. Would have embarrassed her.

"You're fuck-face," she grumbled, breaking eye contact. "Deal with it."

"Yeah? Well you're still fighting in the try-outs. Deal with it."

"Fine. But don't blame me when I kick their asses and they get to deal with the consequences. And don't you dare think you're getting out of training me personally, either. If I'm going to be representing _your_ Gym, I'm gonna be compensated for it."

"Pulling a Raven? You're almost twenty years too young for that." He rolled his eyes. "But fine, I'll train you. I intended to anyway. When do I not?"

"All the time."

"You train here with us almost every night."

"It's not the same."

Because it wasn't. Not at all. Back in the tribe no one had really cared to train her. Roland would when forced, but it wasn't training, not really. He would beat the shit out of her until she learned to avoid it or give up. They just took their anger out on her and forced her to live and grow through it. It was always the same. Not even Raven had cared to train her first hand.

The only one who ever had was the man standing before her. The man she'd insulted and tried to beat up, and who had beat her up in turn. At the time, she'd thought him like the others and gone for another beating – knowing that the best way to get it was to piss him off until he got angry and lashed out at her.

He never did.

He never got angry.

And when he _did_ fight her, it wasn't fighting. He'd disarm her, and right when she'd wince and await a beating, he'd stop. Stop, tell her to pick up her weapon and then tell her how to avoid that happening the next time. He didn't tell her to `get better` or `fix it herself`. He took the time to show her, to teach her, to acknowledge her as a real person.

He fucking cared.

The bastard.

He'd ruined her. She never gave a shit before, but after he'd gone, she'd been back as the unwanted runt. Stronger, faster, better for his teaching, but back to being a nuisance and having to deal with assholes who didn't know a thing about teaching someone. She hated it. Hated the lack of training, the lack of attention, the lack of shits given.

"I'll pick it up some more in Mistral," Jaune said, reaching out to rub her head. A part of her wanted to slap his hand away, but a larger part, the one that won out, had her staring down at the floor. "I promise, Vernal. Do good in the try-outs and I'll take you under my wing. Okay?"

"Okay…"

"Good." He pet her head one more time and turned away, though not without a grin back. "And I know you're my best student, Vernal. You'll be our ace in Mistral, so make sure you're in top condition. I expect you to bring home the championship."

Damn him.

Damn him for making her feel like that, all gooey and stupid. Weak. Damn him for making her want to say yes, to make her want to tell him his trust wouldn't go unrewarded or that she'd win it for him. Damn him.

Vernal watched him go. Watched Emerald _fucking_ Ashari come out, spot him and hurry over. Watched her wrap her arms around his legs and his hand to come rest atop her head. Watched her smile, and him smile at her. Huffing, Vernal turned away and swung her back up over her shoulder. She had a shitty apartment and a microwave meal to get back to. Damn him for that, too.

But more than anything, damn him for not picking her. For picking up some orphan off the street but never acknowledging the one he'd left behind. For leaving suddenly, without so much as an explanation or even a goodbye.

That could have, should have, been her.

Vernal bit her lip and turned away.

"Damn you…"

/-/

"Have you found them?"

" _I'm looking, boss. I really am."_

"That's a no, then?"

" _I found the Nikos and the Fall girl for you,"_ Roman pointed out, sounding a little annoyed. _"Within a day of getting here. I'd think that pretty good going."_

"You're right. Sorry." He had to temper his impatience. "No news on Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie, though?"

" _None. I mean, boss, they're two kids somewhere in a whole flipping country. On an entire continent for crying out loud. This isn't an easy job you set. It's going to take time."_ Roman trailed off for a moment and then added, _"If you told me a little more about them…"_

"I don't have anything more to tell you. They were orphans and might still be."

" _You sure they even survived?"_

"Yes!" They had to. Gods above, don't let his changes have killed them. "Just keep looking. Leave the other two to me. I'll deal with them."

" _Yeah, yeah. Still not sure what you want these kids for…"_

"Stop fishing, Roman. If you're looking for some deep, dark secret in their past and mine then you're barking up the wrong tree. They're children."

" _Hey. Neo is a kid, too. I know better than to judge."_

"Roman, I would like to think that if there is a God out there, they wouldn't be so cruel as to place multiple _Neo_ s on the world."

Roman burst out laughing. _"Good point. Fine, I'll widen the net. Gonna take me out of the city, though. If they did survive, they didn't come here."_

He'd never thought to ask what Nora and Ren did after Kuroyuri. Where they'd gone, if they'd been adopted, how they'd lived. Or rather, they hadn't offered the information and he'd been too busy dwelling on Pyrrha and his own desire for revenge against Cinder to ask.

"You'll be rewarded if you find them, Roman."

" _Hm. Sounds good. What am I to do if I find them outside the city, though? Bring 'em to you?"_

He wanted to say no and that he'd come and see them personally, but that was unreasonable given his responsibilities looking over the ASH Gym. Also, he'd be putting himself at even more risk if he stepped out of the city. Salem's forces would quickly realise he was in Mistral, but they couldn't do anything if he was in the city.

So long as he kept an eye on Leonardo and didn't let the man close.

"Find a way to bring them to the city," Jaune decided.

" _Righto."_

"But Roman…"

" _Yeah?"_

"A way without kidnapping… please?"

" _You're breaking my balls here, boss. I'm a master thief."_

"Then steal their hearts and convince them to go with the nice, friendly and charitable Mister Torchwick." He felt some amusement at Roman's pointed groan. "Word of advice; it'll be easier to convince the girl to do something, especially if you make it sound exciting. Convince Nora and Ren will go along, if only to keep her safe."

" _Safe from who? Me? You're making me sound like some kind of predator!"_

"Good luck, Roman."

" _Hate you so-"_

The screen flashed black.

Hopefully, Roman would come through on Ren and Nora. There was still a chance they'd come to Beacon on their own, but he wasn't prepared to risk it. Bigger problem was Pyrrha, especially with how her father reacted the last time she lost at a tournament.

"Mr Ashari?"

"Oh. Weiss." He looked over to see the young girl standing somewhat awkwardly at the entrance to the living room. As if she wasn't quite sure what she was and wasn't allowed to do. "What can I do for you? Where are Emerald and Whitley?"

"Emerald is showing Whitley her trophy. Whitley is… um…"

"Hanging on her every word and driving you nuts?"

Weiss sighed. "Yes."

"Yeah. Us guys do that sometimes. First crush things. We get over it."

"Were you ever that bad, Mr Ashari?"

"Oh, Gods yes."

"Hm. I'm not sure I can imagine it."

 _You didn't have to. You experienced it. And now I feel weird looking at you when you're fifteen. Go figure._

"Were you wanting to get away from them for a while?"

"Actually, I was wondering if we could talk."

"Sure." He gestured to the sofa opposite. "Do you want a drink or something to eat?"

"No. That's fine, thank you." Weiss arranged her skirt and sat primly. She didn't make herself comfortable at all and instead laid her hands in her lap as if she were taking part in some family photo. Straight back, perfect posture, fake smile. "Considering Winter asked you to look after Whitley and I, and that father agreed, I was hoping to get to know you a little better."

"Well, I don't have a problem with that. I guess this must be pretty weird for you."

"Not really." Weiss shrugged. "I have always been looked after by servants or helpers in one way or another. This is the first time that has been outside of Atlas, but the experience itself is not one I am unused to. Nor Whitley."

"Your father doesn't…?"

"Father runs the SDC. He is a very busy man."

True, but that didn't stop many other parents who ran business from spending time with their kids. Especially not when you were wealthy enough to either take what time off you wanted or hire some assistants to do your work for you. Oh, who was he kidding. Why act surprised that Jacques wasn't winning father of the year award?

"What about your mother?"

"Mother is… often indisposed."

Weiss' tone made it clear she didn't want to be asked about it.

"Right. So, I guess Winter helped to look after you."

"When she came back from Atlas Academy, yes." Weiss smiled, happy at the change of subject and, it seemed, a chance to talk about her sister. She'd always admired Winter, even in the past timeline. "We were both surprised when Winter returned; I personally thought she'd be disowned and join the military." Weiss' voice dipped. "That's what their arguments sounded like…"

"I… might have had a hand in changing her mind."

Weiss nodded. "Winter told us. Or rather, she told us how you convinced her to stay out of the media spotlight after the incident at the Vytal Festival. I, for one, am grateful for your assistance there, Mr Ashari. Both in protecting my sister's reputation and the Schnee name."

In Weiss speak, he liked to think that was a `thank you for looking after my sister`. But, of course, a good Schnee couldn't say that.

"I'm glad I could help. Winter was my student; I wasn't about to let her be dragged down like that."

"Speaking of," Weiss said quickly, smiling like the Blake who had caught the fish, "What do you think of Winter and her progress?"

Jaune held back a groan as he realised what this was all about. Weiss was subtle even at fifteen, and he… well, he wasn't the sharpest sword in the armoury. He could see a hint when it was slapped in his face, though.

Weiss was giving him the nth degree over her sister.

"I really don't think that's a conversation we should be having, Weiss."

"Why not? Winter has done very well for herself, I think. Don't you think so as well, Mr Ashari?"

"I do. Obviously."

"And did you know that she has had many paramours seeking her hand in the past year?"

"No. But it doesn't surprise me."

Weiss leaned forward. "Because you can understand what attracts men to her?"

"I didn't say that."

"Do you find my sister attractive, Mr Ashari?"

"Weiss…"

"It's an easy question."

"It's not one you should be-"

The fridge in the kitchen opened.

"Hm?" He looked back but couldn't see past the wall. Shrugging, he ignored it. "Anyway, it's not a question you should be-"

" _Buuuuuurrrrrrrp_!"

The loud belch split the air, plunging them both into silence. Weiss' mouth fell open and Jaune's face fell into his hands. "Was that Emerald?" Weiss hissed.

He didn't get a chance to answer as a familiar figure walked around the corner, nursing an open bottle of beer in one hand and a second in the other. Raven wiped her sleeve across her mouth. "'Scuse me."

Weiss surged to her feet. "Mr Ashari! There is an intruder in your house!"

"Yeah. And she's sat on my couch." Raven strolled up, kicking her boots off as she came. Weiss hurried backwards, unsure what to make of the strange and armed woman. That was fine with Raven, who nodded and sat on the spot Weiss had vacated. "That's better." Taking another swig, she brought her feet up on the table and looked his way. "So. New pad? I claim this couch. You can sort me a room later."

Jaune groaned into his hands.

"Oh. And right." Raven looked to Weiss. "New brat? You collecting them now? Vernal must be _pissed_."

"She isn't-"

"Who are you to address _me_ as brat!?" Weiss hissed. "I am Weiss Schnee, heiress to the SD-"

"That's nice." Raven took a drink. "Mouthier than your little shadow. You're lucky I just gone done beating – sorry, training – someone. Otherwise I'd show you the discipline your mother apparently didn't."

"Raven," Jaune hissed.

"What? Brat stole my couch."

"That's not your couch."

"I saved your life in Menagerie and you won't even give me a couch. Nice."

"Is that what you want to use my favour on?"

"Ha. No." Raven laughed and spread herself out, laying back on the couch and lounging across it. "I'm claiming this through right of conquest."

"You can't just claim furniture…"

"Sure I can. If you want it back, you'll have to come over here and conquer it." Raven shot him a challenging smirk, daring him to try. When he made no move to stand, she snorted. "That's what I thought."

"M-Mr Ashari. Who… _what_ is this?"

"This is… That is…" He trailed off, watching Raven watch him with a raised eyebrow. "That is a very good question, Weiss. A very good question. This is Raven. She's a… um…"

"A friend?" Weiss asked.

"His owner," Raven replied.

"More of a murder-hobo," Jaune said.

Raven glared at him.

"Well, I mean you _are_ technically homeless. It fits…"

"Fuck you."

Sensing Weiss about to start screaming, or worse, making accusations, Jaune hurried to limit the damage. "Weiss, this is the person who helped evacuate your sister and I out of Menagerie when things went bad. She fought back the White Fang to help us."

"Is that so?" Weiss' shoulders relaxed just a little.

"Pretty much." Raven took another swig. "Always pulling his ass out the fire. Your sister just came along for the ride."

"I see." Closing her eyes, Weiss took a deep breath. "Then, Miss Raven, I, Weiss Schnee, owe you a debt of gratitude."

No, no, no.

"Weiss, you shouldn't-"

"I accept this debt." Raven said, speaking over him and sitting up straight with a wild grin on her face. "Good to see you know how the world works, girl. If you like, you can repay it on your sister's behalf. Save her the trouble."

"Raven!"

Weiss nodded. "That sounds reasonable."

Oh God. This was going to end terribly. He fixed Raven with a stern look; one that had little effect other than to make her roll her eyes. "Let's not make any strange deals with the murder-hobo, Weiss. You don't know where she's been."

"Cute." Raven rolled her eyes again. "Not like I make deals with kids, anyway. Already learned that mistake. Stupid, weak, annoying brat." Her voice dipped as she mumbled something about faeries of all things and then took a long drink.

"Busy day?"

"Training a new apprentice of sorts. He's a pain in the ass."

He didn't remember Raven having any students in the past timeline. Then again, they might have died or just finished their training. "Who is it? What's their name?"

Raven paused with the bottle to her lips. "Boris."

"Boris?"

"Boris Borisson. Son of Boris."

Unimpressed, he raised an eyebrow. "Comes from a long line of Boris's?"

Raven affected an amazed expression. "You know him!? It's such a small world."

Ugh. Never mind. "Weiss. Why don't you go and see what Emerald and Whitley are up to?"

The heiress grimaced. "Do I have to? I'm afraid what I might see…"

"I'd really rather you did."

Say what you would about Weiss, but she was not a child who disobeyed her elders. At least those she respected. Nodding politely to him, and then to Raven, she made her way back to the staircase, the slightly heavy stomp of her feet the only indication that she didn't want to.

Raven watched her go and grinned. "Precocious brat. I like her."

"And that worries me more than it should. But your timing isn't bad."

"Oh?"

"I could use your help with something." He shrugged. "Cash it in as another favour if you like, but I'm going to Mistral in a couple of days for a tournament and I was wondering if you could do a little something for me while I'm there."

"I guess that depends on what it is. And whose toes you want me to step on."

"Ozpin's."

"And suddenly, I'm interested."

* * *

 **Poor Vernal stealing the show in this chapter. Well, if you can stomach her. Whether he realises it or not, and obviously he doesn't, Jaune has some odd similarities to Raven. An accidental Raven (which makes all the difference) but still one in his own way.**

 **Emerald lucked out, got the dad and got the good life.**

 **Vernal? Sun? Ren and Nora? Blake?**

 **: (**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 16th February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	46. Chapter 46

**Here we are. I'm afraid the mystery as to the secret identity of Boris Borrisson, Son of Boris (the one true hero) will have to remain a mystery for a little while longer. The story is not ready for him yet.**

 **The world is not ready…**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 46**

* * *

The try-outs were a foregone conclusion.

He'd known they would be, but appearances had to be maintained and that meant that everyone had to be given a fair chance in what was an unfair competition. It wasn't their fault, especially not the older students. He'd held two small-scale tournaments, one for the older students and one for the younger, as the age brackets in the competition in Mistral determined.

With Emerald not taking part and getting a pass, it was Yang who fought her way to the top of her age bracket, defeating Sky in a furious final that could have gone either way – but didn't because Sky accidentally touched Yang's boob during a scuffle on the ground.

To be fair, Yang didn't freak out, accuse him or go crazy. It was Sky who defeated himself. Yelping, he pulled off Yang red-faced and shouting apologies – only to catch her fist in his jaw. Jaune doubted Yang even noticed the accidental groping, though Sky – hormonal teenager that he was – certainly had.

 _And somehow, I imagine he'll consider that worth the loss. Hormones. I don't miss them…_

All the adults in attendance clapped and applauded, even those with children who had lost. Now that the glory from Emerald's tournament win had faded a little, the students he had left were all determined to become huntsmen and their parents understood that. It might have been brutal, but they'd been encouraged to watch him train the kids before, which meant that – despite many early complaints and concerned questions – the parents were now very used to seeing their children put through hell.

In attendance today was also Ozpin and Glynda, both in their official roles and having pride of place down on the floor with him. Ozpin applauded Yang's victory with a little smile while Glynda tapped one hand against the clipboard she was holding in the other.

A lot of the students were particularly interested in them, and with good reason.

They were here today to scout out potential students.

It was mostly from the older years, of course, but that didn't mean those who caught their eyes and were younger couldn't prosper. Beacon didn't charge for its tuition, but it was an exclusive school and one or two of his students weren't Signal trained, making it very hard to get in without good qualifications or a proven track record. The ASH Gym couldn't provide that on its own, but Ozpin and Glynda might make exceptions for those who proved above and beyond the average.

"Very good," Jaune said, hearing Ruby shout her support of Yang in the background. The thirteen-year-old was going wild. _Even if she doesn't want to be a huntress, she still likes seeing fights. As long as they're bloodless. I might be able to use that._ "I guess that makes Yang our competitor for the younger bracket. Sky, you did well, just keep in mind next time that it doesn't matter if you're fighting a guy or a girl. Both are capable of kicking your ass."

Red-faced, the boy rubbed his cheek. "I got it, sir."

"Heh." Yang winked at him. "Good match."

Sky blushed and spoke to his feet.

 _Teenagers…_

"Alright. I guess that makes it time for the older bracket." He'd have liked to say the competition would be stiffer there. It would be in a way; the students were, as a whole, better than their younger counterparts. It was just…

Well, Vernal.

A lot of the girls were already looking at the not-so-reformed bandit nervously, and the tension only increased when Vernal revealed her teeth in a savage grin. The Malachites, hardened criminals, backed away.

"The first match," Jaune said, rummaging in a little bowl of names. "Vernal."

People shrank back.

"And… Miltia Malachite!"

"FUCK!"

/-/

"She's quite the impressive student, Jaune."

Ozpin was all smiles today, the frustration he'd shown before a distant memory. Not every day was a battle against Salem and her forces, and Jaune understood the man wasn't always someone to watch out for. Today seemed to be one of those days.

"I'm guessing you don't mean Coco," Jaune replied, wincing as said girl was sent across the mats like a stone skipped over a lake. Five bounces and she was back on her feet, face red with rage.

"Miss Adel _does_ show skill and spirit, but you're right. I was referring to her opponent."

"Opponent is a strong term," Glynda said. "Aggressor, perhaps? The one who is currently playing with her?" Glynda's tone made her opinion on that clear, and her lidded glare suggested that she thought _he_ was to blame for it.

"Vernal is a tricky one. I didn't teach her to be that vicious."

"Or that strong, I would imagine," Ozpin said. "Your teaching has helped these students tap into potential I doubt they knew they possessed, but her technique is… I recognise some of you in it, but it's also something else. Something familiar."

"Probably my old style," Jaune said, the lie coming quickly. He didn't want to mention Raven. "I met Vernal before I came to Vale, but I didn't expect her to follow after me."

"Oh my. Another adopted student like Emerald?"

"Not if I don't want Emerald to put laxatives in my food. Vernal was… I won't say an accident. She was someone I offered a little training to. I didn't think anything of it at the time; this was back before the ASH Gym opened."

"Like with Winter?"

"Something like that."

"If I may be frank, I'd like to see her in Beacon."

Jaune almost choked. "W-What?"

"Is that so strange?" Ozpin looked at him oddly, still smiling pleasantly but also confused. "Our interest in the ASH Gym is in the prospective students you might train. I'm already looking forward to when the younger students join us, but people like Miss Adel and Miss… what is her last name?"

"She doesn't have one."

"Ah. My apologies. Coco and Vernal, then. I would personally like to see Vernal in Beacon. What do you think, Glynda?"

"Her attitude could use a little work, but her talent is undeniable. She's already at the level of some of our current students. She's sixteen, is she not?"

"Around that." He didn't actually know and doubted Vernal did either. It was funny how he'd never considered that they might want her in Beacon. Kind of dumb really. As Ozpin said, the whole point of them helping out was to look for students and Vernal was the strongest he had on offer.

He'd just never thought to ask Vernal what she intended to do after. If anything.

"I'll talk with her," he said. "Probably in Mistral. See if she's interested."

Ozpin looked surprised. "She's not planning to attend Beacon?"

"I'm not sure what her plan is."

"What else would she be learning skills like that?" Glynda asked.

Good question. One with a very bad answer.

"Maybe she does want to be a huntress," he deflected. "I just haven't asked where she plans to go. I met her in Mistral, so she might be planning to join Haven." To his relief, Ozpin and Glynda made understanding sounds. "But I'll have a chat with her and see if she'd be interested in Beacon."

It was an idea worth exploring, especially if she could be convinced to fight alongside him and against Cinder when the time came. How much safer would Beacon be with Vernal determined to defend it?

 _Raven and Qrow both went to Beacon. I might be able to use that to convince her. Hell, if I'm lucky, she might pull a Qrow and come to love the place._

It was worth a shot.

"Have you made plans for transportation?" Glynda asked. "To Mistral, I mean."

"Hm." He nodded. "We'll be going by air; me and however many students want to come attend. I considered going by boat, but if Tyrian or Hazel are out there, a boat would be much easier to ambush. I don't think they will, but…"

"Not worth taking any chances," Ozpin said. "I quite agree. The quicker the journey the safer everyone will be."

"Will you be attending?" Jaune asked.

"I'm afraid not. Work is piling up and I don't have the time to spare. We shall wish you well but have to leave you. Qrow will be going with Summer and Taiyang, however. If you have need of me, he can put you in contact."

"Thank you. Hopefully, I won't need it. If all goes well, I'll have what I came for and be able to leave. If not… well, I'll be surrounded by huntsmen and huntresses."

"A poor time for an ambush. Just be sure not to leave the city. If you do, all bets are off."

A cry and a slamming sound from the mats heralded the end of the fight. Coco, bless her perseverance, could rise no more. Covered in sweat and bruises and with her aura crackling around her body, she lay flat on her back. Several of the people watching, even the younger students, groaned. Coco was their only hope of seeing Vernal humbled.

"Definitely a worthy addition to Beacon."

"I got the hunt the first time, Ozpin," Jaune groaned. "I'll talk to her."

Ozpin chuckled. "I shall hint as much as I need to. I can be quite persistent."

 _Don't I know it._

"Well done everyone," Jaune said, speaking out loud to the students once more. Many of them looked disappointed, which was fair given the situation. "It looks like Vernal, Yang and Emerald are going to be out competitors for the tournament. To everyone else, don't lose hope. The fact that you're here fighting against them shows that each and every one of you is almost as strong. Those who wish to accompany us to Mistral to support any of the competitors are welcome to do so. In the meantime, the ASH Gym will remain open for free-training, but classes, and costs, will be frozen until we return." He grinned. "Consider it a brief holiday."

"Yang, Emerald and Vernal, come here after we're done and I'll discuss arrangements. Everyone else, good work today. Dismissed."

/-/

"Helena! Helena!"

Helena Nikos sighed and held a hand out, telling Pyrrha to cease her attack. The younger girl nodded and caught her breath, stepping back as their father, Alexander Nikos, came barrelling into their private training hall, his face red.

"Helena!"

"How can we help you, father? I was busy training Pyrrha for the tournament."

"Good. Yes." Alexander looked at Pyrrha proudly, his daughter the jewel in his crown. He looked at Helena with far more disappointment. "Keep that up. No. Improve. Pyrrha needs more, more training, more tuition."

Pyrrha swallowed but nodded, trapped by expectation.

Helena was anything but. "Why?"

"The tournament. She has to win it!"

"I'm already a favourite to win it," Pyrrha said softly.

"Of course you are – but I have news. The organisers have been in touch with me about a late application-"

"They're not supposed to do that," Helena said. "Aren't they supposed to be impartial? Telling a competitor about a new entrant would give them time to prepare."

"Bah!" Alexander waved a hand. "As if that matters. The organiser is an old friend."

"Is that what you call it now…?"

"My point is, that _bastard_ is entering. Coming right onto our doorstep and bringing that _fraud_ of his with him!"

He was spitting mad, literally spitting a little as he said `fraud`. Helena looked to Pyrrha to see if her sister knew who he was talking about, but Pyrrha shrugged. Up to her, then. Helena sighed and asked, "Who, father? What bastard are you referring to this time?"

"That _bastard_ Ashari!"

Helena's head perked up. "Jaune?"

"Ashari!" Alexander Nikos boomed. "I don't care what sordid relationship you had with the man. He is an _enemy_ of the Nikos family."

Pyrrha backed away nervously.

"Father, his kid beat Pyrrha at a tournament." Helena said, rolling her eyes. "It's hardly the end of the world." She caught his hand when he moved to strike her, gripping his wrist before the back of his hand could touch her cheek. It shook as he tried to force his way through. Helena Nikos, Foxtrot, squeezed it tighter. "Do _not_ think to touch me, father."

Throwing his hand back, she watched the larger man stumble away and glare hatefully at her.

"Pyrrha," Helena called. "Why don't you go and grab a quick drink? Only water, dear. We'll be training afterwards."

"O-Okay." Pyrrha was quick to take the chance to run.

"You're an embarrassment to the Nikos family," her father snapped.

"Truly? I think the opposite is true. I'll thank you not to act like the boorish man you are in front of Pyrrha again. What do you think the public would think if they saw you acting like that?"

"They never would. I have hands in all the media outlets."

Both a statement and a reminder, a threat that if she crossed him, he would not be the one to come out looking bad for it. It was always like that with Alexander Nikos. Honour was everything. Reputation was everything.

Even the word `honour` didn't fit in her mind.

Not honour of being, duty or mind, but honour in terms of what other people thought of the Nikos family. Their branding.

"Pyrrha was the Invincible Girl before that _urchin_ came along. I'm told she's going to be competing again – along with two others from his laughable school." Alexander's face pulled back into a furious scowl. "They cannot be allowed to win, Helena. They cannot be allowed to show up the Nikos family. Not here, in the middle of Mistral. The other ruling families would never allow us to forget it."

The `ruling families`? What a joke.

Criminal families more like. They had influence on Mistral, but it was a constant stigma on the city itself. No. The entire Kingdom.

"Pyrrha is as skilled as ever. She'll do fine."

"Is she willing to use her Semblance?"

Helena didn't answer.

"Damn that girl! Does she not understand how important this is?"

"She considers it cheating. It's not," Helena explained, "and I've tried to tell her that."

"I don't give a damn what it is!" Alexander stabbed a hand in the direction Pyrrha had gone. "You talk with her, Helena. You sort her out. That fraud used _her_ Semblance on Pyrrha, so you make sure she knows she's to use her own back. Cheating be damned."

"Pyrrha has strong morals. That's something to be celebrated."

"It's something to be curtailed. Preferably before it gets any worse. I want my daughter victorious, Helena. If that means you need to crawl back into that bastard's bed and seduce the secrets of his students out of him, so be it. Do what has to be done."

"Or what?" Helena asked, rolling her eyes.

"Or _I'll_ deal with him myself."

With the cryptic parting words, Alexander Nikos made his way out of the training hall, shouting for someone to bring him a brandy. One of the family's servants hurried off to accommodate him and the doors slid shut.

The moment they did, Pyrrha poked her head out from behind the adjoining wall. "Helena…?"

Helena sighed. "Were you listening?"

"It was hard not to." Pyrrha came out anxiously. Her sister was as tall as she was and deceptively kind and gentle. Well, for a Nikos. In any other family, Pyrrha would have just been a nice woman. Here, she was an outlier. "I'm sorry for getting you in trouble, Helena. I… I should have done better."

"Don't speak nonsense. You fought your hardest and that's all that matters to me. Besides, it's only a tournament. Who even cares? Other than your father, I mean."

"Don't you mean `our` father?"

"Do I? He's certainly never called me his daughter." Helena sighed, and then felt bad when she saw Pyrrha's agonised expression. "And that's not your fault either! If I hear you saying otherwise, I'll knock that out of you myself. Got it?"

Pyrrha laughed. "Got it."

"Good. You're a great kid, Pyrrha. Never forget that."

Pyrrha looked embarrassed but pleased with the praise. "I'm sorry for what he said though. About you jumping into that man's bed…"

"Eh. If I had the chance, I probably would. Not for secrets, though."

"HELENA!" Pyrrha was red-faced.

"Oh, calm down. You'll know what it's like one day. Find yourself a nice, oblivious man to lust after. Well, hopefully he won't be as oblivious as Jaune was, but, eh, you work with what you have."

"I'll have to take your word for that." Pyrrha still looked a little embarrassed, but at least she was no longer upset about what their father had said. At the end of the day, mortification was better than outright distress. "Are we going to keep training then?"

"Eager?"

"I don't mind if I win or lose," Pyrrha said. "But I enjoyed the fight. If not… If not what she did to me at the end." Her expression darkened but she shook it away. "I want to be better this time, so I can beat her properly."

Smiling, Helena brought up her practice sword and shield. "That's the spirit. Now, I trained with Ashari myself, so trust me when I say I know a whole lot of the tricks he, and by extension his daughter, might use." Helena thumbed a small canister behind her shield, popping the pin. "Let me show you one of our favourites. It's called the `Team November Surprise`."

"Team Nove-?"

The flashbang dipped under the shield, rolled across the floor and went off. Helena had already hidden her face behind her shield.

Pyrrha had not.

"AHHH! My eyes! I can't see!"

"And here comes the surprise!" Helena cackled, charging in.

/-/

"You won! You won! You won!"

Ruby laughed delightedly and threw herself at Yang. Most older sisters would have stepped aside or been annoyed, but Yang caught Ruby and dragged her in close, running her knuckles through Ruby's hair to make her laugh.

"Damn straight I did! Did you think I'd fail?"

"I thought Emerald might beat you."

"Tch." Yang dug a little harder, making her yelp. "No faith. I can beat Emerald in a fight. I've done it before."

"Yeah, but you lost to that girl in the tournament and Emerald beat her. That makes Emerald stronger than you." The logic, simplistic as it was, had Yang looking away and grumbling under her breath about unfairness and her having won this time.

"Doesn't work like that. I could have beat Emerald. I will this time," she promised, eyes flashing. "I'll kick her butt and bring the score back to one all. Just you wait. I've gotta train. Now."

"Don't get too eager now," Summer said, poking Yang's forehead. "Your dad thought we could all go out for a meal to celebrate you getting through. Your choice on where."

"Sweet!"

Yang turned with a wide grin on her face, ready to tell her dad just how much he'd be spending on her and Ruby tonight, when she saw him approaching with two others in tow. Yang's eyes grew wide.

Headmaster Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch.

She'd met them before, of course. They'd been to Beacon once or twice since Uncle Qrow and Mom worked with Ozpin on things, and Miss Goodwitch had also come to do a few sessions at the ASH Gym and watch over them, but this was the first time their eyes were firmly on _her_. Yang straightened a little, excitement and a little bit of nervousness running through her.

Her dad felt none, wrapping her up in an embarrassing hug. "Great work, Firecracker. You were amazing out there."

"D-Daaad…"

"What? It's okay for Ruby to hug you, but I'm too old?"

"Not in front of important people," Yang mumbled, red faced. To her relief, Taiyang let go, though not without a roll of the eyes. Yang stepped back a little and looked toward the two teachers, wondering if she should say something or extend a hand.

It wasn't every day people as important as them came to talk to you.

"Miss Xiao-Long," the headmaster said, leaning on his cane. "An impressive performance out there. I see you've taken to your teacher's particular _flare_ for unconventional combat."

Uh. Was that a compliment or not?

"I, uh, try my best?"

"Quite." Whatever Ozpin was thinking was a mystery. "Do you intend to apply to my school?"

"You bet! When I'm of age…"

"I'm pleased to hear it. Although, it must be said, I, as the headmaster, have the final say when it comes to many aspects of life at Beacon. You are fifteen now, correct?" When she nodded, he smiled. "Well, it isn't unheard of for someone as young as you to attend early."

 _Is he saying what I think he's saying!?_ Yang almost danced on the spot, her heart beating a little faster. "You mean-"

"Ozpin." Summer's voice was strained. Firm, but with an undeniable edge to it.

Confused, Yang looked back to her parents, seeing both of them standing unnaturally still. Summer's hand was on Taiyang's arm and gripping it tightly. Even Ruby looked confused, not quite sure where the sudden atmosphere had come from.

"She is already at the level of a prospective student, Summer," Ozpin said.

"But not the age of one. I won't allow it."

Yang's eyes widened. "M-Mom…?"

Summer looked to her with a complicated expression, though her anger did soften a little. "It's nothing about you, Yang. Being a huntress isn't something you rush into. You know how I almost died a few years back. Two years isn't a long time to wait and think how much stronger you'll be after two more years of training here."

That was true, but if she got into Beacon at fifteen? That would make her one of the youngest people ever to attend. That would be amazing! And frankly, she was already far above the people her own age in Signal. She'd been top of her class _before_ Mr Ashari got hold of her. With his training on top of what she got from her mom and dad, she was already being told to fight with students close to graduating as it was.

It was unfair otherwise.

"Didn't you want to go to Beacon with Emerald?" Taiyang asked. "I can tell you now that she isn't interested in going to Beacon early. If you accepted Ozpin's offer, you'd be on your own."

Erk.

"No Emerald, no Sky, no one you know from the Gym, Signal _or_ from Patch."

Ugh. She knew what her dad was doing but knowing didn't mean it wasn't working. She'd promised to go to Beacon with Emerald, or at the very least wait for her to have a chance to convince her dad to let her go.

Going now would be cool, but she'd miss out on training at the ASH Gym for another two years, and even if she and Emerald kept in touch, there was a good chance they wouldn't be as close friends as they were now. Not if Yang had to deal with class, homework and a team in Beacon.

"U-Uh. Maybe I'll wait for two years," Yang said, earning wide smiles from both Summer and Taiyang. "Sorry, sir. I do want to come to Beacon, but…"

"No, no. I quite understand." Ozpin didn't look upset. "I get ahead of myself sometimes. The urge to collect talented students and push them towards joining us. In this regard, I've been a little impatient. We'll look forward to welcoming you soon enough. I'm sure with your skill, you'll make it through initiation with ease."

A little colour dotted Yang's cheeks. "Yeah. I can't wait!"

"You say that Miss Ashari is also interested in joining you at Beacon? Do you intend to try and make a team together?"

"Yeah. We hope to. Though…" Yang cringed. "Not sure her dad likes the idea. She said she'd work on him a little, but I don't know how successful she's been."

"Well, I shall hope for the two of you to attend in time." Smiling at her, then at her parents, Ozpin excused himself and left. Miss Goodwitch followed, though she did not politely in Yang's direction; as close to a `well done` as she would get.

"Huh. That was a thing…"

"It certainly was," Summer said, expression flat. "I think I need to have a word with him."

"Later," Taiyang said, touching her arm. "Tonight is for Yang, remember?"

"You're right." Summer's smile retuned, or at least slipped over her temper. "Our not-so-little girl is going to be competing in Mistral." She shot Yang a little smirk. "Let's hope she doesn't forget that her opponent might have a mecha-shift weapon this time."

"Mooom!"

/-/

Jaune hit the ground hard.

Pain blossomed across his entire body, originating not just from the blow he'd taken to the skull, but the numerous bruises all across his body, many of which he could feel turning a horrible blue colour. He wanted nothing more than to curl up and ride it out, but experience told him that would be a bad idea. A very bad idea.

His fairy god mother didn't like it.

He pushed himself back up onto his feet and turned, the wooden training sword in hand and held in a guard position.

His fairy god mother was on him a second later. Her first blow came with punishing force, threatening to break through his guard entirely and maybe break his arms at the same time. Rather than try and fight it, he let the impact carry him a few feet back, giving ground to bleed off the force.

She hadn't told him to do that, rather she'd shown him.

Show don't tell. Coral had mentioned it with regards to writing, but Jaune wasn't sure it was meant to work in fighting. Either way, her beating the crap out of him was good motivation to learn.

"Stop defending all the time!" she hissed, striking again, this time hard enough to tear the sword from his hands entirely. He whimpered at the splinters in his hands. "Why are you standing there? Do you think a Grimm will sit and wait for you to collect your weapon? Attack me!"

"B-But I'm unarmed."

"ATTACK ME!"

"Rargh!" Jaune lunged forward, arms extended.

Raven caught them on the flat of her wooden sword, forced them back up into his own face and then stepped aside, tripping him over her foot while his vision was blocked. Jaune fell to the floor in a heap.

"Enough." His fairy god mother walked past him but didn't help him stand. She never did. Instead, she used her sword to flick his canteen of water at him. "Drink. The body needs sustenance and dehydration will kill you faster than I will."

Unscrewing the cap, he guzzled at it.

"You're too defensive, too pensive," she continued. "Your stance has improved, as has your defence, but defence will never be enough to grant you victory. You must attack. You must defeat your foe."

"C-Can't I wear them out?"

"I believe I have just proven to you that you cannot."

"Yeah, but I can't beat you. You know magic. You're a fairy."

Raven's hand balled into a fist and she whispered something under her breath, the fist shaking in front of her face. "I," she gritted out, "Am not a fairy."

"But I've seen your eyes glow. And you changed the weather the other day. And you appear out of nowhere, and you have red eyes that sometimes light on fire…" Jaune trailed off, letting his point stand. It wasn't that he didn't know what Semblances were and everything, but, well, Raven just had _too many_ unexplained abilities.

Plus, she never said magic wasn't real when he would point it out.

She just said, "I do not have magic."

Because she was a fairy, obviously. She _was_ magic.

"Your idiocy knows no bounds. I'm beginning to think it a trade-off to your resilience. Some aspect of your brain realising it doesn't want to put up with the beatings you put yourself through, and so abandoned you long ago."

"Am I really that impressive?"

"Impressively stupid," Raven groaned, sitting down on a log. "You still need to work on your offence. I shall beat you black and blue until you do."

Not a threat. A statement. Raven did not make threats.

"You know, you could unlock my aura…"

"Not yet. Aura is a crux. Huntsmen rely on it to tank damage they really don't need to. Seeing your reserves, I fully expect you to become a brick wall once it's unlocked." She eyed him with some annoyance. "I'd prefer you to learn the importance of _avoidance_ now, before you fall into bad habits."

"Are huntsmen really that bad?"

"Worse." Raven thought for a moment and then patted the log beside her, granting him the rare opportunity to sit next to his fairy god mother. Jaune took it happily. "Huntsmen rush in with no care for their surroundings," she continued. "Aura makes them near impervious to harm, so rather than continue to focus on defence, they put all their attention onto offence."

"Instead of both?"

"Yes."

"That's dumb."

"I agree. Good that you realise it. I'll teach you to be strong _before_ your aura is unlocked, and then it shall become just another tool in your arsenal. That is, of course, if you're prepared to keep this up."

"Definitely," Jaune said immediately. "I won't give up."

"Even when I injure you?"

"Even then! You're the only one willing to train me. I won't let you down."

Raven hummed. He couldn't tell if she was pleased or not, but he had a feeling she was. She never actually showed much in the way of affection towards him, but that was fine. He'd done his research. Raven was definitely from the Winter Court of the Fae. That explained why they did their training with wooden swords; because she would have a weakness to iron.

"You're thinking something incredibly stupid right now, aren't you?"

"N-No."

Raven pinched the bridge of her nose. "I want to hurt you so badly…"

"Heh heh…"

"Talk," she commanded. "I've trained you and will keep doing so, but I would know more about you."

"About me?"

"About your family. Do you have any brothers?"

"I have sisters," he said, thinking the gender odd but rolling with it. "There's mom, Dad, me and my seven sisters. No brothers."

"Uncles?"

"Not that I know of."

"Cousins?"

"No?"

Raven hummed. "The Arc family is small, then. Or does it have distant relatives out in the world?"

"I don't know. Dad is the Arc in the family and married mom. He never talks about his past family, so there might be some stuff. I don't even know who my grandparents are." He shrugged. "Maybe they died when dad was young. Mom was an orphan, too, so it's not like it was unusual."

"Hmm." That incessant sound again, the `not quite believing` tone she made. "So, there's no one else in the family that shares your name?"

"Why would there be? Wouldn't it be confusing if two people in the family had the same name?" He blinked, suddenly realising he might have offended her. "I-I mean, maybe it's not confusing. We have different customs to the fae, though."

"Must. Not. Kill." Raven hissed into her fist. Her body stopped shaking after a moment. "Where would I find more about your family? If I wanted to learn more?"

"I… I don't know. Dad? He might not like learning that you're training me though…"

"No. Forget it. I shall take a look around your home later."

It struck him that said statement should have worried him, but, well, what could he do? Raven was a fairy. She'd do whatever she wanted, and it wasn't like he was strong enough to stop her. Was he to tell his father?

If he said a fairy was training him, his whole family would think him insane.

"Why are you so interested in my family anyway?" he asked.

"It's none of-" Raven paused, considered, and then changed her tone. "I may have met a distant relative of yours. It's hard to tell. His sheathe holds the same symbol that your family has on its clothing, however." She touched a finger to the crescent moon emblem on his chest. It also adorned his dad's sword and shield, Crocea Mors.

"This is the Arc family emblem. If someone is wearing this, they must be an Arc."

"Or they killed one," Raven pointed out.

"Y-Yeah. Or that. Or maybe dad sold some clothing now that I think about it…"

"No matter. I shall figure this out myself."

"Can't you use your fairy powers?"

"Training!" Raven said quickly, standing so suddenly that she knocked him off the log. "Get up and get your sword. I have the sudden urge to focus on your defence." She flourished her weapon, red eyes locked onto his. "I shall attack you and you shall defend for as long as you can."

"O-Okay. When do we stop?"

Raven's grin was too evil.

"When you can no longer move."

Gulp.

/-/

"Oh, I remember those two."

"You do!?" Roman could have kissed the woman – eight-six years old or not. His coat was covered in muck, his boots were stained through and he'd run out of cigars two days back. Out here in the wilderness of Mistral, it seemed like the shops only sold cheap cigarettes.

Bastards.

"Oh yes," the old lady reminisced. "Lovely pair. Little Nora was always so rambunctious, while her friend was quiet and withdrawn, but dreadfully polite." She eyed him nervously. "Why did you say you were looking for them again?"

"I was hired by distant family," he lied.

"Hm. Well, your hair certainly does match. I heard their village was attacked, the poor tykes."

"Yeah, I know. Kuroyuri. Look, are they here? Do you know where I can find them?"

"I'm afraid not, dearie."

Roman resisted the urge to throw his bowler hat down and stamp on it.

"Why…?"

"Those two came by here but left soon after. Or not soon – about a year or two. It's all soon from my point of view, though. Oh, how time flies. I think they were looking for something, or someone. Maybe they were looking for you."

Bloody kids!

You'd think a pair of orphans surviving the destruction of a village would stay still, but nooo, they had to be the most equipped and survivable kids Roman had ever had the misfortune of hearing about. At least if he'd found a body, or two bodies, he could call it over and done with.

 _Fat chance the boss will let me get away with that. He'll want proof. Damn it._

"Yeah, sure. Did they say where they were going?"

"I'm afraid they didn't. I'm not sure even they knew where they were going."

Roman groaned. "And no one thought to stop two little kids just… wandering off into the wilderness?" He groaned again when the old lady shrugged. "Great. Wonderful. I'm glad to see that _I'm_ somehow the most responsible person here. Do you at least know which way they went?"

"Actually, I'm not sure they left the village at all. The guards wouldn't have just let two children leave on their own. I can't quite recall but… no, I remember. I'm sure some people came for them. Adults. I didn't see much, but they convinced the two children to leave with them."

"Anything you can remember about those people? Anything at all."

"Tall fellow. Very respectable looking, with an almost military flare to him. Oh, and he had a dashing moustache. What was his name. Ah yes! Arthur. That was it. Arthur something."

"And the two kids left with him?"

"They did."

Roman nodded and thanked the woman, leaving with Neo – who had stolen some of the old lady's apple pie without notice. Neo continued to eat it as they made their way outside, licking her fingers clean as she did.

Arthur. Something Arthur.

It wasn't much to go on, but that wasn't the problem. The boss expected those kids to be on their own, not adopted or picked up by some strange military guy out in the middle of the fucking wilderness for no explainable reason.

"Got a feeling the boss isn't going to like this one, Neo. Not one bit…"

* * *

 **Moving to Mistral next chapter.**

 **Just so people know in advance, I will be needing to take a week off in March (the week leading up to the 28** **th** **, or the week including it) because I have my stupid event thing for work I need to do, where I need to organise guests, work with the venue each night to get everything sorted and then speak at the event itself.**

 **I'll provide more details of exact dates closer.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 23** **rd** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	47. Chapter 47

**To Mistral we go!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 47**

* * *

If he'd thought getting a party of teenagers to Mistral would be a simple task, he'd been wrong. Very, very wrong.

It wasn't that they were bad kids – none of them were, except for maybe Vernal ninety per cent of the time and Yang whenever Vernal was involved. They were all still teenagers though, which meant that the moment you got three or more of them in a cramped space, they turned into a pack of Beowolves.

So it was that Jaune staggered out of the airport with a face carved from rock and a fair number of people glaring at his back as if it was all his fault for the disturbance they'd caused on the flight. To be fair, it was, but he a world to save, so he felt he deserved a little slack.

Those parents who had decided to come along, either to give their children a chance to witness the tournament or just to take some time off for themselves, looked as beleaguered as he felt. At least they would be staying at different hotels – something _they_ were probably more thankful for than him. He still had to deal with Vernal, Emerald and Yang sharing a room.

Honestly, at least Weiss had the common sense to avoid Vernal.

Whitley wasn't so fortunate. Seeing Emerald being bullied, he'd rushed in like the gallant knight and sought to defend her.

Vernal had a new punching bag, it seemed.

"Never having children," Qrow wheezed from beside him. "Never!"

"Tried that. Adopted one. They find you, Qrow. No matter how hard you try to hide, they'll always find you sooner or later."

"You two are so dramatic," Summer laughed, albeit tiredly. "Having children is – yawn – a wonderful experience."

"Yeah? That why you and Tai used to _beg_ me to look after them for just one night?"

"Qrow. Shut up."

Behind them, Yang said something to Vernal. He didn't hear what it was but was willing to bet a few million lien it wasn't nice, because the day Yang complimented Vernal was the day Salem opened a puppy orphanage. He turned before a war could begin and cleared his throat.

Yang and Vernal froze, hands buried in each other's collars, arms held back ready to strike. Ruby was hanging off Vernal's raised arm, literally dangling from the older girl's wrist, while Whitley was wrapped around Vernal's waist like some kind of ball and chain.

Funnily enough, Vernal _never_ hurt Ruby. Maybe it was because she was too young. Maybe it was because she was Summer's child and not Raven's. Hard to say.

Either way, with him looking in their direction, the two let go of one another.

"Finally," Weiss muttered, standing as far away from the drama as she could without being in another Kingdom.

"Now that we're in Mistral, you all need to be on your best behaviour." Jaune glared at Vernal and Yang in particular. "We're representing the ASH Gym and also Vale, so act how you'd like the people to see us. And just in case, if anyone causes any trouble, I will _personally_ take them out of the tournament myself."

The latter was important just in case Vernal or Yang didn't care about how people saw them. At the possibility of losing their spot – or the one-to-one training in Vernal's case – both stiffened and backed away from one another.

"We'll be staying at a hotel near the stadium, so travel time won't be any issue. You're free to wander around Mistral if you like, but go in pairs, and, if possible, with an adult. Always have your scrolls on you and remember what to do if a stranger tries to lead you away."

"Break their legs," the students said in unison.

A few nearby people stepped away.

"Yes. Good job. Now, if you're here with your parents, then they're responsible for you. If you're here with me, keep in mind that I have to look after you – so follow any instructions I give you. If in doubt, ask Qrow. He's my second in command and has plenty of free time since he has no kids of his own."

"You rat-ass son of a bitch!"

"Any questions?"

Vernal raised a hand. "When does training begin?"

"Sooner if we get to the hotel on time."

Satisfied, Vernal nodded and began to walk in the direction of the hotel, casually dragging Whitley along the floor behind her and Ruby behind her, still dangling from her outstretched hand. The small girl's legs kicked as she tried to reach the floor without letting go.

Yang raised a hand. "Question!"

"Yes?"

"Considering she just technically kidnapped my sister, can I break her legs?"

"I don't know. Could you break them even if you tried?"

Yang's head fell and she mumbled angrily to herself.

Cruel, perhaps, but after a whole flight of whining, arguing and throwing peanuts at one another, they deserved it. "Get moving. I already have to organise you lot into rooms and I know that's going to be a bloody nightmare. Might as well get it over with…"

It was just as bad as he'd thought it would be.

The hotel wasn't expensive and was clearly used to catering to young competitors since it was the closest hotel to the stadium and got a lot of its custom based off that. It was the only explanation for the sheer impeccable patience the woman showing them around display. That, or she had a Semblance that let her tune out background noise.

If so, he wanted it.

"Shotgun not Vernal."

"Not Vernal!"

"I can't share a room with Vernal," Whitley said proudly.

"Winter would not be pleased if I were murdered in my sleep," Weiss added.

Far from be offended at the show, Vernal leaned against the wall and smirked. He could imagine why – especially since it looked like she was going to get a _whole room_ to herself while everyone else had to share.

He couldn't even punish her without punishing someone else.

Unless…

Jaune eyed Summer and hummed.

Vernal's eyes widened. She shook her head.

"No." Taiyang stepped between him and Summer, giving Jaune an irate look that said he came _anywhere_ between Taiyang and Summer's chance to finally have some uninterrupted sex, he was going to get his head kicked in.

Damn it.

"Fine. Vernal gets a room to herself-"

"Bitchin!"

"Whitley can share a room with me. Yang and Ruby are together. Weiss and Emerald, too. Everyone happy with these arrangements?" No complaints, luckily. Even Weiss seemed relieved, trusting Emerald to be, if not a little strange, at least saner than Yang or Vernal. "Great. You've got the afternoon off – except for Vernal," he said before she could complain, "Who I will be training for the next two hours. Yang, Em, are you two okay if I train you tomorrow?"

"Sure!" Yang looked more eager to explore than fight. "We can go hang out in town, right? Em, you wanna check out the arcades?"

"Sounds good."

"Can I come?" Whitley asked suddenly. "I have money aplenty for the machines."

"Score! You're in. Weiss?"

"I would rather drown myself in bleach than stand watching as Whitley tries to impress Emerald with his arcade prowess." Weiss waited for a response, and then sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose when no one responded.

No one except Vernal, anyway. She snorted.

"It means no." Weiss said.

"Huh. Why didn't you just say so?"

"I di- No. Never mind. Go have fun. Try not to let Whitley embarrass himself too much."

"I make no promises!" Hooking an arm around Emerald's and another around Ruby's, Yang dragged the two out of the hall. Whitley chased after them, happy to have time to spend with Emerald, even if it was in the presence of others.

"Your brother is a dork," Vernal said.

"Yes. Yes, he is." Weiss nodded to Vernal, then to him and Summer and Taiyang. "Please excuse me. I'm going to lay on my bed and enjoy the brief moment of peace for what it is." With a final nod, Weiss opened the door to her and Emerald's room, carried her suitcase inside and slammed it shut behind her.

"Wow." Qrow laughed. "She sounds older than me."

"Not a difficult task," Taiyang said. "We should get going as well. I'll carry Ruby and Yang's stuff to their room since they just dumped it in the hallway." The latter was shouted a little louder, reaching Yang's retreating form.

She waved back and vanished around the corner.

Summer laughed.

Jaune shook his head.

"Training?" Vernal prompted.

"Take your case to your room, then do the same for Emerald's. I'll handle mine and Whitley's and we'll get started."

For once, Vernal was eager to be of help.

/-/

Training Vernal had been more fun than he'd expected. The others, he had to hold back a lot more with. Obviously, he had to do the same with Vernal, but to a lesser degree. She was no closer to beating him than Emerald or Yang, but he could cut loose with Vernal because she didn't mind him overpowering her, and in fact seemed to get angry if he went easy on her at all.

Most people had the sense to want to avoid pain like that.

Vernal embraced it, goading him if he tried to give her a fair chance. She didn't want it. To her, a simulated spar where he allowed her a few openings was useless. He could understand why; unlike everyone else, Vernal wasn't training to fight other students. She was training to fight people who would kill her if she messed up. She couldn't afford to have him go easy on her.

"Not bad," he said, sheathing his sword. Vernal was on one knee, an arm badly bruised and her aura completely shattered. Sweat poured from her body forming a pool under her, and her breathing was so hoarse it sounded like her throat was made of sandpaper.

Despite all of that, the smile on her face was nothing short of euphoric.

"Your aggression certainly isn't an issue, even against a superior opponent."

"Skill…" Vernal panted. "I need more – hah – skill."

"Yes." She was good at noticing her problems. "A lot of that is going to come from practice and training. Experience. Fighting over and over until you naturally develop your own solutions to problems. You're stronger than I was at your age."

"Don't mock me."

"I'm not. You _are_ stronger than I was."

Vernal shot him a suspicious glare but, seeing his flat expression, accepted it. "When was your biggest improvement?" she asked.

"Be-" He cut off quickly. That had been close. "School. I went to a huntsman academy."

"Yeah? Which?"

Jaune shook his head.

"Ha. Guess you wouldn't say… Don't tell me you think lessons and lectures are the way forward."

"Not really, no. The lessons helped me learn things that were useful, but that wasn't where I improved the most. It was due to my friends helping me."

Vernal snorted. "Power of friendship?"

"Again, no. It was my friends who helped me, but it could just as easily have been people I hated. At the end of the day, I improved because I got to fight a lot of different people and learn to cope with different styles. If you want to be the best, you need to fight the best. Huntsman Academies attract the strongest students, making them prime locations for a shit tonne of fighting."

"Guess… Guess that makes sense…"

Seeing her interested, he took the plunge. "You considered what you'll do after you've finished training at the Gym?"

"What do you mean _after_? I'm training until I'm as strong as you. Then I'm dragging you back to the tribe."

It was the first he'd heard of it. Something in Vernal's tone made it sound more _her_ plan than Raven's, especially since Raven could have done that already if she wanted to. He wasn't sure if he should feel flattered or not. Certainly not worried, however.

"You'll have to train a lot to manage that. Or wait forty years until I'm old and infirm."

"Tch. Fuck-face…"

"Cocky brat," he shot back, not unaffectionately. "Still, have you put any thought into attending Beacon? Ozpin saw you fight in the try-outs and was interested in you."

"Ozpin? That the old man? The headmaster?"

Trust her to not pay attention. "Yes."

"He looks like a chump."

"Appearances can be misleading, especially with him. He's strong."

"Yeah. He'd have to be, being head of a place like that. The strong rule over the weak." Vernal ignored him rolling his eyes. "Not sure why I'd be interested in that, though. You're training me. You're strong. Being some prissy huntress? No way. I'd be stuck with idiots like Yang for the next four years. And please, spare me the `you might make friends` shit."

He hadn't been about to try it on her of all people. He had better ideas.

"Raven attended Beacon, you know."

Vernal stilled.

"Both she and Qrow did, leaving the tribe to learn how to be huntsmen – mostly to learn how to _kill_ huntsmen. You know why?"

"Because they're hard to kill?"

"Because the tribe was too _weak_ to kill them." He let Vernal bristle for a moment before going on. "I'm not saying the tribe is weak _now_ , but it was before your time. Seventeen years or so back. Think about it. The tribe had to send those two because they didn't know how to kill huntsmen. They just couldn't handle it. Do you know what that means?"

"What?"

"It means that _Raven_ , your boss, the strongest bitch in the tribe, wasn't strong enough to beat a huntsman. At _seventeen years old_ , she was too weak to best someone who had aura and a Semblance."

"That… It can't…" Vernal's eyes were wide. She wanted to deny it, but obviously couldn't. If it were a lie, Raven and Qrow wouldn't have been sent to Beacon. "At seventeen…?"

"That's the age to apply to Beacon, so I'm assuming Raven was that old. Older than you right now and, by the looks of it, _weaker_ than you are now. Or maybe as strong, just less experienced."

It threw her for a loop. Verna's mouth opened and closed.

He doubted she'd ever thought she could be as strong as Raven. Raven had that effect on people – looking so beyond the pale as to be inhuman in strength, speed and skill. A lot of that had come from her maiden powers in their time, allowing her to overpower even Cinder. At the end of the day though, Raven was still human.

Vernal could, in theory, surpass her.

"Thanks to both Raven's teachings and mine, you're in a better spot that she was at your age. It's unfair to say that's her fault since the tribe just didn't know better back then but give it twenty years and you might be better than Raven is now. If you continue to push yourself."

"Y-Yeah…" Vernal's cheeks had actually turned pink. She was actually blushing. He didn't know if she should despair at the fact this would embarrass her or not. With an angry shake of her head, she glared at him. "You're trying to trick me into attending Beacon."

"Trick is a strong word. I honestly don't care if you do or don't."

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't you want me there to protect your little snots if something happens?"

"Does it matter?" he countered. "If you say no to Beacon, you're probably going to stick with me and train, right?"

She nodded.

"And if anything happens to Beacon and my – as you put it – little snots, then I'm going to be right there myself fighting to keep them safe. You going to leave me to get killed and deprive you of training?"

Vernal grunted. "No. So, I'm helping either way. Great…"

"As long as you want my training you are. Not that you'll complain." At her confused look, he said, "Well, if I'm risking my life, then it's against strong opponents. Who else are you going to fight to get stronger faster?"

"Hmm…" She was interested, he could tell.

Pushing her might not be the best solution, though.

"Just think on it," he said. "It's your choice at the end of the day. As much as you might not like Qrow, he's stronger than anyone other than Raven in your tribe, and that's all thanks to Beacon. Raven went from too weak to face a huntsman on equal ground to the leader of the tribe and unmatched in pretty much all of Mistral."

"Yeah, but… school…" Vernal pulled a face.

"It can be annoying at times," he admitted, "But you _do_ get to face a whole load of people who all have different fighting styles, Semblances and weapons. Experience is doing the same thing time and time again and learning from it. You might suffer with me in that regard. All I use is a sword, gun, grenades and my fists."

"All you use?"

"Well, I'll admit that's quite a bit." He laughed. "But I'll also say that when I first started, I only used a sword and I was weak as hell. You could have beat me. Hell, Yang could have wiped the floor with me."

And had, on numerous occasions. Miss Goodwitch's lessons hadn't always had him beaten by Cardin. Sometimes, she mixed it up. Yang always took it easy on him because he was Ruby's friend, but even Yang going easy had been a massacre.

"Beacon comes with good parts and bad parts, but don't be surprised if Yang surpasses you if she goes to Beacon and you don't." He tried to look casual when Vernal's eyes narrowed. "After all, she's Raven's daughter going through the same things Raven did, except _also_ getting the benefit of _my_ training beforehand. How strong do you think she's going to be when she's Raven's age?"

Vernal growled under her breath.

"I'll think about it…" Pushing herself up, Vernal readied her weapons again. "Come on. Enough talk. I'm good to go again."

She wasn't. She was exhausted.

Still, learning your limits was a lesson all in itself.

Jaune readied Crocea Mors and closed in.

/-/

Pushing into the dinghy bar in downtown Mistral, Jaune quickly found his contact and sat down at his table in the corner. Torchwick wore his usual outfit, eschewing subtlety entirely. To be fair, his reputation wasn't grand enough to be recognised in Mistral yet. Beside him, Neo was eating at a huge ice-cream sundae that could have fed three people.

"Roman. You said you had news for me."

"Yeah. Great news, good news, mediocre news and bad news. Which you want first?"

"Start with the great."

"This place making amazing desserts."

Jaune winced. "Like that, huh? Great. At least tell me the `good news` is actually worth being happy over."

"Dunno. It depends on you. We found that Cinder girl as you asked, and as you know, she's taking part in the tournament. The good news is that I did a little digging and I've been able to figure out where she's staying."

"Please tell me it's not the same hotel I'm in…"

"It's not."

Thank the God of Light for that. At least _something_ was going right.

"It's a smaller hotel a little further away. I wasn't able to get her room number, but I can pass what details I have onto you. Not sure what your plans are for her, but I figure you can use this better than I can." Roman pushed an envelope across the table.

Jaune took it. "Thanks. Good work, too. I didn't ask for it, but this'll be helpful. I feel like you're buttering me up for some epically bad news, though. Not like you to put extra effort in when you don't have to."

Roman didn't deny it. "That would be the mediocre and bad news, I'm afraid…"

"You're stalling…"

"Wondering how best to phrase it. Hopefully in a way that won't get me killed."

He thought his life was in danger. Thought Jaune was like Cinder had been. Shaking his head, Jaune tried to cut that off. "I'm not the kind of employer who gets angry at bad news, Roman, not at the messenger. I sent you to find information and if you've found it – good or bad – I'm going to pay and thank you for your hard work. Your life will only be in danger if you try to harm me or mine. Work with me and I'll keep you safe, no matter what happens."

Roman didn't answer for a moment, no doubt trying to decide if he were being honest or not.

Jaune gave him time. Sipped at his own drink and let Roman make his own conclusions.

"You're the weirdest bastard I've ever worked with," he eventually said.

"For trying to employ some actual working conditions, or for _not_ being an absolute bastard?"

"Ha. Both. Doesn't matter if treating your employees well makes sense; this is the criminal underground. People that make sense don't end up down here. It's the grandstanders, the desperate or those maniacal idiots who want to rule over their fiefdom like it's the dark ages. The normal people live normal lives."

"I never claimed to be normal."

"You didn't." Roman puffed on his cigar. "Guess I'm not, either. Fine, let's get it out the way. The mediocre news is that I found out about your missing kids. They made it out safe and sound and got to a nearby village where they settled down for a bit."

"Great!" His relief was tempered by the promise of worse news. "And the bad news?"

"Someone beat me to them. They've been adopted."

"That's not too bad…" At least they'd have a family. "Do you know who by? I can still talk to them and see about offering a scholarship for the two, assuming they want to become huntsmen. Who adopted them?"

Roman grimaced.

"Arthur Watts."

/-/

Ren and Nora had been taken.

Taken.

Found.

Salem had them.

Jaune's entire body bristled. His eyes closed and he fought back the urge to punch the wall next to him, if only because it would break his hand. Nothing that had happened in this entire journey back in time angered him as much as this did.

Nothing except that moment where Ruby had nearly been killed.

He'd snapped, then. Gone mad. Slaughtered the faunus responsible.

He honestly felt like he might go insane right now.

It was a good thing he'd left Roman behind with some new orders, because Jaune had a feeling he'd have broken his promise not to hurt the man if he'd stayed. Ren and Nora, his best friends, his teammates, had been taken by Arthur Watts.

Why, he didn't know, but considering it was an event that hadn't happened the first time, he had an idea. Another change he'd made.

 _Does Watts know? How can he? I only interacted with them for a minute at best._

Enough time for them to mention his face, perhaps, but who would be able to place the memories of a child against who he was now? How had Watts figured that out, tracked them down and then taken them?

Or was that the reason at all?

 _There are other reasons he might want them. Maybe just for their potential._

In the end, it didn't matter.

He was going to get them back. He had to. He owed too much to those two to leave them in a situation like that. Blake, he'd fucked up on. Blake, he'd hurt and was now forced to leave behind – at least until he could find a way to rescue and convince her against the White Fang. But Ren and Nora? That was too much to ask.

Finding them would be the hard part. If he found Watts, he might be able to track them – but the moment Watts realised, the very _instant_ he and Salem realised that Jaune wanted to rescue those two – he was screwed. Nora and Ren would go from tools to hostages. He'd be faced with surrendering to them or letting the two die. If they even so much as _suspected_ Ren and Nora were important to him, the two were dead.

"I need to know where they are," he said aloud. "I need to know where they are, exactly, and then I need to get them back immediately. Without Watts, Tyrian or Salem realising how important they are."

He couldn't use Roman. The guy was good, but Salem was better. If he was spotted and traced back to him – and Roman would squeal if Tyrian got hold of him – then there went everything. Ren and Nora would die, Vale would be infiltrated, and Salem might even realise how important Blake was, too.

Roman couldn't be trusted.

 _He_ couldn't be trusted, either. Even if he went looking, the very act of trying to find Ren and Nora would tip the enemy off. If he made his attempt to recover them and it failed, he was screwed. Literally.

Which meant… Which meant that he needed to know _exactly_ where they were.

Information. He needed information.

Jaune's eyes turned in the direction of Haven.

Knowledge…

/-/

"A drink for the lovely lady."

Emerald raised an eyebrow but took the can of soda Whitley offered and gave a quiet word of thanks – her father would have been unhappy if she didn't say thank you. Whitley seemed pleased by it and gave one to Yang as well, then a final one to Ruby.

Ruby and Yang seemed to like him.

Or rather, Ruby liked him because he was nice, while Yang found him _hilarious_ for some reason, often prodding him to do things for her like carry stuff, offer more coins for the machines or just fetch drinks for them.

He never complained, despite apparently being born to butlers and maids.

The arcade they were in was a giant multi-floored thing in the middle of Mistral, brightly lit and playing loud and jarring music that irritated her ears. The games themselves weren't bad, even if Yang had to try and make everything a competition.

At least Ruby was having fun, and she was far less annoying about it.

"Surprised to see you like a place like this," Yang said to Whitley. "Wouldn't have thought it something a Schnee would be into."

"It's certainly a novel experience. Fascinating."

"You've never been to Mistral?"

"I – we – have," he said, referring to his sister as well. "But it was always on business trips with father. We were rarely allowed to leave the hotel and only went out as part of his party, usually to be introduced to important people. Something like this was never an option."

"Man, that sounds lame."

"It had its downsides. Then again, if it weren't for such dinners, I'd have never had a chance to meet Emerald – and thus the two of you." Whitley's eyes darted her way as he said it, a little colour appearing in his cheeks. It was like he was waiting for something.

"Same," Emerald said, not sure what the question was but feeling that agreement would be better than nothing.

Whitley's smile grew.

 _What did I just agree to?_

Yang was no help, snickering loudly.

Ugh. Boys were complicated. She'd thought Sky a cool enough guy until her breasts started growing out, then he'd become shy and stammering – especially when she had him in a leg lock or was pinning him down.

Especially when _Yang_ pinned him down.

"You're really too innocent," Yang said. "Or maybe not innocent, just an idiot. You'll figure it out."

"Or you could just tell me."

"Nah. Funnier this way."

Emerald looked to Ruby.

"Sorry, Em," Ruby said. "It _is_ funny, though."

Even you, Ruby? How cruel. Emerald sighed and looked to Whitley for a final answer, but he couldn't quite meet her eyes. The boy was scratching at his cheek, which had turned an interesting shade of pink.

"You'll get that doki-doki moment eventually," Yang said.

"The what…?"

"But in the meanwhile, we're in Mistral and supposed to be enjoying ourselves. I don't want to waste time talking now when we're gonna be stuck training tomorrow."

"I thought you _liked_ the sound of extra training."

"I do, but I like the sound of exploring a new city more. Think of all the stuff we can do, all the food we can eat. The people to meet." Yang snagged Ruby's shoulder before she could run away at the thought of being sociable. "The tournament is cool and all, but I'm no Vernal. I'm not going to start drooling at the thought of Mr Ashari knocking me around."

"That girl really is an odd one," Whitley said. "What's the story with her? She seems to aggressive."

"She's a bitch," Emerald said. "That's the story."

"Surely, there is more."

"No."

"She seems to regard Mr Ashari well. Knows him."

"Must have been before he adopted me," Emerald said. "The first I saw her was when she showed up here. She's always been a bitch."

"Maybe she fancies Mr Ashari," Ruby said.

Yang and Whitley winced.

Emerald's eyes blazed.

"I would _die_ before I call her mother."

"I… I think the age difference might be a bit much there…" Whitley laughed nervously, only relaxing when Emerald fully calmed down. "And besides, Winter has already staked her claim and the two are engaged."

And just like that, Emerald's fury returned.

"Engaged!?" Yang all but screamed. "Since when!?"

"W-Well, it's an open secret in Atlas. Isn't it the same here?"

"NO! Absolutely not!"

"I've not heard about it," Ruby confirmed.

"They are _not_ engaged," Emerald seethed. "Dad isn't interested in any women. He doesn't _need_ any women." Except the Bloody Lady, but that was a business relationship. She did things and he provided her food and beer.

"Winter isn't that bad, is she?" Whitley asked defensively. "Why, she always spoke fondly of you, Emerald. About how she taught you to read and looked after you in Atlas Academy."

"Aw." Yang elbowed Emerald in the ribs. "That's so cute!"

"It's not cute and she's not marrying my dad. No one is. Never."

"You know, you can't keep him just for yourself…"

"Yes, I can. And I will." Emerald crossed her arms and stomped one foot, calling the discussion _over_.

Yang, Whitley and Ruby exchanged amused glances. They didn't seem to understand the severity of the situation, or how literal she was being. Did they think her joking? She would prove that she wasn't if anyone tried to interfere in her and her daddy's life.

"What say we go upstairs and play on the air hockey machines?" Yang changed the subject. "We can play doubles and make teams~"

"I'll team up with Emerald!"

This time, even Ruby giggled.

Emerald shrugged. "Fine. Me and Whitley." She walked past him, ignoring the way he was clenching his fist like he'd just won the lottery or something.

"We should make bets."

"On what?" Emerald rolled her eyes. "It's all Whitley's money."

"What's mine is yours," he said quickly.

"No, it's not. Dad would be upset if I let Yang gamble your money away." And that was something she wasn't willing to let happen.

"We can bet other stuff," Yang teased. "How about a kiss?"

"A-A kiss…?" Whitley swallowed.

"No."

"Aw. Come on, Em."

"No. If Dad finds out I let you take advantage of him, I'll be in trouble. If Auntie Summer finds out you took advantage of _Ruby_ , then you'll be in trouble."

"Wasn't gonna be me or Ruby kissing anyone…" Yang muttered.

"Still no." Emerald ascended the stairs but was looking backward the whole time. "I don't know what your obsession is, but I'm not here to kiss anyone. I'm going to win the tournament, beat Vernal and then add another trophy to the collection."

"Yeah? And what am I here for, then?" Yang asked, hands on her hips.

"You're my cheerleader."

"Tch. Can't wait to show you how wrong you are on that one. Don't worry, I'll give you some pom poms once I beat you. I bet Whitley would love to see you in a cheerleader's outfit."

Whitley's cheeks heated up. He wisely chose to say nothing.

"What's that? The analysis of someone who got knocked out because she didn't think her opponent might have a mecha-shift weapon? When _literally everyone_ has a mecha-shift weapon? Come back and talk once you actually make a finals."

"Oh, you are _on_ girl! Right here, right now. You may be my friend, but you're cruising for a bruising."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not fighting you he-oof!"

Emerald hadn't been paying attention, hadn't even been looking, so it was probably inevitable that she'd bump into someone sooner or later. Honestly, she blamed Yang. Stumbling back automatically, her foot slipped as she forgot she was on a staircase and not flat ground. Her arms wheeled, her eyes widened – and she just had the time to slam her aura into place to make sure she wouldn't break anything when she rolled down the stairs like an idiot.

Bruises, she could survive. Yang would pay for this.

And then something caught her.

"Got ya!" a male voice said, pulling her back – forward.

Emerald's face hit a brick wall of skin. Actual, naked skin. A man's chest, but hard as rock in places. Her cheek was pushed up against it, her eyes blinking in pure confusion. There was an arm around her waist, the one he'd used to catch her before she could fall.

What…?

"Unhand her, knave!" Whitley howled, storming forward.

"And let her fall?" the chest she was pressed against rumbled with laughter. "It's my fault she nearly did anyway. Sorry about that." The boy let her go just a little, enough that she could push off his chest – it was bare because he wore a shirt completely open for some reason.

His skin felt strange. Not in a bad way.

He was blond and had blue eyes, just like her dad. Except he was younger – her age or maybe a year older. He was smiling down on her with rough and wild hair and he winked suggestively. "Never had a girl fall straight into my arms before, but I'll take what I can get. Nice to meet ya."

To Emerald's horror, she felt a little heat creep up her cheeks.

Whitley made a strangled sound and appeared between them, pulling a dazed Emerald out of the new man's hands. He pushed Emerald behind him.

"Rogue and reprobate! Who are you to touch Emerald like that?"

"Emerald, huh? Nice name. I'm Sun."

Whitley ground his teeth together.

"Hey, man. I was just giving the pretty girl a hand. Helping her."

"You're the one responsible for putting her in danger in the first place!"

"Looks like someone is jealous."

"N-Nonsense! I have nothing to be jealous of from a person like you!"

"Person like me? What's that supposed to mean? Have problems with me being a faunus?"

"Problems? I didn't even realise you were! I'm referring to the fact you're walking around in public half-dressed!"

"Hey. If you have it, show it off." Sun winked at Emerald. "And judging from her reaction, I think I have it."

Emerald glared off to the side.

Whitley growled.

Some boys above, looking over the railings, began to chant. "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Yang's hands clamped onto Emerald's. Her eyes were shining, her face split by a smile that spoke of every birthday and holiday coming together at once and all of it being for her. Yang's eyes darted between Sun and Whitley, the latter bristling, and then back to Emerald as if it were the greatest, most incredible, thing she'd ever seen.

"I take it back! You're the best friend ever and I love you!"

* * *

 **Ah Yang, always there for the street theatre. And surprise, it's Sun!**

 **Fanfare intensifies!**

 **Man, I describe Sun's chest and abs a lot. But let's be fair, have you seen them? He's not a character. He's a Mary-Sue version of the perfect body which happens to have arms, legs and a head attached. I think that poster in Volume 3 of his abs had it right.**

 **Joke, of course. I actually like Sun. One of my favourite characters.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 2nd March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	48. Chapter 48

**Ya ya. Glad to see people liked the return of Sun.**

 **On with the story.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 48**

* * *

Boys were stupid.

All of them.

It was a realisation Emerald came to quickly, and not one she felt all that conflicted about. Dad wasn't a boy, and so didn't count. It wasn't even to say girls couldn't be stupid too – she had _Yang_ as proof of that.

But boys…?

So stupid…

"HA!"

"YA!"

"HYAH"

"OOF!"

"RARGHHH!"

"TAKE THIS!" Whitley screamed, slamming his hand forward.

The little plastic puck _lanced_ across the air-assisted field, slipped past Sun's desperate attempts to block it, and slid into the goal with a loud _KA-CHUNK_. Above their heads, the little red dials switched to 2 - 1. Now in Whitley's favour.

The crowd roared.

Sun's hands gripped the edge of the table, his eyes wide and his entire body shaking. The goal against him might as well have been a knife pushed through his guard for how he gasped for breath, as if his lifeblood were spilling out onto the floor.

Below him, the little puck clinked and came back out, ready for the next round.

Whitley, meanwhile, held his arms up, little plastic cup held in one as he basked in the cheers and screams of the watching audience.

Emerald felt dumber for watching it.

Boys were so stupid…

"Don't give in, Sun!" Yang yelled. "Blondes unite!"

Whitley rounded on them, shocked.

"You can do it, Whitley!" Ruby shouted. "I believe in you."

Slowly, the Schnee extended a single hand with his thumb up. Opposite him, Sun tore his head up, eyes blazing as his hand stabbed down to collect the puck, which he placed on the table before him. Whitley and Sun exchanged deadly glares, like two Beowolves preparing to fight.

Emerald groaned. "Please don't encourage them…"

"HA!"

"HA!"

"YAH!"

"HAH!"

The battle began anew, replete with little `ping-ping-clink-clink` noises as the plastic paddles defended their territory, firing the puck back and forth like a ballistic missile. Emerald pinched the bridge of her nose. They'd been here for fifteen minutes already and only for three points to be had between them. The stupid game was best of ten.

They were going to be here all day.

"Don't look like that," Yang said, dragging her hand down. "Two hot boys fighting for your honour, for your affection. You should be thrilled."

"I'm going to kill you, Yang. This is all your fault…"

"What? Would you have rather they fought on the stairs in a bloody fist-fight?"

"Yes." It would have been quicker. "Can't we just leave them?" she asked. "I'm sure whoever wins won't shut up about it, so it's not like we won't find out which of them it is."

"Nope." It was Ruby who answered. "This is a fight for you, Em. You have to stay."

"Says who?"

"All the movies I've seen."

"Movies aren't-"

"Movies are a totally good source for this," Yang interrupted. "Besides, Mr Ashari would be upset if we left Whitley on his own. You don't want to upset daddy-dearest now, do you?" Yang knew her weakness, though, to be fair, probably everyone in the ASH Gym did.

Emerald sighed. "No…"

"Then we have to watch."

"Fine…"

"And you have to give the winner a kiss."

"Will it shut you up?"

"Probably not," Yang admitted with startlingly frank honesty, "But I'll give you a free pass on the next time I'll tease you, and if you refuse then I'll be a pain in the ass for the rest of the day. Just a kiss on the cheek."

"For what purpose?"

"I guarantee it'll stop the winner from boasting for the next hour or so."

Hm. That was tempting. And just to press her lips against one of their cheeks? Seemed simple enough. "Alright."

Yang froze. "Alright? Seriously?"

"Sure. Stops them whining and keeps you quiet for a bit."

"Wow…" Yang looked almost guilty for a moment, but guilt and Yang didn't last long together in the same room and she soon got over it. "HEY!" she yelled. "Emerald says she'll give a kiss to the winner!"

The boys heard it. Emerald could tell because a white glyph spread out under Whitley's feet and his hands suddenly began to move faster. Another glyph appeared under the puck itself, which seemed to glide across the table with even less friction. Across the table, Sun began to glow golden and a _second_ Sun appeared, wielding the same plastic striker. The two fell into formation, each covering half of the goal.

"Wow," Ruby said. "They're really into this."

"So stupid…" Emerald groaned. "Why am I surrounded by stupid?"

"Hey. You're the one who blushed like a pretty schoolgirl because you touched a little skin."

Emerald glared at Yang for that. Honestly, they'd all got the wrong end of it. She hadn't blushed because Sun had his chest out – she'd seen people wear less on the streets. Her embarrassment came from having been made to look like an idiot when she nearly tripped down the stairs and having to be saved by some random guy.

Now, it came from the fact everyone was cheering on an air-hockey match apparently designed to win a kiss from her. One that Yang had sold off for a little peace and quiet. Emerald made a mental note to _accidentally_ mention this within Auntie Rose's hearing.

See how far _that_ got Yang.

Sun roared in victory as he scored, feinting with one clone and sweeping his hand behind it, masking his shot and powering through Whitley's defences. The lights flashed 2 – 2.

"It's a tough game." Ruby loved the atmosphere, and especially the fact she wasn't the centre of attention. "Who do you think will win?"

"I think it's a more a case of whoever cheats more," Emerald drawled, watching as Whitley literally froze the opening to his goal shut with ice, essentially making scoring impossible. Or one would think. Sun's eyes narrowed and he flexed his arms, prepared to break through that ice however he had to. "In my eyes, they're both losers. Idiots, too…"

"Yikes. Harsh."

"Who do you _want_ to win?" Ruby asked.

"Who do you want to kiss?" Yang corrected, grinning wildly.

"I refuse to dignify that with an answer."

"HA!"

"YAH!"

"HA!"

 _Clink – Clink – Clink – Clink – Clink – Clink – Clink – Clink - Clink_

"HAAAAAH!" Sun slammed the puck forward. It struck the ice, chipped an inch or so off, and then slid back. It wasn't a goal, but a crack in Whitley's defence formed and Sun made a `bring it` gesture with one hand.

Emerald ran a hand down her face.

This was going to take a while…

"I'm coming for you, Schnee!"

"I'll throw you back into the desert!"

Assuming her sanity held…

/-/

Leonardo Lionheart was a big man with a big beard, but one lacking a big heart or well of courage. He acted like he had it, welcoming Jaune with a hearty smile and a loud laugh, shaking his hand with large and powerful muscles.

"Jaune Ashari." he bellowed. "Ozpin has told me so much about you."

Jaune shook his hand in return. "Nothing bad I hope."

"Nothing of the sort. Though, if I may, I wasn't aware you intended to come and visit Haven."

"I didn't originally, but I found myself with nothing to do and wanted to see what Haven was like. I'm mostly here for the tournament."

"And to steal our prospective students," Leonardo said, without any real ire.

"Ozpin mentioned that one, did he? But no, I'm not here to steal from Haven. More like to steal from Sanctum… or to find unaffiliated students with potential. Some of those may choose to come back and attend Haven once they're of age."

"I know, my boy. I know. I was merely jesting with you." Leonardo turned and extended a hand, leading Jaune across Haven's beautiful gardens and towards the main, multi-tiered building. "My old friend told me about your Gym and what you do; a wonderful idea, and one I'd love to see put in place in Mistral, too."

"There aren't any training schools here?"

"Oh, there are, but they all have a certain… reputation. Very insular, very _particular_ with their students. Not normally on skill or potential, but blood or wealth."

"Family only, then?"

"Family or friends of the family, yes. Some of those people choose to attend Haven in time, but I can't say many of them stay to become huntsmen at the end. For the most part, they're training with some other goal in mind. Something more self-serving."

"I'd heard rumours of the criminal families who rule Mistral," Jaune said.

"Control is a strong word. They have influence, I'll admit, but their importance is inflated. Self-inflated. They're more like petty children trying to one-up one another." Leonardo sounded genuinely disgusted about it all. He might have been. There was no telling _when_ Leo turned to Salem. He might have been loyal to Ozpin for now.

But it didn't matter.

In proving that he _would_ turn to Salem given the right kind of pressure, Leonardo showed he couldn't be trusted even given a new chance. Any secret he learned would only be at risk should Cinder or Watts lean on him.

 _Assuming Cinder is working with them. I know Watts, Tyrian and Hazel are, but I've not seen any proof of Cinder yet._

Well, that was what he was here in Mistral for.

"The criminal families aren't a problem then?"

"Oh, they're a problem, but not in the ways you might think. Not a problem for people like us, or, in many cases, the average folk. Every now and then one of their games impacts the people, but the other families come down on that hard. Most of the time, people don't notice them. That's the way the Kingdom likes it. If they were an overt problem, we would have dealt with them already." Leo laughed. "But you're not here to talk about that, surely."

"No. I suppose not. I came to talk about Haven's enrolment procedures. I'm going to be looking for potential new students for my Gym, and I'm aware some of them won't want to stay in Vale forever. Wanted to make sure people I trained could still apply here."

"By all means. They'd be subject to the usual tests, of course."

"Of course. I wouldn't suggest otherwise. Would it be okay if I took some application forms back to Vale with me?"

"I don't see a problem with that." Leonardo nodded, visibly relieved at the simple request. "I can go and fetch those for you and provide some pamphlets for Haven. It would mean a lot were you to make them available to your students."

"I'll do so," Jaune said, lying through his teeth. There was no way he was sending any of his students to serve under a headmaster who would betray them at the drop of a hat. "Thank you for the help, Headmaster Lionheart."

"Not a problem. Wait here, if you will. I shall not be long."

Leonardo left Jaune in the central lobby of Haven, a large foyer set with a crossroad that led into two wings of the building itself, back towards the entrance and also with a final corridor going deeper into the school. Down that corridor, Jaune saw the statue of Jinn, arms spread up towards the sky and golden chains falling from her wrists.

 _There you are, Jinn. Don't worry, I'll be getting you out of there soon enough._

It was a small thing, but he thought she might know it. The Spirit of Knowledge knew everything that was not based in the future, so, in theory, she should know that someone _intended_ to take her, and that this someone was confident in their ability to do so.

Whether she would believe it was another matter, but she would know.

The Relic of Knowledge had to be dealt with, though. It had to be taken and hidden, or – more realistically – it had to be exhausted. He wasn't sure how the knowledge of him would factor into it. Since he was from the future, would that count as future knowledge? Or, since he was here now, would Jinn be able to answer questions about him?

There was no telling.

Even so, just having her there, able to tell all of his secrets to the first person who cracked her open, was a disaster waiting to happen. Ironically, Ozpin would be the least of his worries – and that was a sad thought considering how _bad_ that would be. Ozpin wouldn't see the good he could do. Ozpin would see that _his_ plan was going to succeed within the next ten years, and that Jaune Ashari had come back to ruin it.

The sacrifices wouldn't matter to Ozpin, who had been forced to make all too many over the span of his lifetime. The death of Teams RWBY and JNPR was a tiny price to pay to end the Grimm threat and stop Salem once and for all. Even with all the other casualties, the loss of a few hundred people was a small price to pay.

Ozpin would try and stop him. They'd fight.

Jaune was sure Ozpin would win.

But even so, that still paled in comparison to what _Salem_ would do with the knowledge. He was already a target for her, but if she knew he had the answer as to how Ozpin intended to kill her, she would turn Remnant inside out to get him. Vale? Grimm invasion. Atlas? Grimm invasion. Everyone he cared for would be killed or kidnapped and Salem would throw everything she had at him, knowing that the secrets he held might decide her fate.

The Relic of Knowledge was a problem. A big problem. Ozpin may have thought locking it behind maiden-doors was a good way of keeping it safe, but Jaune's thoughts were a little more utilitarian.

Use up all the questions and the Relic was disarmed.

Job done.

Leonardo returned before he could put any more thought into it, and Jaune turned away from the statue with a patient smile. He was surprised to see the headmaster wasn't alone, and even more surprised to see a young Pyrrha with him. Jaune's heart skipped a beat.

 _God, she looks just like she did at Beacon…_

Not quite, but close. Pyrrha had the height already but would fill out a little more in the next two years. Her hair would also grow a little longer and her expression a more guarded. Here and now, she saw him and looked awkwardly embarrassed. In his time, Pyrrha had social training enough to mask that and give everyone a smile, no matter what she thought of them.

 _Don't react, Jaune. Don't do anything stupid._

"Sorry about the wait," Leonardo said. "I've got your papers here." He handed over a small folder filled with documents. "And might I introduce you to Miss Nikos, here? Her father dropped her off a moment ago and wanted her to have a look around Haven, since she'll be studying here in a few years' time. Young Pyrrha is a prodigy among prodigies."

Pyrrha looked uncomfortable. Most people might have thought it at the praise, but Jaune knew better. She didn't like how he, and her father, had decided on Haven without her input. She wore the same strained smile she did whenever Nora decided on a way to do something that Pyrrha thought was stupid, but where she was too polite to say it.

"We've met," Jaune said. "Nice to see you again, Pyrrha. How have you been?"

She seemed surprised by his hand, but manners dictated she shake it and she did. "I've been well, sir. Thank you for asking."

"My daughter and her competed in a tournament in Vale," Jaune explained for Leo's sake. "It was a close match and Pyrrha did well."

"Ha. I'm sure your daughter performed admirably as well," Leo said. "Tell her not to worry; no one has defeated young Pyrrha yet."

"Actually, my daughter won…"

Leo was surprised but recovered quickly. "Is that so? My apologies then, I must have been misinformed. Everyone seems rather quiet on that around here! Ha. National pride, always such an amusing phenomenon."

"I know." Jaune laughed with him and let go of Pyrrha's hand. He hadn't expected Emerald's win to be so unnoticed, but that might have had something to do with Pyrrha's father. The man had been quite aggressive about it all – not that the threats of legal action ever came through. He hadn't received so much as a latter.

 _Looks like he focused on Mistral instead and quashed the news of Pyrrha's loss. Does that mean she's still the Invincible Girl here?_

Poor Pyrrha looked mortified, refusing to meet his eyes.

 _Trust you to somehow blame yourself for that, Pyr. Come on…_

After so many times helping him, it was hard to remember that sometimes Pyrrha wasn't as confident as she let on. With that in mind, Jaune decided it was finally his chance to repay a little of that monumental debt.

"It was a really good match and Pyrrha could have won it. Probably should have." He watched Pyrrha's head snap up, surprise in her eyes. "She wasn't prepared for my daughter's Semblance. And, she didn't use her own."

"Ah. I see. Semblances have caught better huntresses off guard."

"They have." Jaune spoke to Leo but kept his eyes on Pyrrha's. "I hope you'll go all-out this time, Pyrrha. Emerald has been looking forward to facing you again and I think it would crush her spirit if you held back even a little."

"I… wasn't holding back…"

"If you're not using every single tool at your disposal, you are. It doesn't matter what that tool is, how unfair it might seem or what people say, in my school, in the ASH Gym, we prioritise using it. I'd like to formally ask you to do the same against my students, Pyrrha. To do anything less would be an insult to all the hard work they've put in."

Pyrrha's eyes widened and she looked away. He knew that would be stuck in her head, no matter what issues she had on her Semblance. "I'll consider it, sir."

"Thanks. That's all I ask." On a last thought, he added, "Tell Helena I said hi. If she wants to catch up, she knows where to find me."

"I shall, sir." This time, Pyrrha's smile became a little more genuine. "I think she'd like that."

"Wonderful. Wonderful!" Leo interrupted, "But I really do need to show Miss Nikos around now, I'm afraid. Her father is a man who doesn't much enjoy delays." Leo didn't sound afraid of him, more annoyed at the thought of being complained to. "I'm sure you'll have a chance to speak with one another again during the tournament." He nodded to the folder in Jaune's hand. "And is that all you needed of me, Mr Ashari?"

"It is for now. Is it okay if I come back if I need to ask you anything?"

"Of course. Of course." Leo reached into his pocket and brought out a small plastic card. "Here. This will allow you access into the school. Not the private areas or the dorms, of course, but it'll get you in here and you can ask someone to fetch me."

Pocketing the card, Jaune smiled.

"Thank you. It's just what I needed."

Offering a polite farewell to both Leonardo and Pyrrha, Jaune excused himself from Haven and stepped back into the wilderness surrounding it, letting the Bullhead pilots know he was both capable and prepared to take the more dangerous path back. Like Beacon, Haven was surrounded by Grimm territory – important for training purposes.

Once he was alone and out of sight of Haven, he pulled out his scroll and dialled a number.

"Raven?"

" _I can hear you."_ Raven's image was hazy, but her voice was clear. It sounded like she was at a meal. _"You're in Mistral, I see. I can feel it."_

"As promised. Did you put any thought into my offer?"

" _I did. It's an interesting one. Interesting that you'd ask for my help here when it makes you no better than Ozpin."_

"We're different."

" _How so?"_

"Because I told you exactly what I want it for and am giving you complete freedom of choice on whether to help me. I'm also offering to help you in return. If I were Ozpin, I'd be trying to guilt-trip you into doing this for nothing."

Raven laughed. _"True. I don't want their eyes on me, however…"_

"It shouldn't happen. In fact, once it's out of that Vault, you being the Spring Maiden doesn't matter at all. They won't need you." He picked his way through the underbrush. "It's your choice, though. I'm not going to force you."

" _You mean that you can't force me."_

"Yeah. But it makes it sound like it's a conscious decision on my part the other way. I like it."

" _Ha!"_ Raven laughed loudly. _"You're a comedian. Fine. I shall help you if you find the opportunity. But I know what I want in return, and you shall give it to me. Two things, in fact."_

"Two?"

" _You cannot open it without me. I think two favours is fair."_

"Fair isn't how I'd put it, but you're right in saying you hold all the cards. Fine. As long as you're not asking me to do something ridiculous. I reserve the right to refuse."

" _Of course. I'll even tell you what I want in advance. My first request is that I want a member of my tribe to enter Beacon in two years' time. You will facilitate this, doing whatever you need to in order to make it happen."_

Beacon?

Vernal? Well, that would make life easier for him if it was.

"Alright. Sure. I'm not Ozpin, so I can't wave a hand and get them in, but I'll push Ozpin. As long as they're strong, I doubt I'll have to push him very hard. He'll snap a talented student out of my hand. And the other thing?"

" _I want one of the Relic's Questions."_

He winced. A question was a big deal, especially if there were only two remaining as it had been when they found Jinn. He needed one to find Ren and Nora's location, and the other would have been useful to ascertain whether Cinder had been recruited by Salem yet.

Still, it was what Raven wanted. The bargaining power was in her hands, which meant whatever she wanted, she would get. He could try and renege on the deal and steal the question back, but this was Raven. She could find him anywhere and had no reason to play nice if he turned on her.

"One question," he promised. "As long as you let me ask mine first."

" _Deal."_

/-/

In the end, Sun proved victorious over Whitley.

It didn't come down to skill, Semblances or anything else. At the end of the day, it came down to one thing; stamina. That was because the duel lasted for a good forty minutes. Forty minutes of extended Semblance-use, extreme exertion and incredible focus.

Emerald might have found it impressive, if not for the circumstances.

At least the crowd thought so, yipping, cheering and taking pictures. Yang and Ruby applauded the loudest of all, with Ruby calling out condolences to Whitley for his defeat. The boy was slumped over the air-hockey table, covered in sweat and panting harshly.

Sun was little better, even if he won.

Yang buried an elbow in Emerald's side. "Eh? Eh? Eh?" Her eyebrows wriggled so much, it was a wonder they didn't fall off.

"I've not forgotten," Emerald said, pushing her friend away.

Whitley stood as she approached, shame-faced and frustrated. He let go of the table with a grimace. "Emerald, I… I failed you. I can only offer my most-"

Feeling sorry for him, Emerald rolled her eyes, pulled his head to the side and planted a kiss on his cheek.

It cut him off in one blow, leaving him wide-eyed.

"Hey," Sun quipped as she walked up to him. His chest red with exertion and now glittering from his sweat and the neon lights. "I thought the winner was the one who got a kiss from the pretty lady?"

Rolling her eyes, Emerald placed her hands on the boy's cheeks and pulled his face down. His eyes widened as she placed her lips against his, made a sound, and then pulled away. Without a care in the world, Emerald turned and walked back to Yang and Ruby, who, for some reason, were staring at her, mouths open.

"What?"

"You… You kissed him…"

"Yes. Isn't that what you told me to do?"

On the cheek," Yang whispered.

"Cheek, lips, what's the difference?" It really wasn't as big a deal as they were making out. A kiss was a kiss, and if it kept them quiet for a few moments, as it was, then that was a small price to pay. Course, she wasn't quite sure why everyone was staring at her, or why both Sun and Whitley were going bright red in the face.

Hadn't they been fighting for this kiss? Why did they suddenly look surprised to have gotten one?

Sheesh. Boys really were stupid.

"You've got no idea what you just did, do you?" Yang asked.

"I know I kissed them. What of it?"

"N-Never mind. Just… maybe don't mention this to your dad?" Yang paled suddenly. "Or mine."

 _Hm. Mental note; mention it when Mr Xiao-Long is close enough to hear._

"Of course," Emerald lied. "I'll take the secret to my grave. What do we do about those two?" she asked, indicating the idiots with a thumb over one shoulder. "Do we just leave them here or…?"

"We take them with us," Yang decided. He eyes slid past Emerald, taking in the still-catatonic boys. "Actually, why don't you let _me_ talk to them first. Why don't you go find us a table in the cafeteria to sit at?"

Emerald shrugged.

"Fine with me."

By the time she'd found a table, with Ruby in tow, Yang had managed to get the boys to agree to come and eat with them, and to leave the air-hockey area before they started another round and lost all hope of keeping her in the vicinity at all.

Both were quiet and red in the face, leaving Yang to basically push them down into their seats and then come and sit beside Emerald, squeezing her in between her and Ruby almost protectively.

Shrugging, Emerald nibbled on some fries.

"So," Yang said, "This is awkward. Uh. Nice game, I guess. You two did really well."

"Yeah…"

"Thanks…"

Whitley's hand touched his cheek.

Sun's touched his lips.

Yang's forehead touched the table – though only for a moment. "Sheesh. Talk about backfiring. Okay, I see how it is. So, Sun. You said you came from Vacuo, huh? Here on holiday or…?"

"Huh?" the half-naked faunus jumped in his chair. "W-What? Oh right, uh, yeah, I'm from Vacuo. Came for the big tournament. I'm competing in it." He looked to Emerald. "Maybe you could come and cheer me on?"

"No."

His face fell. He looked like a kicked Zwei.

"She means she can't," Yang corrected, "Because she's competing in it, too. We all are. Me and Emerald, anyway." Yang placed a hand on Ruby's head. "And this is _my_ cheerleader. Do not even try to take her from me or I'll make you regret it."

"Yaaang…"

"Oh. That makes sense." Sun grinned. "Guess I'll see you in the fights then."

Emerald shrugged, more interested in her food than Sun. "Guess so."

"Why come all the way from Vacuo for something like this, though?" Yang asked. "Don't you have tournaments a little closer to home?"

"We do, but I'm expanding my options while I'm at it. I'm looking to join a huntsman academy in a couple of years and wanted to visit a couple. Shade is nice and all, but I've lived my whole life in the desert. Kinda fancy a change, you know?"

"And you're thinking of Haven?"

"Maybe. I was actually putting some thought into Beacon, but it has the highest standards. A tournament like this… it's a good way to test myself. See if I'm good enough to try and apply there."

"Cool! We're going to Beacon." Yang indicated Emerald and herself.

Emerald wanted to say that hadn't been decided – or at least her father hadn't given her permission, and she hadn't asked after his last explosion. In the end, she let it be, leaving Yang to handle the talking so she didn't have to.

"Yeah? More reasons to apply, I guess."

"What other reasons are there?"

"Its rep for one," Sun said. "But… well, there was another reason. You'll think it sounds stupid, though."

At the mere mention of stupid, Yang leaned forward. "Go on."

"When I was younger, I met this guy. He helped me out of a tight spot and set me on the path to be a huntsman. I looked up to him." Sun laughed awkwardly and looked a little embarrassed. "I guess he said some things that inspired me, and I've been trying to live up to them. One of the things he mentioned was that he was going to Vale."

"Ooh. Sounds mysterious."

"I guess it was. He said a lot of things at the time that stood out. I never questioned them. Still don't, if I'm being honest with you, and they sound stupid even now. Still, I want to find that guy again. Talk to him. Show him how I've grown." Sun shrugged. "Not sure if Beacon will help, but he said he was travelling to Vale, and I'd like to start my search there."

Yang leaned over and whispered, "Twenty lien says it's your dad."

"Don't be stupid. Dad isn't responsible for literally everything unusual that happens…"

"Well, if you decide to attend Beacon, I guess you'll be able to spend more time around Emerald," Yang said.

Emerald glared at her. What was she doing?

"I'm going to Beacon as well!" Whitley decided, slamming a hand on the table. He glared at Sun. "And what's more, I am going to be Emerald's partner and teammate."

"It's not even been decided that I'll go…" Emerald pointed out.

"Heh. Really?" Sun grinned, ignoring her entirely to meet Whitley's challenging stare. "I dunno. Aren't you a little young? Both for Beacon _and_ for her?"

"It is not age alone that determines skill. I am a prodigy, both as a huntsman and… as…" He blushed, "and as a lover."

"Pft!" Yang hid her snigger in the back of her hand.

"Yeah, right." Sun rolled his eyes.

"It's true. I already live with her."

Sun glanced her way, but Emerald only shrugged back. What? It was true.

"Y-Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything…"

"And I have the esteem of her father."

Sun scowled, then, seemingly having an idea, winked at Emerald. "That's nice. I'd prefer to hear Emerald's thoughts on it, though. Not her old man's. I'm sure she can make her own decisions in life."

"Not really," Emerald said.

Everyone – including Whitley and Sun – stared at her.

"What…?"

"She doesn't mean that literally!" Yang said, waving her arms. "She obsesses over her father. Real daddy's girl. He doesn't literally control her every decision or something; she just takes his words like they're absolute law or something."

Again, Emerald shrugged, not all that offended by the accurate description.

Jaune's word was law.

Why not?

He saved her. Adopted her. Loved her.

That was enough.

"Mr Ashari is very fair," Whitley said, coming to his defence. That earned points with Emerald. "And Emerald can be just as abrupt at times. It's a part of her charm."

"Heh. I'm beginning to see that."

"Ahem. It's a part of her charm that _I_ appreciate."

"What? And that means I can't?"

Whitley and Sun glared at one another.

 _Here we go again…_

/-/

Sat at dinner with Summer and her whole family, Jaune listened to Ruby go on about all the fun they'd had during the day, waving her hands excitedly. There was a special part of his heart that sung whenever Ruby would look lovingly at her mother, something that reminded him that for all his mistakes and for all his problems, he'd fixed that.

He'd made her happy.

Emerald was happy, too, but only because she had a chocolate cake in front of her, which she was meticulously devouring.

"And then Yang suggested they fight it out to see who was better!"

"Yang!" Taiyang said.

"In air-hockey!" Yang quickly said, glaring at her sister for leaving that thing out.

Taiyang relaxed. "Ah. That's okay, then. Good thinking, Yang."

So, Sun was in Mistral. That was interesting. Jaune wondered if he should make contact and maybe even see if Sun wanted to come back and study at the ASH Gym. He winced a second later, remembering the parting words he'd given. Sun would never have a chance with Blake because of him. Or, if he did, it would be in very different circumstances.

For every good change, there was always a mistake.

"And then Emerald offered a kiss on the cheek to the winner!"

"Oh my!" Summer covered her mouth with one hand and looked to see Emerald's reaction.

Emerald shrugged.

Jaune did, too.

It wasn't like Whitley's feelings were well-hidden, and Sun? Well, it was a surprise, but Sun was an alright guy, and a kiss on the cheek was just that. Kids might get excited about it, but if you lived in the same room as Nora, you got that and back-breaking hugs on a daily basis. "Who won?" Jaune asked, genuinely curious.

"Sun did."

"Fair and square?"

"Pft. No way," Yang said, laughing. "He used his Semblance and Whitley used his. It was awesome!"

Everyone had a laugh at that, especially with Yang and Ruby taking turns to pantomime the actions taken and how loud and over-the-top the two boys had been. Apparently, Sun made quite the impression on them, though probably not in the way he would have liked.

He was officially comic relief for Yang and Ruby.

As for Emerald? Well, she had a cake. She didn't care what he was or what anyone was currently talking about. Small bites, tiny mouthfuls and lots of tasting – the better to savour it for as long as humanly possible.

"And then you won't believe what happened after Sun won!" Ruby said.

Yang waved her hands wildly, making obvious X motions across her face.

Taiyang noticed and narrowed his eyes. "What happened next, Ruby? Why don't you tell us?"

"Well, Sun won but Whitley was really upset – so Emerald gave him a kiss on the cheek even though he lost."

Summer crooned. "Aw. How precious!"

"I'll bet he was pleased," Jaune said.

"He was. He looked really red and shocked. But he forgot all about losing. Didn't make him like Sun anymore, but they didn't have another fight. At least until Yang suggested they play each other at the dancing game."

"Y-Yeah." Yang laughed nervously, looking like she dodged a bullet. "But it got them to stop fighting, right?"

"Hm. I guess so."

"No kiss for Sun, then?" Jaune asked.

Yang panicked.

"Oh, he got one," Ruby said, all innocence and story-telling. "She kissed him on the lips!"

Yang winced.

Taiyang frowned.

Summer rolled her eyes.

Jaune turned to Emerald and raised a single eyebrow. "Did you enjoy it?"

Emerald shrugged. She was fifteen, and he wasn't about to het defensive at the thought of a boy kissing her, not unless they tried to force her. If Emerald was the one who wanted to do it, that was fine. It was her life and her choice to make.

"I didn't really feel anything," she said.

"Ouch. Poor Sun…"

"It wasn't him." Emerald licked her spoon clean. "I just don't know what the big deal is all about. It's just pushing my lips against his. Why is everyone acting like it's something more?"

"Well, I imagine it's because of his feelings," Summer said, giggling. "He probably thinks you're saying you like him."

Emerald looked confused. "He's alright, I guess…"

"Not that kind of like. Attraction. Like you want him as a boyfriend."

"Maybe I do." Emerald shrugged. "I have plenty of boyfriends."

Taiyang choked, but Summer wasn't quite so excitable. "Not boys who are friends, Emerald. Boyfriend. You know, romance? Holding hands? In time maybe even become husband and wife?"

Emerald blinked. "What?"

"The birds and the bees, Em."

Emerald blinked again. "What?"

"The talk? Sex? Reproduction?"

Emerald looked to Jaune.

Jaune sank into his chair.

Emerald looked back to Summer. "What?"

"Taiyang, honey, look after the kids for me," Summer said, standing and smiling – though the sentiment didn't seem to reach her eyes, which were locked onto him. Shadows seemed to pass over her face, and she looked like a Beowolf on the hunt. "I think Jaune and I need to have a quick _talk_. One best held in private…" Summer's hand landed on his shoulder and gripped down _hard_. "Don't wait up for us. It might take a while to get all my points across."

Damn it, Yang.

This was somehow all her fault.

* * *

 **Sun and Whitley fighting over affections, Emerald not sure what everything is about and Jaune making his plans in the background. Also, Raven being Raven and a quick meeting with Pyrrha.**

 **I could totally see any of the cast turning a simple arcade game into a ridiculously competitive sport. I'd love to see Ruby and Weiss playing table tennis or something – or even Yang and Blake doing the same.**

 **With their Semblances, they'd turn the ball into a lethal weapon.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 9** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	49. Chapter 49

**Here we go.**

 **I have dates now for when I need to take a week off due to my work event. Basically, I'll be taking from Saturday 23** **rd** **– Friday 29** **th** **off due to this work event, which is on the 28** **th** **. No update on 29** **th** **because, hey, it's a Friday and there wouldn't be one anyway.**

 **Basically, that means no Relic update on the 23** **rd** **, but life as normal after that. Sorry for the delay, but the week before my event is when** _ **everyone**_ **will get in touch with last minute questions and problems.**

" **Oh God, you told me I had to hand over an award like, four months ago, and every month since, but now that there are THREE DAYS remaining, I've suddenly realised I haven't prepared anything!"**

 **Happens every year…**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 49**

* * *

Both Jaune and Summer sat with their heads in their hands, eyes wide and mouths open as they gasped for breath. On the opposite side of the bed, Emerald watched with vague confusion, not really understanding why her father and her auntie looked so beleaguered.

"So," Summer began, looking up hopefully. Desperately. "You know how periods work?"

"I bled years back," Emerald confirmed. "Daddy told me it was normal, something all women had, then took me to a doctor in Atlas who explained it and gave me products to use. Dad buys more whenever I need them."

"Okay. That's good. Great even!" Summer's relief spoke of both mercy for Jaune and relief that this wasn't going to be harder than Emerald had already made it. "You know about that. It's just… the other things. What you've said so far…"

Summer swallowed.

Emerald tilted her head to the side. "I know what sex is."

"Yes, I can tell." Summer groaned. "It's just how _much_ you know that bothers me. And how you describe it."

"Why? Sex is when a man wants to have fun, so he takes a woman and forces her to please him. Sometimes, if the woman is lucky, the man will let them go afterwards and even give them some money. Sometimes they don't."

Jaune slumped back in his seat feeling like he'd been punched in the gut.

Summer looked like Qrow without alcohol.

This, Jaune reflected, this was the reason he'd not wanted to broach this topic. Emerald didn't _need_ the talk. Not when it came to the physical aspects. Thanks to her shitty start to life, she knew more than most girls her age wanted to and had seen just as much first-hand. It had skewed her view of the world. He probably should have tried to fix that, but with everything else going on, and with Emerald having far bigger problems – like trust issues, malnutrition and social problems – he'd let it fall to the wayside.

It just hadn't been as important as showing her she was loved, that she wasn't a tool to be used and that she could have friends. Sex and relationships hadn't factored in and he'd just sort of forgotten about it. Emerald was pretty much asexual anyway.

Now, he knew why.

As did Summer, much to her dismay. "Emerald, why do you think people have sex?"

"Money," Emerald replied immediately. "Or enjoyment on the man's part."

"That's not entirely true. And the woman can enjoy it, too."

Emerald cocked her head. "The women I heard having sex never seemed to enjoy it."

And suddenly, he felt the need to roam Vale's streets late at night with Crocea Mors out looking for predators to chop into mincemeat.

"Did anyone…" Summer was pale. "Did anyone do it to you?"

"No."

"Oh, thank goodness…"

"One boy tried but I stabbed him in the leg and twisted." Emerald made the motion.

"Good girl," Jaune was quick to say.

"Thank you, daddy."

"No. No, no, no, that's not good," Summer snapped. "I mean, you escaping is good, but… agh, this shouldn't be so difficult." Rubbing her forehead, Summer leaned forward. "Do you know what love is, Emerald?"

"Love is happiness."

"Yes." Summer looked relieved, incredibly so. "Yes, that's a good way of putting it. Love is like happiness, but more… well, you love a person when they make you happy. Or when they're there for you."

Confusion again. "But Daddy says I love cake."

"You do." Summer laughed. "You can love objects too but love towards a person is a lot deeper. For instance, you love cake but if you had to pick between cake and your father, who would you choose?"

"Daddy," Emerald said immediately.

"Yes. Exactly, he-"

"Because he has money to buy cake."

"That's not… okay, you know what, never mind. We're talking about love and sex." Cringing, Summer broached the topic no one wanted to. "Sweetie, what you saw on the streets was not love. That was assault. That was when bad men do bad things to girls who can't fight back."

Emerald didn't argue it. She wasn't that foolish.

"Real sex is… you know what, let's call it _making love_. That's a much better term."

"Should I be making love to Daddy?"

"No!"

"NO!" Summer and Jaune shared a panicked look. "No," Summer said, softer. "It's not… okay, change of plans. Let's call it sex again. So much easier with Yang and Ruby," she mumbled. "Um. Sex is when a consenting man and a woman – or a woman and a woman, or a man and a man, or even a group of-"

Jaune coughed.

"R-Right. Anyway, we'll focus on the man and woman for now and not complicate things. When two consenting adults _both want_ to engage in sexual intercourse. That is…" Summer winced. "How should I explain this?"

"When the man pins the woman and down an-"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Summer shushed Emerald, face pale. "That's okay, sweetie. Just let me do the talking. But yes, you get it. When both parties _want_ , and the wanting is a key part here, to do that so that _both of them_ feel nice, then that is real sex. That is what people call making love, which is when you are `in love` with someone – which is not the same as what you feel for Jaune. Okay?"

Emerald looked absolutely lost, but answered, "Okay…"

"Good. Great. So, you know what sex is and even how babies are made… I'm not really sure where this is all going wrong…"

"I think I know," Jaune said sadly, stepping in. "Em. You know how children are born, right?"

"Yes. A man adds his juice into a woman who grows a child in her stomach for almost a year, then it's born in horrifying agony with the woman screaming, lots of blood and the baby is weak and defenceless and can freeze in the winter. The mother then dies of grief."

"Nice thoughts, nice thoughts, nice thoughts," Summer said, rocking back and forth. "When I get back to Vale, I'm opening an orphanage. No, I'm taking Qrow out to find every rapist in Vale and kill them in the most creative ways imaginable."

"Send me a call before you do," Jaune whispered. "I'll be there." Turning back to Emerald, he said, "That's not inaccurate. Just horrifying. The child actually grows in the womb, but… no, I'll get you a book on that another time. I don't think the problem here is the specifics of sex, childbirth and contraception." Not with how little interest Emerald had in it. "It's more the emotional side of things."

Summer looked up, confused.

"Emerald. Why do you think Whitley writes you poetry, and why do you think Whitley and Sun both looked so happy when you kissed them?"

"Because boys are stupid?"

Summer laughed weakly.

"Other than that," Jaune said.

"I dunno. Maybe my lips still tasted of cake."

Summer stopped laughing. Jaune winced.

"And the poetry? Whitley always tells you how beautiful you are, right? Why do you think he does that?"

"Because he thinks I'm beautiful?"

"Well, yes, but why…?"

Emerald shrugged. "Cuz it's the truth?"

"You are the most beautiful girl in the world to me," Jaune acknowledged, earning a roll of the eyes from Summer, "But not quite what I meant." Coming over, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sweetie, Whitley and Sun love… well, maybe not love. More of a crush."

"They're fifteen and thirteen, Jaune," Summer said with a roll of the eyes.

"Okay. Good point. They are in love with you, Emerald. Or they think they are. We'll cover the differences between love, crush, attraction and everything in between another time. No need to over-complicate things here."

Emerald's eyes grew wide. "They want to give me a baby?"

Urk. Jaune fought back the urge to kill two teenage boys. "On second thoughts, let's delve straight into relationships, dating, crushes and attraction right now!"

/-/

"That was the single most horrifying thing I have ever been through," Summer said, about an hour later. Emerald was sat in the corner looking through some help forums on her scroll that Summer had pushed her to which would give more detail on the topics the three of them had covered. "And I've been through childbirth, Jaune. I've been through _the talk_ twice. Once even with _Qrow_ trying to help. This should not be harder than that! Nothing should be!"

"Yeah, well, your kids didn't grow up on the street…"

"No child her age should know as much about se- no, about _fucking_ as she does." He knew why Summer refused to call it sex. "And at the same time, to know so little about things like love and family." Growling, she shook her head. "It makes sense. I know you're the first example of either she's ever had, but it's still horrifying."

"Yeah." Running a hand through his hair, Jaune looked and felt ill. "I guess this explains why she hated Winter so much. The only `marriage` she ever saw was some guy running off and abandoning his family to starve. She thought Winter was going to take me away and leave her on her own."

"How can Vale be so cruel to the homeless?"

"How can anywhere?" he asked rhetorically. "Homelessness exists, and it's not the city which takes advantage of them. It's unscrupulous people. I'm just glad I got her off it before someone else did."

Someone like Cinder.

"Me too. I… I'm sorry for assuming the worst," she said. "I thought you'd not even told her about reproduction. Hell, I thought she was going to tell me you'd never even covered periods."

"Hard not to when she woke up with sheets with blood on and calmly explained she was dying." He ran a hand down his face. "Took me ten minutes to stop panicking and checking her for wounds. I thought she'd stabbed herself."

"Heh." Summer's laughter was strained.

"I didn't know how to broach the love thing," Jaune admitted. "I knew she knew enough to stay away from men who wanted her, but I only just convinced her half a year back that I loved her as a child and not something to be used. Broaching the topic of boys being attracted to her seemed impossible when it took that long to prove _I_ wasn't using her."

"I get it, Jaune. I get it. She… she does a good job of acting normal. Acting like nothing is wrong. At least we covered this. Hopefully, she'll feel confident enough to talk to one of us if she is confused." The despairing tone of her voice said she hoped it would be him rather than her.

"What should I do about Whitley and Sun? She's going to act differently around them."

"Keep any sharp objects away? Honestly, I'd suggest talking to them."

"And what, tell them her secrets!?"

"Better that than they push without realising it and Emerald attacks them in self-defence." Summer said. "I don't think either would try and take advantage of her, but she's just realised she kissed them both and what that means."

Looking back, they both noticed how pale Emerald was. How she swayed a little as she read, eyes growing wide.

"She's going to be wary around them for a bit. Jumpy. I'll talk to Yang and tell her to keep an eye on her. I know it's not fair to Emerald to tell others what's wrong with her, but if it's a choice between that or Emerald being put in undue stress…"

"Better to be open about it. Fine. Just… tell Yang to be careful. Emerald looks and acts strong, but that's mostly a front."

"I can tell that! The things she's seen…" Summer shuddered. It wasn't explicit detail from Emerald. She'd never stopped to _watch_ someone being forced. It was more the aftermath. Emerald had _heard_ of people not returning. She had _seen_ the aftermath of broken families. Explanations from other kids, chequered as they were, had given her a skewed understanding that naturally leaned towards things to _avoid_ for her own safety.

"Sorry," Jaune said. "This is something I should have sorted…"

"It…" Summer sighed. "No, it's fine. I think I can see why this was too much for you." Smiling, she giggled. "It was almost enough to push the two of us to drink, so I can't imagine how you'd have handled it alone. It's not ideal, but… you've done a good job with her. Emerald… given her past, she's got every reason to be an anti-social, untrusting, psychopath. Instead, she's a lovely young woman who likes sweets, cake and always protects Ruby when people try to talk to her."

Summer cringed. "Which I can now see is her taking an even more protective line, and now I feel ill again, but my point is that all things considered Emerald is so much better than she should be. Her life is better. She has friends, a father who loves her and a bright future ahead. We should focus on that more than the horrible past."

"I couldn't agree more." Nodding to the door, he said, "Do you want to go and talk to Yang? I'll talk to Em."

"Y-Yeah, I should. Maybe Tai, too. I think I need to be held a little right now. Before I book a flight back to Vale to go murder some people."

Jaune watched Summer go and sighed. Moving over to the bed, he sat down next to Emerald and looked over her shoulder. She was reading something on boyfriends and girlfriends and what that meant. He and Summer had explained it as best they could, being sure to use words like `family`, `love` and `mutual respect` as much as possible.

It was hard to tell if Emerald understood, but it was a work in progress.

"Is it making sense?"

"I don't know," Emerald whispered. "Do they… Do Sun and Whitley think I'm in love with them?"

"Not exactly. A kiss isn't a contract and it doesn't have to mean all that much. It's more that Whitley was interested, and Sun probably thinks _you're_ interested in him." It wasn't hard to look back on his teenage years and imagine what his reaction might have been. "Boys at that age can be easily swayed. If a pretty girl so much as smiles at you, your heart skips a beat."

"Are they…?"

"They're not going to try anything with you. Whitley is writing you poetry – which has to be the shyest approach I've ever heard of, while Sun was only talking to you, right? Neither has ever tried to force you to do anything."

"I guess not…"

"Look, if you're ever in doubt and I'm not around, ask Yang."

Emerald's face became pinched.

"Yes, I know. It's Yang. But she really does know more than you do here, and if she knows you're genuinely worried, she'll do her best to help you. She knows when to stop the joking around and get serious."

"Alright…"

Emerald shuffled on the bed.

"What's wrong?"

"You know that I love you…" she whispered.

Jaune's heart surged. "I know. I love you, too."

"But I'm not _in love_ with you."

"Yes. That's… definitely a good thing."

"Is Winter in love with you?"

"That's not the best question to ask…"

"Is _Vernal_ in love with you?"

"Em, please…"

"And what about the Bloody Lady?"

"Yes, no and she is in love with alcohol," he said, "Roughly in that order. How about I tuck you into bed and read you a bed-time story, hm?"

Grumbling, Emerald allowed it, though not without saying, "Can I ask one more question?"

"You can ask as many as you want, Em. If I have the answer, I'll give it."

"Why is it called the birds and the bees if there are no birds or bees?"

Jaune froze.

Shit.

Why did she always ask the hardest questions?

/-/

The tournament was split into two divisions; older and younger. Boys and girls fought together but age and experience were greater indicators of skill disparity. Unlike in Vale, Mistral held the older bracket first, but didn't complete it in one day. There were a lot more competitors than Vale's tournament.

The first day would be the qualifiers for both the younger and older bracket – older first. Once those were done and the number of competitors had been brought down to eight, those who had gotten through to the quarter-finals would be allowed to rest before returning on the second day to finish them all.

It wasn't a bad way of doing things and meant that people who just wanted to see the best fights could come for the second day and skip the first.

That didn't look to have happened. The indoor stadium was packed with spectators, many of whom waved Mistral flags in support of the home Kingdom. There were plenty of people chanting "Nikos, Nikos, Nikos" as well.

"No pressure then," Yang said.

Emerald glowered back at her `friend`, wishing she could punch her in the face for the shit she'd pulled the other day. Tricking her into kissing both Whitley and Sun despite knowing full well what that meant. It was only the fact that Dad needed Yang in proper shape for the tournament, and that Emerald needed her as a human shield, that kept her in one piece.

A human shield from Whitley and Sun, of course.

Emerald had practically recoiled from both on seeing them.

 _So, they think I'm `in love` with them or something. Or that I `like` them._ She still wasn't sure on the difference between love and like, but Auntie Summer said they were pretty much the same thing, just different measurements. Like a slice of cake compared to the whole cake.

Emerald wasn't sure what to think on the fact they kept defaulting to cake analogies.

Sure, she liked cake, but it wasn't like she was greedy…

Either way, Yang had invited Sun to come and sit with them yesterday, and that meant Whitley was in a foul mood and had tried to sit next to her. Emerald had scooted over to between Ruby and Yang instead, then hidden her face in a tournament programme so no one could see her wide eyes and pale complexion.

Boys were stull stupid, but now they were crazy as well.

Also, Yang was a bastard.

"Hey. It's not like I knew you had no idea what it meant," Yang whispered.

Whoops. Had she said the bastard thing out loud?

"Yes. Yes, you did."

"Doesn't change the truth."

"Ugh. I'll explain things better another time, okay? Mom is great, but she's an old woman," she said, hearing Summer choke on air behind her, "I'll give you the proper version later. Make sure you know what's going on."

Emerald was suspicious of Yang's idea of wisdom but nodded along. She would make her own mind up once she had all the facts available.

 _The tournament is important for now,_ she thought, looking back as the older competitors were being introduced to the audience. Vernal was among them, looking bored about it all and sure in her victory.

Emerald would have been sure, too, if not for her father filling her in on `the plan` beforehand. She had a role now. Something he trusted her with. That came with responsibility and also information, so Emerald's attention naturally drifted over to the elegant black-haired girl off to the side.

Cinder Fall.

Dangerous. Dad had said so, and if Dad called someone dangerous, then it was with a capital D. He didn't know if she was working with the people chasing him or not, but he said she might be, and that she might be a whole lot stronger than she let on. Emerald appreciated the warning, though she wouldn't have to face off against her, luckily.

That would be Vernal's job. And the main reason Dad wanted her competing.

"Hundred lien says Vernal wins," Yang said.

"Fool's bet," Weiss replied, snorting.

"No," Ruby replied.

"I agree with Weiss," Whitley said.

"Huh. She's that strong?" Sun, as the only one to have not had the _pleasure_ of sparring with Vernal, sounded more surprised. Though, to be fair, he'd been like that ever since he came to their set of stands.

He also couldn't take his eyes off Dad for some reason.

 _Hm. Auntie Summer did say boys can like boys and girls can like girls. Would I prefer Sun with Dad instead of Winter? It might be awkward if I've already kissed him._

"Last I heard, it was Pyrrha Nikos and Cinder Fall as favourites to win – then fight in the show match."

The show match was a fight after everything was over; the winner of the younger and older brackets fighting for the title of Grand Champion. Naturally, the older student had the advantage there, but that didn't stop them from holding it.

"That was before _we_ decided to come," Yang boasted. "ASH Gym represent!"

Yang's palm was left hanging as Emerald refused to clap it and Ruby didn't feel she could.

Eventually, taking immense pity, Whitley of all people held his hand up.

"Thanks, Whit."

"Don't encourage her stupidity," Emerald growled.

It was a mistake because both Sun and Whitley looked to her – and suddenly, Emerald had to look the other way, heat creeping up her face. That was an even _worse_ problem because, according to the things she'd read, they might think that meant she liked them too!

Why was all this so complicated!?

 _Damn you, Yang!_

/-/

Sun kept looking his way.

It was distracting, but not unexpected. Sun _being_ here was unexpected of course, but not that he might have remembered the crazy man he'd met as a child. He'd known Sun would come around eventually but figured it would still be during the Vytal Festival. Jaune wasn't sure if this was a change or not. Sun may have attended this tournament the first time. There was no way of knowing.

He hadn't offered the boy much other than a nod in greeting; one which he hoped conveyed the fact he recognised him. While it would be good to have Sun in the ASH Gym, and something he would need to put some thought into, there were other problems.

What were the odds Sun remembered him literally hinting at the truth of time travel?

Would anyone believe it if he said it?

And how much had he changed the timeline already, robbing Sun of his rightful future?

Too much. Obviously.

 _Sun fell for Blake on pretty flimsy terms the first time. According to Ruby, it was basically just him winking at her once and then deciding to stalk her. What do I feel of Emerald being in that position now?_

Honestly, not much. Emerald was a big girl and Sun was a good guy. He'd keep an eye out to make sure Emerald didn't feel too nervous around him now that she knew what romance was, but he wouldn't be upset with Sun _or_ Whitley wanting to get to know her. Taiyang had plenty of papa-bear for the lot of them, so he'd leave that drama to when Yang eventually found someone.

 _Leonardo is in attendance,_ Jaune thought, looking up to the VIP box. He wasn't the only one there. Pyrrha's father was sat with a regal expression. He hadn't had the misfortune of running into him so far, but it was only a matter of time. _Leonardo is trying to keep him happy. Wealthy backer, or does he just want Pyrrha?_

If he was already in Salem's employ, that might be a danger. Pyrrha had all the potential in the world and would make a valuable tool for Salem. She avoided that in the original timeline, but there was no telling if he'd changed things. Salem wanted him and knew he was building up his forces in a way. She probably thought him like Ozpin; trying to prepare the next generation.

As such, she might be doing the same.

It was something he'd prepare for. Either way, when Pyrrha made it through to the quarter finals, the Nikos patriarch would celebrate it and Leonardo would be invited. Roman had already dug up the details, Alexander Nikos fully expecting Pyrrha to succeed. With Leonardo busy, Haven would be undefended. Or not undefended per se, but the only person there who knew about the secret it contained would be otherwise occupied.

That was his chance.

"- mom is great, but she's an old woman." Yang's words, so casually delivered, brought a grin to Jaune and Qrow's face, and a pained sound from Summer, who looked shocked to her core. Taiyang was quick to assure her she wasn't, but the damage had been done.

"Don't know why you're smiling," he whispered to Qrow. "You're the same age as her."

"Yeah, and I still look younger than you do." Qrow nodded to the competitors. "Rooting for your little psycho down there?"

"Are you not?"

"I'm rooting for Yang," Qrow explained. "Maybe your girl, too. That arrogant little shit? Not a chance. I hope someone knocks her out the ring in the first ten seconds."

Jaune chuckled and watched as the matchups were drawn. Cinder was chosen quickly and placed on a very different bracket than Vernal. He didn't recognise many of the other names and certainly not Vernal's opponent.

"Somehow, I don't think you'll be getting your wish."

"You did research on the competition?"

"In a sense." He knew how strong the big players were. "One to watch out for is Cinder." He nodded to her. "That one. Black hair and yellow eyes."

"You can see her eyes from this far?"

Whoops. "No. I just know what colour they are."

"What does she do?"

"Strong martial fighter," he said, neglecting to mention her dust weaving in the event that she wasn't using it. Or maybe that she didn't even have it yet. Whenever Cinder fought in the festival, she did so in melee only. "I don't know her Semblance. Or if she has one. It might catch Vernal by surprise if she pulls it out."

Then again, he didn't know if Vernal had a Semblance either. Not everyone unlocked it straight away like Ruby and Yang had. His hadn't come until a good year or two of fighting.

"Hundred lien says she gets her ass whooped," Qrow said.

"Vernal?"

"Yeah."

"Sure. I'll take that bet." Reaching over, he shook Qrow's hand. A gentleman's agreement.

"You're confident in her."

"Let's just say I have a little insurance."

On the row below, Emerald's eyes were focused on Cinder.

Oh, how the tables had turned.

/-/

Pyrrha watched the fights for the older bracket end with an unusual amount of anxiety. Never before had she felt nervous going into a match, but with her father's expectations and the threat of the one who had beaten her before, the possibility of failure felt all too real.

What would her father say if she let him down here?

She rubbed her arm.

"Don't be nervous," Helena said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're better than most here and as good as the best. You'll do well."

"His student passed through to the quarter finals…"

"The Vernal girl? I saw her matches. It was obvious from her first fight that she would. That girl is something else. Don't assume everyone he teaches will be like that though. She is definitely the outlier."

"Do you think I could beat her…?"

Helena hesitated for just a second too long. "Don't worry about it. She's in a different age bracket."

No, then.

Helena didn't think she could beat this Vernal. It was hard not to worry entirely, since even if she won the tournament herself, she'd be in a show match against the winner of the older fighters. Though no one would think twice of her losing, blaming it on age or inexperience, Pyrrha wasn't sure their father would see it the same way.

If it was anyone _other_ than the Ashari Gym, then maybe. But to lose to him?

This tournament was personal for the Nikos family.

Just not for her…

"Don't let the old man's problems cause you strife," Helena said. "Go out there and do what _you_ want to. If he has a problem, he can deal with it himself."

Easier said than done. Pyrrha nodded anyway and adjusted the final straps of her armour, checked her weapon's dust reserves and then made sure her spare ammo was safely secured. Always double check, Helena would say, and then triple check again just to be safe. Time spent preparing before a battle meant less time agonising in one.

"Should I worry for all of his students?"

"I'd keep your wits about you with them. There are two in your bracket – both of which you've fought before. Remember, Emerald didn't beat you through skill. She caught you off-guard with her Semblance. Don't fall for it and the battle is an equal one; maybe even in your favour." Helena looked out as the names were drawn. "If we're lucky, you won't have to fight any of them until the quarters. I've got someone recording these fights so we can look over them later and study styles."

"Got it. I'll make you proud, sister."

"Hey." Helena punched her arm. "None of that. I'm already proud of you, and not because of any tournament standings. I'm proud of the sweet and kind girl my little sister turned out to be."

Pyrrha smiled, heat rising as a warm feeling settled in her stomach. In a family where everyone was so focused on reputation, success and family honour, it was rare to find someone who appreciated you for _who_ you were, rather than _what_ you could achieve for the family name.

"Nebula Violette into the winner of the match between two new entrants," Helena said, reading the matches. "You drew luckily there." Her eyes narrowed. "Almost too luckily. The Ashari pair are on the exact opposite end of the drawings and paired close. They'll have to face one another in the quarters at best."

Pyrrha looked down. "You think father…?"

"I wouldn't put it past him." Helena looked equal parts disappointed and disgusted. "It doesn't matter. You'll still need to face the best of them if you want to win, and if they get themselves knocked out beforehand, it only proves they wouldn't have been able to match you either way." Helena gripped her shoulder. "Don't let the family's games drag you down, Pyrrha. Out there, no amount of interference will stop it being a fair fight between you and your opponents."

A fair fight.

Fair.

Nothing about this was fair. The best tutors, the best equipment, the best preparation and an entire team dedicated to researching her opponents so she could have every edge imaginable. Names, styles, Semblances. People had been bribed, blackmailed or spied on to learn as much as possible. No one ever said it, but she knew that was how it happened.

Most of these people here were just trying their best to become huntsmen, never once knowing just how much was put into making it so that they never had a chance against her. Calling it fair was a joke. A sick joke.

 _And he wants me to use my Semblance… Why? It's already unfair, and everyone has metal in their weapons. If I use my Semblance, the whole thing barely even matters. No one would be able to hit me._

Pyrrha hated her Semblance. In a world where Semblances helped you survive and fight the Grimm, most people based their entire styles around it. Yet here she was, with a Semblance that was _useless_ on Grimm and instead designed to give her yet another edge on human opponents. It was just the kind of Semblance her family wanted to see.

 _I refuse to use it._ Even if he had asked, even if the man her father hated had asked her to use it on his own daughter, Pyrrha wouldn't. _I want a chance to fight her fairly. Properly. If I lose… I lose. I wouldn't mind that. As long as I lose on my terms._

As Pyrrha walked out into the arena and the crowds chanted her name, she thought that she might not mind that at all. Everyone adored a winner, never caring for how that victory came about, or how many people ended up crushed underfoot.

On the stage, Nebula Violette waited.

Pyrrha knew her weapon, her fighting style, her Semblance and at least six different strategies on how to defeat her. If in doubt, her Semblance could just pluck her projectiles out the air, rendering them utterly useless.

"Let's have a good fight," the girl said, winking at her.

"Yes." With a polite smile, Pyrrha threw aside all those strategies and prepared to wing it. As best she could, anyway. There was no pretending she didn't have the edge here. "Please give it your all and I shall do the same."

/-/

"Cause a distraction, he says. Draw attention, he says." Roman rolled his eyes and looked to Neo, waiting for her to do the same. "What are we, a couple of no good crooks?"

Neo tilted her head to the side and then nodded.

"Huh. Good point." With a final puff, he flicked his cigar aside. "Well, at least we've been promoted from child-finding duty. That's got to be a good thing."

And looking up at what the boss had asked them to break into, it certainly looked like they were moving up in the world.

"I've never broken into a huntsman academy before."

 _Sounds fun,_ Neo's smile seemed to say.

"Yeah. I couldn't agree more." Checking his scroll again, he grinned at the message. "Do whatever we want, steal whatever we want, and we can keep it all. Just so long as we don't do any of it around the foyer and cafeteria areas."

They wouldn't have had anything of conventional value in them anyway. Some other value, since the boss obviously wanted Haven's attention drawn _away_ from those areas, and Roman doubted it was so he could sneak in for a sandwich.

Still, that was none of his business.

"Time to cause some mayhem."

* * *

 **Well, that first bit ended up being a lot longer than I really intended it to be. Yes, Emerald** _ **did**_ **receive the talk in terms of biology, and had her own understanding as people pointed out she had mentioned when she was first adopted. It's more concepts like romance, love and dating that she just didn't understand.**

 **Also, her views on sex are horrifying. For good reason. This is certainly not making light of such terrible topics, especially when Emerald would have had to see them first-hand as so many people in such trying situations do.**

 **I'm sure some will still lash out at Jaune for being a terrible parent, but keep in mind he neither knew nor was ready for such things, and has given her the best life he can, rescuing her from that life and trying to make her understand she isn't a tool. It's always a bit eyeroll-worthy when people start to scream at him (a fictional character) in reviews for not living up to** _ **their**_ **standards of how the ideal time-travelling parent who just saw his friends die and who is pretty much a young adult would look after an orphaned street urchin who has been through hell.**

 **Because, you know, literally every totally normal person intrinsically knows how to solve childhood trauma. That's why we don't have professionals in real life who already struggle with such difficult things.**

 **Oh wait, we do…**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 16** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	50. Chapter 50

**Ugh. I am very sick today but continuing to write. Well, not sick. Got a HUGE toothache that feels like it's burning a hole into my skull, right behind my ear. I'm booked in for dentist Monday to try and find out what it is, but in a way it's worse than illness because at best it's a constant throbbing and at worse, debilitating pain. Makes writing hard. Makes concentration hard.**

 **Anyway, message here to note that and to inform that my week off writing due to work starts next Saturday 23** **rd** **to Friday 29** **th** **, which means there will be no update of this story next weekend.**

 **If in doubt on dates, always check the bottom for an accurate date of when next chapter is.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 50**

* * *

Haven was in uproar.

Roman was good at what he did.

Jaune walked in the front entrance without being challenged – and why not? Haven was a Huntsman Academy. It didn't have closing hours. Some students were still milling about, though they'd been called over the PA systems to return to their dorms in the face of an unknown attack on the school.

A few teachers charged by, headed deeper into the school to apprehend Roman and Neo.

"Please stay in the lobby or the cafeteria, sir," one called to him. "We'll have this dealt with soon!"

"By all means, go." Jaune waved a hand. "Do what you have to."

"Thank you for understanding!" The woman who had come by to help him in Leonardo's absence rushed away, speaking loudly into her scroll. Helping a guest such as he had to come second to an attack on the school itself, and the academy, like Beacon, was open to visitors within reason. There was no problem in leaving him to the main areas.

After all, what harm could he do?

 _Roman and Neo should have taken out the camera systems by now,_ he thought, slowly walking toward the main hall where the statue stood. _They should be retreating, but that still gives me a good hour. More than enough time._

The teachers would need to make sure the enemy were gone, assess damage and even secure the perimeter before they could come back to him. The students would be confined to their rooms until a rollcall could determine how many, if any, were hurt or missing.

In the event of an attack, there was just so much to do.

Too much.

He waited another ten minutes; enough for the chaos to reach its peak, and then brought out his scroll and sent the pre-arranged message. It took two more minutes for Raven to respond, not with a return message but a black and red portal that swirled into the air beside him.

"Let's get this over with…"

"Thanks for agreeing," Jaune said, knowing she could still back out at any moment.

"It's in my best interests. If the enemy truly have discovered I'm the Spring Maiden, they'll come for me. If the Relic of Knowledge is spent, that might buy me some time."

"They'll still want the maiden's powers."

"Yes, but they would need a maiden to defeat another maiden."

Not entirely, he wanted to say. Amber had fallen to an ambush by Cinder, Mercury and Emerald. Then again, that was Amber and this was Raven. The differences between the two were stark, not only in experience but also how they would act to a suspicious orphan alone on a road somewhere one really shouldn't be. Raven wasn't going to fall for so silly an ambush.

"I'd rather get this over with," Raven said, eyes lighting up, revealing her power. "We're too close to the enemy's base of power. Leonardo is-"

"A traitor. I know."

Raven eyed him for a moment, surprised and yet not surprised by his knowledge.

"I've done my homework."

"More than Ozpin it seems… I take it he is dealt with?"

"He's busy. As is most of Haven right now. We should still get a move on, though."

"Of course." Raven turned back to the statue and held out a hand. Whatever magic guided it, the statue slid back, revealing the route down towards the Vault itself. Raven and Jaune descended down into it. A far easier access than the first time, with a huge battle between Cinder, Raven and themselves.

It was enough to make him wonder just how reckless Ozpin was.

He'd had years, decades and even centuries to plan this, and yet he'd still managed to be blindsided at just about every opportunity. Sure, he didn't have the benefit of future knowledge that Jaune did, but he had every other advantage, from experience to resources, magic and even immortality. With all that in hand, why drag kids into it?

Because he was desperate. Or because he'd just lost patience?

The situation should have never _gotten_ so desperate. If Ozpin had protected Beacon, it would have stood to defend the maiden. Instead, he'd let the White Fang, Roman and Cinder run around doing whatever they wanted. Hell, it was Team RWBY who did more to defend the city and school than him. It was almost like he wanted Beacon to fall.

The vault door stood before them. Raven strode up to it and touched it with one hand, unlocking the seal that kept the Relic trapped within.

It felt like there should be more `ritual` involved with it all.

Awe, superstition, a long pause as they considered their life choices and what they were doing.

Instead, Jaune walked into the vault with Raven beside him, picked the Relic of Knowledge up off its pedestal and said, "Jinn. I call on you!"

/-/

Raven stood back and watched as Jaune used the Relic like he'd always known how. No hesitation, not even a little surprise at their current surroundings, which certainly weren't what one would call normal. He moved like a man who had seen it all before and found himself bored.

Was he like Ozpin? Immortal? Had he used the Relic before, and that was how he knew its location, name and use? If so, she might have bound herself to another Ozpin; a thought that had her equal parts angry and concerned.

Ozpin had sought to use her and her team for his own purposes with no regard for their safety.

Was Jaune any different?

 _A little,_ she thought, watching as the Spirit of Knowledge was summoned. _He informs instead of assumes. He makes deals. Ozpin never did that. It was always guilt or hidden bargains, manipulating us by pretending to be our friend, while keeping his secrets hidden away._

Ozpin demanded their trust and gave none in return.

Neither did Jaune really. He kept his secrets hidden. But the difference was that he let her do the same. He didn't push or try to win her over to his side. Instead, he _asked_ her for help, explained what he wanted and then struck a deal that would benefit her.

Equals, then.

That was what Ozpin lacked. For all his humanity and care, Ozpin never thought of anyone as his equal. Except, perhaps, for Salem herself.

The Spirit of Knowledge, Jinn, formed fully before them. A tall blue-skinned woman with not a stitch of clothing on her body. Raven looked to Jaune, amused, wondering if he might stammer or avert his eyes. He didn't look interested. Not even surprised. So, he'd known what she would look like too.

"I am Jinn," the being said, "Spirit of Knowledge. Created by the God of Light to aid humanity." Her eyes roved over both Jaune and her, and Raven wondered what it was the being saw in her.

Probably nothing good.

"There are _two questions_ remaining this era."

"One for each of us." Jaune said, reminding her of their deal. As if she would have forgotten.

Nodding, she gestured to the being. "You demanded the right to go first. Ask."

It would be as much a test as anything. If he asked both questions, she would be furious, but alive and well. It would tell her that he couldn't be trusted, that he would betray her like Ozpin had. Raven found herself hoping he wouldn't. That he'd made note of it now offered a glimmer of hope there.

Stepping forward, Jaune drew a deep breath. "Jinn. I wish to know the location of where Arthur Watts is keeping Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren."

Two names; names she didn't recognise. Arthur Watts was a different matter. So, two of Jaune's allies had been taken by Salem. That was bad. Concern for someone who might nebulously have been called a friend aside, if Salem wanted him enough to attack Atlas, then Raven didn't want him to fall into her hands anymore than she did the Relics. Both would be catastrophic.

Curiously, Jinn did not answer.

"Jinn." Jaune repeated, voice harder. "I wish to know the location of where Arthur Watts is keeping Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Tell me where they are!"

Again, the spirit remained silent. She watched Jaune silently, eyes locked onto his. It was so unusual that Raven found herself taking a step back and checking the way they had come, half-expecting a trap of some sort. Her Semblance leapt to life, prepared to get her and Jaune out and back to the tribe if necessary. She could _feel_ Summer, Taiyang and Qrow, however. Not to mention Yang. They were not close.

"Jinn!" Jaune snapped. "You said there were two questions remaining! Answer mine!"

"There are two questions remaining this era." Jinn's eyes narrowed. "There are _none_ in yours."

"Ah…" Jaune stepped back.

Raven's eyes widened imperceptibly.

"That… I…"

"You know what I can and cannot do," Jinn said. "Don't pretend otherwise." Smiling, Jinn turned to Raven. "There are two questions remaining this era. Would you care to ask them, Raven Branwen?"

"Knowing my name isn't going to impress me."

Jinn looked at her side-on and smiled. "Avoiding phrasing your words as a question in case I take it as one. You're not as foolish as the old man seems to think you are. It's been centuries since I saw a face other than his. Though… I suppose his face never remains the same."

Implying Ozpin. Wasn't that the same as giving information?

"No. Not if you already know it."

Raven stared at the spirit.

"I know all there is to know, including your thoughts as you make them." Jinn leaned on thin air and smiled. "There remain still two questions. I can only take the spoken word as questions asked by way of the Relic of Knowledge. Three questions per era. An era per one hundred years."

Raven nodded and looked to Jaune, who still seemed shocked and, if she dared admit it, worried. His eyes slid to her, no doubt wondering if she would take the two wishes for herself now that he could not. Ironic to have her own test thrown back in her face. The question was whether she would fail it, and whether the answer to two questions would be worth the loss of his trust.

With a sigh, Raven shook her head. "I wish to know the location of where Arthur Watts is keeping the ones known as Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Where are they?"

"Raven…"

"You do not wish it," Jinn said. "But a question asked on behalf of another is still a question. The children have been taken to a safehouse under the control of Arthur Watts. He intends to keep them there for one week before moving them. This _intent_ may change as a result of your actions, or his whim. I cannot answer for the future. The location is an underground facility hidden under a small, abandoned hut in the wilderness outside of Mistral."

The world before Raven's eyes shifted and changed, showing a forest from high above. She was flying, though without her wings for once. Jinn was with her, but Jaune was not.

"As the Raven flies, this is where they are located," she said, pointing downward. The trees parted as if by magic, revealing a clearing and, within that, a small wooden hut. "With no landmarks, this is the best I can give you as a location."

The world shifted back, impacted into her skull.

Jaune was beside her, a hand on her arm. "Did you-?"

"She showed me where your friends are," Raven said dizzily. "A… vision of some sort." Knowing the unasked question, Raven sighed. "Yes, I will show you to where they are. Or fly there and open a portal for you."

"Thank you. Thank you, Raven. I'll pay you back for it, I promise."

Ozpin wouldn't have. Ozpin would have taken everything she was prepared to give and asked for more, without thought or care for what she might desire in return. It was a small difference, especially given that both Ozpin _and_ Jaune seemed to want the Relics, and to fight against Salem, but it was a difference, nonetheless.

"There is one question remaining."

Raven stood. Trust was all well and good, as was him agreeing to let her have her secrets, but sooner or later it would falter. It always did.

"How does the Jaune Arc beside me not qualify as being `of this era`?"

The world shifted to white.

/-/

The chamber sealed shut behind them. The Relic would remain there, disarmed and now of no use to either Ozpin or Salem. Of course, neither would realise that just yet. It would be better that way – a means to avoid raising suspicion.

Not that everything had gone so smoothly…

"How much did she show you?"

"Enough."

Jaune swallowed nervously. "Meaning…?"

"The end of everything. The death of everyone. Ozpin. Your friends. Yang…" Raven paused, and her hands balled into fists. "Did you ever intend to tell me?"

"How was I supposed to? Who would believe me?"

"Someone who knew magic was true," she snapped. "Someone who knows that immortality, maidens and Relics were true. It would not have been easy, but out of everyone here, barring Ozpin, I could have been convinced."

Jaune said nothing.

"Or was it that you couldn't trust me." Raven looked away. "Considering what you thought of me in your last life, I guess that comes as no surprise."

That hurt. "That's not it at all. You're not the same Raven."

"I am _exactly_ the same. You know this. That's why you continued to lie to me…"

"Continued!?" He groaned. "Raven, I didn't _continue_ to do anything. I never even meant to come across you, let alone stay in the tribe, help you out or become friends with you. Things are different. Some because I changed them and others because, well, I'm just meeting people at different times and in different places. Summer wasn't even _alive_ in my time."

"And _I_ still was…"

"Yes."

"Hiding…" Raven sneered.

"You… You did help is against Cinder." He wasn't sure why he was trying to defend the old Raven, especially when he hated how she'd been. "And it doesn't matter what you did in that timeline. It doesn't exist anymore."

"My fate," she said, looking away. "How did I die?"

Jaune stood there, unsure what to say. Raven continued to look away, distressed by the answer she had received from Jinn, and destined for feel the same from his. He tried to think of a good way to put it, but nothing came forth.

"How did I die, Jaune."

"You… You didn't die."

Raven stiffened. "Salem could not kill me?"

"No. You… You never showed up. You didn't come to the final fight, or any fights after you gave us the Relic of Knowledge. You took your tribe and left."

"I ran away. I fled."

"Yes…" He winced. "I'm sorry."

"And coming back, you never once tried to win me over to your side. To convince me to stay and fight alongside you. Tell me, was that because you didn't think I would, or because you didn't think I was worth the effort?"

"Neither. It was because I didn't plan to tell anyone about this. I wanted to make a new world, not just make some small changes to the old one. Please, Raven, it was never about what you used to be. Emerald… You must have seen what she did to us, yet I love her as my own daughter. I never knew you, not the real you. I met you for a day at best and only had second-hand stories to work off. Even with what little I know, I still trust you more than I do Ozpin."

"Not enough to let me know our world doesn't even have twenty years left…"

"I was hoping to change that. Give Remnant longer."

Raven looked on ahead, out of Haven and into the forests surrounding it. With a shake of her head, she walked away. When he made to follow, she held out a hand. "I need time. Time to think. I'll help you find your friends." She grunted, recalling a memory from the vision. "Your teammates. But for now, I have to think to myself."

"I… I get it." It didn't feel right to let her go, but with the things she'd learned, well, he didn't know how he could help. "Just remember that the Raven you are now and the Raven you were are different people. To me, if not to you."

Raven nodded without a word, transforming into a raven and soaring up into the sky.

Jaune watched her go.

 _That… could have gone better…_

* * *

 **Pathetic, I know, but I literally cannot write anymore. These 3,000 words should have taken me two hours at most but took closer to seven due to constant interruptions to deal with this pain. I think it might be a root canal infection or something.**

 **Not sure how this will impact tomorrow's work (or Monday's). Hoping for the best. Ugh. Even if I'm still messed up, I'll just write as much as I can in the usual hours I write a story and post whatever I can.**

 **Sorry if this chapter is also hazy and not as high quality. It really is impossible to focus on prose or creative description or even plotting when I'm like this.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 30** **th** **March (TWO WEEKS)**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	51. Chapter 51

**Guess who's back. Back again. This twat's back. This twat's back.**

 **Yes, my speech has concluded, and all went well. I had plenty of compliments and a few requests to speak at their events, in which case I gave the politest "fuck offs" you've ever heard. Except to the good clients of course, where I just laughed long and loud and said, "We'll see".**

 **So yeah, they needn't get their hopes up.**

 **But I'm back and I'm free and I've been looking forward to getting into the writing of things that aren't speeches that have to – by law, it sometimes feels – include a section on bloody Brexit. Nice to go hide in a fantasy world for a change.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 51**

* * *

"I didn't see you last night."

Jaune hummed in question and looked back towards Summer. She'd managed to sneak up on him while he was preparing for the day and collecting all the necessary paperwork and IDs for the tournament. They had name badges on lanyards for the main competitors and their coaching staff. Coaching staff being himself in this case, but some schools or famous families had entire teams to help their competitor.

Summer wore a lanyard and badge too, but it was green to his red, showing that she would have access to the spectator boxes reserved for family and guests of the competitors, whereas his would let him all the way down by the rings and into the changing rooms. Taiyang and Qrow were nowhere to be seen, which probably meant they were dealing with Ruby and Yang.

Looking back to his work, Jaune collected and sorted the final IDs and put them into his coat pocket before turning back to answer Summer.

"I didn't realise you were looking for me. I went out."

"Where?"

"Haven." He'd been seen there, so claiming otherwise would have been unwise. "I wanted to pick up some forms in case any students from Mistral want to come join the ASH Gym." He tried to look relaxed as he asked, "Why? Did you need me for something?"

Had she been keeping an eye on him, perhaps on Ozpin's orders?

Summer was the first to look away. "No, it's nothing. So, today is the big day! Do you think Yang will do well?"

"I think she has a fair chance. Are you sure you didn't need me for something last night?"

"I said no, didn't I? It was nothing." Summer ran a hand through her dark hair and exhaled loudly, blowing some strands from before her face. "I should catch up with the others. We'll be rooting for Emerald and Yang. If we're lucky, they'll make it through to the finals together."

"Yeah, I…" He trailed off as Summer left quickly, hurrying down the corridor. "Huh. Never mind, then."

 _Does she know something?_

If she did, she would have said as much surely. Raven would have known if Summer was close by the night before, and although the news of Haven would probably spread today, there was nothing linking him to it. He'd been fully visible on cameras coming into Haven when the attack had already struck, and several teachers were witness to that. There shouldn't be anything to tip Ozpin off.

Not unless he went for the Relic. That would require him to convince Raven to help him, though. Not an easy task. As far as things were concerned, it was the perfect crime. No evidence, no witnesses and no real way of proving what he'd done.

 _There were still only two questions though, and I only really found out where Nora and Ren are._

That was good, of course. He'd never accept that it was a waste to use a question on saving his teammates, but there was no denying that if they hadn't been taken then he could have used the question in a more powerful way.

 _Did Salem win this one by making me give up the Relic? Or was it a win for me in neutralising the Relic of Knowledge for another hundred years?_ And what did Watts want with his friends? How had he found them? How could he possibly have tracked down that he'd met with the two when the only witnesses of that were Nora and Ren themselves? Or did Watts know at all? Was there something else he had in mind for them?

So many questions he would have liked an answer to and only one he could ask.

"And now I'm reliant on Raven holding up her end of the bargain and showing me where they're being kept." Damn Jinn and her games. She'd as good as led Raven to asking that question, and he had no idea what the fallout from that would be.

On the flip side, he'd probably found one of the few people in the world who _would_ believe him, considering that Raven was one of maybe three or four people who truly knew that magic existed. And if magic existed, then surely time travel could.

As to what she would do… that was harder to determine. Raven had been a coward in his past life, or at least… that was the label they'd given her. At the time, he was sure it fit, but after knowing her now…

Well, was it any different?

Nothing had changed.

In the original timeline Raven had done her best to stay out the way of Salem and look after herself. In this timeline, she had done the exact same thing. Sure, she had helped him out and put herself at risk, but she hadn't known it would reveal her to Salem. If she had, she might have held back and let him be captured.

 _Am I just sticking up for her because I know her better now? Because in some strange way we might have become friends?_ He was self-aware enough to know he hadn't always been the best judge of character. Pyrrha was a good example since he'd never once figured out her feelings for him. He had a tendency to trust too easily, much like Ruby did.

Was he putting too much faith in a woman who had already shown she could leave her daughter to face Salem alone?

His head fell with a sigh.

There was no way to know. He might have just doomed Ren and Nora by letting Raven walk away. Not to mention that if that happened, he'd have wasted not one but _both_ questions from the Relic of Knowledge.

"Fuck…"

All you needed was a little confidence, huh?

Jaune wasn't sure he had any.

/-/

The arena the tournament was being held in was the same as the one before but was far busier. While `true fans` - whatever that meant – came for both days, more people came to watch the fights that actually mattered and counted the first day as mere qualifiers. The stands were filled with people all changing, shouting and waving flags or other memorabilia. Cameras flashed and two commentators spoke loudly over the noise, running through the competitors and the program for the day.

They'd memorised it all and the three competitors for the ASH Gym were arrayed before him, two listening attentively while the third leaned against a bleacher and rolled her eyes.

"The younger bracket is first, so Yang and Emerald will be the competitors here. Your main opponent to watch out for is Pyrrha Nikos. She's a favourite to win the younger bracket and I know she's beaten you before, Yang."

"Heh. Typical."

Yang glared at Vernal.

"I trust you'll not be caught off guard this time," Jaune said, tapping the blonde's nose to get her attention back on him. "I've taught you better than to underestimate someone."

"Yes sir."

Sir? From Yang? It looked like she was taking this seriously. That was good, he supposed. There was nothing wrong with a little competitiveness and he was sure Yang wanted to put in a good showing for her little sister. She'd always liked showing off for Ruby.

"Keep in mind this is a test of endurance as much as it is skill. Your fights will come faster and faster as the number of competitors is drawn down. In the quarter finals you might get twenty to thirty minutes between your matches, but if you make it to the semi-finals, then you'll only get ten minutes before the finals start. If you're exhausted, or worse, injured, then you're going to go in like that. Aura boosters are banned, and you'll be going in with whatever aura you have left over from your last fight."

"No mercy, then," Emerald whispered.

"I was going to put it as `end the fights quickly` but I suppose that fits." He laughed and, finding Emerald's pout adorable, rubbed her head. "It's not a bad idea. The lack of preparation works both ways. If someone else is clearly tired and low on aura, then you winning your fight fast will force them into the ring sooner. Capitalise on that."

"Does that mean if we end up against one another it would be best if one of us forfeits?" Yang asked.

He made a so-so motion with one hand. "In theory yes, in practice no. I'm sure some people would do it and it _would_ be a nice `team spirit` thing, but the crowd will be pissed off, you'll be pissed off and whomever forfeits will feel like they're less important. Winning this isn't necessary. The Gym doesn't go under if you guys lose. Have fun out there and don't take it too seriously."

Really, they were only here to find and use the Relic and to ascertain the location of Ren, Nora and Cinder. Anything else was a bonus but the tournament itself was a smoke screen.

"Good luck to both of you, do your best and above all have fun."

The two girls nodded, then Yang punched Emerald's arm and said something he couldn't catch, the two quickly running off to the changing rooms to prepare. That left him and Vernal in the ring-side seating area, which had a section set aside for the various teams.

"You going to tell me to have fun and not take it seriously, too?" Vernal asked with a snort.

"No." He looked her way. "You're older and better than them. I'll be disappointed in you if you don't win."

Vernal grinned. To anyone else, that would have been an insult at worst and a backhanded compliment at best, but she was pleased with his words. "Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Watch out for the one called Cinder."

"You know something?"

"I know many things." His `dad joke` earned the eye roll it deserved. "As for her, I can't say I know all there is to know, but she caught my eye in the qualifiers."

"Hm. Lecherous old man."

Jaune choked. "I didn't-" He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Very cute, Vernal. Maybe I'll force you to wear a bright pink princess dress in training when we get back home. I'm sure the rest of the Gym would love to see you in that."

"Ha. They'd still lose against me." Vernal looked at him askance. "You're planning something."

"Hm?"

"No way you're as basic as you're letting on. The others might not be able to read past your training, but I can. You've been teaching us to cheat and use distractions in fights. You're doing the same thing here. This tournament, this whole thing, is just a distraction while you do something else here in Mistral."

"Interesting theory," he said blandly. "Where did that come from?"

"You snuck off last night."

"Did _everyone_ see that?"

"Mrs Rose invited everyone out for dinner." Mrs Rose? Vernal must have been the only person to be so utterly respectful to Summer. And one of the few people Vernal seemed to respect at all. Or fear. "You weren't in your room and you weren't training me, Yang or Emerald because they didn't know where you were either."

"I went to Haven for ASH Gym work."

"Heh. Liar."

"Is this question my motives day? You're not even the first."

"Well, maybe you need to stop acting so suspiciously," she said, shrugging. "You're not as subtle as you think you are. Raven knew it. That's why she's so interested in you. The second you saw her, you recognised her."

That was a long time ago. And he'd been surprised and injured.

Still, she wasn't wrong. He'd messed up there.

Vernal knew something was up, but not what and how. He wasn't about to give her that and his excuses were just digging himself deeper. He shrugged instead, ignoring the line of conversation and refusing to say any more on it. She was just fishing anyway.

 _I'll need to be more careful though. Summer is far less paranoid than Ozpin, and if she's noticed something then Ozpin will definitely have. Even if he can't prove it, that doesn't mean he won't act against me._ A little less trust here, a little less there, and sooner or later the noose would tighten.

"Ahem."

The voice came from behind and Vernal and he looked around, easily spotting the large, proud man stood off to the side with a rich velvet cloak over one shoulder, a deep maroon in colour. Vernal hadn't had the dubious pleasure of meeting the Nikos patriarch, but she sneered at him anyway, instinctively returning his disdain with interest.

"Alexander Nikos." Jaune affectated a smile. "Good to see you again. How are you?"

"Well." The large man held out a hand, which Jaune shook. They were in front of well over five thousand people, and numerous tens of thousands more through international broadcasts. It was hard to imagine the cameras would be focused on them, but _someone_ would have noticed them, and it only took one video to sink a man's career.

Alexander Nikos knew that.

"My daughter is favourite to win this little tournament and I daresay yours will have little chance against her now that she has no tricks up her sleeves."

"Tricks, Alexander? I recall it was a fair fight. Did you not threaten me with a low suit over it? What ever happened with that? I assumed you cooled down and realised just how Emerald didn't cheat."

"Do not mock me, Ashari. A court of law would have seen me vindicated, but you brought down the pressure of the SDC onto me and mine. In what should have been a disagreement between two families. Have you no honour?"

"The SDC…?"

"Yes! I'd have continued my suit, but no one can afford to insult the Schnee family, even by defeating them in court!" Alexander puffed out his chest and swept a hand before him. "As you well knew. Why else would you have your fiancée hound me?"

"Fiancée…?"

"Playing dumb?" He scowled. "Play your games then, Ashari. Or Schnee. Or whatever you intend to call yourself. We have the finest analysts behind my daughter. The best coaches. The most high-tech equipment and a support team that numbers more than the students in your petty Gym. We know everything there is to know about your little style, including your emphasis on dishonourable tactics. Ha. I should not be so surprised you would rely on such."

Dishonourable…? While it was true, the fact Alexander knew was a concern. Was there really a spy among the ASH Gym? Did it even matter if there was? He didn't really care about the tournament. so the Nikos family were wasting their resources here. Still, it was troubling to imagine one of his students reporting back to someone about what he said or did.

If they could be a spy for Alexander Nikos, they could be a spy for Arthur Watts.

And what was all this nonsense about having a fiancée?

"Pathetic," Vernal snapped.

"What was that, _girl_?" Alexander hissed.

"I said you are pathetic." She paused, giving him a chance to digest it. "Hiding behind laws and suits to mitigate your weakness. You pretend to be strong but you're not, and your emphasis on `honour` only makes that more obvious. You're weak."

"How dare you!? The Nikos family-"

"Is not you. Whatever your family may be, _you_ are a weak and insignificant worm. Slither away before I step on you, old man." Vernal leaned forward and sneered. "Just the sight of you is making me feel sick, and I still have weaklings to crush. Run along and hide with your `support team`. Maybe they will play your games, little man."

Alexander shook visibly but did turn and leave. "You are fortunate I cannot strike you here, brat."

"I'll come find you later if you like!"

He stormed back to his part of the arena.

"That wasn't the best idea you've ever had," Jaune said. "He's an important man."

"Important to someone. Just not me."

"He does have influence, though. I can't say I blame you for disliking him but getting on his bad side might not have been a great move."

Vernal shrugged. "I'll survive. Don't tell me you're afraid?"

"Not for me."

She eyed him oddly. Not angrily, but with a strange confusion. "Hmph. Fine…"

"Just try not to cause any more trouble," he said, sitting down and pulling Vernal down beside him. "If you can't bring yourself to cheer for Yang and Emerald, at least do them the kindness of watching their matches."

"I'll cheer for them."

"Really?"

"Sure." Vernal grinned. "After all, I'll be cheering for that fat fuck's daughter to lose. I want to see the look on his face when it happens."

Of course she'd think that.

Well, at least she'd be rooting for their team. Unbidden, Jaune's eyes slid to the left, further down the competitor's stands.

/-/

He was looking at her again.

Cinder kept her eyes on the stage as the younger brackets were called up and introduced, but she felt his gaze from the side, as she had more than once before. She was never quite sure why the man watched her with such intensity, but he did. Ever since she had entered the arena and sat down.

Her name was well-known as a favourite to win the older bracket and face Nikos in the show match. Perhaps he wished to feel her out and give his fighter the edge. Perhaps he thought she could be intimidated, bribed or otherwise put on edge, distracted for her fights.

Or perhaps it was something more. There was no way to be certain.

Cinder ignored it, as she'd been trained to.

The younger brackets were already beginning, and she made a note to pay attention to those from his school. Some small part of their training might show through the younger students, preparing her for the one who sat beside him.

Still, it made her anxious to think he was watching her.

Did he know?

/-/

The first few rounds passed in a blur.

It wasn't that the competition was weak, but rather they'd not really been able to hold up. Eight people had gone into the quarter finals and were almost immediately knocked down to four for the semi-finals. Those four were Sun, Emerald, Yang and, predictably, Pyrrha.

With five minutes between each match, it took about fifty minutes in total – with Pyrrha and Yang's ending the fastest, while Emerald took more time to wear her opponent down first and Sun's battle was a much more even one. The audience cheered and shouted all the way through it, while those watching in the coaching stands were more focused.

After their matches, Yang and Emerald had come back to sit with them, and to receive pep talks and advice from what he'd seen.

As always, he posted it as a test.

"You've seen Pyrrha fight her opponent. What can you tell me?"

"She's good," Yang said. "Better than she was last time she beat me. No wasted movements and perfectly measured aggression."

"Prepared," Emerald added. "She knew exactly what her opponent's fighting style was. It wasn't nearly as fair, since they weren't sure how she would fight."

"Nothing is fair in combat," Vernal pointed out.

Yang glared at her.

"Vernal isn't wrong, girls. Pyrrha has a team of people behind her. She's a professional athlete. They'll have analysed every other person here to decide the best strategies, so go in expecting her to know everything about you, from your fighting style down to your Semblance and even personality. She'll try to bait you if she has to."

"I think that warning is for you," Emerald said, smirking toward Yang.

"Tch. I can keep my cool."

Vernal scoffed.

"What? You think I can't!?"

"Don't prove Vernal right." He tapped Yang's head. "Anyway, the two of you are going to be fighting in the semi-finals before you get a chance to go up against her."

"Or Sun."

"It's not going to be Sun. He's a hard worker and he's good, but Pyrrha has the edge."

"Isn't it you who always says you never know what will happen in the madness of combat?"

"Yes." He'd give Yang that. "But this isn't mad combat. This isn't real fighting."

"It's sanitised," Vernal said, scowling. "It's a performance. This isn't anything like _real_ combat. No distractions and no objectives other than to fight until one side loses. In a real fight, he could run away, distract her or use his Semblance to keep her busy while he gets past her. Here, he has to fight against someone more skilled than he." Vernal shook her head. "He's done for."

That wasn't a bad way of putting it. Pyrrha's strength had always been in being an immovable object; a threat you couldn't ignore. She wasn't invincible, though. As Cinder had shown. Cinder had gotten past her by ignoring her entirely and killing Amber, taking the Fall Maiden's powers and using that to best Pyrrha.

Here, Sun had no such recourse. As Vernal said, in a real fight he could keep her busy, retreat and find reinforcements, or just escape. He'd put his money on Sun to win a fight to the death, if only because Sun could decide whether he stayed to fight or not. No such luck in a tournament. He had to go and face Pyrrha in a fair fight, despite that she had everything stacked in her favour.

It was like a racer from a poor team having to face the best of the best with tens of millions of lien invested in their car and the best driver. Effort played a part, but it was overshadowed by resources. When you took into account Pyrrha's Semblance, too? Well, Sun was good. He was plucky and smart.

But that wouldn't be enough.

"Sucks that we're not facing each other in the finals," Yang said.

"Yeah. Bad luck…"

Jaune had a feeling luck wasn't as involved as Emerald seemed to think. It was just a little too fortunate for his two entrants to end up against one another right before Pyrrha's match, and Alexander certainly had the influence to pull something like this. To make things worse, Pyrrha and Sun were fighting now, which meant she'd get more time to rest.

"Just do your best," he said, clapping a hand on their shoulders. "Remember, this is about you all getting some experience. Victory isn't a requirement."

"Speak for yourself. I want to win this." Yang slammed a fist into her other hand. Her eyes shone.

"Well, a little competitiveness isn't so bad either. Good luck."

A loud bell tolled from the main arena.

"And it looks like Sun is out. He did well. A lot better than I expected him to."

It was a ring-out for him in the end, and Sun with thirty-five per cent of his aura remaining. That would serve him well in the fight to decide third place between him and whomever lost between Yang and Emerald. Sun looked frustrated and a little confused. He was looking down at his staff and testing the weight on it.

 _Something went wrong with his weapon,_ Jaune realised. _I've been there. It feels like your weapon let you down when Pyrrha uses her Semblance on it._ When you were training to become a huntsman, you began to see your weapon as a part of you, as an extension of your body. To have it go wrong without explanation and cost you a match? It almost felt like it had betrayed you, that a close friend had turned on you.

Up on the stage, Pyrrha was biting her lip. Her eyes flicked over to him and she looked hesitant. Uncertain.

Slowly, Jaune nodded to her, offering a confident smile.

"There's nothing wrong with using every advantage you have, Pyrrha…"

There was no way she could hear him, and he knew she couldn't lip read, but he thought she understood the motion, for her shoulders relaxed just a little bit. There was no telling why she thought his opinion mattered. Maybe it was _because_ he was a stranger. _Because_ he was someone who would offer his actual opinion and not just say that she should do whatever she needed to for family honour.

"You know what's going on. Don't you?" Vernal looked back towards the stage, where Pyrrha had recovered herself and stepped off. "Is it a Semblance? It has to be. There were several blows he should have landed, and he looked surprised every time they didn't."

"I couldn't say."

"Tch." Vernal shot him a dirty look and then went back to thinking. "Some kind of repulsion? A reflective element to her aura? No, that would have knocked him back and his attacks went wide. Wind? Gravity? Changing the weight of his weapon?"

He had a feeling Vernal would figure it out if she had more time to, or if she got a chance to experience it herself. That would depend on this fight and the next. Who won here, and whether they had enough stamina left to challenge Pyrrha in the final.

The odds were against both Yang and Emerald as they stepped up onto the arena platform. Both were doing well for aura – Yang having ninety and Emerald on eighty-five, but Pyrrha had won on seventy and she had more time to recover, which she was taking now, drinking from a canteen and wiping some sweat from her brow.

Her team were setting up cameras to monitor the Emerald and Yang fight, no doubt to take down everything they could and use the ten-minute break to impart all that information onto Pyrrha. They'd have every edge imaginable.

As for his girls? Well, they'd have his training.

Training that was born from Pyrrha's.

It would be interesting to see how the younger version dealt with it.

/-/

Emerald stood on the stage in front of Yang and stretched her muscles, ignoring the roar, chants and occasional boos from the crowd. This was Mistral, making them the visitors, the foreigners. Most who were present wanted Pyrrha Nikos to win and many had bet on her.

It was funny to think how bizarre this would have seemed just a couple of years ago. Her on a stage, in front of so many people, and not giving a damn about it. Her attention was focused on Yang instead, her friend.

And wasn't that a strange thought, too?

"You ready, Ems? I'm not gonna go easy on you!"

Yang really did speak too much sometimes. Emerald rolled her eyes in response.

They were both in their grey ASH tops proudly representing the gym. It was already a massive win for them both to have made the semis, and even with one of them being knocked out, it would mean they'd take second and third, if not first and third. Sun was too low on aura to pose much of a challenge if they went down. The fight was called in the red, at twenty per cent. Sun was at thirty.

Realistically speaking, the right thing to do was forfeit the match and let Yang go on. Hedge their bets, ensure Yang went through with ninety aura to Pyrrha's seventy and freshly rested, ready to kick ass and take home the championship. Emerald would then have more than double Sun's aura and little trouble shaving another ten per cent off his. Easy win.

It was the pragmatic thing to do.

So naturally, they didn't.

"Don't take it personally, Yang. I need another trophy to go next to my first."

"Tch." Yang grinned, happy to finally have some smack talk. "Afraid I'll be leaving you with a blank spot, babe."

Babe? Really? Maybe the crowd was getting to Yang more than she let on.

"You don't even _have_ a trophy cabinet. Don't worry. You won't need to ask mom and dad to shop for one after tonight."

"Grr." Yang's eyes blazed red. "Someone's cocky."

The lights above the stadium swept up over the crowd, leaving them in darkness. The countdown began, the lights splashing down the audience with each tick, designed to slam back onto them on the zero marker, bathing the arena in light the moment the fight began. Like they had before, the crowd began to count down with the large digital clock.

"TEN. NINE. EIGHT."

"Get ready for a pummelling, Em." Yang called. "Guess this is a fair point to warn you I've been holding back a little secret."

Emerald's eyes narrowed. Did she believe that or not? Yang loved to boast, but she wasn't one for lying. Most of the time, anyway. _Never underestimate anyone,_ she thought, recalling her father's lessons. _Assume every opponent has a Semblance that kills you in one hit, then you'll be prepared for the bastard who actually does._

"FIVE! FOUR!"

"Hey!" Yang called, the arrogant smile fading a little. "Good luck."

Emerald grinned back. "You too."

"TWO! ONE!"

Klaxons blared.

"FIGHT!"

/-/

Emerald Ashari brought out her exotic weapons and fired ahead, missing Yang Xiao-Long as she dashed to the side, flipped off her feet and fired both gauntlets down suddenly, blasting herself up into the air and twirling twice to right herself. Mis-spin, she reached behind her, bringing out a package as Emerald aimed upwards to fire at the girl who couldn't dodge or manoeuvre on her own. To anyone watching, taking to the air might have seemed foolish as you couldn't control your fall, but Yang slammed the package forward, catching the first shot from Emerald, and fired to her left at the same time.

The blast of wind that came from her gauntlets instead of fire and buckshot propelled her to the left, even as Emerald's shots hit the package, causing it to explode and bathe the arena in thick dust and smoke.

Wind Dust, Pyrrha realised, leaning so far forward she almost thought it would be easier to stand. The second chamber had wind dust cartridges – something that was so unusual it _had_ to have been planned for in advance.

"Distractions," her head analyst said. "Smoke and mirrors."

"Bah! Cowards." Her father spat angrily. "They don't dare face one another in honourable combat and hide behind trickery. No Nikos would fall for such."

Trickery? Was that what it was?

Was her Semblance any different?

" _If you're not using every single tool at your disposal, then you're holding back."_

He'd said that, Jaune Ashari, the odd and eccentric man that her father hated, and her sister so obviously admired. Pyrrha found herself subtly admiring him too, though not in the same way. If he could train someone she had easily defeated only a year or so back into this?

That was amazing.

Xiao-Long sailed over Ashari's head as the smoke and dust blinded her, forcing her to turn away. That let Xiao-Long blast both gauntlets down onto her – but Ashari was prepared for it, or heard it, and dove to the side, rolling and throwing herself into the smoke to try and use it for herself. A second blast of the gauntlets as Xiao-Long landed revealed yet more wind dust, this time blowing the smoke away and revealing her opponent before she had fully recovered.

She was already rushing in, but Ashari recovered quickly, gripped a pouch on her belt and hurled it forward. Small metal objects flew out and coated the floor. It was too far away for Pyrrha to see it properly, but from how the blonde skidded to a halt, then hopped back gripping her foot, it was a trap of some kind.

"Is that even legal?"

"Traps are just as allowed as tools, weapons included," Helena said proudly. "Most people just don't use them because they take time to set up and people focus on their mecha-shift weapons instead."

Like she did, really. Too much focus on her weapon, its versatile forms and her own skill. Pyrrha found herself almost embarrassed at the lack of thought that went into her fights. Most of it was done by her team, with her left only to focus on winning the fight.

These two were so different.

Pyrrha couldn't quite keep the smile from her face.

 _Ashari is more of an area and terrain denial type. She likes to control the flow of battle and think things through. Everything she does is about forcing you into the position she wants you to be in and then exploiting it. She has both melee and ranged options._

Xiao-Long growled and shot several blasts at the floor, rupturing the arena in places but more importantly blasting the caltrops away to give her more freedom. That let Emerald recover, but she didn't seem too bothered, weathering two or three shots before bringing her hands behind her and using the recoil of her own gauntlets to fire herself up and forward.

 _Momentum. She uses her momentum for everything, and her weapons in ways I'd have never thought of. There's so much verticality to her fighting style and she's capable of duking it out on the floor, in the air or a combination of both._

It was almost beautiful. No, it _was_ beautiful.

It wasn't refined, polished or structured at all – but something far wilder and more primal from the both of them. Something about that resonated inside of Pyrrha in a way her recent fights hadn't. They'd all been so predictable. So recognisable. Most of the styles people used, she could either place or knew herself. It was…

Boring.

Fighting had become boring.

But this…?

For the first time in so long, Pyrrha felt her blood _sing_.

 _I want to be down there,_ she realised. _I want this to be a three-way brawl with me trapped in the middle. I want to fight them. I want to try and swat Xiao-Long out the air or work my way past Ashari's traps. See what else she has up her sleeve._

She wanted to be tested. Wanted to test herself.

Xiao-Long closed the distance and engaged her opponent in melee. In a flurry of blows, she'd brought Ashari's aura down five per cent, but Emerald caught the last punch on her arm, twisted up, sliced at Yang's face and then jumped up to plant her feet on her chest and kick away. Somersaulting in the air as she did, she fired ten or so shots not at Yang, but the ground before her.

"Always retreating," her coach snapped, shaking his head. "A clear weakness. A lack of confidence."

"She's an analytical fighter," Pyrrha found herself arguing, glaring at the man. "Doubtless, she's preparing another trap!"

He stared back at her in shock. She'd never snapped at him before, or at _anyone_ really. Helena often said she was too polite for her own good, and right now her sister was smiling her way, suitably pleased at her spark of rebellion.

Pyrrha flushed but held her ground. She would not listen to her competitors be _insulted_ by this man.

"Ashari focuses on her surroundings," Pyrrha continued, ignoring her entire team and focusing on the fight. "She controls the battlefield like no one I've ever seen before. Smoke, traps and tricks to distract and exhaust you before she goes in for the final blow."

"Her old man is a little more direct," Helena said. "I guess little Emerald must have tried to emulate his style but realised she's too small for it. This must be her way of adapting."

"Hm." Pyrrha nodded. "The other, Yang I believe, is more direct. Or maybe she's just acting this way because she _knows_ she has this edge over her opponent. They train together, so they must know one another's weaknesses."

"We can extrapolate from what they do!" Alexander barked. "They'll provide the secrets to their own demise! Ha! The fools!"

Pyrrha frowned at her father.

"I think you're reading into it too much," Helena said, surprising them both. "This isn't a tournament to them. They don't care about keeping secrets or hiding strategies or misleading us. Look at them. Look at their expressions."

Xiao-Long closed in and tried to catch Ashari with an uppercut, missing by a hair's breadth. Her body shifted and her left foot slammed forward, shifting her weight as she spun and drove an elbow back into Ashari's chest, almost catching her in the neck, but scoring a shoulder blow instead – still enough to rattle the smaller girl and knock her off balance.

But that wasn't what Pyrrha focused on. Despite her training, she forced herself to look past the particulars and at their faces.

A huge, toothy smile on Yang's.

A grimace on Ashari's, though only as she staggered back. Once she recovered, crouched low and drew some new toy from her belt, her lips had slipped into a wide grin. Almost a smirk. Her eyes were focused solely on her opponent's, the two watching one another the entire time, gauging one another.

No.

Laughing at one another.

 _No_ , she thought, eyes growing wide. They were laughing _with_ one another.

They were joking. There, in the midst of a semi-final fight in the heart of Mistral, the two of them were treating this fight like a game. Not faking it or throwing, not acting – because both their auras were being _decimated_ by the brutal fight – but genuinely treating it all like it was a game.

Like it was for fun. They were having fun.

"Pathetic," Alexander Nikos said.

"It's wonderful…" Pyrrha Nikos whispered.

Deep inside, envy stirred to life. Along with a fresh excitement of her own.

It wasn't that she wanted to test herself. She wanted to be down there so that she could join in, so that she could laugh and smile and fight not against them, but _with_ them. So that they could all fight together in one glorious mad melee where no analysts, coaches or pride and honour could get in the way. Where she could cut loose and just _fight_ without a care in the world.

 _I want that._ Pyrrha's eyes watered. _I want that feeling…_

 _/-/_

From a rafter far above, the shadowy figure watched the fight down below. Watched the green-haired brat fight with Yang.

She...

Yang had grown strong.

Through no effort of her own.

Taiyang and Summer had given her the foundation and Jaune had strengthened it, built it up from that and given it his trademark edge. In another lifetime, Yang would have had none of that, and yet, she knew, Yang would still have been strong enough to face Salem.

To die in the effort, but to face her nonetheless.

More than could be said for her mother, who had not even shown up for the final battle. Who had hidden away like a coward.

Raven watched her daughter fight.

* * *

 **Look at me trying to add some character to someone I struggle to find much in. Maybe I'm trying too hard. Well, I always knew it would be difficult writing a Pyrrha-centric arc. It's good to be back from my week of no writing. Good to be able to write and not speak for a change.**

 **It shouldn't take me long to get back into the swing of things, I think.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 6** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	52. Chapter 52

**Here we go. It's Saturday, I'm still catching up on work from last week – and we're** _ **already**_ **organising some stuff for next year. Sheesh! Just seeing the words "2020" on email headings is making me feel like a pensioner. I can still remember New Year on the turn of the millennium.**

 **Arghhh. I'm old!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 52**

* * *

Yang had been holding out on her.

Some of these moves of hers were new, the aerial moves for one but also the reliance on obscuring her line of sight, almost as if Yang had figured out her Semblance. That was possible given how close they were, but Emerald still felt annoyed that Yang had figured it out while she hadn't caught on to the fact Yang was holding back in their spars.

Cheeky bitch. Emerald would have been angry if she wasn't so weirdly pleased by it all. Why was she happy that Yang was stronger? Why was she _proud_ of Yang pushing her back? That didn't make sense.

But Yang was winning.

Genuinely winning.

And Emerald didn't hate it.

She really thought she should – Yang was both embarrassing her in front of all these people and also her dad, but at the same time Yang was one of dad's students, so she was also fighting in his name. It was the same as how even though she hated Vernal with a passion akin to a thousand burning suns, she'd be pissed off if Vernal lost to some chump and made the ASH Gym look bad. The ASH Gym was her dad's, but it was also hers. It had her name.

Emerald Ashari. Or Emerald Arc. She could still remember his real name. But that didn't count, and she didn't care for it. He might not have been her father by blood, but then he wasn't an Ashari by blood either. He'd chosen that name and, on the very same day, adopted her. They'd become Ashari together and right now, in some weird way, Yang was one too.

At least in this fight.

 _I need to work on my endurance,_ she thought, blocking another punishing blow and sliding back. Yang flipped over her return shots, took the follow-up on her arms and aura, then landed behind and kicked for Emerald's head.

Though she ducked that, she was unprepared for Yang blasting Ember Celica into the ground between them, chipping dust up into Emerald's face.

 _My defence is okay, as is my attack, but Yang is going all-out on the offence and wearing me down. This would never work against Pyrrha. Tch. She had a plan from the start designed solely for me._ Emerald felt weirdly pleased by it.

Oddly enough, she found herself planning for the next fight, planning what training she needed, what adaptations she had to make and how she'd kick Yang's ass back in Vale. Then, of course. It would be Yang's turn to train like a monster and beat her again. And then they'd repeat the process over and over, both vying for those coveted bragging rights.

But today, they would belong to Yang.

Emerald closed her eyes and sighed as Yang's fist broke past her guard and rushed in for her face. Yang had angled both herself _and_ Emerald well, putting her in a spot where she was on the back foot, close to a corner of the ring. Nowhere to run and a dust-shotgun aided flight out of it.

"Good match," Emerald whispered.

The fist struck her face a second later. Ember Celica barked into her nose.

Her aura held, still being around forty or so, but her feet didn't. With nothing to hold onto, Emerald sailed back and crashed out of the ring, bouncing and skipping along the floor. She got a hand under herself mid-roll and flipped back onto her feet, wiped her jaw where Yang had struck her and looked back to the ring.

Seeing Yang's worried face, Emerald smiled and held up a hand to show she was okay.

"Winner!" the announcer called. "Yang Xiao-Long!"

This time.

Next time, things would be different.

/-/

Jaune clapped with the crowd for Yang's victory and did feel happy about it, even as he watched Emerald, cautious as to what her response would be. His daughter approached the stage once more, ready to be called out as the runner-up. She didn't _look_ angry or bitter, but even beyond the Emerald he could but vaguely remember now from his first life, his little girl had never been the most accepting of people.

As Yang hurried over and extended a hand, ever the gracious – if teasing – victor, he watched Emerald's reactions.

He needn't have worried.

A huge grin split Emerald's face and she said something to Yang, which earned a competitive grin from the blonde, followed by a sudden hug. The two stood in the middle of the stage, laughing, with Yang hugging Emerald in absolute joy and Emerald patting Yang's back awkwardly.

Jaune didn't think he'd ever been prouder.

"Wipe that creepy smile off your face," Vernal sneered.

"Hey. I'm allowed to be proud of my daughter not being a sore loser."

"Tch. Still a loser. And to _her_ no less."

"I'm not sure why you're so surprised that Yang has this much potential. She _is_ Raven's daughter."

Vernal's eyes widened, though only for a fraction of a second. "You know, huh? Not sure why I'm surprised."

"Honestly, I'm more surprised you know," he admitted. "Not that I think Raven wouldn't trust you with it, but she just doesn't seem the type to bring it up. At all."

"She's not. The resemblance is there, though. I've spent a lot of time looking up to her, so I know what she looks like. And people talk. Even if the boss doesn't come out and say it, rumours fly and it's not hard for someone to look up the name Raven Branwen and find records of a marriage." Her eyes slid over to Taiyang, Summer and Ruby, who were cheering the loudest of all. Or at least Ruby was. "I know they were a team."

"But you don't know more."

Vernal shrugged. "Not my business to ask."

"Fair." It wasn't his business either, but that didn't stop him from being curious. "Clap a little for your fellow students, though. Yang is going to have a difficult fight ahead of her."

"An impossible fight…"

Jaune hummed.

"I don't mean she can't win," Vernal said. "Even if she's annoying, she's not a total weakling. But this isn't a fair fight. Nikos has more time to rest and had an easier run to the finals. Blondie's aura is down to fifty and isn't gonna go up much more." She sighed. "This was a set up from the start."

His thoughts were much the same. He wondered if he should have done something about that – but winning here had never been the plan. It was just a nice bonus and some experience for his students, his daughter and one of his best friends especially. Yang was pretty much as good now as she had been at the start of Beacon, which meant she'd only get better in the next two years.

Still, he had to wonder if he'd let Yang down by not doing more to make this fair.

 _If I could do anything. This is Mistral. They're not as nationalistic as Atlas, but they still favour their own competitors more. Even if Alexander hasn't done anything, I bet the tournament organisers would unconsciously favour their own fighter._

As it was, Yang really didn't have much of a chance, not because of skill but because of aura.

Though, if her huge grin as she walked back to them with Emerald in tow was any indication, that fact didn't bother her much. Jaune wiped away his own doubts and welcomed them both with a warm smile.

"I'm proud of you girls." He didn't miss how they both straightened, Emerald especially. "You were amazing out there, and more than that, the fact that two friends can fight like that and remain friends after is all the more important."

"I'll beat her next time," Emerald promised.

"Heh. Not easily, you won't."

"You're not going to have the aura for the next fight," Vernal pointed out, killing the mood somewhat.

Yang's grin fell. "Yeah. I know…"

"Do your best," Jaune said.

"You bet I will. I'm fine with it. I kinda just wanted to beat Emerald." Yang grinned at her best friend, who rolled her eyes in return. "Winning would be cool and all but it's just a trophy. Forcing Emerald to admit I was better than her? Priceless."

He laughed. "You two…"

"Besides," Yang said, "The Shit-Bitch herself can bring a trophy home."

Vernal raised a single eyebrow. "That's the closest you've ever come to saying something positive about me."

"Yeah." Yang frowned. "I think Emerald must have got a few better hits in than I expected." She laughed. "I'll do my best and we'll see what happens." Yang looked back as she was called up onto the arena for the final match. "Cheer for me?"

"Of course."

"Naturally."

"I'll clap _once_ ," Vernal offered.

"Once? Shit, that's pretty big coming from you."

"Don't push it, bitch."

/-/

Pyrrha felt a new and strange anxiety as she walked up onto the arena to face her opponent. As if fate itself was taking pleasure in her discomfort, it was the same blonde that she had bested so long ago in Vale. A little taller, a little more filled out and, it seemed, infinitely stronger. To her recollection, this ASH Gym hadn't been around back then, which made her meteoric rise in skill their doing.

She knew plenty about the ASH Gym, not just because of the analyst's efforts but also her father's constant rants.

As she stepped up onto the arena, the crowd chanted her name and roared their approval. She, Pyrrha Nikos, beloved of Mistral. Beloved for her victories and little else, but they loved her for that and would continue to do so as long as she kept winning. They were fickle. She'd seen their support for the incumbent champion before her, and how quickly he had been abandoned when she bested him. He'd retired soon after, unable to deal with the shame any longer.

Sometimes, Pyrrha wondered if it hadn't been a relief for him.

For once, however, she didn't feel proud to stand here before her opponent. It was hard to, what with the disparity between them. She was fresh and ready, immaculate and perfectly presented, while her opponent favoured one leg, breathed heavily and had numerous small bruises across her body. Her hair was out of place, her aura in the yellow and her face resigned.

And yet despite all of that, despite the oh so obvious unfairness of it, the crowd still cheered and chanted for her to win. They still supported her, and no doubt wanted to see her crush the foreigner and remind everyone why Mistral was superior.

Pathetic. It was pathetic.

Her enthusiasm had waned quickly over the last year or two, but never had it taken a fall as great as this. What was the point? Even the aura reader bars above them showed the obvious and uneven nature of this fight. Hers was a healthy green and Yang's a sickly yellow. And they hadn't even started yet!

Pyrrha grit her teeth and glanced back to her bench, back to her father smiling cruelly, no doubt expecting her to annihilate the competition, and her sister, Helena, who sat with crossed arms and a neutral expression.

Waiting to see what Pyrrha would do.

Swallowing, Pyrrha stepped towards her opponent. "I wish you a good fight."

"Heh." The laugh was bitter. Knowing. "Yeah, you too."

Pyrrha could see the competition in the girl's eyes, the desire to fight, to prove herself, to try and show how much she'd improved since the last time. _You have improved,_ Pyrrha wanted to say. _You were incredible out there. Beautiful. I acknowledge that._

But how could she? How could either of them take this seriously when it was so uneven? No. How could she have _fun_ like those two had? That was what she truly wanted.

Yang had 48 per cent to her aura.

Pyrrha held a healthy 85.

Despite that, Yang Xiao-Long drew a deep breath and took a fighting stance, one hand behind her back, no doubt gripping some secret weapon. Some trick or trap designed for her. Her father – and probably most of the crowd – would deride that as dishonourable and sneaky. As something somehow beneath them, as if they thought Yang should run into a fight she couldn't hope to win on even terms, as if that somehow made her brave and not a complete idiot.

The countdown began. The crowd chanted with it.

This fight would be over quickly. Even if she ran in and assaulted the girl in wild and reckless melee, she'd win by virtue of the aura difference. Even if Yang was her even or better, they'd exchange so much damage on one another than her opponent would hit the red and be declared the loser first.

Realistically speaking, this fight was a joke.

A farce.

"BEGIN!" the commentator announced.

Pyrrha's sword rose up and came slamming down – right on her own arm.

The crowd gasped and her opponent froze, watching in confusion as Pyrrha hacked at her arm as if she had to remove it. No blood flowed as she concentrated her aura to the spot, but the bright light and flash of her aura draining was visible to her, if not everyone else. On the screen, her aura slipped down to eighty, then seventy, sixty and finally approached fifty, where it turned yellow to match her opponent's.

Panting slightly from the pain, Pyrrha worked her shoulder to loosen the sore muscle and smiled apologetically at her foe. "Thank you for your patience."

Yang was shocked. "You didn't have to do that…"

"Actually, I think I did… For me."

Not for the audience, who watched in silence. Not for her father who she dared not even look back to. He would be spitting in rage. No one would thank her for this. Oh, they would make mention of the respect she showed her opponent, but it would be muted, reluctant. They didn't want to see a fair fight. They wanted to see Mistral showing up Vale.

There was _some_ applause, however. From Jaune Ashari himself, from the Vale contingent from the crowd and – more importantly – from behind her. From her sister. Pyrrha drew a deep breath and let it go, feeling a proud smile slip across her face for the first time in what felt like forever. Not a polite smile, not a PR smile, but one she actually felt deep inside.

To hell with the what everyone else thought. Right now, the only people who existed was herself and her opponent. Everything else could be put aside.

"I've been looking forward to facing you. I would be upset if there were any questions as to the validity our fight."

Yang grinned. "Heh. To tell you the truth, I've been looking forward to this too."

Her tension flew away. A smile blossomed across Pyrrha's face. "I'm glad to hear it. Shall we?"

"Let's."

/-/

"Idiot move," Vernal said. "There's no such thing as fairness in battle."

"Like you'd know," Emerald spat.

Jaune ignored them both and watched Pyrrha, his partner and the first woman he'd truly loved, the first person to see the potential in him and work to bring it out. He hadn't thought it possible to respect her more than he already did, but she'd proven him wrong again.

It shouldn't have been a surprise.

This was Pyrrha.

And, for the first time he'd seen her across Vale and Mistral, she looked happy. Excited, even.

 _I can't be there for her in Beacon considering the age difference, so unless she happens to meet the me of this time, she'll not have any other friends. Maybe Yang could be that for her. Maybe Emerald, too. They all deserve to be happy._

Maybe showing her that little bit of happiness would be enough to get her in Beacon again. Not in the ASH Gym – her father would never allow it – but Pyrrha had chosen to not attend Haven because she wanted to be judged for herself and not her reputation. Knowing that there were people in Vale who would do just that would only help reaffirm her decision.

"What do you think now, Vernal?"

"More even. It could go either way. I'm not sure if her move was arrogance or not."

"It wasn't. It wasn't arrogance."

Not from Pyrrha.

/-/

Pyrrha danced under a fist, spun on the ball of one foot and drove her weapon in spear-form up into her opponent's guard. She was unsurprised when it was parried aside and even less surprised when Yang learned from her mistake a year or more before, being ready for the sudden transformation into a sword and leaning back to avoid that. Pyrrha was unsurprised by it all.

But still delighted.

Kicking off the ground, Yang used Pyrrha's own shoulder as a springboard to soar over her, blasting down with her gauntlets as she reached the apex, both smashing Pyrrha down onto one knee and knocking herself upward, creating distance.

Pyrrha's weapon shifted into its rifle form.

Yang grinned.

Her mistake was made obvious a second later when Yang swung both arms back and fired, using the recoil to hurl herself down, closing the distance while Pyrrha's weapon was still in its ranged form. She managed to get her shield up in time to blunt the force of the attack, but that had to have been expected. Yang's hands gripped the top of it, pulling it down and leaving her exposed.

The _crack_ of a knee impacting her face echoed across the arena. Yang having brought it down even as she still fell, her feet coming after her fists. Pyrrha let herself be carried back by the force of it, eager to create some distance between them. Landing, she skidded and rolled to the side, knowing instinctively that a skilled opponent wouldn't give her time to relax.

True to form, a shotgun blast tore up the ground she'd just occupied.

Pyrrha's mind whirled. It wasn't quite as focused as it used to be – not that she could complain. Her blood was singing, roaring through her veins loud enough that she could hear her own pulse, and had this been any other situation than a fight, she might have thought herself in love.

As it was, the analogy wasn't a bad one.

It had been so long since she'd enjoyed a fight so much. Found herself pushed.

Yes, she'd lost against Emerald Ashari, but that hadn't been the same. She'd outfought the girl and only been beaten by some Semblance-play. Fair enough, despite what her father claimed, but it wasn't the way Pyrrha liked to fight. It hadn't even really _been_ a fight, just her being assaulted by images and scenes that haunted her even now, then knocked out before she could understand what was happening.

That memory still burned.

But this? This was different. This was glorious.

Pyrrha couldn't help but laugh.

"Enjoying yourself?" Yang asked, lashing out with a kick that was so powerful it sent Pyrrha skidding back, even though she blocked it.

"I am." Pyrrha caught the next between her sword and shield and scored a cut down Yang's leg, shaving off more aura. "Aren't you?"

"Heh." Yang swept for Pyrrha's legs and caught her by the armour when she jumped. Pyrrha had a moment to gasp as she was drawn close to the other girl. "I guess I am." Her reply was cut off by Yang headbutting her, then flinging Pyrrha over her shoulder.

Dirty move, she wanted to say, but she couldn't. There was pain, sure - aura didn't completely mute that – but it was nothing Helena hadn't put her through in the past. Deciding to try a move from her opponent's book, Pyrrha shifted to her rifle and fired once to correct her landing, the recoil giving her just enough spin to land in a stumble, rather than flat on her back. The moment her feet touched the floor, she threw herself to the side, avoiding the follow-up.

Landing in a roll, she kicked back up onto her feet and charged in, determined to put Yang on the defence for once. Her opponent almost defied that too with a smoke bomb, the ASH Gym specialty, it felt like, but Pyrrha locked her eyes on where she had been and charged through, taking two blows to her aura but closing the distance.

In the harsh and brutal whirl of melee, all rules were forgotten. Pyrrha hacked and slashed, while Yang rained blows down on her arms and shoulders to try and disable her. Her shield couldn't be everywhere. She was used to opponents who focused on a single weapon, but Yang was either ambidextrous or just flat-out determined not to be limited, for she used both hands, both feet, her shoulders, knees, elbows and even her forehead as a weapon.

Faced with it all, Pyrrha realised her shield was a weakness. It was slowing her down. Casting it aside, she freed herself up to take her weapon in two hands, allowing just that little more strength to block the attacks coming in and counter-attack in turn.

Even then, it was a bloodbath. Or would have been if not for their aura. Pyrrha's sunk fast, but Yang's wasn't far behind. For every two blows she landed, Pyrrha scored a deeper one with her weapon, and she was careful to prioritise diverting those gauntlets, even if it meant taking every knee driven up into her gut. Yang's biggest advantage was her versatility with all that dust, and Pyrrha just didn't want to deal with it.

 _I need to do more with dust,_ she realised, an odd moment of clarity in the middle of a fight that was taking almost all her attention. _I'm practically useless with it. I use it to fire my bullets, but they don't do anything._

That felt downright pathetic right now.

The moment of inattention cost her. Yang's fist appeared in her vision before she could react – Yang having feinted a parry to Pyrrha's sword but let it through at the last second, unbalancing her. Though her weapon scored a powerful blow to the girl's shoulder, Yang had been prepared for it and rode the pain, and the momentum, spinning around and lashing out for her face.

The crunch deafened her. The explosion of dust that followed blinded her, too.

Sailing back, Pyrrha landed hard and cried out, her aura shimmering just a little. Through one eye clenched shut, she looked up the scoreboard above, seeing in that moment of rest that her aura was at a staggeringly low twenty per cent. Her opponent's was at eighteen. Either of them would be called the loser at fifteen.

Her weapon. Where was her weapon!?

Pyrrha cursed and found it quickly. It was a goof twenty feet away and had been knocked from her grasp. She dove for it, but Yang was faster. Faster and determined to end the fight once and for all. A good hit would do it, too.

 _My Semblance. I could bring my weapon to me!_ Pyrrha reached out, hoping the sight of it moving would somehow be lost in the confusion of the fight.

Her father would be furious if she lost. He would be even more furious if she lost after purposefully throwing away the advantage she'd had at the start. The people would hate her, the crowd would decry her as a failure and a braggart. Her fans would turn on her, the media would tear her to shreds and her name would be spoken with derision.

No one would care either, even if they knew the truth. Everyone with a Semblance used it. Mr Ashari had even _told_ her to use it against his daughter if they fought, and that missive surely counted for his other student, too. Everyone told her it was okay, it was fine. It wasn't cheating, no matter how perfectly geared it was towards winning tournament matches. No matter how much it _felt_ like she was using an advantage no one else could beat.

There wasn't a single person here who would fault her for using her Semblance.

But it would mean an end to this perfect fight. An unsatisfying end.

Gritting her teeth, Pyrrha dropped her hand, and her Semblance. Her weapon, which had begun to shimmy towards her, fell inert, just as Yang closed the distance and brought a fist down.

Pyrrha met it head on.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. No one engaged a brawler in a fist fight. That was like fighting a Grimm with a toothpick. But as crazy as both those scenarios were, she could at least say the enemy, and the Grimm, would be surprised by it.

Yang certainly was, so sure that Pyrrha would dodge or go for her weapon. She was completely unprepared for Pyrrha to block the fist on one forearm, take the explosion of dust, cry out in agony but fight through it. Unprepared for Pyrrha to drop her badly hurt arm, twist on one foot and grip Yang by the collar.

Unprepared for her to rear back and _slam_ her forehead into Yang's.

It was a move ripped right out of the other girl's book. And Pyrrha had to admit, it worked a treat, even if it _stung_ like mad. Both their auras crackled but Pyrrha, having been prepared for it, was the first to recover. Letting go of the dazed girl she threw herself forward, more a full-body body-slam than a proper tackle. They collided in a wild tangle of limbs that somehow saw her end up on top.

Her left arm was dead from the first hit and hung limply at her side, but her right was fine. Pyrrha drove it down once, twice and then a third time.

She went for a fourth, but the klaxons blared.

For a second, she didn't realise what that meant, nor did the opponent below her, who had finally managed to get a gauntlet into the middle of Pyrrha's chest and was ready to blast her away. And rather painfully at that.

Thankfully, she didn't. Both girls froze.

Up on the scoreboard, Pyrrha's face flashed. Aura seventeen per cent. Yang's was at thirteen.

She'd done it.

She'd won.

Not the cleanest match, not the most professional and certainly she'd made it harder than it had to be, both by intentionally bringing her aura down to match her enemy's, _and_ by refusing to use her Semblance at the end there.

But she'd won. And for the first time in so long, she felt like she'd _earned_ it.

Yang's gauntlet fell from her chest. "Good match."

Pyrrha's smile grew.

"Yes. Yes, it was."

/-/

In the end, the result was somewhat expected.

Yang was good – better than she had been at that age before – but Pyrrha was still a championship fighter and someone who had been granted a chance to learn Yang's fighting style. Emerald had only won the first time because of the surprise factor of her Semblance.

He couldn't be too disappointed. Yang had done well to get as far as she had.

That didn't stop her looking a tad upset as she came back to them. "Sorry…"

"You did well." He rubbed her head, or at least as much as he could before she pulled back and tried to push it back into place, not realising that after a harsh fight like that, she looked an absolute mess anyway.

"We knew the odds were against you," Emerald added. "Even with her evening out the aura."

"Yeah, I know." Yang sighed. "Just got my hopes up, ya know?"

"You'll have plenty of chances to beat her in the future. Why don't you go and sit up with Ruby and your parents? I know they'll be wanting to congratulate you. And to see your trophy."

Yang blushed, looking down on her silver award – which, despite being for second place, was still easily as big as Emerald's from the smaller tournament in Vale. Yang was holding onto it proudly.

"You sure? Shouldn't I stay and cheer Vernal on?"

"Spare me your idiocy…"

"It'll be fine." He patted her shoulder. "Go on. Show it off to Ruby." Letting her run off with trophy in tow, he looked to Vernal. "You better get ready for your bracket, Vernal. I'm expecting you to bring back the championship."

"Ha. Easy." Vernal stood, tossed her head and marched off to the changing rooms.

That left him and Emerald behind.

"Yang really did do well," Emerald said.

"Hm. She did. She also did well against you. Must have asked her uncle or parents for some tricks she could pull off against you."

"Yeah…"

"Does that make you mad?"

"No. She told me she had something up her sleeve. I didn't believe her."

Emerald sounded so annoyed at herself that he didn't bother pointing out the obvious lesson. She already knew it. "Do you have enough aura left?" he asked instead.

"Yes. I would have surrendered if it got too low. I can do this."

Jaune smiled. "Good."

"I considered using my Semblance on Pyrrha," Emerald suddenly admitted. "To help Yang win. Is that bad…?"

Bad? Well, maybe. It certainly would have been ironic considering how Emerald had used it on Yang in the Vytal Festival last time. "It would have been cheating, but I think you made the right call in not doing it. While it would have helped her win, I think Yang would have been upset if her victory wasn't earned by herself."

"Yeah." She sighed. "Would have been nice to shut that fat man up, though. He's gloating as if it was him who won."

Pyrrha's father, Alexander. The interview was coming to an end, with the man finally running out of words about how great the Nikos family was, how they remained undefeated – somehow ignoring Pyrrha's loss in Vale – and how Pyrrha would be continuing the glory of the Nikos name in Haven in the coming years.

Jaune couldn't help but notice Pyrrha's frown at that.

Things were progressing there.

"Ignore him," Jaune whispered. "He doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. We've got bigger problems with Salem and Ozpin."

Emerald nodded. "Yeah."

"Speaking of…"

"I'm ready." Emerald's eyes fixed on Cinder as she appeared on the stage for her first fight. "I can do this, Dad. Trust me."

"Of course. It never crossed my mind not to." Jaune's eyes were fixed above. He stood suddenly and made to move away. "I just need to take care of something. Watch my seat for me, okay?"

Emerald followed his gaze, saw what he saw, and nodded. "Okay."

/-/

"Yang, you were so good!"

"Good effort, Yang."

"I'm proud of you."

"Good work, kiddo."

Yang grinned as her family slapped her back, rubbed her head or, in Ruby's case, hugged her fully, none of them bothered by her sweaty body or pungent after-fight fragrance. She was too excited to use the facility's showers, especially with the other fights to take place.

"Guess you pulled one out over Emerald in the end," Qrow said. "You like my little tricks?"

"They worked!" She hugged him. "Thanks Uncle Qrow. You're the best!"

"Heh." He looked entirely too pleased. "Damn straight."

Taiyang smiled fondly and shook his head, simply happy that his daughter was, even if she'd lost in the end. It had been a close enough fight, and he appreciated Yang's opponent showing her the courtesy of an even battle. People willing to do that were rare indeed.

"She did well, didn't she?" he asked his wife.

"Hm? What?"

Taiyang nudged her. "Yang. You know, the fight?"

"Oh yes. Yes, she did amazingly well. I said as much, didn't I?"

She had, but Taiyang couldn't help but notice that his wife was distracted. Even during the fight, Summer's attention had sometimes strayed from the arena. Almost as if she'd seen something. Whenever he'd tried to ask her what, she made an excuse and went back to cheering Yang on. He wasn't born yesterday, though. They'd been a team for decades now and he knew when his wife was fibbing.

"What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing."

"Summer…"

"It's…" Summer swallowed. "I just thought I saw someone I recognised." Leaning in suddenly, she planted a soft kiss on his lips. "Ignore it. Focus on Yang." She stood up. "I just need to use the bathroom. Do you all want anything from the shops while I'm gone?"

He knew it was an excuse for some fresh air, but he let her have it. "Girls?"

"Soda!"

"I wouldn't mind a drink, please," Yang added.

Ruby cringed. "Please!"

"Good girl." Summer laughed. "Weiss, Whitley, would you like anything?"

"We couldn't intrude, Mrs Rose."

"No, no. Don't be silly. I'm a huntress, not a ninety-year-old woman. I can carry a few drinks and snacks without my frail arms breaking under the weight."

"A little water would not go amiss, Mrs Rose."

"I shall have the same."

As Summer made to slip by, Taiyang whispered, "Is it dangerous?" He didn't want to worry the others, but Summer _had_ been attacked before, and he didn't want to imagine she might be going off to deal with a threat alone.

"No." Summer shook her head quickly. "Not for me, anyway. I just need a moment to think."

/-/

"Come to watch Yang?"

Raven didn't reply to his little comment, instead keeping her eyes closed as she leaned back against the wall outside in the corridors of the arena, away from prying eyes.

"She did well," he continued. "Even if she didn't win, she was against a strong opponent."

"I am aware. The woman you loved."

Jaune looked away. "She isn't my Pyrrha, Raven. You know that. Mine gave her life for me and for my friends. I'm trying to honour that memory by looking after them. None of these people are mine. If I can help it, they won't have to go through what mine did."

"You intend to face Salem, then? Killing her before she can slay them is the only way to achieve that."

"Or I could keep Beacon alive and prolong the war."

"Ignore it?"

"It's not ignoring it," he said, feeling a little defensive. "Ozma and Salem have been fighting for millennia without end. If I can fight her back for this lifetime, that'll be a win. Of sorts. If I was ignoring her, that would mean letting her get away with whatever she wants. I won't do that."

"You'll still have to fight her. She hunts you."

"I'm aware. I think I've done an alright job avoiding her so far."

"Do you?" Raven stared at him. Her lips drew into a deep frown. "You have been attacked multiple times. Atlas was invaded. The White Fang have moved earlier, if your memories are anything to go by, not to mention one of your friends now works with the enemy." She sighed again. "And I finally understand what stupidity led you to turn your back on an enemy. You trusted her. More than you should have."

His eyes hardened. "Blake isn't at fault."

"Bullshit. She has made her choice."

"Her mind can be changed. Blake is-"

"Didn't you just tell me how these are no longer the same people your friends were? People make their decisions based on the lives they live. Behavioural learning, I think it's called. In a life where she remains loyal to the White Fang, do you really think her personality will be the same? Or that it will resemble her original one at all?" She scoffed. "Don't be foolish."

"I'm not. But I can't just abandon her."

"Then you are being an idiot. You must minimise the risks you take."

"I know what I'm doing."

"Do you? Before, I might have believed it. You were always so knowledgeable, so secure. Now, having seen your life and seen the person you truly are, I'm less confident than ever."

Jaune frowned. "I'm not a green rookie anymore, Raven."

"You're not. I agree. But you are driven far too much by your emotions. Your girlfriend may have taught you much about fighting, and that is to her credit, but your teammates were better thinkers. You rush in too much. Just as you have in this life."

"I've tried to think things through…"

"Too late," she snapped. "Jinn showed me everything. _Everything_. You changed so much before you even realised you were in the past, and even after that, your efforts to avoid changes only led to more being made. You may be _trying_ to plan things out, but you're terrible at it."

"I'm trying my best!"

"This isn't a world where it's the thought that counts. The world depends on your success, not your best effort."

Anger burned under the surface and he lashed out. "I'm doing more than you ever did."

Raven stiffened visibly.

She knew she'd done nothing. It was one thing to _think_ you would sit by and let the fate of the world hang in the balance of other's actions. Another thing to _know_ you would do so. Even in the past, Raven had been a proud woman, which was ironic given her cowardice. Hearing her actions thrown back in her face was not a challenge she could take sitting down.

"Judging me by the actions of another version of myself? Classy."

"You saying you're going to do different this time, then?"

She didn't answer.

"At least I'm _trying_ to fix something. Maybe I've not done it perfectly and maybe you're right. Maybe I'm an idiot. But at least I fucking tried!"

"I didn't come here to fight."

"Running away again?"

"Damn it, Jaune," she hissed. "I came to talk. The least you can do is not-" Raven cut off suddenly. Her eyes widened. "I'm leaving. I'll contact you later." She turned immediately, hand falling to her sword in preparation to open a portal.

He wasn't in the mood. He caught her by the wrist. "No. I need to know about Nora and Ren."

"I said I'd help you and I shall! Let go!" She pulled away as hard as she could, but he held on. As fast and skilled as she was, he was the stronger between them. At least in terms of raw muscle. "Let go! I have to leave!"

"What are you so afraid of?" Jaune asked.

"You don't understand!" A rare emotion passed over Raven's face.

Terror.

"What are you running from?"

"Yes, Raven." A feminine voice called from behind him, right as Summer Rose rounded the corner. "What are you running away from?"

* * *

 **Welp.**

 **It was bound to happen eventually.**

 **Pyrrha wins out against Yang despite bringing her aura down. I did think of having Yang win out on that one, but it didn't quite feel right. Yang has been through hellish training with Jaune, yes, but Pyrrha was supposed to have some of the best training for her age in the world, so I thought it would still make sense that while Yang could close the gap by a lot and hold her own, Pyrrha would still be the pinnacle of huntsmen their age.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 13** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	53. Chapter 53

**So, the seriousness of last chapter's ending was somewhat killed for me by someone in my forum posting a picture of the Ugandan "Why are you running!?" meme, but with Summer and Raven's faces over it.**

 **Fitting. Especially given the opening line here…**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 53**

* * *

"What are you running from, Raven?" Summer repeated the question, stepping around the corner with a smile that spat terror into even his heart. He'd seen Ruby angry in those rare moments, and one thing she seemed to have picked up from her mother was that Ruby didn't shout or rage when she was truly, absolutely, mind-numbingly livid.

She would smile instead.

And that smile would chill you to your bones.

"Summer…" Raven's retreat halted, and she stood tall, face remarkably blank given the circumstances.

"That's my name! Don't wear it out!" She giggled at the unfunny joke. "But seriously, Raven, it's been so long. You don't visit, write or even send a message back with Qrow. I've missed you." Summer stepped forward and opened her arms wide. "It's good to see you again!"

Raven stiffened as the smaller woman wrapped her arms around her.

The two stood in silence.

Jaune swallowed nervously.

Summer held onto Raven for a good minute, squeezing her tightly and rubbing her hands up Raven's back, who clearly wasn't sure where to place her own and instead stood trapped with her hands holding empty space behind Summer.

Happily, Summer pushed back and let out a quick breath, grinning up at Raven. "It really is good to see you."

"Summer, I-"

 _CRACK!_

The impact of Summer's hand was so swift, so powerful, that the contact caused both of their auras to flare, and the resultant clash of aura on aura contained so much energy that a brief _flash_ of light blinded Jaune.

Raven didn't have a chance to appreciate that. The energy had been transferred to her in a very different way – mostly kinetic – and she was knocked completely off her feet and down onto one knee, her cheek burning with angry fingerprints.

Summer's hand hung awkwardly. It might even have been broken.

She didn't care.

"Fourteen years!" she shrieked. "Fourteen years! Not a word! Not a sight of you! Not even a `how do you do` in fourteen _fucking_ years!" Shaking out her injured hand, Summer strode forward and gripped Raven's coat by the collar, dragging her up. "I thought we were friends. I thought we were a team. I thought we were _family_!"

"I-"

"No!" Summer shook the much taller woman. "I don't want to hear it. I don't even know what words could come out your mouth to justify this. To justify abandoning your own daughter! Where were you!? You left Tai, you left Yang and you left me. To do what? Go back to your tribe?"

"I had a responsibility."

"You had a responsibility to us! To your daughter!"

"Y-You don't understand."

"Damn right I don't!" Summer dragged Raven so close that their noses were touching. "And you know what, Ray, I'm _glad_ I don't understand, because I could never – _never_ – leave Ruby or Yang behind, even if it cost me my life!"

Raven's lips peeled back. "It _did_ cost you your life."

"I'm still here. Aren't I?"

Red eyes slid to him. Raven knew that Summer wasn't supposed to be in the world of the living anymore, and she knew it was because of him. Although Summer couldn't hope to grasp what Raven's gaze meant, she still turned to glare in his direction.

"Don't even think of running, Jaune."

He held up his hands. "Wasn't going to."

"Good. I'll deal with you later."

Ominous. If only he hadn't been so damn pushy with Raven, they could have avoided this. She'd sensed Summer coming through her Semblance, which meant that whatever Summer thought, Raven still considered her close. Or had a bond with her.

"Just give me a reason," Summer begged. "Give me a good reason. Like… Like you were forced, or blackmailed, or that Salem found you and was going to kill you and Yang. Something I can believe; something that'll make this all worthwhile."

"…"

"Something." Summer gripped Raven's collar tighter. Her eyes watered. "Anything."

"…" Raven looked away. "You shouldn't trust Ozpin…"

"Ozpin? Ozpin!?" Summer laughed brokenly. "I don't see you in fourteen years after you ran out on your husband and daughter, and the first things out of your mouth are how I shouldn't trust someone else? Raven, I don't trust _you_." Summer's voice cracked. "And that hurts. It hurts that I can't trust your word when I called you my sister in all but name."

"Ozpin isn't what you think he is."

"This isn't about Ozpin. And if it was such an issue, why didn't you talk to us? Why didn't you trust me and Tai to listen?"

"B-Because you wouldn't!" Raven spat. "Because Qrow is so far up Ozpin's ass that he couldn't see the light of day if it slapped him in the face! Because you always trusted Ozpin an-"

Summer's already broken hand impacted Raven's face again.

"I trusted _you_ more! I would have listened! But now…? I'm not sure I can anymore." Shaking her head, Summer pushed Raven away. "Just go. Run away. Go and hide somewhere and never come back. I… I can't deal with you anymore. I can't deal with this."

Raven stumbled away. Her expression was… complicated. Her mouth opened but the words didn't come forth. After a second to think, Raven shook her head and turned away. With one last angry look towards Jaune for starting this, she drew her sword and cut open a portal. Normally, she would walk purposefully through it, but this time she almost seemed to scurry through. It closed behind her without a word being said.

Once it did, Summer fell to her knees and began to cry.

There's this thing about a woman crying, or anyone crying really. Movies, books and other forms of fiction paint it as a beautiful or emotional thing with silent lines of glistening tears down the cheeks, something that can be solved by holding them close or telling them it'll be okay.

That's bullshit.

Jaune knew from his own tears over Pyrrha how much that didn't apply, and Summer was no different. She let out great heaving sobs that wracked her entire body, and the only real sound was her nasally snorting and gasping. As all the anger and rage drained out of her, only despair and disappointment remained.

And no amount of hugging from him would fix it, even assuming she wanted that.

Instead, he moved over and knelt beside her, taking her broken hand and gentle testing her fingers, straightening it with a few soft clicks before using his Semblance to flood the limb with his aura. He had no idea if healing something in the wrong shape would be bad or not, but his Semblance wasn't really `healing` anyway. He just flooded them with aura and let their own bodies handle the rest.

"I – I don't know what I expected. A – All this time I kept thinking o – of what I'd say. W – What I'd do. H – How I'd talk to her." Her words were broken up by loud sniffles and gasps for air. "A – And I finally found her and there was nothing. All those words. T- They just… disappeared. A – And I was so angry. So _fucking_ angry!"

It was unlike her to swear. Before today, he didn't think he'd ever heard her do it. Probably a sign of how bad this was for her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't actually want you to see her." It wasn't much of a confession, especially with how she glared at him through eyes stained red with tears. "Obviously, I knew she was Taiyang's ex and your teammate. And you knew I'd been in contact with her through Qrow. I thought it would be best just to never say it. Never bring it up."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying."

"T – Then not telling us everything." She pulled her healed hand out of his grasp and sued it to wipe her eyes. "N-No one is telling us anything. Not you, not Ozpin, not Raven. No one. We're just stuck in the middle, not knowing what's going on but that it'll be Ruby and Yang to pay the price."

"You know that Salem wants me dead. Shouldn't that tell you something?"

Summer looked up to him with a sad little smile. "That just means you're on our side. It doesn't mean you have our best interests at heart…"

Her doubt hurt. In a very real way, Summer had become a part of his life. An important part. Her whole family had, becoming almost like the Team RWBY of this time. He didn't want to lose that, even if she was right and he wasn't telling her everything. Or really anything.

"I promise that I want nothing more than for Ruby and Yang to live long and easy lives. I'd never intentionally put them in danger, even if it would somehow benefit me."

"I believe you…" Summer choked. "But I believed Raven too, and Ozpin. I… I'm not sure I can keep on trusting people who keep things from me, Jaune. Maybe with my life, but not with the lives of my children. I need more. I need something more."

The truth? He wasn't sure she could handle the truth – or believe it. If the Relic of Knowledge had more questions, they might have been able to convince her, but as it was the only people who knew were him and Raven, both of whom were suspect.

"I want to kill Salem."

"Then you're like Ozpin."

"No." He gripped her shoulders. " _I_ want to kill Salem. That's the difference. Ozpin wants Salem killed but knows he can't do it himself. He'll use other people to fight her and sacrifice them if he has to. I want to kill Salem myself."

"You can't. No one can."

"I can. I know how."

Summer blanched. "That's why she wants you so badly…"

"Bad enough to push the White Fang to invade Atlas and to ambush me in Menagerie. I'm hunted. I'm possibly the most dangerous person on Remnant to be around right now, but I needed to stay somewhere, and Atlas was out of the picture. Vacuo is too disjointed and Mistral…" He winced. "Mistral is compromised. Vale is safe. For now."

"Because of Ozpin?"

"Partly. It might be because of both me _and_ Ozpin. It's risky to push me when I'm so close to Ozpin, and the last thing Salem wants is for us to join forces against her." Salem had no idea why he hadn't so far of course, but she had to know pushing him into a corner was a bad idea. "But I can't trust Ozpin. I can't tell Ozpin the truth and I need to ask you, Summer, on my hands and knees, not to tell _any_ of this to him."

"Why?"

"I just-"

"Not that." She shook her head. "Why can't you trust him? Maybe he only wants to use others to beat her because he doesn't know how. Maybe with you on his side, things could change. We would help. Tai, Qrow and me."

"That's not a good idea."

"How do you know? Have you even tried? You may know a bit about Ozpin, but you can't just assume he'd-"

"He wants Ruby."

Summer froze. Her mouth fell open. "W-What…?"

"He wants Ruby. For her eyes. The silver eyes." He watched her flinch back. She knew. He wasn't sure if Ozpin had told her the full story – he waited _months_ to tell Ruby, even after she'd used her powers three or four times – but it was clear Summer at least knew why they might be dangerous. "He wants Ruby in Beacon where he can influence her and turn her into the next Summer Rose. He doesn't like that she isn't interested in being a huntress, which is why he keeps pushing for you and Qrow to try and get her into it. It's why he keeps asking how she is."

Summer's lip trembled. "Qrow wouldn't-"

"He's not. He loses his temper whenever Ozpin asks."

"He does?" Her entire body relaxed. "O-Of course he does. Qrow isn't like Raven."

"Part of the reason Raven left is because of Ozpin." He held up a hand to stop her interrupting. "I don't know the full story there, so don't ask. Raven and I… We're friends. Of a sort. But she doesn't trust me enough to tell me her reasons for leaving you. I don't think she's as unaffected as she pretends, though. She does care about you."

"Just not enough to come and say anything for fourteen years?"

Jaune winced, and then shrugged. "This is Raven we're talking about. I… I can't pretend to understand the way she thinks, but I will say that it's not like the average person. She didn't grow up around normal people."

"That doesn't excuse her. Even wild animals stay by their young."

"I guess…"

Summer bit her lip, obviously lost in thought. He gave her time to think, knowing that to interrupt now would only make things worse. Make it look like he was pressuring her to make a decision one way or the other.

"Ozpin can't have Ruby," Summer eventually decided. "It's not… It's not that I don't trust him, because I do. I know both you and Raven say not to, but I trust him. I-I'm sorry."

He hissed through gritted teeth. "Fine. Will you at least keep _this_ a secret, though?"

"What would you do if I didn't…?"

"I'd leave."

Leaving Vale wouldn't be idea, but he would have to do it. The heat had cooled down in Atlas now and James was in a better position to welcome him back. He could very easily integrate back into the Specialists, and while Ozpin had an in there, Jaune was fairly sure he could convince James to look past that. Back when the Vytal Festival happened, James had shown he was prepared to put cold logic over Ozpin's requests.

From Atlas, he could open up another gym if he wanted and also keep close relations to Weiss, Whitley and Winter. He'd lose access to Yang and Ruby, but Yang was stronger now. She could make it the rest of the way on her own. Ruby. Things were riskier there, but Summer was alive and Taiyang was an active huntsman still, not someone who had given in to despair and depression. They'd look after his old friend. They'd give her the life, love and family she deserved.

Even the underworld could be run from a distance – and maybe even brought to James' attention. If he explained why he'd done it and showed its tactical benefits, then Junior and Roman would essentially become agents of Atlas. They could even expand to Mistral and take out Leonardo; erode Salem's influence wherever they needed to.

"Stop it!" Summer's hands gripped his coat lapels. "Stop! Stop thinking of leaving!"

"Huh?" He came out of his thoughts to find her looking distraught again.

"You'd just up and go. Just like that? Take Emerald and leave? Yang would be devastated. Ruby would, too. Everyone would lose the ASH Gym and we'd lose another friend. Why?"

Why?

"Because I'm a father just like you're a mother. You can't take any risks over Ruby and Yang's lives, and I can't take any over Emerald's. Ozpin would use me. But he'd use Emerald too. I'm _never_ going to let that happen. She'll go to Beacon over my dead body."

"That's not… It's…"

"Not the same? Would you willingly let Ruby be influenced by Ozpin?"

"Why not?" she challenged. "I'm letting you have access to Yang."

"Yes. But the difference is that I've only ever taught her how to be stronger. I've never told her to see the world my way or tried to convince her to be something she isn't."

"That's… true…"

"And I've always included you and Taiyang in every decision I make about her. Let's not forget that it wasn't me who sought them out, either. It was you looking for me."

Summer winced. "Because you saved my life."

"It was still your choice to involve me with your family. Not mine. Besides, I'm happy for Ruby to never pick up a weapon if that's what she wants, just as I'll be happy if Yang and Emerald never have to face Salem of her people. Whereas Ozpin is already preparing for the next generation. He's already written this one off. He wants Ruby, Yang, Emerald and even Vernal now. And he'll mould them into the next Team STRQ."

"Is that such a bad thing…?"

"You tell me. One of your teammates has run off, you're on your knees crying and you wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for the luck of a stranger's Semblance." He delivered the words cruelly. As he had to. "Tell me how functional Team STRQ is. Tell me how Qrow wasn't made to pick between his home and his team, or how your life wasn't put in danger or how Raven and Taiyang's marriage wasn't split in two."

"That's not fair! That was Raven's choice, not Ozpin's."

"Maybe," he admitted. "But Raven keeps mentioning how we can't trust Ozpin. You ever think there might be something to that? Seems a bit random that she apparently abandoned you all and washed her hands of you, yet she still holds a grudge. If she really didn't care about any of you, why bring up Ozpin at all? Why not just say she doesn't give a shit?"

Her hands clenched into fists.

"I'm not trying to convert you, Summer. I'm not trying to change your mind. All I'm asking is for you to keep this as our little secret. I want to stay in Vale. I want to let Emerald have the first real friends she's ever had, and I want to kill Salem in this lifetime. I don't want to leave it to our kids."

Standing, Jaune moved to leave. Summer made no attempt to stop him this time.

"I'll leave the choice to you. If you tell Ozpin, he'll find some way to get me under his control, and I won't allow that." Not a second time. "I'll leave. But I won't blame you for it. In the end, we're all just doing what we have to for those we love."

He walked past her, leaving her on her knees, the evidence of her tears still on her face.

"If you need me, you know where to find me."

/-/

Vernal watched the girl Jaune had warned her to as she tore through another opponent. Cinder. She took the time to learn the name because the girl deserved it, even if she couldn't hold a candle to her or Jaune. She moved well, dispatched her foes with ruthless efficiency and always presented just the right amount of humility and respect to her fallen opponents.

In other words, she was a good actor.

It was all fake, but the question was whether it was faked for big reasons or just because it was expected. There were plenty of idiots who subscribed to the idea of bowing or saying some words to your opponent before a fight out of some idea of honour and respect. She doubted anyone who practiced it really felt that way – they were just doing what they were taught they were supposed to.

This felt a little more guarded than that, however. Those people would bow or act kind, but in a bored or dispassionate kind of way. It was clear they didn't really mean it, whereas Cinder Fall spoke every word as if it were truth and smiled with such genuine care for her fallen opponents that, in the heat of battle, you might have mistaken it for genuine concern.

Vernal was no such idiot. More than that, she could read between the lines, though she had to admit it might have taken a little longer had Jaune not clued her in to the girl being suspicious as fuck.

 _Her performance is for more than just the audience and judges. She's trying to present an image to someone._ Vernal's lips twisted. To Jaune? Was she trying to catch his attention? Nah, that didn't make sense. Jaune hadn't decided to enter this until late, and both the Nikos and Fall girl were already in the fights.

Maybe it was the Nikos she wanted an in with.

Getting to fight their champion in the finals was a good way to do that, though from what she'd seen of the redhead's fat old whale of a father, actually _beating_ the girl wouldn't be a good way to do it. _Get to the show match and throw the fight, though, and he might be interested._

Tch. What a loser. Vernal wasn't even sure who she meant with that insult. All of them, probably.

Either way, it was her to face the girl in the finals – as it should be. Vernal stood when the final match was called and shucked off her jacket. "Time to do what you couldn't," she said to the brat who had stolen her spot.

Emerald glared back. "Whatever."

Vernal strolled toward the cage without a care in the world, swinging her shoulders to loosen them while her twin blades remained hooked onto her belt. She eyed the scoreboard, which still showed Cinder's aura at a respectable eighty-five per cent. Respectable, but not exactly impressive. Her own was at ninety, and only because she figured one of her bouts was quicker to win by taking a blow to land one.

Course, the other girl was trying to hide something, trying not to stand out too much. Trying to hold back.

"If you want to beat me, you'll need to go all out." Vernal said as she stepped up onto the stage.

"I go all out with all my opponents," Cinder lied.

"Tch. Bitch."

Golden eyes narrowed, showing for a moment the true thoughts of the girl opposite her. There was fire there, hidden under the veneer of niceness. She'd see if she couldn't coax that out. Otherwise, this was going to be a shitshow leading into an easy win.

"And our finals of the older brackets," the commentator announced, "The regional favourite, Cinder Fall of Mistral."

Cheers and applause.

"Against the newcomer who has torn her way through the competition. A student of the same school that was defeated by Pyrrha Nikos. Vernal of the ASH Gym, Vale."

Books and jeers.

"Fuck you all as well!" Vernal yelled back, shocking many in the audience.

"A-Ah. Well…" The commentator looked lost for words. He went with the only thing he could. "Ten. Nine. Eight." The crowd chanted down with him, most now looking for blood. The only ones that didn't, the only ones that cheered her on, were those from the gym.

It was almost enough to make her like them. Almost.

"You hold back, I'll annihilate you."

Cinder smirked at her. "We'll see."

Bitch reminded her of Raven when she was in a bad mood and looking to let off some stress by cracking heads. Question was, did she have the strength to back that shit up? Guess they were about to find out.

The very second the crowd reached zero, she was moving. Vernal tore across the arena and brought both blades up and down, swinging for the woman's shoulders. Cinder flowed away, but that was obvious. Vernal was ready for it, landed, kicked off and planted both boots in the girl's surprised face. Her ass skipped across the arena like a stone across a lake. When she stood and brushed a hand over her mouth, the cocky grin was nowhere to be seen.

Had Cinder been expecting trickery from her?

To be fair, the others would have – and Vernal didn't begrudge them it. If you weren't using every tool at your disposal, you weren't taking a fight seriously. She took in every little lesson from Jaune on that one, considered them as important as laws. Thing was, that kind of shit was for when you were facing a better opponent, though. It evened the odds or gave you an edge you needed.

An edge she didn't need right now.

Better the direct approach. Distractions worked both ways – and time bought for her was time bought for Cinder. Vernal gave her none, firing six shots in rapid succession then lunging forward, sweeping low even as the other girl ducked below the shots. Her blades met Cinder's knee, brought up to defend against it, and even though aura protected her, she was still on one foot and off balance.

Eschewing fancy shit, Vernal threw her entire body at Cinder, striking her shoulder first and carrying her down. It wasn't fancy or elegant, but it worked. They hit the floor hard, Vernal on top. Her weapons were unusual in being perfect for a position like that and a quick hammer-blow from one hand ensured her curved blade cut into the girl's arm as it came up to cover her face.

She could have wailed on the bitch then and there but didn't. She slapped her with the flat of her weapon, rolled back and created some distance, reloading her rounds while she had the chance.

"Is that all you've got?" she called. "I expected more."

Cinder rose with a scowl and spat out a little blood. No wounds yet, but she'd probably bit her tongue in the fall. Or had a tooth knocked loose. "Why didn't you finish me? You had the chance there."

"And end this so quickly? Please, I'm gonna show this shithole just how weak their best are." Vernal didn't bother to whisper it. She wanted the whole fucking arena to know. "Try to be a little less shit on the next pass, yeah?"

"I'll try…" Cinder hissed, eyes narrowing. She brought a hand down and golden lines on her outfit lit up, dust swirling in the air before it coalesced in her hand, igniting in a ball of flame. The crowd `oohed` and `ahhed`.

Vernal rolled her eyes. "Great. I'll call on you if I need someone to light a campfire."

The fireball rushed in for her and she dove to the side, landing and rolling on one shoulder and keeping her eyes on the prize. Despite the escalation to what she assumed was a ranged Semblance of some sort – something related to those glowing lines on her clothing – Cinder closed in to melee. She appeared to be a fist-fighter, but Vernal knew better. The girl's hands were callused and used to holding a weapon.

Still holding back. Tch. Did she think Vernal wasn't worth the effort? Wasn't dangerous enough? This was starting to piss her the fuck off.

Her eyes flicked towards the stands. The moment of inattention caused some of the flames to catch her foot and race up her leg with speed unnatural for fire. Cursing, Vernal rolled again, using the action both to gain some distance and douse her leg.

"Tut-tut. You shouldn't be so easily distracted."

"Ha. Like I need all my attention to deal with you."

"You keep looking for someone in the crowd." Cinder's eyes moved to the side then back again. A teasing grin spread across her face. "It's your coach. Isn't it? You don't need him right now, but you keep looking for him. Why?"

"None of your fucking business."

"Oh, I get it."

Vernal spat on the floor. "I doubt it."

"You want him to watch you win."

Vernal froze.

"You want him to see you, to cheer for you, to praise you and tell you what a good job you're doing. But he's not here. He's not here and that's disappointing. You're trying to drag this out until he returns, to make sure he's here to see your win."

"Like fuck. And besides, him not being here just shows how much confidence he has in me."

"Or how little he cares about you."

Vernal lunged forward, "Rarghhh!"

"Did I touch a nerve?" Cinder dodged her swing and brought her hand up inside Vernal's guard. "I guess you're not so-Ah!" She cut off with a cry as Vernal's feinted swing came back, cutting into her back.

"Only the weak get distracted by anger, bitch. The strong _harness_ it."

Cinder ducked back, wincing. "I'm beginning to hate your constant talk of strength and weakness…"

Vernal could almost imagine one of those whiny bitches in the crowd saying the same thing. She glanced back over to the stands again, her spirits soaring when she realised that he was back and watching her again, his eyes focused on her and only her.

Cinder noticed it, too. "I guess playtime is over."

/-/

Jaune sat down beside Emerald and tried not to let any anxiety show. He genuinely had no idea what Summer would do, only that she'd make the decision she thought was best for her family first and him second. He wouldn't begrudge her that. Leaving would be hard on both him and Emerald, but they could manage. It wasn't like Emerald would lose her friends forever by moving. They could always visit.

"How is Vernal doing?"

"Sandbagging."

He glanced over in time to see Vernal launch a furious assault on Cinder, a deadly barrage of shows and swings at close range that Cinder seemed almost unable to deal with. She fell back hard, giving ground so quickly that she almost stumbled.

"Doesn't look like it."

"She was before," Emerald said. "Stopped a moment ago."

"Hm. I guess it doesn't matter." Vernal was controlling the fight anyway. Cinder had been powerful in their time, but it was hard to tell how much of that translated here. Cinder had only really fought them properly after she had the maiden's power, and that changed things. Before, it was entirely possible that Pyrrha might have been able to beat her. He just didn't know how strong or weak Cinder had been.

Which meant he had little luck judging her strength here and now. Was this a Cinder Fall who had already given in to Salem and was learning from her? Or was this Cinder a completely different one? Did Salem _need_ another maiden candidate when she had Blake? Or was Blake's loyalty to the White Fang over Salem a turn-off?

If he knew how _early_ Cinder had been recruited, he could have a better idea, but he just knew nothing. Only that this was two years before Beacon, and that – he assumed – Amber had been attacked a few months before that. It didn't seem likely that Ozpin would have kept Amber in his basement for years without her dying.

So, in theory, this Cinder could be innocent. Or a catastrophe waiting to happen.

The safest bet was to kill her – but would that even do anything? Salem would just find someone else to use in Cinder's place, and he'd lost what little advantage he had in knowing who that was.

Up on the stage, Cinder summoned a wall of fire between her and Vernal, trying to buy some time. Vernal was having none of it and dove through, taking the flames and the damage to her aura, but refusing to let up the pressure.

 _In Beacon, Cinder never used her fire-based abilities. She always acted like a martial artist. Does that mean that using them now is a sign she has nothing to hide? Or did she only keep those abilities secret in Beacon because of her encounter with Ruby at the dust store? Ruby and Miss Goodwitch might have recognised someone using attacks like that._

From memory, he knew Cinder could also summon a bow and swords. Was that her main style, an auxiliary or what? Was dust-weaving something anyone could learn, or something that only Salem could have taught her?

Too much uncertainty and too many questions.

"Emerald?"

"I'm ready."

"Good. Do it now."

Emerald nodded and leaned forward, focusing on Cinder. Though he could make out no change in her or the two girls on the stage, he knew what was happening. Emerald was weaving her hypnosis over Cinder, setting an illusion that would slowly and insidiously come to life. The irony of him ordering Emerald to do what Cinder had made her do to Yang wasn't lost on him. If Emerald had known about it, he had a feeling she would approve to. Yang was her best friend now.

"I have her." She whispered. "I'm not doing anything yet. Glowing eyes?"

"Like fire. Like golden flames coming out the sides of Vernal's eyes. Not just the pupil, but the whole eye. Make it sudden. Sharp."

"Kay."

On the stage, Cinder and Vernal were locked in a brutal melee. Brutal to most of the people watching; to him and plenty of other huntsmen and huntresses, it was skilled but unremarkable – only praiseworthy because of the ages of those fighting. Still, for being sixteen and not yet trained in a proper academy, they both fought like demons.

Suspiciously so. Both of them. They were far beyond what they should be at their ages and Vernal was pushing Cinder further still, forcing her to reveal more and more. Even without knowing his plan, she was helping him. They closed in, Cinder scorching the floor to create a smokescreen and Vernal blasting it aside with one hand, locking eyes with her opponent.

"Now!"

There was no sound from Emerald, but Cinder flinched. It was a small thing. Sudden and subtle, but she hesitated – her attack that was chambered not following through. He couldn't tell if it was recognition or not, but she definitely saw Vernal's eyes and thought it important. Vernal had no idea, of course. To her, she saw an opening.

And boy did she take it.

Her fist caught Cinder below the throat, stunning and knocking her back. She never had the time to hit the floor because Vernal charged forward and caught her chest before she could, dragging Cinder up by the bandages and _slamming_ her forehead into her nose. The crack echoed across the crowd, who collectively gasped.

Vernal dropped her, swept low and kicked Cinder's shins out from under her, then rose and planted both of her weapons into her falling body, firing every shot she had. The visceral display lasted only a few seconds, but it must have been an agonising eternity for Cinder. She was blasted away, aura shattering as she rolled across the arena floor and came to a stop, completely unconscious.

Not faked. Not a suspicious forfeit nor a thrown fight, but completely and utterly beaten.

The crowd – those not blatantly rooting for Mistral – roared their pleasure, clapping and cheering. Jaune was louder still, up on his feet and applauding Vernal, who looked once in his direction and then scoffed, turning away. She _did_ preen a little. He saw it.

He was more than happy to let her have it. After she'd killed Pyrrha, this felt like well-earned revenge. Little matter that they'd technically cheated. No one would be able to tell, and Cinder would be a fool to bring it up. If she did, it would be absolute proof that she was innocent – for if she kept it secret, Salem would _kill_ for information on another maiden.

If Cinder made a move on Vernal, he'd know. He'd know exactly who she worked for and how to react. More important for now was how Summer intended to react.

But before that, he had to make sure to congratulate Vernal on a job well done.

/-/

When Summer slipped back into the arena, it was with her face washed in a bathroom and all evidence of her tears, her breakdown and her previously-broken hand concealed. The smile she wore didn't quite meet her eyes and she had a feeling Taiyang would notice that. He always did. She could give him answers later, however. In private and away from those who might listen in.

Frankly, she needed the emotional support.

"You missed the fight," Yang said, grinning at her. "Vernal won!"

Summer smiled weakly. "Celebrating her win now? I thought you hated her."

"I do. But she's still ASH Gym. Rather she win than someone from Mistral. Bah." Yang went back to clapping and cheering, even if she'd no doubt swear on pain of death that she never had if anyone later asked. It was probably the atmosphere getting to her.

As she looked down toward the arena and the victor, Summer had a perfect view of the normally surly girl holding the trophy, and the way she looked to her teacher, desperate – obviously so to Summer's eyes – for his attention, for his affection and recognition.

She had no idea what Jaune said to her, but it must have been nice for Vernal stood a little taller and somehow managed to look far more pleased with those words than she did the gaudy trophy made of gold and silver.

Just another thing that would change if she told anyone…

Summer bit her lip.

What was she supposed to do?

/-/

"Yargh!" Raven stabbed her sword through a tree, splintering bark and wood in every direction and causing the tip to pierce out the other end. Angrily, she wrenched it to the side, cutting the tree in two and sending it tumbling down.

It crashed into a cloud of dust, knocking down bushes and plant life.

The destruction did little to drive away the burning anger within her. Anger at Jaune, at Summer but also at herself and her current situation. Her chest rose and fell as she sucked in breath, hands and arms shaking and her sword rattling in her grip.

Coward. Weak. Abandoned.

The words flashed through her head. Words she would normally drown out with a good fight, good drink or good sex. Not that she'd had much of the latter since… since she left Taiyang. Since she closed that chapter of her life.

Did she regret it?

Maybe. It was hard to say. Leaving was the logical choice, the real one. Even if she wanted to pretend it wasn't for her own reasons, she could argue that she'd have been a pretty shitty mother. Summer had always been better at that kind of thing, and Yang was clearly happier with her than she ever could have been as a Branwen.

But it wasn't about Yang. It never had been.

Coward.

"I'm not a coward!" Raven roared. "I made the only choice I could!"

Coward.

"I'm not!"

She hadn't even shown up for the final battle against Salem. Instead, her child had. Her child, a bunch of other kids and even Ozpin. They all showed up. Amateurs. Kids. She'd had the maiden's power just as she did now, but even that hadn't been enough. And was that logical? Jaune and his motley crew had taken the Relics to Salem. If she won, the world would have ended, and no amount of hiding would avoid that.

 _If there was no choice, I'd have thought._ Raven stood and panted. _Wouldn't I? Of course I would have. It doesn't take bravery to fight when you don't have a choice._

So, why hadn't she been there?

Where had she been?

"I'm not a coward…"

The forest had no response for her, neither belief nor otherwise. She wasn't sure who she was talking to, but it felt like they looked pityingly down on her. Didn't believe her.

"I'm not…"

Her eyes clenched shut. Her breath caught. Her hand tightened on the hilt of her weapon and she considered stabbing it into the ground and snapping it in two. On her cheek, Summer's handprint _burned_. A reminder. She'd stood still and taken that, too. Despite being strong, fast and wise enough to see it coming. Summer had always had a temper.

Back in the good old days…

"I'm not a coward," she hissed, turning and slicing at the air, cutting open a portal. Her eyes flared and ignited, little wisps of smoke and fire fluttering from the outside edges. "I'll prove it. I… I'll prove I'm no coward!"

Teeth bared, Raven stepped through.

* * *

 **Let's not do anything hasty now, Raven.**

 **Or Summer. The last of her temper certainly hasn't been seen, nor the last of her interrogating Jaune. He did what most would see as almost shock and awe here. Corner her while she's distracted, angry and confused, throw some words at her and run away.**

 **Brave, Brave Sir Jaune runs away again!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 20** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter will probably be shorter today as my puppy is refusing to eat, which is making me all kinds of worried. If she continues later into this afternoon, I'll be taking her to the vet. If that happens, the chapter will be short.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 54**

* * *

"Jaune."

The young boy looked up happily. "Fairy God Mother, I-" He froze, suddenly noticing the unusual emotion on the woman's face. Unusual because it wasn't anger, annoyance, irritation or something in between all of those. "What's wrong?"

"Everything."

"Everything…?"

Raven nodded and asked, "Do you trust me?"

Jaune's answer was immediate. "Of course."

"Why?" It troubled her. "Why do you trust me?"

"Because I do."

"That's not good enough. Give me a real reason or I'll leave and never return. Our training will end here."

"W-What!? I, but-" Jaune could see how deadly serious she was. "Ah. B-Because you helped me. B-Because you believe I can be something when no one else does. I don't know. I just trust you. I promise there's nothing more to it!"

"Because I'm of use to you? Selfishness, then?"

Jaune's gut wrenched.

Raven sighed. "Selfishness is fine."

"I-It is!?" A huge breath escaped him in a rush. "I mean, s-sure. Of course it's enough." If Raven was of the Winter Court, then it made sense she'd value emotions like that, even if they weren't normally what someone would call good. While Jaune would never call himself self-aware, he didn't think he was stupid. He knew he didn't have the best reasons to trust Raven.

But if she'd wanted to hurt him, she'd have done it by now. Wasn't that enough reason?

"What's wrong?" he asked again, moving up to stand before her. "You look… like something is wrong."

No one had ever accused him of being good with words.

"It is none of your… No, I suppose it _is_ your business. More than you can possibly know at this time. Young, weak, helpless."

"Hey!" Jaune stamped one foot. "I'm getting stronger!"

Raven watched him oddly, with an intensity he couldn't place. "Yes, you are. But you are not strong enough, nor will you be, for what is to come. It is… hopeless to fight against the enemies that lay out there. You cannot hope to defeat them."

His face fell. "How do you know?"

"I just do."

"Is this… Is this your farie powers?"

A long sigh slipped past Raven's lips. "Yes. I have seen the future."

"Really!? Do… Do I get a girlfriend?"

"Yes." Green eyes and red hair flashed before her eyes; a loving, longing smile delivered through the thin slats of a rocket locker. Eyes that knew their doom. "And then she is torn away from you and killed. And you will be helpless to do anything to stop it."

"What…?" He felt a pain in his chest. There wasn't a single part of him that questioned how or why Raven would know. Her voice, her certainty, made it clear that she believed it. Even if his parents would have called him naïve for taking it on face value, he couldn't do anything but.

"She dies. Dies protecting you. Dies facing an enemy neither you, her or anyone else can fight."

"T-Then make me stronger!"

"Why?" Raven rounded on him. "What's the point? I've already told you how it ends."

"I-I-I can change it. Fix it!"

"You really _are_ him. Aren't you?"

"Who?"

"I knew, but…" Raven scowled. "Thinking you can fix things, change things, with so little regard for what else gets tangled up in your path. Who are you to decide what stays the same and what changes? Who are you to fail once and try, try again?"

"I… I don't understand that you're asking."

"No. You wouldn't. Tell me, then. What do you define as cowardice?"

"Running away from danger?"

"So running away from a burning house is cowardice?"

"Well, no…"

"Then what is?"

"Maybe…" Jaune thought harder. "Running away from a fight you're _supposed_ to fight?"

"Then if you are told by a leader to single-handedly face ten thousand Grimm and you refuse, that makes you a coward? If you refuse to follow orders you know are either foolish or impossible, does that make you a coward?"

"No…" His dad, Nicholas, had said as much before. Last stands weren't glorious. They were the last resort of people either too unimaginative or too stupid to find an alternate route. "I don't know. What do _you_ think is cowardice?" he asked her.

"The answer isn't mine to find. _I'm_ not the one with a doomed future."

Jaune's head fell. "I don't want to be a coward…"

"I don't think anyone does. But people have reasons. Maybe they're too weak, or their opponents are too strong. It wouldn't be brave for you to fight me to the death. It would be stupid. It's the same with your future. It's hopeless. You cannot earn a happy ending."

"But…" He looked up. "Am I happy while it lasts?"

Raven frowned. "Yes. You love her. Them. All your friends. You'd die for them…"

"Then I want to keep training. I want to learn to fight better and try to protect them, even if it's hopeless. Even if I fail."

The answer seemed to displease Raven, who rose taller and drew her weapon. "Why?" she snapped. "I've already told you it's hopeless. I have seen the future. She dies. They all die. You don't, Jaune. You alone survive, bereft of everyone you ever loved."

He brought his training sword up. A metal one, a gift from Raven that he kept hidden in the woods outside his home, where his family couldn't find it.

"Do you not believe me?" Her question was punctuated with a blistering attack. He tried to bring the sword up and did – deflecting it just enough that the tip didn't pierce his shoulder. It nicked his shirt though, cutting through it and a little bit of flesh.

He cried out and stepped back, holding his shoulder with his other hand. He refused to let go of his weapon.

"Do you think I am lying to you, Jaune?"

"No. I believe you."

"Then why?" She pointed her weapon at him. "Why persist in this foolishness?"

"Because I have to."

"Fool." Raven sneered and darted forward, locking her blade against his and then reaching past it to grip his collar and draw him in. She slammed his face into the flat of his _own_ sword pushed back, stunning him. Her foot swept between his and hooked his ankle out from under him. With a push from her sword, he fell.

Remembering her lessons, he kept hold of his weapon as he fell, but it didn't matter.

Raven's tickled his throat.

Her face was deadly serious.

"Do you think this makes you brave?" she hissed. "Do you think this makes you _better_ than a coward? That throwing your life away in a pointless battle will somehow change the world around you? Fix everything? Change destiny?" She leaned down, digging the tip into his skin. "DO YOU!?"

"No!"

Tears slipped down his cheeks.

"Then why? Why keep trying!?"

He was crying now, crying properly. Big, fat, ugly tears that ran down his stupid face. Raven knew them intimately. She had an entire lifetime of memories crammed into her head, many of which involved him crying in dark corners over his lost love. But this was the first time she had witnessed it in person, and what couldn't be conveyed by memory or Jinn was the raw desperation behind those tears. The anger. The impotent, helpless, rage.

"B-Because I'm afraid. Because I'm a coward!" he sobbed. "Because I'm scared that if I _don't_ do this, then I'll never experience that happiness – that I'll never be anyone _worth_ someone loving that way. A-And if I'm going to lose them, then I'm scared of that, too. I'm scared of the pain and the loneliness."

Raven froze. Her eyes stared down on him.

"I'm a coward. I'm a coward and I'm a loser, b-but that'll make me stronger. I'll become strong _because_ I'm a coward. Because I'm too afraid of losing people to stay weak and helpless." His eyes locked onto hers. He bared his teeth. "That's why I need you to train me. That's why I have to be strong. Like you!"

"I… I am not strong," Raven whispered. "I'm weak. A coward."

"Didn't you hear what I just said!? A coward _is_ strong. A coward is someone who refuses to give up and die."

"Because they're afraid of death."

"I'd be happier dying than surviving while everyone I love dies. A-And I'm afraid of not becoming a huntsman, because I'll not meet those people you're talking about. Because I'll be mediocre and pathetic, and no one will want to know me."

Raven snorted. "Selfish and cowardly. People live their lives all the time. Even if you don't become a huntsman, you'll make other connections."

"But what if I don't?"

"Too scared to even try?"

Jaune nodded pathetically.

"Ha." Raven's lips tugged up. "Coward."

"I'd rather be a coward than dead," Jaune said. "Or alone. Or be a brave man who has lost everything he ever loved."

Raven's face became more complicated. She looked off into the distance, a heavy look to her. "Is that how you truly feel?" she wondered out loud.

Jaune had a feeling she wasn't talking about him.

The sword moved away from his neck. Anyone else would have offered a hand, but Raven was his fairy godmother. She didn't do anything to help him; just stepped back and expected him to help himself. He did. He scrambled to his feet and held up his sword, ready for another attack.

"Training is over."

"No. No, it's not." He prepared himself to attack. "Even if you leave me, I'll keep training and I… I'll find my own way in life. I'll become a huntsman even if I'm weak. Now that you've told me the woman I love is going to die, I'm too afraid to do otherwise."

"Idiot," she scoffed. "You might not even meet this girl."

"I'll still try." He charged in, sword swinging. "So make me strong!"

With a roll of her eyes, Raven caught the attack with one hand, using her aura to prevent the edge cutting into her skin. The sudden jarring force of it had him stumbling into her, his face smashing into her breasts.

"I didn't mean to!" he shrieked, flailing back.

"Idiot." Far from annoyed, Raven appeared amused. "I said that training was over. Now that I would stop teaching you."

"R-Really!?" The relief he felt was crushing. Fresh tears spilled from him and he tried to cut off a sob, only to mask it briefly instead. His lips trembled. "D-Do you mean it? R-Really?"

"Were you that afraid of me leaving you?" she asked, annoyed. Her eyes flicked away, and she scowled, crossing both arms under her breasts and turning so that he could barely see her face. "Look at you, sobbing like a blubbery child."

"I…" He wiped his eyes and smiled. "Yeah, I was. I was afraid you'd go away…"

"Tch. Coward."

Somehow, the insult lacked the same heat it had before.

"I'm glad you're staying," he said, running forward with his arms open wide.

He ran into the palm of a hand, which prevented him from hugging her.

"Do. Not. Push. It." Raven's eyes blazed.

He stepped back. "Um. Yes ma'am."

Winter fairies were scary. But then again, he'd always known Raven was. But she was _his_ fairy godmother. His scary fairy godmother. All the talk of cowardice was one thing, and maybe he was a coward, but he had a feeling that if he'd been brave enough to go it alone, to turn his back on her and walk away, then it would have been a mistake.

That wouldn't have been brave. It would have been stupid.

"Tell me, brat. How far does your cowardice extend? If you thought your friends might be in danger, what would you do?"

"I'd try and save them."

"Even if it means facing a terrible foe?"

"What's he going to do, kill me?" Jaune shrugged. "That's scary, sure, but I think it would be worse to watch someone I love die. That's how mothers can fight off Grimm for their kids. Right? Not because they're brave or strong, but because they're so afraid of losing their kids that they fight with the strength of ten people."

"An interesting concept. You attribute fear to strength, then?"

"Sure. Didn't we learn to fight and kill Grimm because we were afraid of them?"

"That is true…"

Raven contemplated it, surprised by the logic that, despite its counter-intuitive nature, held up. It was a child's logic. An idiot's logic. But probably truer for it. For the fact that ego, propaganda and expectation didn't colour his opinion.

"Tell me, then," she said. "Would you be willing to risk your life now? If you don't, that future I spoke of will never come to be. But if you do, you'll face the risk of death."

Jaune stood. He looked afraid, nervous and – if she dared say it – weak on his legs. All of those things, he _should_ have felt, as a child of his age with limited training and no aura to speak of. He was weak. Pathetic. Cowardly.

But he stood.

"I'll do it."

"Then let's go. It's time for your first taste of real combat."

Jaune swallowed and looked backwards, back towards his family, who would have no idea where he was going or what he was doing. A braver man would have gone back and told them the truth, told them what he was doing and face their anger.

He was not a brave person.

He followed Raven through the portal.

/-/

The fight between Vernal and Pyrrha wasn't an official one; it was a show match. There was a certain amount of expectation that Pyrrha would struggle, even if Vernal's match had come closer to it, giving Pyrrha more time to recover. When you were thirty, the difference of a year or two wasn't a big deal, but at fifteen and sixteen respectively, it was far greater. It could mean an extra ten per cent of your life spent training.

He'd asked Vernal to go easy on her.

"Should have known she wouldn't…" He winced as Pyrrha skipped across the arena like a pebble over a lake. She recovered well, expression pinched but smile still there – faltering for a second as Vernal dashed into her guard and backhanded her down again.

It wasn't an even match. He wanted to stop it.

But maybe, just maybe, Pyrrha needed this.

If constant victory would mire her in pressure and loss would earn her father's anger, then maybe something in between – winning her bracket but losing an inconsequential show match – would be the best of both worlds.

And really, if he knew anything about his Pyrrha, it was that she wouldn't appreciate him trying to white knight her. She was more than capable of doing that for herself, and, to his embarrassment, white knighting for him as well.

The battle was over quickly. Pyrrha never really stood a chance.

There was no trophy for the show match, no grand speeches or ceremony. Pyrrha smiled and accepted her loss, showing grace in defeat, and Vernal snorted and bowed sarcastically to the audience, reminding everyone just who she was and what she was like.

Alexander Nikos _glared_ his way, promising retribution.

Jaune ignored it all.

"She's watching you," Emerald whispered.

"Good." He touched her arm. "Why don't you go and catch up with Yang and Ruby? I'm sure they'll want to talk to you."

Emerald looked at him and nodded, knowing his true meaning and that he wasn't dismissing her out of a lack of trust, but rather to make himself more approachable. She calmly took her bag, with her kit inside, hooked it onto her shoulder and walked away behind him, out through one of the staff exits and up towards the bleachers.

As she did, she walked by a still figure.

The figure stiffened as Emerald came near.

"Talk to him if you want," Emerald said. "He doesn't bite."

Cinder Fall waited until Emerald had left before stepping toward him. He felt her approach more than he did see her, though Cinder hardly did anything to mask it. Her footsteps echoed and she coughed into her hand to announce her presence. Schooling his expression, Jaune turned to face her with a soft smile.

Rage bubbled inside him. This was the woman who had killed Pyrrha.

"Oh. Hello there. Cinder, was it?" He watched her nod back. Although it was only two years between now and when Beacon was set to begin, Cinder _did_ look younger. It might have been her hair being long again or her face unblemished by the scars Ruby had left. He maintained a placid expression, waiting for her to speak.

"Cinder Fall."

"A pleasure." He held out a hand, which she took after a brief moment of hesitation. "How can I help you? I hope this isn't about Vernal being so brutal. I'm sorry about that."

"It wasn't. Though… Did she have some personal issue with me?"

It was such a random question that Jaune stared at her. "Um. No. I don't think so."

"She's always that… intense?"

"Pretty much."

"She was very skilled." Cinder inclined her head. "Your school did very well. Winning the older and coming very close to winning the younger, too."

"We're very dedicated. It's not all my teaching, though. They're good girls." He glanced past her, to where Vernal was coming out of the changing rooms with a wide grin. "But I'm afraid small talk will have to wait. Unless it was something you just wanted to get out there and ask me?"

"I wish to train in the ASH Gym."

"Really?" Jaune watched her carefully, just as she watched him. Neither of them gave anything away. "Well, I guess I can say I didn't see that coming. Any particular reason?"

"Your combatant bested me. That makes you the best teacher here."

"Pyrrha Nikos defeated my other students."

"Pyrrha Nikos has the support of the Nikos family. That hardly counts. I'd be willing to come to Vale, obviously. I can pay for tuition."

Cinder Fall under his eye and among his friends. It was both the most promising and terrifying concept he'd ever heard. But not one he hadn't considered. "Well, I'll look forward to seeing you in Vale then, Miss Fall. The ASH Gym will welcome you with open arms."

Cinder's smile grew.

"Thank you, Mr Ashari."

/-/

This was madness, Raven knew. Salem could not be bested – not through conventional means – and she had long ago promised herself not to get involved.

 _There was never any avoiding that. Not once I became the Spring Maiden._

Jaune's memories said otherwise. Jinn had shown her much. Everything. It was all there, locked in her head, simmering under the surface, invading her dreams and infecting her every thought, colouring her perception of the world.

Right now, two children were hostage to a dangerous man.

That should not have mattered. Children died all the time. The world was cruel. It should have been something she aided Jaune with, but only with knowledge. A deal fulfilled; honour kept. And yet here she was, summoning a storm the likes of which could not be ignored. Her feet rose up off the floor, the sky above the forest growing dark as lightning crackled in the palms of her hand.

They were just two children, but they were also not.

Ren. Nora.

Stupid, pointless names and yet not. Ren was always so calm and collected, a beacon of logic in a tumultuous world. Nora was the life of the team, someone who would ignore her own pain to keep the rest of the team going.

 _Not my team,_ Raven snarled in her head. _I don't even know them!_

But she did. Jinn had gone above and beyond with her wish. She had not just shown Raven the moment of Jaune going back, rather she had crammed every loose bit of knowledge into her skull. Made her live it. Ren and Nora were strangers to her, and yet they were also her teammates. Her friends. Her comrades.

With all that she knew of them, all that she had seen, all that she had gleaned from piggy-backing in Jaune Ashari's mind, she knew the two. Knew them intimately. Deeply. She had, through Jinn's efforts, bonded with them.

 _These memories aren't mine. I never asked for them!_

Lightning crackled. Thunder boomed. The house, little more than a small lodge, was incinerated by a sudden blast of incandescent light. Wood flew in every direction and the furniture was scorched away; the remains blasted by the thrust of a palm expelling a hurricane's worth of wind. In the shattered remains, the metallic hatch leading to the underground later lay exposed.

In the woods nearby, Grimm watched and waited.

"Watts!" Raven screamed. "Show yourself!"

In the end, she was still a coward. Just as much one as Jaune – both of him. One was young and naïve, and the other was too coward to live in a world where Salem had been defeated, too afraid to branch out and make a new life when his friends fell. They were all of them running from something.

Raven had thrown away her connections one time already.

She was too much of a coward to do it a second time.

As Arthur Watts stepped up out of the underground lair to face her, Raven's blazing eyes narrowed. They already knew she was the Spring Maiden thanks to Menagerie, but this would be confirmation. It would draw Salem's ire, draw her agents, her attention and her Grimm. Raven feared that. Now, she could admit it. The thought terrified her.

So… she would just have to kill Watts here. Kill him and slaughter all those that Salem sent after her, then train Jaune – the younger one – to be strong enough to slay Salem and _not_ be a bitch about it afterwards. In the end, this wasn't courage. It was survival. Survival born of fear. She'd spent her entire life running, and that wasn't about to change.

It was time to keep running.

Albeit, in a slightly more aggressive manner.

Raven's sword lanced toward the man's heart.

/-/

In a dark and cold room underground, a girl clung onto her legs, knees up against her chest and face pressed into them. Alone within a steel cage, the girl rocked back and forth, humming a tune to herself in an attempt to stay calm. She knew not how long it had been or where her best friend was. Only that their attempts to find the man who saved them had led them both into trouble.

"Ren," she whimpered. "Where are you?"

"Who's Ren?"

Nora flinched and looked up, confused at the fact the voice wasn't the one who brought her food or water. It was another boy – someone her age – but one who didn't dwell within a cage. He had dirty blond hair, bright blue eyes and a nervous smile.

"W-Who…?" Nora rasped.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc."

Nora stared at the hand he held out, not sure if this wasn't some terrible trick being played on her. It didn't seem possible for it to be anything else. It only occurred to her that her actions might be considered rude, and thus get her or Ren hurt, when the boy pulled his hand back and winced.

"Yeah, I guess this isn't really the time for it."

"Why are you here?"

"To save you. Duh. You're either… well, you're either a friend or the woman I love. If it's the last one, then hey. Sorry I didn't bring flowers."

"…"

"I'm mucking this up. Aren't I? Hi. I'm Jaune Arc. I'm here to save you." Instead of waiting for a reply, the bot drew out a sword, making Nora flinch back. He took it by the blade, raised it over his shoulder and brought the hilt and cross guard down, using it as a hammer on the padlock keeping her cage shut.

There was a mighty clang, followed by the sound of breaking metal. It had been rusty. The cage door swung open.

"Come with me." He drew her out. "There's another. Right? A second?"

"Ren. My… My friend. And love…? I've only just met you."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry. It's confusing for me as well. My fairy godmother can see the future. And she knew you and your friend were being kept here." He paused. "This _is_ me saving you from a kidnapping, right? Ah. What am I saying? You probably didn't choose to sleep in a cage, so I guess that's obvious."

Nora didn't know how to respond to that. Any of it.

"Let's go get your friend. We'll have to be careful, though. There are Grimm around here – not to mention the guy who took you. He could kill us both if he finds us."

"Aren't you scared!?" she had to ask. It just fell out her mouth.

"Scared? Me? Absolutely. I'm terrified."

"B-But you're here. And saving me…"

"And I'm scared of messing that up. And scared of being found by the Grimm. And scared of the creepy man finding me and scared of my parents not knowing what happened if I die and scared of Raven – that's my fairy godmother – being disappointed in me." He laughed nervously and tugged her towards the exit, sword in hand. "Honestly, I'm pretty frightened. Aren't you afraid your friend might be hurt?"

Nora's heart ached. "Yes."

"Then doesn't it make sense to find him and help him, even if we're scared of being found?"

It did. Oddly enough. All the fear she'd felt slipped away, replaced with a sudden determination. Ren had gotten them safely away from the Grimm, and a man that looked just like this boy had saved them from their home. For once, she was going to save someone. Even if it was the most frightening thing she'd ever done.

"Okay. I'm Nora." A little of her old cheer came back. "And you can be my fearless leader."

"What? But I'm terrified!"

"Fine. My fearful leader."

"You could just call me a fairy. I'm like, apprenticed to one or something."

"I'm not calling you a fairy." Nora picked up a piece of pipe and gripped it between both hands. "But if you get me out of here, I'll go on a date with you. As long as you're okay sharing with Ren. He's my best friend forever and I don't think I could leave him out."

"Eh. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. Lead on, Nora."

* * *

 **Yep. Shorter. Puppy is scaring me so we've been at the vet. Naturally, there's nothing I can report on that. Took blood and an X-Ray to see if it's anything bad, etc, but she's usually such a greedy eater that I just don't know if she's swallowed something she shouldn't.**

 **Anyway, this chapter takes a look at the nature of cowardice, I suppose. Not everyone will agree with what's been said – especially not since "coward" is such a weirdly loaded term for a lot of people. It always seems to trigger.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 27** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	55. Chapter 55

**Here we go. Still working on sick puppy. Had massive oral paste to give her today, which came in a syringe (without needle thankfully) almost as big as her. Surprisingly wriggly when trying to get her to swallow something which doubtlessly tastes like crap on toast.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 55**

* * *

The celebration was a low-key one. Vernal couldn't care less for it and didn't show, so it turned more into celebrating her and Yang's performance, which, given that they came second and third respectively, didn't sound as good. Not that it stopped Yang from preening like a peacock under all the praise from her parents, Ruby and Jaune.

There was some from Weiss and Whitley too, though the latter spent more time complimenting _her_ instead. Emerald tried not to think on that – and the ill-fated `talk` with Auntie Summer and her father, which had shaken her world view on the concept of sex and romance. Turned out, it wasn't just something to shank someone for suggesting, or something terrible men did to vulnerable girls on the street. Who knew?

Emerald mostly ignored the chatting and dug into her rich chocolate cake covered in ice-cream and strawberry sauce – the best prize she could receive. Best `item` anyway. Far more warming was the absolute knowledge that dad had trusted her with a task – an important task to sway a fight and implicate a certain person – and she'd _succeeded_. She'd accomplished her goal without a hitch, even rationing her aura in the fight with Yang to do it. Knowing he'd trusted her with something important and that she'd not failed that trust, was the best feeling ever.

Well, best in context. The `best` was still when he'd told her he loved her and that she wasn't a tool.

This came a close second.

"I can't wait to get back home," Yang said. "I want to rub coming second in Sky's face. He'll be so jealous."

"Sky?" Mr Taiyang asked.

Auntie Summer elbowed him in the side and glared, silencing his line of questioning. Emerald thought he needed the `talk` too, since he seemed to think sex was what she had before. He laughed and went back to drinking and talking with dad and Qrow, either way.

Auntie Summer went back to staring into space, as she had been for the whole evening. Ever since the tournament. Emerald was sure she wasn't the only one who had noticed, but no one bothered to say anything. She didn't really get that. If you wanted to know something, why not ask? Did they expect the answer to come flying out of nowhere?

Seeing Mr Taiyang look over at her with clear concern, and then turn away, Emerald was forced to accept they probably did. Adults. They could be such idiots. Not dad, obviously. If he wasn't asking, then he had reason not to. Finishing the last of her cake and then licking the spoon clean, Emerald stood, picked up her drink and went to sit with Summer.

"Trying to escape all the noise?" Auntie Summer asked, smiling down at her.

"No. Wanted to ask what's wrong."

Summer laughed. "You don't mince words. Do you?"

"Why would I-?"

"It's a saying. It means you're blunt."

Emerald accepted it, even if she wasn't sure why she was considered such. She'd come to Auntie Summer when she was alone after all. That was less blunt than just demanding answers straight away. "So…?"

"What makes you think anything is wrong?"

Emerald stared at her.

"Okay. I deserved that." Summer laughed again, this time a little more honestly. "I guess I'm being pretty obvious. I'm okay, and it's sweet of you to worry. I'm just lost in thought about something. Trying to come to terms with it."

"Confused?"

"Yes." Summer ran a hand over Emerald's hair. She was the only person other than Jaune and probably Yang that she didn't shy away from if they reached for her head. And Ruby, obviously. But that was Ruby. "There's someone I used to trust, and then she proved that she couldn't be trusted. Have you ever lost a friend before?"

"No." She hadn't had many. "But I've had people I thought were friends try to stab me in the back."

"Maybe you do understand, then. It hurts. Doesn't it?"

"No. It bounced off my shoulder and didn't go very deep."

"You mean-?" Summer gasped, horrified. "Of course it's literal for you. Goodness, Emerald, you're more battle scarred than most huntresses. I meant emotionally backstabbing. Raven never- she never actually stabbed me."

Emerald's attention peaked. "Raven?"

"I shouldn't- Wait, you know her?"

"Bloody Lady." Emerald pouted. "Alcoholic."

"Ha ha! That sounds about right. And it's a nice nickname for her." Summer glanced over to the main party and, seeing them not listening, leaned in a little closer. "Have you met her many times? When did you last see her?"

"Couple weeks ago. Over a month."

Summer swallowed. "W-What did she do?"

"Stole dad's drink. His special drink." She still wasn't allowed to sample it. "Then sat on the couch like a dead body, complained about stuff and was annoying." Emerald shrugged. "I went upstairs to read. She's boring."

"That's it!?" Summer looked caught between laughter and disbelief. "That's all she does?"

"Yeah. They talk. I watched, because I wanted to stop her if she tried to hurt dad."

"That's very brave of you." Summer stroked her cheek. "But you should be careful. Raven isn't a pushover."

"Dad could beat her."

"Maybe. But you can't, and your daddy would be heartbroken if you got hurt."

Ugh. Yeah, she'd figured that. Back at the time, she'd thought it didn't matter. If she died, then who cared what those left behind felt? She wouldn't have to see or feel it happen. But now. Now, such thoughts were bigger. "I know. I won't. She just drinks and talks anyway. They never do anything, and she disappears after drinking and eating all our stuff."

"Does your father ask her to come?"

"No. She just shows up. Dad sometimes gets annoyed at it, but he lets her stay."

Summer seemed to cheer up at that a little, sitting a little easier and letting out a quiet breath. "That's… better than I expected. Thank you for talking to me, Emerald. Just one last question." Summer nudged over her own half-eaten dessert. "And I'll give you this as a reward, hm?"

Emerald's eyes locked onto the banoffee pie. "Yes?"

"Do you… Do you think she's lonely? Raven?"

"Maybe." Emerald hadn't bothered to consider it because why would she? The Bloody Lady was just another person. "Why else would she keep coming to dad for company? At least Winter is less obvious about it…"

Laughing, Summer pushed the dessert over.

No good deed went unrewarded.

Watching and smiling, Summer let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding. Keeping a secret like this would have been hard before, but if they, Jaune and Raven, were just spending time together, then maybe that was okay. It wasn't like they were doing anything Ozpin had to know about. Even if Raven had hurt her in the past, her and Tai both, she wasn't prepared to let that tear a new friend away, or to tear Yang and Ruby away from Emerald and the ASH Gym respectively. Not when they loved the Ashari family so.

As for Raven. Summer sighed.

 _I wonder what she's up to…_

/-/

Lightning struck down towards the cocky man, driving him back. The maiden's powers surged through her body and she spread her arms wide, hovering several inches off the ground as she blasted him again and again, drawing on more and more of the power to strike him down.

He dodged well, giving ground and dashing from side to side. He'd not yet drawn a weapon, a curious choice. Did he not think the fight possible to win? It might not be. The power of a maiden was far beyond what any normal person could hope to best.

"You must be the Spring Maiden, then," Watts said, oddly calm given the situation. "Fall and Winter's locations are accounted for, and Summer is a known quantity. The one seen in Menagerie. My, how the maiden travels."

Taunting her? Goading? She itched to close the distance and engage him with her sword, but he'd not drawn a ranged weapon and she wasn't so inexperienced as to give up the advantage she had. He might be trying to engage her _specifically_ to draw her close.

"We need not be enemies, you realise? Raven Branwen. Ex-student of Ozpin. Your history wasn't difficult to find, my dear. You betrayed and left him. A decision we can respect – Hazel especially. Salem, too. Work with us and you need not fear for your life or those of the people you care for. All we'd need is for you to open the chamber to the Relic of Knowledge. A simple task and then you can go about your merry way."

Unlikely given the Relic didn't have any questions left. Best not to mention that. Also, her memories from Jaune suggested that they wanted more than just the Relics. Those were the important things, yes, but the powers of the individual maidens were also something unmatched in this world. Salem would want those under her control, either through intimidation or conquest.

 _Is that why he doesn't attack? Killing me could send the powers anywhere. They want to face me with a woman; a potential maiden host._

If that were so, it was an arrogant mistake on his part. Now, if only Jaune had fought against this person, she might have the answers to his weaknesses. Sadly, he'd been focused more on Cinder and Tyrian. Frustrating. More than that, her memories, or Jaune's, didn't really explain why Watts would be interested in Nora or Ren. And it was _still_ hard not to think of those two as her teammates.

Watts had taken the time of her thinking to catch his breath, but he still wouldn't attack nor give ground. He could have fled but seemed content to keep her busy. Reinforcements? Raven glanced around the clearing and hurled some lightning at the closer trees, blasting them away to give any would-be enemies a less stealthy approach.

"Nervous?"

Hm. He was mouthy. Rather obviously an attempt to either goad her into action or distract her while reinforcements came for him. She'd have normally acted against that, but her goal here wasn't necessarily to kill him. She would if she had the chance, but if he really was going to play keep-away then she'd only wear herself out. _The brat should be getting Nora and Ren out by now. I just need to keep the attention off him._

Raven despised the concept of talking smack. It seemed like such a waste, and something Qrow loved far too much, the little drama queen. Sighing, she pushed aside her distaste. "Why are you here, Watts? Kidnapping children? That's an interesting low, even for you."

"Even for me? Do you know so much about me, Raven Branwen?"

"I know that Arthur Watts was exiled from Atlas for dabbling in things he should not have. Technology and biology are not toys to be mixed and matched at will, _doctor_." It was a distant memory that someone in Atlas had told one of Jaune's friends. He'd only heard it in passing, but it was there, and it was specific enough to make Watts frown.

"Interesting. I didn't think that was common knowledge. Something a mutual friend of ours told you?"

"Perhaps." Her association with Jaune was known, and at this point these people were hunting her anyway, so drawing more attention wouldn't make a difference. "You'd be surprised at what I know. Salem, the White Fang, the maidens. Leonardo Lionheart." Raven laughed when Arthur's face twisted with concern. "Your secrets aren't as well kept as you think."

"I can see that. A bother, though not unexpected. Tell me. This knowledge comes from the one known as Jaune Ashari. Does it not?"

He was too far away and too tense for her to hit him before he dodged. As annoying as it was, continuing to talk really was the better choice. _Hurry up, Brat. How hard is it to find those two and get out of there? I didn't train you for nothing._

"I may have asked a couple of questions."

"He knows much. Were Ozpin not alive and well, I'd say he'd been reincarnated into the boy. Considering _your_ allegiance, however. I think we both know that isn't true. What, then, is he? Have you considered that question? Are you sure you can trust him? He could be using you just as Ozpin tried to. After all, he knows about the maidens. He seeks his own power on the side."

Raven snorted. Before, the words might have meant something. Might have tickled insecurities she had harboured. Now, with these new memories, they were meaningless. Jaune hadn't even _cared_ about her. She'd not once been in his mind on coming back. Out of all the people he might have trusted, she was at the end – behind even Emerald, one of his old enemies.

That was exactly why she could trust him; because he could not trust her, and yet, in some strange way, had chosen to. Desperation for sure. She'd been his only choice. But he'd still done it.

"No dice?" Watts read her expression and hummed. "Interesting. So he's managed to fully win you over. That's a shame." His eyes flicked over her shoulder. "Nothing that can't be rectified."

Raven blasted herself to the side with a gust of wind, taking her a good twenty metres to the left, just in time to dodge the black tail that struck down on the spot she'd occupied. A man with a manic smile and an open coat tore his Grimm appendage from the ground.

"Tyrian Callows…"

"She knows me? Oh, I must be popular with the ladies. Ha ha ha! But why, why, why are you here? Where's our good friend?"

"It appears that Mr Ashari isn't coming."

"No. Say it can't be!" Tyrian swooned. "We set up everything so perfectly as well. The invitation, the lure, the setting. I even bought some new aftershave just for him!"

Lure? Nora and Ren? How had they known?

"I see your confusion," Watts said. "It wasn't hard to find people asking questions about him, especially when we've been keeping our own ears open for rumours. All it took was finding them and suggesting we were sent by him to collect them. Children. So trusting. Of course, we expected _him_ to come. Not you. Our apologies if the welcome isn't as warm as you would have liked."

A trap for Jaune, then? He would have walked into it too.

These two were a threat, but she was a maiden. Raven's eyes blazed with power and the sky above them darkened. No more words. Throwing out one hand, she blasted Tyrian away, then flung another hand high and brought it down, summoning a bolt of lightning that struck for Watts.

It was deflected by what appeared to be a miniature hurricane bursting out of the treeline.

A figure strode forth, hidden by a dark cloak, the cowl drawn up to cover her face. The shape of their body suggested a woman, but the blazing orbs that shone from the shadowed face warned of a far greater power.

Another maiden.

"Expecting a certain someone, we decided to bring quite the welcoming party." Watts straightened his coat and chuckled. "I suppose it's good we did. All things considered. Now. The question is. Are you of more use as a hostage, or with your power drawn into someone more co-operative?"

Raven flicked her sword to the side.

Words were for the weak.

/-/

Ozpin's eyes snapped open.

There, far to the east, he felt an odd, familiar, tickle in the back of his mind. He stood before he realised it and made his way to the window. The distant tang of sulphur assailed his nostrils, except that it wasn't a smell at all. That was just the closest approximation that fit. In reality, it was something deeper, something within his body, something that had once come from him. Ozpin closed his eyes and concentrated on it.

Flowers, grass and the sweet tang of rain on a spring morning. The Spring Maiden.

"Raven…?"

/-/

"Damn it." Jaune put his scroll away, seeing it as blank as it ever was. With the tournament over and everything they'd come for in Mistral over and done with, it was time to head back to Vale. But for one missing factor – Ren and Nora. More specifically, Raven and her promise to show him where they were being kept.

"Bad news?" Qrow asked.

"No. Nothing."

"You normally curse at nothing?"

"When I'm expecting something and it doesn't come, yes."

"Heh. Fair enough." Qrow hefted both his case and Ruby's, leaving the thirteen-year-old to chase after her sister and Emerald and browse some comics to buy for the flight over. The airport was crowded, and they were waiting their time to leave.

And still no contact from Raven.

 _I guess it doesn't matter if I'm in Vale or not. As long as she can take me back to Mistral via her Semblance._ He'd have appreciated a return to his texts, but supposed she was still pissed over him dragging her out in front of Summer. _Not like I intended it._ Or there was just a chance she didn't want anything to do with him now that she knew about the future. He was a walking reminder of everyone's mortality.

" _Ding. Ding. Ding. Flight 21AB to Vale has been delayed due to a freak storm. Please pay attention to monitors for revised flight schedules. We apologise for any inconvenience."_

Qrow groaned like a child. And complained like one, too. "Seriously? Come on. And thanks for the apology. I'm inconvenienced."

"Qrow." Summer punched his arm. "The weather isn't their fault."

"We have forecasts for this."

"It _said_ it was a freak storm. I don't think those get forecast."

"Weather is weather," Jaune said. He looked back to the Schnee siblings. Or one of them. Whitley had predictably followed after Emerald and the girls, while Weiss stayed back, already in possession of a book of economics she'd been reading for the past few days. Past few _weeks_ , more like. Jaune had a feeling she wasn't interested in it but reading it out of expectation. "Do you need a drink, Weiss?"

"I shall be fine Mr Ashari."

He rolled his eyes. "Would you _like_ a drink, Weiss?"

"If I may."

Qrow snickered and Jaune fished out some change for her, ignoring her protests that she could pay for herself. He told her to get him some as well as an excuse. Weiss nodded and headed off to one of the other shops.

There'd been little sign of the Nikos family or Cinder Fall after the tournament. He wasn't sure if Cinder was reporting to Salem or was genuinely innocent, and her desire to join the Gym didn't help. It could be that she really wanted the training he offered. It could just as easily be a desire to keep an eye on Vernal, who, if Cinder was working for Salem, she would think was a maiden.

Vernal had no idea what was happening either way. In an odd way, that made him feel worse than Raven, who had at least asked if Vernal was okay playing the maiden. Presumably, at least. The teen was currently struggling to carry her over-large trophy and drawing more than a few curious and admiring looks. Her name and face had been splashed around on the TV and more, much to her frustration.

"Any idea what you're going to do with that?" he asked, nodding to the trophy.

"Eh. Probably sell it."

"Sell-? Why?"

"Need the money," Vernal said frankly. "Not like I care about a stupid trophy anyway."

"Why do you need money?"

"Because I don't have any. What, you stupid or something?"

"No. Just surprised-" That Raven hadn't given her money? Oh, who was he kidding. He was an idiot. "Where have you been staying? How have you been eating?"

"I get by," she said with a shrug, as good as confirming – at least for him – that she was stealing, mugging or acquiring her funds through equally less legal methods.

"I'll buy the trophy off you and put it in the Gym. And I'll pay you well for it. At least enough to stay somewhere good and get some proper food." He looked at her and rolled his eyes. "You should have told me if you were struggling, you know. I'm responsible for you."

"Fuck off. You're not my dad."

"No, but I'd still be worried if I'd known you were living in squalor."

Vernal looked away awkwardly and mumbled something under her breath.

"What?" he asked. "Did you think I wouldn't care?"

"Shut up…" To his amusement, her cheeks turned just a little pink. Only a little, and Vernal _massacred_ the moment of weakness before anyone else could notice. "You better pay me good for this piece of crap. I want to be able to live like a damn princess."

Considering how she was helping him, and how he'd used her without asking, it was the least he could do. "You'll not be disappointed. By the way, do you have a means to contact… your mother?"

Vernal gave him such a look at that, a kind of `what the fuck` expression mixed with `oh hell no`. But it wasn't like he could call Raven by name when Qrow and Taiyang were within hearing distance. She caught on to what he meant anyway.

"No. Don't you?"

"I do. Just she isn't responding."

"Then she's probably busy."

"You don't have _any_ way of getting in touch with her? How do you expect to get back or call on her if you need help?"

"Uh. Why would I ask for help?" Vernal look at him like he was insane. "As for going back, I'll walk."

Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. He'd have to talk about parental responsibility later, since it sounded like Raven had neither thought to check in on Vernal _or_ provide her with any funds to live in the city. That Vernal had made it as long as she had was a sign of her resourcefulness. Or her viciousness.

 _I can't ask her to live with us, though. Emerald would never let me hear the end of it._

"TWO HOURS!?"

"We're right next to you, Qrow."

"Seriously though, two hours delayed? It's a storm."

"They're probably plotting out a route around it, and then they'd need to get fuel for the airship and make sure there's room in Vale to land at a different time. Check air traffic…" Taiyang trailed off for emphasis. "I don't think flying from one Kingdom to another is as easy as just showing up. There are things to plan out. And act your age. You don't hear Yang complaining."

"Yeah, because she hasn't noticed yet."

"TWO HOURS!?" Yang shrieked from a monitor system nearby.

Jaune laughed and moved over to sit on a waiting chair nearby. He accepted the trophy when Vernal plonked it down next to him in a tacit suggestion that its burden was now his to carry. The girls were off arguing by the monitors. Or Yang and Ruby were. Emerald was sampling some sugary sherbet treat with Whitley trying to convince her to try something he had. Weiss came back and handed him his drink, then sat down beside him to pretend to read her book.

"You don't have to read that if you don't want to."

"I want to," Weiss lied immediately.

He let it go. She probably thought Winter was checking in regularly on her progress, and while every message between them did ask about her siblings, it was never about how developed in their studies they were. Still, Weiss would be Weiss. Instead, Jaune sat and looked out through the window nearby, off into the distance where the so-called freak storm could just be seen as a collection of dark clouds occasionally lit by distant flashes of light.

His nose twitched. "You smell that?"

"Hm?" Weiss looked up from her book. "Excuse me?"

"That smell. Do you… It smells like burning."

Weiss would never be so crass as to sniff the air like an animal, but she raised her head gracefully and closed her eyes. She shook her head a moment later. "I don't smell anything like that. Coffee, some pastries and a fast-food stand."

He could smell those too, but the burning scent felt stronger somehow. "Never mind. Maybe I'm imagining it." Or it could have been a cigarette, faulty wire or something else. He shook it off and scratched the back of his hand.

It was _ice cold_. Startled, he looked down.

The sigil – Salem's sigil – was glowing faintly. Not burning bright like it had when he'd found and opened the door in the ruins, or as it did whenever he touched the book stored and hidden away back in Vale. In fact, you could have missed it, and people nearby probably had. It was the faint sort of glow one might attribute to poor quality `glow in the dark` toys for kids.

Considering he could _feel_ it though, that he could feel the ice creeping through his hand, it was more obvious. He covered it with his other hand and winced. Considering Ozpin was all the way back in Vale, he'd gone without his gloves for a change.

"Watch my bags for me for a sec?" he asked Weiss. "I just need to use the bathroom."

"Of course."

Nodding his thanks, Jaune stood and hurried along the windowed wall, trying to hide his hand without looking too suspicious about it. Again, the tang of burning and something like a wet breeze assailed his senses, and his eyes were drawn toward the storm in the distance. Something about it kept catching his eye.

The sigil on his hand pulsed just a little brighter.

/-/

"Are you sure this is the way out?"

It was the black-haired boy who asked it. Nora's friend, Ren. The boy hadn't asked who Jaune was, how he'd come or why they should follow him. He'd just accepted it was the better of any options available and agreed to trust him. That was good. It felt nice. He was saving people. Being a hero. There was just one small problem.

"Ah, well. I actually don't know…"

"Pardon?"

"I didn't come down here normally. Raven – that's my fairy godmother – used her magic to transport me down here."

"Semblance?"

"Nah. It's magic."

"Semblances can appear magical…"

"I know what a Semblance is, Lie."

"Ren."

"Whatever. It can't be a Semblance because she can do _too much_. She can make portals, summon lightning, fly, read the future and sense when I'm alone or in trouble across the entire world." And those were just the abilities he knew of. There were probably more. "Tell me, does that sound like a single Semblance?"

"No. If what you say is accurate."

"It is. She's amazing. You'll meet her. Just… don't tell her I got us lost. Okay?"

"If you can get us out in one piece, I'll tell her you slaughtered an army of Grimm," Ren said. The boy looked exhausted. Spent in a way that implied more than just a lack of sleep. There were little scars on his arms. "But if you have no idea how you got down, are we just wandering around aimlessly?"

"Pretty much." On seeing their despairing expressions, he said, "But that's not a bad thing. I mean, this isn't made to be a maze. Is it? People live here. If we just follow the path, we'll come to an exit sooner or later."

"We might run into the ones who kept us here."

"Raven is keeping him busy." Jaune hesitated. "Wait, the `ones`? Plural?"

"Yes. Two men and one woman."

"Oh…" He bit his lip and started to run a little faster. "Maybe we should speed this up." Aboveground, he could hear loud explosions and what sounded like the worst thunderstorm imaginable. That meant Raven was okay, but he didn't like how it kept going. If she were winning, the fight should have been over already.

 _She'll be okay,_ he told himself. _It's Raven. She can't be beaten._

The three of them hurried down the narrow corridors getting close and closer to the sounds of battle above. The ground was sloped slightly, meaning they were headed upward. Though there was no light at the end of the tunnel, it felt like they were getting closer and closer, and small patches of damp on the floor hinted at a way for rainwater to seep through.

"There," Nora called, pointing. "There's a ladder. That's our way out."

"Right into the middle of a battle by the sounds of it." Ren said.

"We just need to run away and get into the woods," Jaune said. "Raven said you'd have a way to keep us safe from Grimm, then she can use her magic to find me, and you two as well."

"My Semblance." Ren confirmed it but also looked surprised. "How did she-?"

"Duh. Magic."

"R-Right. I can't believe I'm considering the possibility. I must be more dehydrated than I first thought." As they reached the ladder, Ren reached out to touch them both. "My Semblance lets me create an area that masks negative emotions. As long as you stay close, I'll be able to make it so the Grimm don't detect us. But those people up there? It might work to make us less obvious, but they'll still be able to see or hear us."

Jaune nodded. "Got it. I'll go first so that Raven doesn't panic. Ren second and Nora third. Keep the Semblance in the middle?"

"It sounds like a good plan."

Sure. It did. Technically. Him going first was pretty intimidating though. Jaune swallowed and reminded himself that even if he was afraid, being caught down here by the people who wanted to hurt these two would be an even worse fate. Once he had a foot on the ladder, it was easier to force himself the rest of the way. The top was a metal hatch that was luckily not locked, but rather closed by virtue of gravity and weight. He nudged it open and peeked through.

Nothing.

An explosion behind him had Jaune turn and look the other way.

Oh. There was the apocalypse. Made sense. Raven was flying through the air – or close to the ground, but still flying – while another woman in a dark cloak chased after her, the two exchanging blasts of elemental fury with no regard for their surroundings or the treeline, which had already been torn asunder. It was like a battle between Gods and was in a way. If you considered Gods mythological, then fairies counted too. It didn't cross his mind that the other woman could be anything but. She flew, her eyes glowed and she threw out more elemental magic.

That was either two people who happened to have _very similar_ Semblance, which both covered a whole range of very unusual abilities, or they were trained in the same magic. "Quick," he hissed to the others, "Get up."

Ren and Nora scrambled out, Nora staring in awe at the battle and Ren looking shocked. "Is that-? It has to be. Which one is on our side?"

"The one in the black and red. Obviously."

"Obviously?" Ren hissed. "She doesn't look like the friendliest of people. I'd have said the other."

Then Ren clearly didn't realise how cool Raven was. Although, now that he looked, Raven was bleeding. Bleeding badly. _She wouldn't lose. She can't lose._ Convinced of her superiority, Jaune led the two to the edge of the forest. Grimm were a danger, but Raven said Ren's Semblance would keep them safe without even having to fight, so that was a fact. There just wasn't any need to worry. All he had to do now was wait for Raven to finish her fight and come to take them back home.

Just as soon as she won.

As soon as.

Raven slammed into the ground, propelled by the magic of the other woman, who floated in the air like some kind of storm god, surrounded by hurricane winds and orbs of fire.

"Is she-?"

"She's going to win," Jaune said, certain. "She won't lose!"

Raven stood groggily, glaring up at the woman above. A shadow appeared behind her and swiped by. The man cackled, even as Raven threw out a hand and tossed him away like he was a pebble. He crashed into and through several trees, definitely out of the fight. And yet it was Raven who fell to one knee, clutching her side and looking pale.

"Oh dear," the other man said, clapping his hands together. "Tyrian's poison is quite debilitating I'm afraid. Not fatal, but you'll wish it was. There's still time for you to surrender peacefully and aid us. You can have a place within our circle."

Her sword came up to point toward him, but it shook violently. Her brow shone with sweat and her breathing was laboured. The mystical light in her eyes flickered. As did Jaune's hopes and dreams. Was… Was Raven really going to lose.

No. No, no, no. That couldn't happen.

"Give up. Cooperate. It's the logical choice. Help us find and capture our good friend, Jaune, and we'll not have any problems."

 _Me?_ Jaune froze, even as Nora and Ren looked at him, confused. They were after him? Raven… Raven was out there fighting, risking her life, to save him? To protect him? His eyes burned. All that talk of cowards. All that talk of giving up. And here she was, the one to fly in the face of that and stand there when she was all but doomed.

"Jaune!" Ren hissed, trying and failing to catch him. "Jaune, what are you doing!?"

Not thinking, that was for sure. Not running either, but where would they run? They could probably get away. And with Ren's Semblance, it wouldn't be hard to make it to civilisation safe. Then he could call his parents, get them to come collect him and put up with the telling off of a lifetime. He'd be alive for it, though. Raven wouldn't be, but he had a feeling she wouldn't blame him for knowing he couldn't make a difference here.

Which was why – or not why – he hurtled out into the field with his sword out, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Get the hell away from her!"

* * *

 **Double the Jaune; double the stupidity.**

 **Got to go cook some pork belly for my dog now, who is** _ **still**_ **eating more handsome meals than me. Or she would be if she would eat them. Literal cooked pork belly strips and she turns her nose up. Meanwhile, my other dog is flooding the house with saliva.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 4** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	56. Chapter 56

**Mercy oh mercy, my puppy actually ate some dog food today! That's amazing since it's been** _ **two bloody weeks**_ **of forcing super-expensive human food down her (expensive by the standards of what one would spend on a dog). I'm really hoping this is a turn both because a) she'll be healthy again and b) I'll be able to put more work into my chapters. I'm already behind on other commitments, sigh.**

 **Shame the dog food I** _ **did**_ **get her to eat is super expensive, and that she ate like, half the recommended amount for breakfast. BUT she wouldn't eat a** _ **single**_ **dog biscuit before, so that's still good.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 56**

* * *

Raven's head snapped to the side. The brat – the absolute _stupid brat_ – was running out of the trees screaming at the top of his lungs and wielding his weapon without an _ounce_ of the training she'd given him. He charged right for the maiden, howling like a madman.

His target might have been surprised if she hadn't had all the time in the world to prepare for it. Jaune was running as fast as he could, but the treeline had been pushed back by the fight and he had to cover a good fifty metres of open ground, what most huntsmen would call an eternity. The other maiden slowly turned toward him, raised her hand and-

Did nothing.

Wavered.

The woman's hand actually shook in the air, not from fear – at least Raven certainly hoped not – but from some other unknown emotion. Jaune closed the distance and swung his sword like a bat. Unfortunately, the maiden wasn't _that_ stunned by his courageous assault. She stepped back once and let the tip swing by in front of her, then stepped to the left again, dodging the follow-up swing. It was simply done, the woman staying out of his reach with the ease one might from a toddler.

And yet, she didn't strike back and kill him, despite that she could.

"Your reinforcements, Raven?" Watts asked with a chuckle. He turned to the other maiden, still hooded. "What are you waiting for? Kill him."

The maiden skipped out the way of another attack and stuck out a foot, tripping Jaune and sending him crashing down into the dirt. She placed the same foot on his back and pinned him down. She didn't, however, move to kill him.

"Well? We don't need him," Watts said. "Deal with him."

For the first time, the woman spoke. "Is that necessary?"

Watts frowned.

"He's just a child," the maiden continued. "There's no point in killing him. Is there?"

"A bleeding heart? Now of all times?"

Raven watched cautiously. Jaune's arrival wasn't good timing – especially when she'd been considering the benefits of surrender and cooperation. Faked, of course. But it might have bought her a chance to escape. Trust him to overreact and rush in to try and save her, the little idiot. Raven hissed through gritted teeth and edged a hand towards her weapon. Attacking would be problematic, especially with Jaune underfoot. Any attacks on the maiden ran the risk of harming him, and Tyrian Callows would not remain down for long.

If Jaune desired to give her a distraction, he'd failed.

"Hey!" a girl's voice shrieked from the trees. An orange-haired girl about fifteen years old stood there with a dark-haired boy beside her. Both had wooden sticks in their hands, which they looked prepared to use as weapons. "Let go of him!"

"Seems my pieces escaped," Watts muttered.

The maiden stared at him. "What!?"

Under her foot, Jaune writhed and let go of his sword. His hand fell to his waist, to his belt. He drew out a sharp knife that Raven had given him. He gripped it in a balled fist, reached up and _slammed_ it into the maiden's thigh.

The woman screamed in pain and stumbled off him. Aura only worked so long as you concentrated on it and brought it to the fore. Like most professionals, the woman knew how to do so efficiently. She'd probably had it suffusing her body in Raven's direction – and she might have forced aura to the direction the girl had appeared in too, just in case she was a threat. But she had dismissed Jaune entirely. The dagger stuck in her leg and Jaune twisted, just like Raven had taught him.

"Arghhh!" the maiden shrieked, stumbling and only just catching herself on her stave.

Raven sent a lightning bolt crashing into her. The maiden blocked it but was sent hurtling back from the force. The moment she did, Raven was moving, hurtling forward with her feet not touching the floor. One arm ducked low and caught Jaune by his chest – practically clotheslining the brat as he tried to sit up. He was scooped up gasping for air.

Gunshots echoed behind. Callows, from the trees. The shots hit her back as she twisted mid-air to cover Jaune, more an instinctive motion than anything. He still didn't have aura. The shots struck and drove the wind from her, but she managed to keep going and reach the other two brats by the trees, even as Watts was screaming.

"Stop her! Kill her if you have to!"

"Ra-" Jaune began.

"No time. Fool." She tossed him down, gripped her sword and concentrated. Jaune – _real Jaune_ – was out. As was Summer, Taiyang and Qrow, all being together. Ozpin was a disaster waiting to happen and everyone else was grouped in one spot. Tribe it was. With a scowl, she slashed down and opened a swirling red and black portal. "In," she snapped to Ren and Nora. "Get in there now!"

They followed. They didn't trust her at all, but they knew that whatever she planned couldn't be worse. The second they had a foot in, Raven gripped Jaune by his collar and the bottom of his shirt, hoisted the wiggling teen up and _hurled_ him at their backs. The tree crashed through the portal with pained cries.

Not a moment too soon. The other maiden was on her. The portal fell before she could pass through it – concentration waning as she spun and brought up her sword to block the attack. It wasn't the strongest. Eyes narrowed, Raven twisted and lashed out in return, actually beating the woman's guard and cutting the fabric of her shoulder. Aura flared, telling her she'd struck true. The maiden cringed and darted back, summoning two storms between them in an attempt to create some distance.

 _She's more experienced than me with the maiden powers,_ Raven thought, _But she's weaker in combat. I can use that._ Before she could, an angry faunus burst from the treeline, blackened tail swinging wildly. Watts came in beside him, pinning her down as the other maiden recovered and decided that with the children out of the picture, she could fight at full strength once more.

"Offer to work with us is still on the table," Watts said. "I'm assuming you know about our employer from how you're acting. You know what she's capable of."

"Better than you do, I imagine," she shot back.

"Maybe so. In that case, you should know it only makes sense to work with her. Do what you have to in order to survive," he said. "There's no shame in that."

Raven laughed. It was a bitter and angry sound that made them pause. Injured as she was, she would only need to buy time to open a portal and escape. Even that might prove difficult with three people pinning her in from every side. Keep the portal open too long, or open it too early, and they might go through, kill her tribe and make all of this pointless.

"I'm afraid I can't agree to that this one time."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"I have someone to prove wrong."

/-/

Jaune fell through the portal and landed on top of Ren, who groaned and lay still under him. He pushed up and shook his head, looking around to try and figure out where Raven had sent them. It didn't look like the forest outside Ansel and it sure as heck wasn't his home either. They were in what appeared to be a tent full of other men and women – all roughly dressed and with weapons beside them. His first thought was fairies, but they were to a man ugly, scarred and brutish. Dangerous sure, just like Raven, but ugly as sin.

One of them reached for their sword. "What the hell is this?"

"Down," another said, reaching out to push the man's hand, and the sword, down. "That was the boss' Semblance. I'd recognise it anywhere."

He'd just about managed to extricate himself from the tangle of limbs that was Ren and climb to his feet when a man approached with a knife and held it out toward him, point first. It was a different man to who had spoken before, and the one who had mentioned a boss was watching cautiously, ready to intervene if needed. The dagger pushed up against Jaune's neck. It looked sharp but Jaune stood his ground, crossed his arms and said, "You're not going to hurt me."

"I'm not? Hear that, lads, I'm not going to hurt him." Laughter greeted the man's taunt and spread around the tent. "Any particular reason why I'm not going to hurt you?"

"Because my fairy god mother would be upset."

"Fairy…?" The man spluttered, then laughed, then bent double and choked on his laughter, howling and slapping his thigh with his other hand. The humour spread as it had the first time, with everyone laughing, chuckling or pointing his way. Behind him, Nora climbed to her feet and Jaune held out a hand, telling her to get behind him. "Oh look at that, he's protecting his girlfriend."

"That hasn't been established," Nora interrupted.

"Yet," Jaune agreed."

"Ye- wait, what? No, it hasn't been established at all!"

He made to answer but was stopped by the knife tickling a little closer, enough to draw a tiny bit of blood. It stung, which it wouldn't have if Raven had unlocked his aura. Stupid training, stupid fact it worked.

"I think you're a little calm for a brat relying on bed time stories to protect him."

"You won't hurt me," Jaune said again. "My fairy god mother would be _really_ upset. You wouldn't like her when she's like that."

"Oh? What's she going to do, write me an angry letter?"

More laughter.

"No. I think she'd use a knife to carve out your eyes actually." The man froze at his words. It might have been the content, but he had a feeling it was how casually he said it that made the guy pause. After all, he said it and meant it. "I was thinking she'd just kill you, but that seems too merciful for her. She'd probably make you suffer first. I don't know if she actually eats people, but she might, so she might also cook you up." He paused to scratch his chin. "She always does tell me I have to eat more protein."

"Oi!" The guy gripped him by his hair. Jaune winced and looked at him through one squinted eye. "You think you're able to scare me, brat? I'm a proud warrior of the Branwen tribe."

"Branwen?"

"Heh. I see you've heard of us. Scared…?"

"Nope." Jaune grinned. "Because now I know you _really_ won't hurt me."

"Stupid brat." The knife swung back. "I'll take an eye and see if you're still so mouthy!"

"Hey kid," the first who had spoken called quickly. "Who _is_ your fairy godmother?"

Jaune looked over, ignoring the knife rushing down. "Raven Branwen. Why?"

"Eeeeeee!" The knife swerved to the side suddenly, the attacker yanking his arm off target so fast he planted the knife into a wooden beam next to them. It splintered the wood and buried in up to the hilt. The man's eyes were wide as they darted back from the knife to Jaune, who he'd almost stabbed through the face. "T-The fuck…?" he stammered. "Y-You're the boss' godson!?"

"Well, more like her apprentice. She's teaching me to fight."

The hand holding his hair let go. The bandit stepped away slowly, both hands held up before him, empty. "H-Hey man, no hard feelings. Yeah? It was just a joke…"

Jaune stared at him. "Sure."

"R-Really!?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I said you wouldn't hurt me, so I figured it was all a joke from the start. Or an initiation. Raven hits me all the time; says it builds character."

"Y-Yeah. Character. Um… Can we _not_ tell the boss I did that?"

"As long as you don't tell her I fell flat on my face when I came through the portal."

A hand was held out. "Deal."

"Deal." Jaune shook back. Everyone was scared of Raven, so it only made sense to take precautions. "Anyway, where are we? Is this Raven's home? The Winter Woods?" His stomach grumbled. "Is there any food around?"

"I can fetch you some," the first man said, standing. It was the one who had asked for Raven's name. "The name is Roland. I'm… an old friend of Raven's."

"Raven has friends…?"

Roland considered it. "Okay. More an acquaintance."

"That I can believe." Jaune knelt and helped Ren to his feet. "Come on, guys. Time for food."

"You trust these people?" Ren asked, wincing. He'd put a lot of effort into running in the corridors underground, but it was clear now, in the light of day, that he hadn't been in the right shape for it. His bones were showing against his skin and he was very pale. Also, his eyes were bright pink.

"Nope. But I trust Raven to be absolutely livid if anything happened to us." Everyone in the tent began to sweat. "So I think we'll be okay."

"I'm sure you will be." Roland looked his way for a long second. "You look familiar somehow. What's your name?"

"Jaune."

The man paused, then shook his head. "Has to be a coincidence. Anyway, follow me. If Raven brought you here, she must want you looked after. All three of you. You can stay in her tent – it's probably safest there. Word to the wise, even if Raven is protecting you, not everyone here will wait to find that out before causing trouble. Try to stay inside, at least until Raven returns."

"We'll be good," Nora promised.

They were led out into what looked to be the largest campsite Jaune had ever seen. There had to be over a hundred tents of different shapes, sizes and colours set out in a rough circle. Campfires dotted them and faces looked out from around them, watching them curiously while others washed clothes, sharpened weapons or went about other chores.

He was a little disappointed to be honest. There wasn't much magic and the fae architecture he'd expected was nowhere to be seen. Maybe Raven and her people were outcasts or something, or maybe this was their way of camouflaging themselves in the human realm. Speaking of. "Hey Roland."

"Yes?"

"Where are we? Raven took me from home and asked me to help her rescue these two." He nodded to Ren and Nora. "She said she'd drop me back off afterwards. Preferably before my parents realise I'm missing and freak out."

"I see. Where do you live?"

"Ansel."

"I'm afraid I haven't heard of it."

"Small town," he said, not all that surprised. Most places outside the main cities were so short-lived that they weren't well-known. "Only about three days out from Vale."

Roland stilled. "The city or the Kingdom…?"

"The city obviously. Why?"

"Um, Jaune." It was Nora who answered. "This is Mistral…"

"The… uh… Kingdom…?"

"Yes," Roland replied. "Which means you're closer to three _weeks_ from your home town."

Jaune cringed. "M-Maybe my parents won't notice?"

"I think they'd be rather uncaring if they didn't," Ren said.

He was dead. Doomed, dead, discovered and other words that began with D and spelt trouble. No wait, Raven could open him a portal back home once she returned. Yeah, that would work. He relaxed and let Roland lead them to Raven's tent, which was much larger than all the others around it and had a lot of space on every side where no other tent dared come near.

"I'll leave you here and fetch you some food and drink," Roland said. "If anyone challenges you, tell them you're here on Raven's account and that they should come talk to me. I'd prefer it if you could mention her by name and not throw around the title `fairy godmother` like last time."

"Got it." Jaune mimed a hand over his mouth. "Your secret is safe with me, Sidhe."

"What did-? No. Never mind. I'm too old for this shit…"

Stepping into the tent and motioning for Ren and Nora to follow, Jaune took a few seconds to look around. Raven lived in a fairly spartan environment with little to her name other for a chest of drawers, some spare boots and what looked to be a weapon maintenance kit. _Always look after your weapon and it'll look after you,_ she would often say. Well, no. She said it once. But she made it clear he'd only ever be told something once and would have any subsequent lessons beaten into his skull.

There was a bed at the back of the tent, little more than a cot with several cushions and blankets on it. Ren looked so unsteady on his feet that Jaune told him to lay down on it, then helped the boy to it when his legs faltered.

"Will she not be angry?"

"Nah. She'd be cool with it." Maybe. Probably not. "Besides, you need your rest."

"He's right, Renny. You need to sleep." Nora helped him lay Ren down, then took off the boy's shoes and laid them by the bed. She didn't look all that better but a wooden bench nearby was enough for her to sit on. "I can't believe we're free from those people."

"I can't believe we were rescued by someone who believes in fairies," Ren grumbled.

"Hey. How do you explain all the things you've seen today?"

"An incredibly convenient and convoluted Semblance." He sighed. "One that allows for mass teleportation, control over the elements, flight, the ability to find us even when we were hidden underground with no means of communication and also some kind of mind reading to know our names."

Jaune looked at the boy sympathetically.

"Yes, I know," Ren said. "It sounds ridiculous, even to me. I'd like to grasp at the remains of my sanity for just a little longer if you don't mind."

"Sure thing. So, how did you two come to be abducted by those guys?"

Ren glowered at him. "Don't you already know?"

"Raven might," he admitted with a shrug, not too bothered by the other boy's tone. "But I'm not a fairy and I can't see the future, so I just know what she told me – which was basically that we, us three, are going to be amazing friends and that you were in danger."

"We _will_ be amazing friends," Nora agreed quickly. "After saving us. Right, Renny?"

"Of course. We owe you our lives. As for how we came to be there…" He let out an irritated sigh. "We were searching for someone. An individual who saved our lives when we were younger and gave us the means to survive after our village fell to the Grimm. We had been looking for him for some time and received a lead that led us to a small village and a man known as Arthur Watts. He claimed to also know the man and said he'd been asked by him to find us. We went with him. Foolishly."

"Why was that foolish?" Jaune asked.

"Because he was a stranger we knew nothing about?"

"Eh. My mom always says strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."

Ren stared at him. "That seems… naïve."

"It's worked for me. Not for you, I guess," he allowed. "So it was a trap, then? You were kidnapped?"

"Yes. It turns out the man who saved us is rather wanted by these people. We were questioned about our meeting with him, down to the littlest detail. I think they were going to kill us, but then I heard them talking about how _someone else_ was looking for us, and they decided we would make for bait instead."

That had saved their lives by the look of it. He wondered for a moment if they'd been looking for Raven but dismissed that. They'd said it was a `he`. "Well you're safe here," he said. "I mean, I know I'm a stranger too and it might be hard to believe that, and the whole person trying to knife me thing probably wasn't a good start but-"

"We believe you," Nora said, smiling at him. She had a pretty smile and he looked away with one of his own. "You did save us after all, and we're all out of friends at the moment. Even if this is a bit weird…"

"A bit, she says," Ren groaned. "We've been saved by a fairy and her apprentice."

"Even if it's a bit weird, it's still better than what we had," Nora finished. "We should do introductions properly. Hey, I'm Nora Valkyrie. Nice to meet you!"

"Jaune Arc." He grinned and shook her hand.

"Lie Ren," the downed boy said with an exhausted wave. "And your mentor is Raven, I take it? Will she be okay? Things didn't look good when we left. Two people throwing around natural disasters like it was going out of fashion. Not to mention those other two after her. I know she must be powerful, but can she really survive all that?"

"Don't worry," Jaune said, looking up proudly. "This is my fairy godmother we're talking about here. Raven is the strongest, most experienced and coolest person on the entire planet. No way three stooges like that would be able to beat her!"

No sooner had he spoken than a red portal swirled to life in the tent. A body spilled out of it, burnt, charred and bleeding badly. It landed with a wet thud and the portal winked shut – though not before a miniaturised hurricane came through after her, swirling around the inside of the tent, kicking up clothing and underwear and toppling bottles, which smashed on the floor. As it died down and their hair, which had been blown up, fell back, they were left to stare at the very badly injured woman breathing fitfully on the floor.

"Raven!" Jaune yelled, on his feet. "What the hell? I just got done telling them how awesome you are. You're making me look bad!"

Raven groaned once and passed out.

/-/

Qrow glanced down at his ringing scroll. Answering it, he brought it up before him. "Hey."

" _Qrow."_ Ozpin's face appeared on the other side, as hard as he'd ever seen it before. _"I need you for a task of the utmost importance, Qrow. Everything we've worked for may rest on this."_

Ominous. Qrow straightened, knowing that if Ozpin looked this serious, it was a big deal. "I'm a little busy now but I'll slip off as soon as I can. What do you need me to do?"

" _I have reason to believe two maidens actively used their powers in combat. One of them was the Spring Maiden, which we know to be within Raven's tribe. The other."_ Ozpin sighed. _"I could not identify her. The seasons mixed with Spring, giving me an impression that was at best garbled."_

Shit. "You think the tribe was attacked?"

" _It's entirely possible. I'll need you to check on them when you have the time. That can wait, however, for if they have fallen then it is too late. I want you to confirm a suspicion of mine. I need you to locate Jaune Ashari and find out what he was doing at the time this battle happened, within the last forty minutes-"_

"Mission accomplished." Qrow said.

Ozpin leaned back. _"Excuse me?"_

In answer, Qrow swept his scroll to the side, showing Jaune Ashari asleep in his chair in the Bullhead, one of those lame flight blankets pulled up over his legs and hands and a sleeping mask over his eyes. He was breathing steadily and Qrow was fairly sure he wasn't faking it – mostly because Yang was using a marker to carefully draw on his face while Summer watched with a hand over her mouth.

" _I-I see…"_ Ozpin sounded surprised. _"How long has he been like that?"_

"Twenty minutes or so. We boarded half an hour back, but the flight hasn't taken off yet. Something about a storm – wait, is that what I think it is?"

"Quite likely. I've not heard of any storm yet, but news will travel. He's been there the whole time, _then?"_

"Last two hours. I saw him go for a bathroom break but that's it."

" _Hm. Then perhaps I was mistaken. Or… No, it doesn't matter. Thank you, Qrow. I'll want to have you check in on the Branwen tribe once you're back. If nothing else, we might be able to locate the Spring Maiden if you can find someone who is injured. I'd like you to talk to Raven, too. If the tribe has been attacked, she may still see the wisdom of working with us."_

"Wouldn't hold my breath on that one but I'll give it a shot."

" _Thank you. Anything else to report?"_

"Not much. Yang came second in her bracket to the Nikos girl and the annoying bit- Vernal, I mean, won the older one."

" _Hm. Congratulate them for me then. Does your niece still intend to join Beacon?"_

"Of course." Even as he said it, Qrow felt uneasy. Not because Beacon was unsafe but because Ozpin wanting to know suggested all kinds of bad things. "There was another girl there," he said, changing the subject. "Came second in the older bracket. Skilled, very skilled. By the looks of it she wants to come and train in Vale at the ASH Gym."

" _Mr Ashari did mention he would be scouting for talent,"_ Ozpin said with a pleased smile. _"I'll look forward to seeing her in action if she joins the Gym."_ He glanced off-screen. _"Please excuse me for now, I need to talk with Leonardo and discover what I can of the situation in Mistral, then talk to James and fill him in. If they are making a move on the maidens now, everyone will need to be warned."_

"Got it. I'll keep an eye on Jaune, but I think you're barking up the wrong tree here. He's out like a light." There was a sudden lurch, a yell and plenty of girlish laughter. "Or not anymore. Ha. Good luck, Oz. See you soon."

" _To you as well, Qrow."_

/-/

The three teens managed to roll Raven onto her bed and Jaune was able to find Roland, who came back with bandages and water for them to clean Raven's wounds. "Her aura is low," Roland explained, "Hence why she's fallen unconscious. Don't disturb her and let her get some rest and she should be fine. Though I wouldn't want to meet the one who did this…"

"It was three people," Jaune said.

"Hm. Good. The tribe would be on edge if she lost to a single person. As it is, I'll be keeping her presence quiet for tonight. You three should stay out of sight until morning." He made for the tent flap but paused at it. "If she wakes up, try and get some water down her."

"Okay fairy-man."

The man left with a shrug and a sigh.

"You're remarkably calm about being trapped in the middle of Mistral," Ren said.

He shrugged. It was more that he knew there wasn't anything he could do than being calm. Until Raven woke up, he couldn't get a portal back home. "It'll be fine."

"You're also calm about those people knowing about you."

Jaune looked over. "Roland?"

"No. Watts, Tyrian. That woman in the hood."

Oh. That was bad. He hadn't thought about it, but they were obviously bad people and might be interested in getting Ren and Nora back. Or hurting Raven and, by extension, him. _Guess I'll need to get stronger so that doesn't happen. Huh. Being a coward really is good for getting strong._

Big enemies appear. Be afraid. Run away. Hide. Get stronger.

Cowardice equals win.

In theory, anyway. Jaune had a feeling the execution would be much harder, especially considering Raven – who was the strongest person alive as far as he was concerned – was currently unconscious in bed healing from numerous injuries. If even Raven couldn't beat them, how was he supposed to get strong enough to do so? Unless…

"Hey. Want to help me beat the people who attacked you?"

Ren and Nora looked at him like he was insane. "Are you insane?" Ren asked, just to clarify.

"Not right now," he said, rolling his eyes. "I mean later. Like, in a couple of years. Or after Beacon."

"Beacon…?"

"It's an Academy in-"

"I know what it is, Jaune." Ren massaged his head. "I don't need two of Nora. What I was expressing was my surprise at the assumption we would be going to Beacon. I've never even considered such a thing before."

"Sounds fun," Nora said.

"Nora…"

"What? What else were we going to do?" Ren obviously drew a blank because he sighed and threw one arm in the air. "Yay!" Nora said. "Beacon. Awesome. And we'll probably have to face those people again someday anyway," she pointed out. "Since they went after us and everything."

"Raven says it happens in the future."

"Great." Ren sighed. "And if the fairy says it happens it _has_ to happen."

"That's the spirit."

"I was being-" Ren let it go. "No. Never mind. Loathe as I am to admit it, you're probably right about them coming back. And it's not like Nora and I have many other prospects to rely on right now. We're orphans without a lien to our name."

"Raven will help. I bet she's, like, super rich."

"She lives in a tent…"

"Super-rich!"

Nora giggled at his excitement, which was good because he wasn't convinced of any of that at all – but it was better to laugh than to crawl up on the floor and weep about the uncertainty of life. He had to trust Raven would wake up and have a plan because he really didn't. He was fifteen, in another country and utterly out of his depth. Keeping Nora and Ren calm was about the only thing he could do.

"What about you, Jaune?" Nora asked. "Didn't you say you have family? Won't they be upset at you disappearing to save us?"

"Nah." He waved a hand. "I bet they haven't even noticed."

/-/

"Missing person report is filed, and the militia are combing the woods," Nicholas Arc shouted over the panicked noises his family made. "Juniper, I know it's not glamorous, but _someone_ has to watch the phone in case he or someone with information on him calls."

"Jade and Hazel can do that."

"But mom!"

"But nothing! Listen for the phone. Sable is checking the usual places he likes to play, and Coral is interrogating those bastards on the gates. If they let my boy walk out-"

"They wouldn't have," Nicholas said, pulling his sword into place. "No one would let a fifteen-year-old boy walk out of town alone." He leaned in to kiss Juniper quickly and slap a hand against her shoulder. "Try not to worry. We'll find him. If everyone else doesn't, I'll reach Vale and get to the CCT. With a signal boosted by the tower, I'll be able to patch a call through to his scroll and track him."

"Do you think this is about us telling him he couldn't be a huntsman?"

"It might be. If he's run away for that, it'll be to Vale. I hear there's a hotshot new training school there – and if Jaune heard that, he might have gotten it in his head to go along."

"Oh, I'll have words for him!" Juniper howled.

Nicholas didn't suggest otherwise. Anger was better than fear right now, and the last thing he wanted was for his family to do something reckless. Like Jaune apparently had. _At least if he snuck off to Vale, that'll mean he stowed away on a Bullhead or transport vehicle. That would get him past the walls, and it'll be a lot safer than going on foot._

Jaune would be in Vale. Lost, poor and confused, but in one piece. If not, he'd drop by the CCT, talk to Ozpin, pass on the missing person report to Vale's police department and then swing by this Fire Gym place, or whatever it was called.

And if anyone got in his way?

Well, they'd soon regret it.

* * *

 **Plenty of Jaune this chapter but not JAUNE. Yeah, that's going to be tricky. Don't worry, we're not actually moving onto young-Jaune being** _ **the**_ **main character or anything. It just made more sense to have this chapter focus on him rather than forcing me to dedicate 1 – 1.5k of each chapter for the next** _ **five**_ _ **chapters**_ **to him.**

 **The rest of them get to return to Vale for now.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 11** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	57. Chapter 57

**Have to say I've enjoyed the reviews asking why young Jaune talks and acts like a five-year-old. I can't say those points are entirely invalid. Maybe I'm being too harsh on how he was when he first showed up in the show, but he** _ **was**_ **ridiculous. I don't mean naïve or silly, but just… let's just say that in real life I'd have wondered if he were a little autistic. Not far on the spectrum, but there.**

 **It was the "strangers are just friends you haven't met" and "my father says all you need…" comments. It's rare to find an older teenager who would rely so heavily on parental advice. Almost** _ **too**_ **heavily. He was like someone just meeting real people for the first time who had been sheltered from any social contact, and who only knows how to interact based on third-hand knowledge and tips given by his caretakers.**

" **It's a sniper rifle."**

" **So… a gun…?"**

 **-_-"**

 **Really Jaune? Really…?**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter**

* * *

" _No. We just landed back in Vale. Weiss and Whitley are doing fine. They've even made some friends, for an unusual definition of the word. Whitley also has a love rival."_

"Oh? I'm sure he's enjoying the competition."

Winter laughed as she heard Jaune snort on the other end of the call. Whitley was many things but `used to sharing` was not one of them. Still, it would do him good to realise that not everything in life would be handed to him on a silver platter.

"I'm glad to hear they're settling in."

" _How are things in Atlas? Will they be going home anytime soon?"_

"I'm afraid not," she said with a little sigh. "The White Fang attacks have continued. There have been attacks on SDC personnel as well, blackmail and even assassination. Just last week they kidnapped and executed the manager of a mine on the outskirts. His body was left hanging in the mining camp when we arrived."

" _I'm sorry…"_

It was hardly his fault. She'd been run ragged the last two weeks and working on what little sleep she could steal in transit between one attack and the next. That hadn't stopped her taking a rare moment at the CCT when available. It felt like such a long time since Jaune and her spoke face to face. His blurry image on the screen was the best she could get, though he would have a sharper view of her.

That thought brought a little fastidiousness and she ran a hand over her hair, wondering if any of her exhaustion was showing and whether she should have taken the time to freshen up before. It was a foolish concern given that Jaune was a huntsman, but it was still there.

"Be sure to congratulate Emerald on her performance for me," she said. "I wasn't able to watch the match but coming in the top three is no small accomplishment."

" _I'll pass the message on. What are your plans for now?"_

"There have been White Fang sightings around a major mining operation near Argus. No attacks yet, but the locals fear they might be scouts. I'm going to show face, reinforce the garrison and run the soldiers there through some drills."

" _And if the White Fang attack?"_ he asked. She could detect the note of concern there.

"Then I will react as is expected of me. You know that."

" _Of course. Sorry if that came across wrong. I was just worried."_

Winter cursed herself for the heat that crept up her neck and cheeks. It was only concern and even the lowliest of friends could feel that when someone walked into danger, yet it still garnered such a reaction from her. How vexing.

"I will be as cautious as I ever am. You did not teach me to be anything less."

" _Ha. I guess I didn't."_

"Will you be staying in Vale for now, or are there other travels on your mind?"

" _None that I expect to make. There are some things I need to take care of here – not to mention the Gym has been closed for almost a week and some of the kids will be getting antsy. Barring an emergency, I don't expect to be moving much."_ He paused. _"Why do you ask?"_

"Just some concern for my siblings," she lied. "That is all. I… I was thinking that I might visit them in a few weeks. Just to see how they are faring." Though, if she managed to convince him and her to spend a little time together, well that was just two old friends catching up. Wasn't it? "Would that be okay?"

" _Sure. I can put you up at my place if you like."_

"That would be-" Improper. Very improper. "That would be wonderful. Thank you, Jaune."

" _No problem. Just give me a heads-up when you know you're coming. I can pick you up and show you around Vale."_

That sounded just close enough to a date for her. Winter's prior exhaustion was washed away by a fresh rush of cheer. So what if she had drills and all sorts of drama planned for the day? She had a date.

"I shall look forward to it." By the door, she caught sight of Delta waving to her. "I have to go. Work waits for no woman. It was good to talk to you again, Jaune. I… I've missed the opportunities we had to do so."

" _Yeah."_ He smiled for her. _"Me too. I'll see you around. Good luck."_

"You as well."

Winter ended the call and slumped, not from any ill feeling but because she was just that tired. Projecting otherwise to Jaune was important; he'd be upset if he knew she was working herself so hard. _Not my fault there. The White Fang are the ones forcing my hand. Their attacks lately have been downright ferocious._

"Done making kissy-face?" Delta asked.

"I do _not_ make kissy-face. But yes. I'm done."

"Good. I'll be honest, Winter. I don't like the look of things as they are. We're being herded, and I'd be afraid of any White Fang officer capable of managing that. They're not someone to be trifled with."

"I understand, but intentional or not we cannot ignore a call for assistance." But that did not mean she would ignore the former-specialist's advice either. "We will bring an increased escort. I'll leave the composition of that to you."

"Yes ma'am." He saluted. "If I may make a suggestion?"

"Of course. You know I value your opinion."

"I think you should get some rest, ma'am. You're pushing yourself too hard."

Your point is noted. It was the best she could give and she knew it wasn't enough, even before he offered his `defiant salute`, the kind Delta only gave when he wanted to make it abundantly clear he did not agree with or approve of the current course of action. He spun on his heel and marched away, leaving her to place a hand on the closest counter and catch her breath.

Just a little longer. The White Fang couldn't keep this up forever, could they?

Could they…?

/-/

Ozpin was used to unannounced visits. Glynda or Oobleck would visit through the day, as would the odd official from Vale. Qrow would come in through the window without warning and there was simply no convincing Port that the concept of an "appointment" actually existed. As the large man would say, warning Ozpin in advance would only rob him of the euphoric joy of witnessing Peter Port in action.

Luckily, he'd finished what work he had for the day, which left him to cross his arms on the table and smile pleasantly at the elevator as it approached. People often wondered at his ability to be ready whenever they arrived, but the truth was that he had a device on his desk that beeped when the elevator was put into use.

He'd expected a member of staff, maybe Qrow or Taiyang or even Summer returning from Mistral – but they weren't expected back for another hour or so. Which was why he was so surprised when the elevator opened a tall man with blond hair, blue eyes and a rough beard stepped through.

"Jaune?" Ozpin asked.

He realised his error a moment later for while there were similarities – a frankly ridiculous amount of them in fact – the man wore different clothing and had a slightly different nose. The eyes were the same, however. Especially the way they narrowed. The man, who had been walking, suddenly stormed forward with a ferocious snarl.

"Where is he? Where the _hell_ is he!?"

Ozpin thought he could be forgiven for his confusion. "Excuse me?"

"My son, Ozpin." Nicholas Arc slammed his hands down on the table. "Where. Is. My. Son!?"

"I… have no idea what you're talking about." The hesitation was only because Nicholas looked so furious that Ozpin really did pause to ask himself whether he knew _anything_ about the man's son at all. "I know you _have_ a son, and a veritable battalion of daughters, but I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about, Nicholas. What is wrong?"

"Don't lie to me, Ozpin!"

"I'm really not. Why would you think I was?"

"You said his name the second I walked through the door. Damn it." Nicholas slammed his fist down again. "Tell me, Ozpin. How many people are there out there who are called Jaune, and apparently look similar enough to me for you to be mistaken?"

"Two." It was a delight to see Nicholas look flabbergasted for a moment. "That is, assuming as you imply that your son is called Jaune and shares a family resemblance. I would not know, having never met him and instead knowing an _entirely different_ individual who shares both the name and your hair and eye colour."

The huntsman before him wore the kind of startled expression of someone who had just realised they may have jumped the gun but who wasn't quite willing to accept defeat just yet. "W-Well, and how old does this mysterious `Jaune` happen to be? Seventeen, but unusually young-looking for his age? The kind of person who you'd think was fifteen normally?"

"Thirty." Ozpin enjoyed the wince. "Or late-twenties, but he _looks_ closer to thirty-five if I'm being honest." Oh yes, Nicholas was deflating now, and looking quite embarrassed for it. "And then there's the beard," Ozpin continued, giving him no mercy. "Not to mention the stress lines. He really should take better care of himself considering he is a _grown man_ and not a child anymore."

"Ah…" Nicholas Arc slowly removed his fists from the table, coughed and straightened his posture. "A… um… different person, then?"

"Quite. Now, if you'd care to explain just why you've come barrelling in, that would be nice. And hello, Nicholas. It's been a while. How are you? Me? I'm fine. Good to hear from you for the first time in years."

There was something to be said for the `old teacher` talk for driving home the awkwardness. Nicholas' shoulders tensed with each word.

"I've been okay…" he mumbled. "Look, I apologise but… things are a little hectic."

"They sound it. Take a seat. You mentioned your son and the belief that I for some reason had him."

"Jaune," he said, sitting. "My son. He's fifteen." He pushed a picture across the table, which Ozpin took. "He dreams of being a huntsman, but he has no training and not even his aura unlocked. I told him I wouldn't consider training him since he only decided to be one at the age of fourteen."

"Hm. That is rather old to start. I'm guessing from your agitation that he has gone missing?"

"Yes. I thought he might come here because…"

"To try and join Beacon, yes. I see it. He would have to lie about his age to do so, and I think we would notice someone lacking an aura." The image before him looked like a younger version of Nicholas and, Ozpin thought, a younger version of Jaune Ashari.

A relation? It was hardly unusual to find that bloodlines had branched out. All it took was a common ancestor or someone's sister distant cousin moving to another country and starting a family. The resemblance between Jaune Ashari and Nicholas was _very close_ , however. The kind of similarity that had Ozpin thinking they could have been brothers. The only difference was that Jaune Ashari looked a little older, despite being younger.

 _Settling down and raising a family has done wonders for Nicholas. Other than the current situation…_

"I'm sorry Nicholas, but I've neither heard nor seen the boy. I'll make his name and face known among the staff and ask for any applications from him to be held on file, and you to be contacted, but I don't have any immediate answers for you." Ozpin watched the man's face fall and felt sorry for him. "Have you tried Signal? If he's looking for tuition, Patch might be more appropriate for him."

"I've made a call, but they said the same as you. No news."

"Disturbing. I hate to suggest it but…"

"He's not dead," Nicholas said. "The walls of Ansel remain strong and those at the gate never saw him leave. We think he stowed on a truck leaving, which was what made us think of Vale. There haven't been any accidents or attacks on the trade routes between Ansel and Vale for the past two months. He only went missing two days back."

A small mercy, then. Though even if death by the Grimm was not his fate, there were still many options just as unpalatable. Child trafficking was not a common problem, but then there were always those with no morals and crime _had_ been increasing in the city of late. _I should have let Qrow look into the gang violence when he asked. How short sighted of me…_

"I'm afraid I can't be of assistance, but I'll gladly come down to the police station with you to file a missing person's report. If nothing else, I can use my influence to get that out there sooner."

"Thanks Ozpin. That means a lot. I was hoping to use the CCT, though."

"You've been unable to call him?"

"It doesn't connect. But it doesn't say the number is out of service," Nicholas said quickly, "So his scroll hasn't been destroyed!"

"Good news, then. It's still early but I can open the CCT for you." Ozpin stood and motioned for Nicholas to follow. They stepped into the elevator together. "Have you any other leads to follow? What have you tried so far? I'll offer what assistance I can, of course."

"We've done everything we can in Ansel. That's why I'm travelling further. Apart from the CCT, I was going to get in touch with that new training centre on the news. The Fire Gym. I figured he might have seen them winning that tournament and decided it would train him to get into Beacon."

"Fire-? Oh, you mean the ASH Gym." Ozpin chuckled. "Yes, I can see the reasoning there, and the allure. Several people joined after their performance in a tournament here in Vale, though as you might imagine many dropped out once they discovered the only `secret` offered is that of hard work."

"Hm." Nicholas nodded, knowing it as truth. "Jaune is the type to believe anything he sees on TV."

"The ASH Gym isn't open yet – they're actually on their way back from Mistral. They may well be back by now, but I doubt the Gym will be open."

Nicholas' face fell.

"But I can introduce you to the owner later today if you wish. I was going to speak with them all regardless. If nothing else, he can keep an eye out for your son and accept his application to join, then keep him at the gym until you arrive."

"That would be nice. Thank you. And I'm sorry… for, you know…"

"Barging in and accusing me of child abduction?"

Nicholas winced. "Yeah. That…"

"I'd like to say not to worry and that I get it a lot, but I must admit this has been a first." Ozpin laughed. "Not to worry, though. I can recognise the signs of a worrying parent. Those, I deal with often enough. I would be just as nervous in your position." The elevator doors dinged open and Ozpin let the other man out. "Let's go open up the CCT and see if that yields any answers. If it doesn't, we'll visit the police department together and then the ASH Gym. I must admit, I'm… rather curious to see your reaction to the proprietor."

"Something I should know?"

"Oh, nothing."

/-/

No sooner had they landed and stepped out of the airport did Qrow break away from the group.

"Sorry to cut and run. I've got work."

"Already?" Summer asked.

"Yeah. Ozpin needs me to check up on something. This has been a fun holiday and all, but duty calls. I'll catch you all later."

Jaune wondered what that was about but let it go. He hadn't done anything worth investigating, and there was plenty of things for Ozpin and Qrow to being attention to on the side. They might even have found someone out about Salem and her people, which they'd hopefully share with him later. He shrugged and picked up both his luggage and the trophy he'd purchased off Vernal, which was gaining a few curious looks from passers-by.

"I guess we should get home as well," Taiyang said. "Come on girls. Ruby, carry Zwei."

"Got him, dad!"

"Gym tomorrow?" Yang asked.

"It'll open again tomorrow," Jaune agreed. "Usual times. I'll see you then."

Yang nodded and chased after her parents and Ruby, who were waiting for her patiently. They all waved, except for Ruby who was holding Zwei.

"Guess it's just us lot now," he said, looking to Emerald, the Schnee siblings and one hanger-on. "Vernal, are you okay to wait for tomorrow for your money? We'll need to set you up with a bank account if I'm going to transfer a decent amount in." He fished around in his pocket. "I can give you a couple of thousand tonight. That'll be enough for a proper hotel and some restaurant meals."

Vernal's eyes lit up and she hurried over. He couldn't blame her if she'd been eating cheap food and take-out she could steal off people for the last few months. She really should have said something. Then again, hadn't he been the exact same with Cardin? His whole team had been trying to help him and he'd been a stubborn idiot. Looked like Vernal took after him there.

"Thanks," she said, too pleased with the cash to even tack on the usual insult. "Tomorrow, then? What time?"

"I'll meet you at the Gym midday. The doors will be unlocked. Here, this should cover you until the end of the week. It won't take us a few hours to get you a bank balance."

"Got it. And thanks, I guess." She looked away and thumbed her cheek, before deciding there was just no point dealing with them at all and running off. She didn't even have any luggage to take with her, so he assumed she was heading to whatever restaurant smelt the nicest. He didn't doubt she could look after herself even carrying around so much.

The rest of them made their way back to his manor, which had been freshly cleaned by Junior on hearing of his return. He must have hired some people for it, since if it were the twins he'd probably have found his personal belongings rifled through. No sooner were they inside than the kids were off to dump their cases in their rooms and relax. No doubt those suitcases would stay unpacked until they desperately needed something from them, or he gave up and did it himself. Was this what having kids felt like? It was exhausting.

Leaving the trophy on the kitchen side, Jaune cracked open a can of beer and made his way down into the basement, closing the door behind him and turning on the light. The case at the bottom was still sealed under plenty of others and it took him a few minutes to get it out and open. There, hidden under several rags, was the thick book he and Emerald had recovered from the ruin out in the wilderness. He'd not so much forgotten it as decided he didn't know what to do with it.

 _Would have been helpful if Jinn had a few questions left I could have used on this. Still, even coming close to it the first time caused this mark to light up._ He looked at the back of his hand, then moved it down toward the book's cover. Nothing happened. The mark didn't come with an instruction manual, but what little he'd managed to figure out suggested it flared up around both the ancient ruins, items from them and also Ozpin of all people. _And that storm,_ he recalled. _Weird. Was Ozpin involved in that somehow?_ He'd put money on it lighting up near Salem too, but wasn't about to test that anytime soon.

There had to be something in the book. Opening the cover and rifling through the pages, he was again struck by the alien language within. Not alien in the sense of space travellers, but just the ancient runes and symbols. Oobleck might have been able to work through those, but he was still struggling on the writing on the wall. He also didn't trust this being so close to Ozpin. _If I could sense it, he probably can. He definitely noticed something odd about me the moment we shook hands._

The pages contained mostly writing but diagrams in some places and symbols in others – symbols he could tell weren't writing because they dominated clear sections of the page and were far larger, often circular with lines and shapes drawn through them. He touched his hand to the page in the hopes something mysterious would happen. The paper was warm to the touch – magical enough in itself given how cold it should have been – but there was no streak of understanding. No dawning comprehension followed by bright lights and fireworks.

Turning the page once more, he found himself staring down at the dark brown bloodstains.

The sigil on the back of his hand glowed faintly.

Ozpin…? In the odd vision he'd had, he could remember being stabbed in the back. The pain was still there, right beneath and below his shoulder blades. Considering Ozpin's ability to come back from the dead, in a manner of speaking, and how the symbol lit up when he was near the man, it was entirely possible this was Ozpin's blood.

And Ozpin's book, therefore. Another reason not to let him find out he had it.

Ozpin thought this was important in some not important enough to go after it since he'd have had hundreds of years to do that and he knew where it was. _Did he seal it away? Why? Something dangerous, or just something that would tell the truth about Salem?_

Jaune happened to agree with the thought that not everyone should know Salem existed. The panic would lead to madness and rioting. Keeping this hidden in that case made sense, but where Ozpin and Jaune disagreed was on _who_ should know. Ozpin kept a very small circle of people – usually those in positions of political power like James and Leonardo, or those he could use, like Qrow and Raven. He'd kept the secret from everyone else though, even those he professed to trust. Even from them when they'd been travelling with him. _Keeping the truth hidden to stop civilians panicking is one thing. Keeping the truth from those you are relying on to fight against her is another._

Either way, he would need to translate the book. And he'd need to do it himself if he couldn't rely on Oobleck. Damn it. It _really_ would have been helpful to have Jinn on call with a third question. Learning a whole new language wasn't going to be easy – maybe Henry Waters-Brown could get in touch with Oobleck for some advice on where to start. Touching the blood once more and seeing the sigil flare, but no vision or memory strike him, he closed the book and stored it away, hiding the crates back on top.

The doorbell rang upstairs.

/-/

Emerald looked up from where she'd been making a sandwich when the doorbell went off. Whitley and Weiss were upstairs while Jaune was in the basement, so she put her food down and made her way over to use the intercom. She wasn't sure if anyone was expected but she knew better than to just open the door to any old stranger.

"Hello?"

" _Is that Miss Ashari?"_ a tinny voice asked.

"It is. Who's asking?"

She heard a chuckle in response, probably at her less than polite demand. _"It is Ozpin. With a guest. I was hoping to speak to your father if he's available?"_

"Hm. He's a little busy." Emerald glanced toward the basement but didn't tell them to go away. "I can let you in and ask him."

" _That would be appreciated."_

"Kay. Can you stand in front of the camera?"

Another fond laugh. _"Of course. Is this alright, young lady?"_

The screen by the speaker showed the face of the headmaster. There was another behind him, but she couldn't make them out very well. It was enough for her. Call her paranoid, but she wasn't about to let someone _claiming_ to be the headmaster into the building. Not when she was unarmed. "Okay. I'm opening the door."

Unlocking the door was as easy as pushing a button and tugging it open. Ozpin spared her a friendly smile and a nod before he stepped inside and motioned for the man with him to follow. "Thank you, Emerald, and it's good to see you again. I hear you did rather well in the tournament."

"Came third," she said, not impolitely. "Yang did better."

"You don't seem upset by that."

Emerald shrugged. "She's a friend."

"I'm glad to hear it – and it speaks well of you that you can both look beyond competitions and remain such. So many people would let fame and glory dictate their friendships. Ah, but look at me. I'm rambling."

"It's okay." Dad didn't consider Ozpin a friend, but he was an ally, and that meant he was safe to be around so long as she didn't tell him anything she wasn't supposed to – which she never would. Plus, he might be her headmaster one day.

If she ever dared broach _that_ topic with her dad after the last time…

Emerald's eyes strayed to the man beside the headmaster, then grew a little wider. He looked like her dad. Not perfectly, not to her, but anyone who didn't know him well might have mistaken the two for one another. To her eyes, this man's beard was too short and neatly trimmed, and his eyes, while the same shape and colour, weren't quite as sharp. He didn't look soft, just softer than her father.

Ozpin noticed.

"This is Nicholas Arc, an old student of mine and a current huntsman. Nicholas, this is Emerald Ashari, daughter of Jaune Ashari, the head of the ASH Gym."

"Pleasure," the man said in a gruff but friendly voice. He offered his hand.

Emerald stared at it.

Arc.

Nicholas Arc.

Jaune Arc, her father's real name, before he went to King to have it changed to Ashari. The connection was so obvious she had to physically hold herself back from reacting. Dad had never been very open about his family, only saying he had one but that he could never go back to them. Emerald's eyes widened as she realised just who this person might be and what their presence might represent.

 _What if they want him back? What if they don't want me? What if he only took me in because he was alone? What if he has other family?_ Emerald's body trembled as the questions flashed through her mind, ultimately falling into place as a single thought came to the fore.

They were dismissed just as quickly – dad loved her, really loved her – but that didn't stop her glaring at the man who might have once been family, and who had obviously stood by and let her father – _her father_ – be banished from his. Why else would he have needed to take a new name!? If nothing else, Emerald decided one thing.

She was not a fan of the Arc family.

"I'll get him," she said, scowling at the Arc man and turning away, ignoring his hand. "Wait here."

/-/

"Cute kid," Nicholas grunted as the green-haired girl stormed away. "I've not seen such immediate distaste since I first asked Juniper out."

"You've ever had a way with women," Ozpin said with a little chuckle. "But please don't hold it against Emerald. Her mistrust is justified. Her start to life was not a happy one and Mr Ashari took her away from that when he adopted her. She is slow to trust but from what I have seen, there is no more loyal a friend to have. If you can win her affection, that is."

"I'm not here to make friends, Ozpin. I'm here to find Jaune. If his scroll isn't responding…"

"Have a hope. It would be all too easy to assume the worst, but we've found no indication of his demise. More likely, it's simply run out of battery. It wouldn't cross a young man's mind to take a scroll charger with him."

Nicholas grunted his agreement and looked around the rather large property. It was well-kept and clean, too clean. Given what Ozpin had said, it must have been a fresh job since the inhabitants had been in Mistral. He could see a large trophy on the side over in what looked to be the kitchen. They'd done well in the tournaments it seemed. He'd never been interested himself; being a huntsman was good for one thing only – slaying Grimm. Those who wasted time using it for self-aggrandising purposes were wasting their time.

"You mentioned his name. So, this is the `Jaune` you were speaking of earlier?"

"Indeed. I mistook you for him."

"And I mistook you for meaning _my_ Jaune." Nicholas sighed. "It's not a common name at all. Jaune Arc was one of our distant ancestors. A hero, or so the legends go. I'd be surprised if anyone else knew of it."

"The name might be assumed," Ozpin said, "Or it was one chosen for him by someone who knew and respected your family. Though, I must admit, there is a part of me that thinks he might be related to your family."

"Really?" Nicholas scowled, unsure what he thought of that.

 _Can't judge him by my parents' standards without knowing him, that's not fair. Still, the Arc name hasn't always been seen in the best of lights._ Too much chasing after glory. Too much time spent living up to name and obligation, often at the detriment of the lives of those involved.

"I'm not aware of any distant relatives but that doesn't mean there can't be any. What makes you think that's the case, though? Just from the name…?"

Ozpin smiled at him. "Not _just_ the name, no."

A door opened off to the side. "Ozpin!" a voice called. "I didn't realise you were coming over. If I'd known, I would have had some food and drink read. How have things been in-?"

The man who had come into the room froze. Nicholas froze, too. Neither moved, even as the girl stepped in front of her father defensively. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say or think, but the only thought to pass through his stupefied mind was that Ozpin was a bastard and yes, he had good reason to think the two of them might be related.

Looking at the man in front of him, it was as though he were looking in a mirror.

/-/

The tribe was in one piece.

Qrow wouldn't outwardly admit to his relief as he circled above the camp, which had taken several hours both to fly to and then find. It was galling to fly back to Vale from Mistral, then be asked to fly the other way again, but it was fast going for him either way. Even in the body of a bird, he had the endurance of a huntsman and so could fly faster and for longer than any normal crow.

If an attack had truly happened on the tribe, it had come out in one piece. Fights between maidens were dangerous things, or so Ozpin implied. That didn't mean it hadn't happened here; they might just have taken the fight away from the camp. The only way to know for sure was to land and find Raven. She'd have sensed his approach already.

Landing on the outskirts of the camp, Qrow transformed and then approached on foot. He was spotted quickly but no one dared challenge him. Oh, they glared and spat at his passing, whispering words like `traitor` behind his back. He ignored them and kept moving, eyes fixed on the central tents he knew were Raven's.

 _Just like her to make me come to her and not meet me halfway. Shit, I hope she still has the maiden here somewhere. If she was taken or killed, we could be in real trouble._

Raven wouldn't let that happen without a fight. Coward though she may have been, she wasn't stupid and knew full well what would happen if Salem collected all the maidens, and thus the Relics. You couldn't hide from the end of the world, so like a rat backed into a corner, Raven would fight if it came down to it. That was part of the reason she was so obsessed with strength, or so Qrow often thought. Because she was so afraid of being helpless.

 _Should have stayed with us, Ray. We could have all grown strong together._

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Qrow cleared the surrounding tent line and approached Raven's. He dragged the flap back, stepped inside and cleared his throat. "No need to get up on my account. I've come to- shit!"

Raven lay on a cot covered in cuts, bruises and scars. She was breathing weakly and covered by a thin blanket. Qrow's irritation fled in a second, brotherly concern – rare in today's world – replacing it. Bitch though she may have been, she was still his sister. He rushed over.

"Shit, Raven. What happened to you? Who did this?"

"You'll not harm her, fiend!" a youngish voice cried from behind him. _Quite_ the way behind him. Qrow had several long seconds to react, flinch, reach for his weapon, then categorise the age and the reckless charge, turn and stick out a foot. "Arghh!" his aggressor yelled, tripping over the outstretched leg and nearly landing on Raven.

Qrow caught him before he could, wrenched the boy back from his sister and tossed him away.

"Oof! Damn it. How did you know-?"

"You serious, kid? You announced your attack." Qrow turned, arms crossed. "Bad enough that you'd think to attack me. Didn't Raven tell you who I am…?" His words trailed off as he got a good look at the boy.

Blond hair, blue eyes, a face similar and yet _so much younger_. The features were there, the brow, the nose and the eyes. It was enough to stun him to silence, and that was _before_ he took in the outfit – a mix of ragged clothes, some of which he could have sworn were Raven's. The kid even had one of Raven's tops on, which he wore over a black pair of pants. He was somewhere between Ruby and Yang's age, probably closer to the latter.

He was also wielding Raven's sword – and like he knew how to use it.

Qrow was quick to put two and two together. He glanced back to Raven, half-expecting her to stand up and shout `surprise` at the top of her lungs. She didn't. She let out a tired and wet gurgle that sounded like she was gasping through a broken ribcage at least. This made a lot of sense, though, especially with how Raven had left Taiyang. Qrow groaned into his hand.

"I can't believe you and Ashari had a fucking kid…"

* * *

 **Two plus two equals four. Yes. Makes sense.**

 **I know what some will say – "But Qrow knows Yang and Jaune are the same age so that's not possible!" Actually, he doesn't. He knows that this kid is** _ **roughly**_ **that age. He could easily be nine months younger than Yang, or even a year or two and just be a fast grower.** **And hey, Jaune Ashari had to be around Remnant somewhere. Right? Not like he just appeared out of nowhere and happened to be in the tribe at the exact moment Qrow visited because of a coincidence.**

 **Then again, Raven explaining it doesn't make it much better.**

 **"He's not mine and Ashari's kid.** **He's someone else's.** **"**

 **"Oh, thank God." Qrow sighed.**

 **"I just abducted him."**

 **"... Damn it Raven ..."**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 18** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	58. Chapter 58

**Here we go, here we are.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 58**

* * *

"What? Ew, Raven isn't my mom."

Qrow regarded the brat carefully, looking him up and down and trying to fight off the immediate rush of relief he felt. He desperately _wanted_ to believe that was true, but the kid was here, dressed like Raven, wielding Raven's sword and he looked _exactly_ like a younger version of Jaune, who just so happened to be the only guy who could stand to be around Raven for any period of time, and who had been at the tribe before coming to Vale.

That had only been a couple of years ago, mind, but there was always the chance he'd been with the tribe longer than that. It wasn't like Raven to trust someone easily.

Still, the hope was so real…

"You're _not_ her kid?"

"No. Ew. Raven is great and all but… no."

"Heh. Smart kid. What's your name?"

"I don't think-" the black-haired pink-eyed boy spoke up.

"Jaune."

"Never mind…" pink-eye groaned. "Let's just tell the strange man everything about us. There's no way that can go wrong."

"What? But strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."

"That… I…" The boy massaged his temples. "No, forget it. You do you."

Qrow would have normally enjoyed the little argument if it wasn't for the name so casually tossed out. Jaune. _So, that's another tick on the illegitimate love child side of things._ Given the kid's age, he probably came after Yang, which raised all sorts of difficult topics. Had Raven left Taiyang _for_ Ashari? That could get ugly Very ugly.

"Named after your father?" Qrow asked casually.

"Huh. No. My dad is called Nicholas."

Phew. Qrow rocked back on the balls of his feet. Dodged a bullet there. Come to think of it, the kid looked similar enough to Taiyang as well – except with paler skin, skin that could have come from Raven. Looking closer, though, while there were a lot of similarities to Jaune Ashari, the nose especially, the boy lacked any of Raven's characteristics. Sometimes looking at Yang reminded him of his sister, but he didn't get any of that from the boy in front of him.

"So, just to be sure. You're not Raven's kid?"

"She's my godmother."

Plausible. Possible. He didn't know everyone Raven did so there was probably someone out there dumb enough to think Raven would make a good godmother. He pitied the poor bastards – they probably needed their heads checking – but they could exist, and at least it meant this wasn't the sprog of a friend cheating with his sister on his best friend. That would have made for some awkward conversations.

 _Maybe it's like `John` but regional. Might be a common name I'm just not familiar with. Not everyone gets saddled with a stupid name like `Qrow`._

"My _fairy_ godmother!"

Snrk. Qrow covered his mouth. And all of a sudden, things were looking up. "You call her that to her face?"

"Of course."

Ah, and he'd thought the day would be boring.

"Nice one, kid." He placed a hand on the brat's head. "I think I'm coming to like you. That lump of apathetic alcoholism over there is my sister. The name's Qrow. Qrow Branwen."

"Jaune Arc." He nodded to the side. "And that's Nora and Ren."

"Stranger danger!" Ren said exasperatedly. "Did your parents teach you nothing!?"

"He's not a stranger, though. He's Raven's sister. That makes him, like… god-uncle-in-law?" Jaune looked at him with narrowed eyes. "And he has the same eyes, and I've never seen red eyes on someone before. Can you turn into a bird?"

The kid knew about that? Raven must have been closer with him than he'd first thought. It was something to be kept a secret but if he already knew, then Qrow figured it would be easier to confirm he was Raven's brother and get some answers out of him. With a quick nod, he changed into his avian form and back again.

"Is that your Semblance?" Ren asked.

"Something like that," Qrow said evasively.

The kids didn't miss it.

"You're a fairy like Raven, aren't you?" the girl asked.

On the one hand, no man liked to be compared to a little winged creature for children. On the other, the thought of Raven being trapped as a `confirmed fairy` for the rest of her life was too much to pass up on. "I am," he lied. "And so is Raven. She's really embarrassed about it, though, so she'll probably say otherwise." He shrugged his shoulders and tried not to laugh. "She's actually really shy about things like that."

"I knew it! And I _told_ you so."

"Now that we've got introductions out of the way," Qrow said, "And since it looks like Ray isn't going to be waking up anytime soon, why don't you tell me what happened here? Was the tribe attacked? Did Raven fight them off? Did they… take anyone?"

Despite the willingness before to talk, the boy hesitated to spill what had happened. Qrow could respect that, but this was too important. If Raven had lost the maiden…

"Look, I was a part of the tribe before I moved on. Whatever Raven and I might think about one another, I need to know if she's in danger. I have friends who can help fix this."

"I guess…" Jaune. Younger jaune – damn, that was going to get confusing – looked to Raven's unconscious body. He was obviously worried about her. "The tribe wasn't attacked. We were actually rescuing Ren and Nora from some bad people who had kidnapped them."

"Rescue…?" Qrow looked to the two in question.

"His name was Arthur Watts," Ren said, and Qrow's eyes narrowed immediately. "He abducted Nora and I and locked us in cages in an underground bunker. He never told us what he had in store for us, but I overheard him mention to another about moving us back to meet someone important."

Watts. Qrow grimaced. So, Raven had gone out of her way to save some kids-? He wanted to say that wouldn't happen – she was a coward who only looked out for number one – but she wasn't an idiot. If one of those kinds was important in some way, important enough to be a threat to Raven if they were brought to Salem, then Raven would act. If only in her own defence.

His eyes strayed to the young girl. Fifteen, nervous and hiding behind her companion.

"Are you kids safe here for now?"

They exchanged nervous looks. Smart kids not to just assume they would be. "We think we will be," Ren said. "The tribe doesn't seem against our presence and someone is bringing food and water for us. Once Raven wakes, things might be better, but there's no guarantee Watts and his allies won't return. Without Raven to face them…"

"Yeah, I get it. Tell you what, I'll fly over to Mistral and get some medical supplies. I know the headmaster at Haven. We'll see about getting Raven back onto her feet and you three somewhere safe. How does that sound?"

"I kinda need to go home," Jaune said nervously. "I didn't tell mom or dad I'd be out helping Raven."

"Ugh." More complications. "What about you two?"

"We don't have homes anymore." Ren said. "Or families."

"Shit. I'm sorry." Too many like that nowadays. It never seemed like what they did to fight off the enemy was enough. "We'll talk more about what options you two have once I'm back. Stay here and stay safe, okay?" The three kids nodded and promised to do just that.

Time for him to head to Haven and get in touch with Ozpin.

/-/

Dad.

His father.

No, a stranger. Jaune looked away, fighting past the knot that formed in his throat as all those missed opportunities to say goodbye came rushing back up. This was the man who had raised him and who he, in his hubris, had repaid by stealing a sword from and running away. By the time they'd had any chance to reconnect, they were already facing Salem and Nicholas, like so many brave huntsmen, had given his life to defend the innocent people of the four Kingdoms.

They never did get to make up. Jaune never got his chance to apologise or ask his father if he'd been proud of him, in the end. _Don't look at him. He's a stranger here. We've never met one another before._ His legs wavered. _Is mom here…? I… I want to see her._ His sisters, too. They were all here in this world, untouched by the horrors of the future.

And, of course, there would be a Jaune here as well. An arrogant and stupid brat of a kid who thought he could become a huntsman with no training and no hard work. That he would didn't make it any better; it only served to remind him how much he'd taken his family for granted.

"Ozpin," he said, voice faint. "Is there something you needed me for?"

"Of course." Ozpin was watching him carefully. Not, for once, with suspicion, but with genuine concern. He'd obviously expected some reaction here, but possibly not so dramatic of one. "I apologise for coming unannounced," And for failing to warn him of this, his eyes said. "But my old student here, Nicholas, came to Vale with some troubling news. We were hoping you might help. Isn't that right, Nicholas?"

"Are you an Arc?" Nicholas blurted out.

Jaune met him head on. "No."

"Are you sure-? There's a chance that-"

"I have never been, and I will never be an Arc. I am Jaune Ashari."

Emerald pushed her hand into his, offering what support she could. It was more than she realised and Jaune closed his fingers around hers. A breath escaped him, and he immediately felt just a little firmer. He'd _lived_ his life as Jaune Arc. He wouldn't say he'd squandered it, but _his_ father was dead and gone. This was a different man.

"I apologise for looking so out of sorts," he said, sounding a little more relaxed. "I just got back from Mistral and haven't had any time to rest. You also – well, I guess you can see for yourself how startling the resemblance was."

Nicholas looked like he wanted to argue but Ozpin stepped in. "Let's not keep Jaune any longer than we have to, hm? We're looking for Nicholas' son, who also happens to share your name."

Jaune-? Younger Jaune? "Why?" he asked. "What's happened?"

"He has gone missing from his family home in Ansel," Ozpin explained. "Nicholas here came all the way here to see if his son hadn't tried to enrol in Beacon. To no avail, I'm afraid. We thought he may have become enamoured with your Gym after your recent success in Mistral."

Jaune here? This soon? It was… possible, he guessed. He'd never been into the tournament scene as a kid and hadn't lied to Pyrrha when he said he didn't know who she was, but that wasn't to say something hadn't changed. Even a news story on TV or an article in the newspaper; anything could have caught a young boy's mind. And with the ASH Gym didn't require huntsman training. It was honestly a better approach for his younger self than just running off to Beacon.

"I've not had a chance to check in since I got back, so if he is, I don't know." Jaune watched his father's face fall and immediately felt guilty. It wasn't _him_ per se, but he'd run off too, so all this would have been felt by his father in the original timeline. "I'd offer to take you there now and check but it's late. Even if your son was here, he'd wait until tomorrow to show up. That's when the Gym is advertised to open again."

"Do you mind if I bring Nicholas tomorrow?" Ozpin asked.

"By all means. After what we did in Mistral, I'm kind of expecting a host of new students anyway." Some like Cinder he'd keep an eye on, but he was also expecting the usual glory-seekers that had shown up the first time. Those who saw fame and got excited but inevitably wouldn't put the long-term effort in. "I'll keep an eye out for his name too and contact Ozpin the second I see him."

"Thank you," Ozpin said.

"Y-Yes." Nicholas coughed into his fist. "Thanks for that. And sorry for troubling you so late…"

"No problem. Would… Would you both like to stay for dinner?"

"We shouldn't," Ozpin said. "You've just come back and if my memory serves me, you're already looking after three children as it is. No need to add two older children to the list." He chuckled as he said it. "We'll see you tomorrow, Jaune. Thank you again for your assistance, and my apologies for any trouble caused."

"Yeah." Jaune watched them leave. "No problem…"

Emerald tightened her hold on his hand.

"I'm okay," he said, the lie coming easily. Emerald noticed it just as easily and tugged him toward the couch. He sank down into it, legs like jelly. When Emerald rushed off to get a drink, he called out, "You don't have to. I'll be fine."

Ignoring him, she came back with a can of beer. Not exactly a great image for his daughter to be bringing him, but they'd not had a chance to go shopping and get any cordial. Jaune opened it with a snap and a hiss of froth and took a long drag. The bitter taste helped to centre him. Maybe Qrow and Raven had it right when it came to coping mechanics. Though, Qrow hadn't really become a heavy drinker in this life. He only drank on nights out.

"You _are_ an Arc," Emerald whispered.

"No. Not anymore." He looked to her and reached out. Emerald was quick to take the spot at his side, leaning in with her head against the side of his chest and his arm around her shoulders. "I'm an Ashari now. We both are. That's all that matters."

Emerald nodded and cuddled into his side.

/-/

There was no Jaune in the students that arrived the next morning. There _were_ new faces, as expected, but none of the ones he's really been expecting – Cinder and, if he gut instinct was right, maybe even Sun. Still, that wasn't unusual. They couldn't just move to Vale in a single day. It would take time. What he did have were a lot of people of varying skill-levels to work with. His existing students all looked annoyed about that, especially since they knew he'd ween out the lazy ones with brutal training drills.

Everyone was in for a lot of running again. It was good for them.

While the students ran laps around the Gym, those students he had been training before leading the pack by several laps, Jaune took the time to make his way over to Ozpin. The headmaster was stood a little aside from Nicholas, who looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep and wouldn't be today either.

"Doesn't look like he joined."

"No." Ozpin let out a quiet little sigh. "It was a long shot, but I had hoped it would yield fruit. I really am sorry for troubling you with this."

"No trouble."

"We both know that isn't true – and it's not the young boy I refer to." Ozpin's gaze flicked back to Nicholas. "I won't ask what the issue is there – it's none of my business – but while I expected some surprise at the similarities, I did not foresee you would be impacted so heavily by his arrival. That was unfair of me."

"If you're fishing for information, I'm not giving it."

"I would not expect you to. Everyone has skeletons in their closet."

He was a little surprised Ozpin was willing to leave it at that, given how paranoid he usually was. It was likely Ozpin thought the information unimportant, or maybe Jaune's reaction was answer enough. Yes, there was a relation there somewhere and no, it was not an ideal one. That might have been enough for Ozpin. At the very least it confirmed that he hadn't come out of nowhere. _I guess letting Ozpin make up his own theories helps me out, too. Makes it seem like I have a past in this world._

"Thanks for letting it be. The kid, though…"

"Leave him to us; I wouldn't want it to impact your work. I've already passed the boy's description onto the local police and I'll have Qrow keep an eye out once he gets back."

"Where is Qrow?"

"On a small task for me."

"Right." No information forthcoming. Jaune exchanged a few quick pleasantries with the headmaster, telling him about a few students Ozpin might want to keep an eye on for scouting purposes – Coco, Sky and Yang being obvious choices. To his relief, Ozpin neither mentioned the lack of Emerald on that list nor suggested it. Once he was done, he moved back to the main mat to watch the kids run. Ostensibly, at least. In his head, he couldn't help but worry.

Had Jaune – the other Jaune – been found by Salem? The name was rare but not impossible to repeat and he was sure he'd kept the `Arc` name quiet – only Emerald and Raven knew it – but it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility for them to have noticed the physical similarities. Enough maybe to assume they were relatives, and that Jaune might make a promising hostage.

 _They'd have sent someone to contact me if that was the case. And there would have been a fight. They wouldn't settle for just taking Jaune when they could take my sisters, too._ More hostages meant more safety, along with the capability of harming one to prove they weren't bluffing. Given that they knew exactly where he was, it wouldn't have been hard for them to have sent their demands.

It was much more likely Jaune had run away. He'd done it once after all, so two years early was a change, but not one that couldn't be explained away. More focus on training, a change in circumstance or just some other thing he'd changed. It was hard to map every ripple. Maybe by making Rashem a fantastically wealthy businessman, that would somehow make a younger Jaune leave early. It didn't have to make sense to him – just to his fifteen-year-old self.

 _First Nora and Ren, and now Jaune. There's too much going on. I really need Raven to start showing her face again._ His agitation didn't show on his face, but it did colour his actions, leading him to shout out for the students to stop, then put them through a punishing number of push-ups, squats and crunches.

Maybe if he set up a bird bath, Raven would come.

 _Best fill it with booze…_

/-/

"What crawled up your old man's ass and died?" Coco asked Emerald in the changing room, slumped back against the cool tiled wall. Covered in sweat and with her chest rising and falling with every laboured breath, Coco looked how they felt; utterly exhausted. "And how do we get it out? I feel like every muscle in my body is on fire."

"Haaa haaa…"

Weiss was bent double over a wooden bench, still in her training outfit and with her face so red it could have matched Ruby's cloak. Only a few of the girls has the strength to make it to the showers. Yang was one of them, but last Emerald had checked, she was just laid out flat with the shower turned on as cold as it could go.

They were not the only ones. Emerald felt a little bad for the new kids, many of whom were in the bathrooms loudly throwing up. They'd probably not worked this hard in their life before, and that wasn't even an insult toward them. Whatever was eating at her father's mind, it hadn't gone away last night. He was in one of his `moods`.

People coped in different ways, Emerald had learned. Some people on the streets – a lot of people – got angry and violent. Some got weepy and some just gave up. Dad wasn't like any of those, thankfully. He hit her all the time, but training was different, and she always knew he _could_ have hit her a lot harder. Outside of it, he never raised a finger to her. The problem was that when he was in a bad mood, he got distracted, and when he got distracted, he tended to forget what most people could handle.

Case in point, he was about to lose most, if not all, of the newcomers.

Though… that wasn't an overly bad thing. At least from her perspective. Less people to share lesson time with. Besides, if they were scared off by this, then their hearts obviously weren't in it. They shouldn't waste his time.

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "There's a missing kid."

"One of ours?" Coco asked. "I didn't notice anyone absent."

"No. Mr Ozpin came around last night asking about a child who went missing; they thought he might try and join the gym." She saw a few people interested in the story but there wasn't much more she could offer. "He didn't show up, though. Dad might just be worried."

"About someone else's child?"

Emerald shrugged. "Only thing I can think of."

"Something you can do about that?" Weiss wheezed. "Preferably before we all die?"

"You live in the same house as me. You could help."

"Fine." Weiss took a deep breath and let it go. "Maybe if I asked Winter to chat with him, he'd be in a better mood."

"No!" Emerald winced when all eyes turned on her. It had backfired. "I don't think that's the best idea. Leave it to me. I know my dad better."

"But you just said to help you…"

"It was rhetorical."

"That's not what-"

"Heh, best leave it," Coco said, winking in Weiss' direction. "Not a good idea to get between daddy's girl over here and her old man. People have taken unusually vicious training accidents when they do that. You ever hear of the girl that tried to flirt with him?"

"No."

"Exactly!"

Emerald huffed. There was no student who had tried to flirt with her father, though if there had been, she'd have had words. Coco was just stirring trouble up like usual. One bright point of their brutal training was that even Vernal was too tired to be a bitch. Not exhausted like they were, but tired and satisfied about it, sat on a stool in the corner with a wide smile on her face and sweat pouring over her top.

Coco saw her looking and made a motion toward her, then circled around her ear in the universal sign for crazy. Emerald nodded, agreeing completely. Vernal was stupid – though she was now rather wealthy-stupid because dad set her up with a bank account and money. It sucked to think of Vernal stealing from them like that, but if the alternative was Vernal _living_ with them?

Emerald would sell both lungs before she let that happen.

"You ever think he needs a woman in his life?"

Emerald looked to Coco askance. "He has one. Me."

"No, I meant a _woman_."

Emerald raised a single eyebrow.

"A partner, Emerald. Stress relief. Fun times." Seeing she was getting nowhere, Coco gave up. "Sex. I'm talking about sex! He's probably stressed and needs to take the edge off."

"You're suggesting I have sex with him?"

"NO!" Coco, Weiss and even Yang (from the showers) yelled. "Someone else, obviously," Coco said. "And no, I'm not making a move on your dad. Just saying he could maybe use some fun in his live. A nice girl – or guy, I don't judge – would help mellow him out." She sighed. "At least save us being tortured like this again."

Emerald bit her lip, unsure what to think. On the one hand, her father was an adult and very much alone. Sure, she was with him, but if what Summer had said, that didn't count. _Summer would be perfect for him, but she's taken, and Yang and Ruby probably wouldn't like me trying to get my dad with their mom._

Even if it would be really convenient. She wouldn't mind Ruby and Yang as sisters.

"Do _you_ have a mom?" Emerald asked Coco.

"Yeah. And a dad, thanks."

"Does your father satisfy your mother?"

"Aaand I'm ending this conversation now." Coco turned away. "I tried, ladies. I tried."

The girls laughed in response and went back to getting changed, but Emerald mulled more on the idea. Not _her_ and her dad, of course, that would be weird. But her father was the perfect person – obviously – and was single. Maybe Coco was onto something when she said he might be frustrated. Summer and Dad had told her about that during the `talk` thing that they'd been so wound up over, how some people engaged for purposes other than marriage or reproduction which was, according to them, completely fine so long as both sides consented, took care and respected one another.

Dad seeing someone didn't have to mean marriage, or him leaving her – and nowadays, was she even worried about that at all? He'd once been an Arc but had left his family. Now, they were Ashari, and nothing was going to change that.

Whether he found someone or not, she would still be his daughter first and foremost.

Leaving things be, he might do something stupid like settling for Winter – or worse, the Bloody Lady. Or what if Vernal got her hooks in him!? It was so obvious she wanted his attention, so her trying to seduce him wasn't even that hard to imagine. That would be bad. Very bad. Better, surely, that she had a hand in finding someone perfect for him.

It really _was_ a shame Auntie Summer was happy in her marriage.

Having returned from her shower, Yang took one look at Emerald and narrowed her eyes. "I don't like the look on your face…"

"I'm thinking." No point saying what; Yang would just get angry. It was remarkable how few grown women she knew, though. "Do you think Miss Goodwitch would have sex with my father?"

"Uh. Well… I don't know? I mean, I've only met her once or twice. Why don't you ask her when she next comes down for one of her seminars?"

Ask her? Just like that? Ask Miss Goodwitch if she would sleep with her father?

Okay.

That seemed reasonable.

/-/

"Ugh." Raven's eyes fluttered open, then, when she saw the _four_ people looking down on her, shut again. "Ngh."

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," her idiot brother called in a voice so flipping _happy_ that she wanted to stab him. "The sun is up, the birds are singing and there's opportunity in the air."

"Actually, it's closer to midnight," a male voice said.

"Details."

Groaning again, Raven forced herself into a seated position, pausing as she felt bandages tighten across her stomach. They were sloppily applied; Qrow's work for sure. Why he was here, she didn't know, let alone why he'd bothered to patch her up. Judging from the presence of Jaune, Ren and Nora, she'd been successful in escaping with them.

A foreign feeling welled in her stomach.

Raven stomped it down.

This was nothing to be proud of. Foolishness beget more of the same. "Why are you here, Qrow?"

"Those are your first words after waking up? Ha. I should have known. I'm _here_ , dear sister, because your godson needed someone to collect medical supplies for you. Don't know if you're aware or not, but you weren't exactly in the best shape back there." Qrow sat on a dresser. "You feeling okay?"

"Like I was run over by a Goliath."

"I'm not surprised. Ozpin sensed two maidens fighting. Getting stuck in the middle of that?" He shook his head. "Bad idea. Reckless, even. I'd ask what changes to make you do something so stupid, but I guess even you know how bad it would be if _she_ collected all four."

Raven's stomach dropped and she shot him a harsh look, waiting for him to suggest it. Waiting for the talk on risks, recklessness and why she should do what _they_ wanted. It was not long in coming.

"Can you kids give us a moment alone?" Qrow asked.

"I dunno," Jaune said, glaring at Qrow's back. "Is he _really_ your brother, Raven?"

Despite her injuries, the look he was giving Qrow had her smiling. "Yes. Unfortunately. Go. Find me some food and drink if you want to be useful, and if anyone tries to stop you, tell them I will be less than pleased."

"Food?"

"Yes! I've been asleep for however long. I'm hungry. Go!"

"Y-Yes!" Jaune stood. "Come on, guys. Food for Raven. What do fairies eat, anyway?" The three kids ran out the tent, chattering about what to get her. With any luck, they'd find someone with an ounce of sense because she wanted bacon, beef, pork and whatever other meat she could fit down her throat. If Jaune came back with pixie dust or some such nonsense, she would put him through a crash course in swordplay.

"Cute kid," Qrow said once they were gone. "I didn't realise you were a godmother."

"Hm." Having no idea what Jaune had said, she played it safe.

"Just to check, he… isn't _yours_. Right?"

"Jaune!?" Raven grimaced. "No. Absolutely not."

"Oh, thank fuck for that. I thought - Never mind what I thought. Ozpin sent me to find out what happened when he sensed the fight between two maidens. That was the storm we saw the other day, I'm guessing." Raven tensed and Qrow sighed, noticing. "We knew you had the Spring Maiden in the tribe for a while. We didn't say anything because… well, of how you are. Figured you wouldn't appreciate the idea of us keeping tabs on you."

"I don't. I still don't."

"Be that as it may, we have been. You know what I'm going to say, Raven. Keeping that kind of power here isn't sustainable. The enemy knows where it is and as strong as you are, you're not as strong as Ozpin. The safest place for the maiden is at Beacon."

"Under his thumb, I think you mean," she hissed.

"What's your problem with Ozpin anyway?"

"You wouldn't understand." Or he would, but he would never believe her. Too much faith in the old man. "I'm not going back, Qrow. Ozpin and I are done. Finished. Life moves on." Raven grimaced. "Taiyang and Summer certainly did."

He cocked an eyebrow. "You blaming them for that?"

"No."

"He'd have stuck with you 'til the end, you know."

"Shut the fuck up, Qrow. You don't know what you're talking about, so don't try." Raven tried to stand again and grimaced, her whole body locking up as she shook. Qrow placed a hand on her shoulder and firmly pushed her down.

"Stay still. I wasn't joking when I said you looked like shit. You've taken a beating."

"Maiden," she hissed. "Couldn't tell which. Working with Watts and Tyrian."

"You against three? Fuck, Ray." He managed a grin. "You're making me feel inadequate here."

"It was not a fight I wanted. I thought I'd be against a single person." At his inquisitive look, she explained. "Watts. It was supposed to be just him, but he had backup. It was a trap from the start, and I walked into it." She blamed Jaune's memories for that. Making her do stupid things and act like him. "It's only because of my Semblance, and a distraction by Jaune, that I got out."

"Little Jaune?"

Raven nodded carefully. "It's a coincidence. I didn't name him."

"Course not. He looks fifteen. Same age as Yang?"

"Close enough I imagine. He wants to go to Beacon."

Qrow perked up. "And you'll let him?"

"It's his life to live, not mine." Raven lay back on the bed and closed her eyes. "I know what you're waiting to say, Qrow. Get it over with."

"Alright. I will. You were lucky, Raven. Real lucky. If it wasn't for your Semblance, you'd be dead. I won't say you were wrong to fight. Keeping a maiden out of their hands is important. It was… brave of you to take that on." Qrow looked annoyed at having to say it. "I guess you know how bad it would be if they got them all, so it's not too hard to believe you'd act in your own self-interest. Still think you could have got in touch with me or Ozpin, though. I know," he said, when she made to argue, "You don't trust him. But if he knew what was at stake, he'd have helped. At the very least, I could have joined you in the fight. Hell, you could have collected me, Jau- Big Jaune, Summer and Tai. We'd have chipped in for something as serious as this."

As aggravating as it was, she knew he was right. At least on one small part – Jaune. He wanted to be there to save Ren and Nora, and her going in alone was the height of foolishness. More a matter of proving to herself that she could do it. Foolishness on her part.

"But the point I'm getting to is that it's no longer safe. They know where you are now; they know what to expect. They're going to come back, and they're not gonna give up until they get the power of the Spring Maiden once and for all."

Raven scowled at the tent's ceiling.

"I know you want to stay independent. I know you want to stay out of it. But you've thrown your die in now. You've acted. They're not going to accept you standing on the side lines and they'll keep coming for the Spring Maiden as long as she's out in the open." Qrow leaned an elbow on the side of her bed. "Face it, Raven. The choice is obvious."

"No." She hissed the word, eyes clenched shut. "I'm not going back. I refuse to go back to Beacon!"

"You? Who said anything about you? I mean the Spring Maiden."

Raven stared at him, mouth open. "What?"

"Nora, the girl you risked your life to rescue," he said with the absolute certainty of a man who knew he could not be wrong. "The Spring Maiden."

* * *

 **And thus, Qrow comes to the right conclusion on some things but the wrong on others. I mean, why else would Raven be out there risking her life to save two kids? One of which is female, of the right age and trying to avoid Qrow's attention?**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 25** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	59. Chapter 59

**Just so you know, early on in this Jaune makes a reference to a Sudoku. But he doesn't say the word obviously, because it shouldn't exist as a word in Remnant. Instead, he faffs on about "number puzzles". If it makes it less dull, just assume he said Sudoku. It's pretty anal of me to refuse to use it, but I'm like that sometimes.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 59**

* * *

Jaune poured over the translated documents he'd requested from Oobleck. The Doctor had been only too happy to provide Henry Waters-Brown with what he'd found so far, which was more than Jaune had anticipated. He'd sent some more funds Oobleck's way, which the man had tried to refuse but graciously accepted after his assurances it was well earned. And it was, for Oobleck had gone at the documents like a teacher at a naughty piece of homework. Red marker everywhere – not on the actual works, of course, on scanned and printed copies – that detailed his translations, suggestions, guesses and, in some cases, justifications for why he felt something might translate a certain way.

It was like a puzzle, Jaune noticed. Oobleck didn't have anything to go on but other old languages that did have translations, and some of the notes made it clear he was basing them on other languages.

 _This notation bears resemblance to the old Mistralii character for land. Possible translations: Land, soil, dirt, farm, solidarity, country, home._

 _Derivative notation matches Vacuo runic symbols found on ruins of temples. Worship? Name or symbol of a religion? No. Repeats too often. Definitely a word. Possibilities: Faith, religion, belief, trust, God – or Gods – divine, afterlife._

The notes went on and on like that, with Oobleck sometimes coming back to cross out certain options, mostly because they wouldn't make sense in a later sentence that he felt he'd translated to a certain degree of success. Everything was guesswork, but when he was fairly sure he had it, Oobleck would then go back and apply what he thought the answer to a certain character was to other sentences, then see if that newfound knowledge helped push the line towards another definition.

It was a number puzzle. One of those games where you had to sometimes just try out whether the puzzle worked with a 6, going through all the mathematics to disprove it, then going back and trying a 5. Putting all that together, Oobleck had another set of sheets which went solely into detailing translations of individual characters. A cheat-sheet or glossary of sorts which he could use in future translations.

Jaune had that out now and was using it on the book he'd liberated from the temple.

The character for God, Divine, Religion or Faith – whatever the correct one was – came up a lot in the early pages. Given the images, however, Jaune wasn't sure it was Gods. The pictures depicted four objects with rays of sunlight coming out from them, often with people bowing in obvious worship and one stick figure holding it high above their heads with two hands. It meant the Relics. Or, if they didn't call it that – since _Relic_ was a term for old anyway, and only applied to them because they were relics _of_ this civilisation – then maybe the word meant `artefact` or something similar. An object of incredible power.

 _The Relics certainly fit that, but this suggests they weren't always unknown. People used them in everyday life. Revered them._ It was easy to see how that might work. Even if the Relic of Knowledge only gave three answers every hundred years, in the hands of a ruler, that was three secrets to be used at any time. Three per dynasty. Used to crush rivals, prevent natural disasters or even locate fertile farmland or nodes of valuable resources, it could shape a Kingdom for generations to come.

"Certainly looks like they relied on them a lot," he said, fingers ghosting over a page in which a figure held out one of the Relics towards a group of huddled and frightened looking people. In the next scene, those same people were stood tall and strong.

The thing was, there was no Grimm in those images. No threat. Those people were either the sick being healed, or just the weak being made strong for the sake of it. Not a bad ideal; if you had that kind of power, why not use it to heal the sick and injured? But did it lead to the Kingdom's downfall? If you relied on something constantly, weren't you just making yourself weaker? Some people relied too much on their aura and paid the price for it, like Ruby had once relied so much on Crescent Rose to the point that she'd been helpless without it.

Ozpin and Qrow helped her get over that after Beacon fell, but the point remained. This ancient Kingdom fell not _because_ of the Relics, but despite them. And soon after, the Relics were locked away by Ozpin and kept in hiding.

But why?

"Ozpin isn't the type to throw away something he can use without good reason. Question is, did he choose to lock the Relics away to keep them away from Salem? Or because people relied on them before and paid the price for it?"

And was he right to do so? Knowing nothing about the past yet, he had to assume the old man did. As much as he didn't approve of Ozpin's `ends justify the means` philosophy, Ozpin wasn't his enemy. Just an ally who had his own plans. The Relics would be necessary in the end, though. They needed them for the weapon that could slay Salem.

"So, if Ozpin came from this civilisation, he would know how to use the Relics to make people stronger. Why hasn't he?" Jaune's eyes narrowed. "Or has he? Raven and Qrow can turn into birds, the four maidens are guards of the Relics and every huntsman on the planet has the power of aura and Semblances."

He'd gotten used to that being standard, but it really wasn't. Was it? Aura might as well have been a superpower, while Semblances were so close to magic that some – like Glynda's and Weiss' – might as well have been called it.

Did those all exist because of the remnants of this civilisation? Or had Ozpin gone around as an ambassador and survivor of it, gifting the knowledge to unlock those unusual talents to the new humans who had populated the world after this kingdom fell? Ozpin certainly had the means and the motive. Assuming he took the four Relics with him, which seemed likely, he'd have been the most powerful person on Remnant.

Other than Salem. Another survivor? Two survivors of the ancient civilisation?

Had Ozpin left with all the Relics, or had they split them?

"Too many questions and not enough answers." Jaune turned the page again, coming to that fateful one with the bloodstains. Blood that he was still sure was Ozpin's. His hand glowed faintly again when he ghosted over it.

What if the Relics could grant other powers?

Powers like magic?

Ozpin would want to keep that to himself where possible. He gave Qrow and Raven the power, but it backfired when Raven ran. He wouldn't feel confident doing it again. Plus, he might be afraid of someone with that power going to Salem's side.

 _What if I could grant myself that kind of power? It might be enough to take on Salem, or at least to give us better odds of that. Ozpin is too focused on who he can and can't trust. I know who can be trusted._

To a degree. Blake had been a mistake, his mistake, but he, Emerald, Summer, Yang, Ruby, even Taiyang and Qrow. He knew each and every one of them would fight and die against Salem. Add in Sun, Weiss, Winter, Whitley now and a few others, and you had the makings of an army of enhanced people who would die before they joined the enemy.

"I need to know how to do it." He flicked back through the pages, to the one where the figure held out the Relic and bestowed strength onto the masses. Salem obviously had that same strength, as did Ozpin.

It was about time a few other people did, too.

Settling down for a long night, Jaune pulled forth Doctor Oobleck's notes and began to add his own, digging through the characters and runes.

/-/

Qrow flew in Ozpin's window, landed, transformed and moved forward with a huge smile on his face. "I have _amazing_ news!"

Ozpin, long used to Qrow's Semblance and the way luck usually fared around him, leaned back and picked up his weapon, holding it in front of him defensively. "Oh? That's… great." He eyed the door, expecting an ambush at any moment.

"No, seriously," Qrow said. "Actual good news. No word of a lie."

"I heard you the first time, Qrow, I'm just aware that the last time you came to me with `good news` it led to a goose chase so wild that neither Summer nor Taiyang will ever speak of it. I'm still not aware of what even happened, only that they shudder and Taiyang rocks back and forth in his chair."

"Okay, yeah, that was bad." Qrow had a faraway look in his eyes. "But this is actually good for a change. I found the Spring Maiden."

"That _is_ good." Ozpin lowered his cane, realising that pigs did fly once or twice, and that Qrow might actually have a moment where his Semblance didn't much everything up. "We knew full well she would be in Raven's tribe, though. This doesn't really change much. How is Raven, by the way? Well, I hope?"

"Knocked up and badly injured."

Ozpin's eyes narrowed. Traitor to their cause or not, Raven was still one of his students. One he had genuinely cared for in his own way. "Was she attacked?"

"Other way around. Turns out Salem's lieutenants found out about the maiden. Figured out who she was, too. They attacked and abducted her, along with two other kids from the tribe. Raven went out of her way to get them back, even getting involved in a fight with another maiden to do so."

"Does she need medical attention?"

"Nah, she's okay. You know how she is, a survivor if nothing else. She managed to spring the brats out, maiden included, and get them back to the tribe."

Ozpin let out a sigh of relief, doubly so at the Spring Maiden not being in the hands of Salem. That said, the relief was short-lived. It seemed one of the other maidens had been compromised. Whether that was by force or betrayal, there was no way of knowing. Raven did not have a monopoly on fear.

"Real tenacious brats by the way. One of them tried to ambush me from behind with Raven's sword. They're trained. At least one of them is. I noticed his stance matching Raven's."

"The boy's?"

"Yeah. Didn't see the Spring Maiden fight. She was hiding behind the other two. Seemed to trust them with her life."

Hm. Guards? Raven knew how much the Spring Maiden would be in danger. Making a retinue to protect them was something Ozpin had long thought of doing and tried once or twice by letting Beacon forge teams of good friends around them. It worked well when it did work, but the problem was that people moved on as they grew older. It was a natural part of growing up. Much like Team STRQ, they would split up to form families, travel or stay as huntsmen.

But if Raven had set the three up as fast friends from an early age, they might stay together for longer, and a unit that could support a maiden and protect them, who would all share intense loyalty to one another, was a tempting prospect.

"It looks like Raven hasn't been idle in her time away from us. I have to say I'm pleased to see she's taking her responsibility so seriously, even if I do wish she would work with and trust us."

"That's where yours truly steps in," Qrow said, sketching a bow. "I, being the absolute glorious son of a bitch I am-"

Ozpin rolled his eyes.

"-extoled on Raven the dangers of trying to do everything on her own, what with Salem now knowing _exactly_ where the maiden was and where to find her again and again. And you'll never guess what miracle I managed to pull off."

"You convinced Raven to join us!?"

Qrow sighed. "I'm not _that_ good."

"Ah. My apologies."

"But I _did_ manage to get a promise out of her to send the girl and her two chums to Beacon when they're seventeen. To study here under you and become huntsmen." Qrow spread his arms, waiting for his applause.

For once in his life, Ozpin gave it, rising to his feet and clapping his hands together.

"Wonderful news, Qrow!" he said, voice raised in genuine shock and delight. "Absolutely fantastic. I cannot believe you managed to convince her. Not to doubt you, but are you sure she will stick to her promise?"

"Positive. Raven is many things, but she doesn't lie. Besides, she's already talking about provisions. Call them conditions."

Expected really. Ozpin nodded, willing to offer whatever concessions she wished. "And those are?"

"First of all, she wants her and the tribe kept out of any of your plans."

"Naturally. Granted."

"Secondly, she wants the three of them trained and tracked into Beacon. They're not going to have transcripts for obvious reasons."

"Understandable. The whole point is to get them into Beacon where they will be safe anyway, so I see no problem there. I assume there is more. Is there anything you think I _wouldn't_ be willing to agree with?"

"Nothing I think you'd balk at, but some that might be tough." Qrow grimaced. "She wants them to train at the ASH Gym before they go to Beacon. Said she's willing to send them to Vale a whole year early if you convince Jaune to train them."

"That… should not be difficult. I'd be more than willing to pay his fees for the three of them. Is there any reason she thinks he would not? I was under the impression they were, if not friends, at least on friendly terms."

"I dunno. Raven just said _we_ should be the ones to get a promise out of him to do it."

Curious, but considering Raven, maybe she just didn't want to put herself in debt. It was a simple enough problem and one he could solve without giving too much information to Ashari. Payment for tuition and a mention of them being orphans would be enough.

"The other thing is that she wants Emerald Ashari to be on their team at Beacon."

"Ah." And here was the `difficult` part Qrow spoke of. "I would have no problem making that happen, a little `easing` during initiation, but I'm under the impression Mr Ashari does not wish for his daughter to attend Beacon."

"Yeah." Qrow grimaced. "I know."

"I cannot force him, Qrow. I hope you told Raven that."

"I did. To be fair, Raven did say `if she goes` then she wants the three of them on the same team as Emerald."

"Hm. Did she say why?"

"Not as such, but she did mumble something about `keep them safe`." Qrow shrugged. "I'm guessing she means that if they're on her team, Ashari will go out his way to keep them safe to look after his kid. You saw what he did at Atlas. If I had a kid, I'd feel safe if he or she was on Emerald's team too. Not to mention that Emerald herself is pretty good. For a kid her age, I mean."

"I suppose you're right. It may be that Raven is attached to them. Even for someone like her, personally training someone can form bonds that are hard to break." Ozpin chuckled. "I should know." It was hard to see children he'd trained go on into the wild outdoors. "Still, none of that seems impossible to manage, barring perhaps convincing Jaune to give up his daughter. I don't want to push him. He does enough to help us as it is, and I'd rather let little Emerald be the one to try and convince him."

"Yeah. Me too."

"Still, you've done fantastically, Qrow." He didn't have to feign his excitement. "Above and beyond even my highest expectations. And to think your Semblance hasn't kicked in to ruin my day. Truly, this is a day of miracles."

"Ha. Yeah. Maybe my Semblance is taking a holiday. Feels like it's about time. Anyway, I got their names. You want them for transcripts? I figured you'd want to fake your own to avoid suspicion if any spies get hold of the computer systems."

"You're right." Ozpin drew out a notepad and pen. "Go on."

"Right. You've got Nora Valkyrie. She's the maiden." Qrow paused to let him scribble it down. "Then you've got Lie Ren. Or Ren Lie. I'm not really sure how that works. Quiet kid, a thinker by the looks of it. Real analytical, paranoid too. The others were quick to trust me when I said I was Raven's brother, but he wanted all sorts of assurances."

"Wise of him," Ozpin mused. "I'm pleased to see they're cautious after an abduction. And the third?"

"Heh. The thirds a real coincidence, believe me. His name is Jaune Arc."

Ozpin's pen snapped on the paper.

His head fell into his hands. Laying the broken pen flat, Ozpin groaned loudly.

"Uh. Oz?"

"I _despise_ your Semblance, Qrow. I despise it so much…"

/-/

Winter scanned the blueprints on the desk before her, stood with her sabre hanging down her side and one hand cupping her chin. Beside her, Delta and Echo, former Agents of the Specialists, stood ready and alert, now members of her guard. It would have been nice to subsume her Specialist squad into that, but two had retired and one had left for Vale.

"It's not as bad as we thought it would be," Delta said, "But not great, either."

"This place is too fortified to deal with Grimm and not enough for human opponents," Echo said. He tapped the blueprints, pointing to the walls. "This perimeter won't do a thing against the White Fang. They'll either fly over and air drop or dig under. There aren't enough towers, either. How do they expect to monitor every stretch of wall?"

"I expect they anticipate the noise will alert them first," Winter mused.

"Sure, if it were Grimm. White Fang aren't going to roar and growl while cutting through some fencing. I can see ten different ways I'd assault this place."

"Well, that's what we're here for." Winter pushed off the table with a sigh. It wasn't a bad design this outpost had used, but it was still outdated. Designed in the good old days where Grimm were the SDC's only enemies. Oh, how the times changed.

 _I wish it wasn't in my lifetime. I could be using my time to pursue something far more interesting._ A certain blond came to mind, but she shook the errant thought away. Even if it would have been great to find work in Vale and spend more time there, maybe even help at his Gym, use it as an excuse to get closer and-

"Ma'am?"

"Ahem. Yes?" Winter looked to Delta. "What was that?"

"Do you want to do a complete overhaul of the design, or shall we focus on the troops first?"

"Security," she corrected. "Troopers are for a military. The SDC does not have a military."

The former Specialists snorted. The SDC has security forces that numbered over two thousand – rising to two and a half now that she'd taken over and ground out some more efficiency, cutting needless costs and finding more budget for personnel. Two and a half thousand men and women armed, trained and capable of engaging in armed combat with Grimm or terrorists at the drop of a hat. And yes, it was not a military. That was the SDC's argument and she had to stick to it.

They were `security forces` and nothing more. Very well-equipped security with APC's, Bullheads and, if necessary, armoured vehicles and even a small battleship.

"We'll focus on the garrison first. Any construction will take weeks to finalise as it is, and that won't mean much if the people stationed here can't hold their own. How long has it been since they last saw action?"

"If you could Grimm, two weeks ago. If you want the last time an attack actually breached the perimeter caused an injury? Three years."

Three years? That was a damning amount of time for combat personnel to be in what was increasingly looking like a non-com role. Grimm were terrifying to most people, but this was a defensible outpost around a mining facility. You didn't get much safer outside the walls than within a Schnee compound. The White Fang liked to claim the opposite – citing poor working conditions, death by mining diseases and overworking – but people only _lived_ to experience those fates because of the SDC's protection.

For many small outposts and villages outside the major cities, Grimm ran people down within a few years. Entire villages were wiped off the map with no one knowing or caring. Having the SDC take an interest in your home was a blessing in disguise, bringing new jobs, new facilities and heightened safety.

Though, that wasn't to say the White Fang were entirely wrong. Some of their mines did operate on what was essentially slave labour. Ironically, however, it was not any that her or her father had allowed. Whatever the people thought of faunus, no one would accept slavery from a company like theirs and Jacques knew it. Those who abused the faunus were usually managers of far-flung SDC mining operations who didn't have as much oversight and felt they could get away with more, all in the name of increasing their performance and bonuses.

Of course, it was still her family's responsibility to root that out and put a stop to it. They held the blame for any failures in that regard. Being so close to Argus, this mining outpost had no such problems. The facilities were high-tech, relatively safe and the people fully employed – both human and faunus.

"Complacency," Winter said. "They've not had to face a serious attack in years and that has made them fat and lazy. Literally, in some cases. Some of the officers we passed look like they haven't run a basic drill in months."

"Discipline breaks down without conflict," Delta said. "It's human nature to try and find a way out of work if it isn't necessary. Work smart, not hard."

"If it were just the Grimm we were dealing with, I'd let it go. It's the results we're interested in, however they get there. But the White Fang are a far greater threat." Winter sighed and looked to them. "Suggestions?"

"Fire everyone in command and replace them with those better. Whip the troops – sorry, security guards – into shape."

"Would that we could, but, as I said, we're not a military. We can't just remove those in command, especially not without good reasons, which we don't have considering that they have been doing their job in protecting the outpost. We'll be swamped in employment tribunals. That means no military tribunals either," she said, "seeing as we're not a military."

The two groaned. So many problems could have been solved if they _were_ a military but take that step and Atlas and Ironwood might have questions.

"The usual, then?" Delta asked.

Winter sighed again. "Unfortunately. Gather the officers and bring them to the meeting room."

It took a good forty-five minutes for everyone to be assembled. That was unforgiveable enough seeing as how they should have responded as though this were an attack. Some had come in dress uniform while others were obviously wearing clothing either a size too small or which had been freshly washed for this meeting and still bore creases and crinkles.

There were also twenty of them. A number of officers rather out of place for a facility that had, at best, sixty people manning it. Administration bloat. One of the things she'd tried to stomp out of the security forces. Too many people being promoted early, without due experience, and causing a discrepancy not only in the ranks, but the wages. Some of these people would be paid as much as three new recruits, and the recruits would probably be more useful.

Waiting for them to sit themselves around the table and for Delta and Echo to take their positions on either side of the door, Winter sipped at a glass of water. It helped to make them nervous, as did Echo and Delta guarding the exit. Movies would have caused the scene to erupt into a bloodbath as she had them all executed, dropping some asinine one-liner about how they were `fired` or she was `cleaning house`.

Winter took a second to savour the thought of just that. Alas, what happened in cinema existed only in cinema.

"Gentlemen," she said, noting that each and every one of them _was_ male, many of them over fifty. It wouldn't have been a problem if they could do their jobs, but they obviously couldn't. "As you are no doubt aware, I am Winter Schnee, Director of the SDC Security Forces. That makes me your superior, and the highest level of command you may have the fortune of speaking to."

Some of them bristled at that. Others reacted more calmly, either with scepticism, amusement or even simple acceptance.

"As you'll also no doubt know, the White Fang have continued their operations against us, throwing us into what is effectively a second faunus war, albeit one where the White Fang and the SDC are the only major factions."

"With all due respect, Winter, we are aware of this."

"Ma'am," she corrected. "Or sir. Your choice."

"With all due respect, _ma'am_." The man rolled his eyes. "My point stands."

"I'm pleased you're so alert," she said. "In that case, perhaps you can tell me why the standard of quality has dipped so much in your outpost. The men and women working here are indolent and unfit, scoring lower than average on SDC mandated fitness tests – if those tests are even logged and registered at all. I noticed the last two have either been misfiled or…" Her eyes hardened. "They were not held in the first place. I hope, gentlemen, it is the former."

"It surely is," another man said with the satisfied smile of someone intending to make it appear so after this meeting. "You know how bureaucracy can be. Paperwork gets lost all the time. As for the men, I'm sure they'll surprise you."

 _I'm sure they will,_ she thought uncharitably. They'd already surprised her by not performing the necessary ID checks when they entered the outpost, let alone checking them for hidden weapons or keeping their own trained on the convoy until they had definitive proof it was friendly.

"They'll have a chance to prove that to me. We'll be holding military drills in the coming days – including parade and cardio."

"With all due respect, ma'am, we're not a military."

"With all due respect, officer, you are held to the standards of one. And, as you have assured me, you're fully aware of the threat posed by the White Fang – which means you know that we are essentially at war. Your lives depend on this training. You _will_ see it done." Winter held their gazes, noting those who looked the most defiant. "Furthermore, there will be changes to the perimeter wall. We need more towers and more lookouts."

"We don't have the men for that!"

"Then you will get more," she snapped. "But I will first be reviewing the roster to ensure that is the case, rather than the forces here being utilised inefficiently. Say, for instance, by having one third of the people stationed here as ranking officers."

One of the men leapt to his feet. "See here, you cannot just fire us! We are employees. We have our rights."

"Of course, and I won't fire you. There are numerous other outposts with a lack of officers, mostly due to the danger and loss of existing ones to Grimm or White Fang. I may redeploy some of you to those places." Winter enjoyed the look of dawning horror on their faces. "Of course, if you can prove that so many command staff are necessary, I shall reconsider."

"What's all the fuss? They're just faunus!"

"If you believe that, then you're a part of the problem. The White Fang are more than capable of destroying this facility."

"Ha. Them?"

"I'll believe that when I see it."

"You underestimate our fighting spirit, girl."

"Shouldn't be surprised. Pampered princess playing soldier."

Winter rolled her eyes. Anger might have been a satisfying response, but it wouldn't help her. Instead, she noted all those who laughed and made a mental note to come down on them like a tonne of bricks later.

"Drills begin tomorrow at 0800 hours," she said. "If you are late, I shall have a reason why or you'll be in my office explaining why you believe you should keep your job." Her words garnered little reaction, just a bunch of old men rolling their eyes and humouring her. "As you were, gentlemen. I'll see you in the morning."

They filed out, some with mocking nods sent her way.

"Another day, another moment where I wish I had tits so I could feel less of an asshole." Delta grinned as he said it. "You've a lot more patience than me, Winter."

"That's not entirely true. It's easy to be patient when I know full well they're going to go through hell tomorrow." Finishing her drink, she left the glass on the table. "And being an arrogant idiot is hardly the domain of men alone. I shall need your help rounding up those who refuse to show tomorrow."

"Leave it to us. I'll talk to our escort. After going through that themselves, I'm sure they'll be eager to dish out the pain on someone else for a change."

"I can imagine it." Winter chuckled as she pushed open the door to her office.

Her hand fell to her weapon immediately. Delta and Echo drew their own, though they lowered them when the hooded figure sat on her chair raised both hands, showing them as empty. Winter lowered her own, though she didn't put it away.

"I'd ask how you snuck past the walls and into my office, but I have a disappointing feeling I already know the answer."

"Your men are inattentive and lax."

"Believe me, I know." Dark hood, shadowed face and little else to show, the man was as tall as she, but that was all she could make out. He didn't seem afraid, however. Even being in the middle of them like this. "Give me a good reason not to have you arrested."

"Because I saved your lives once on Menagerie."

Her eyes narrowed. "Show your face."

The man did so, reaching up to draw his hood down and reveal a smooth face and dark red hair. Though Delta and Echo didn't recognise him, she did, lowering her weapon. Of all the people she'd thought to see today, he ranked low on that list.

"What brings you here, Adam Taurus?"

Delta cursed and drew his gun. Winter's hand caught his, pushing it back down with a shake of her head. The two looked confused but trusted her, stepping back and allowing her to speak to the dangerous and wanted terrorist directly.

"The same thing that brought me the last time," Adam said. "A warning."

* * *

 **Poor Ozpin. You're just trying to run a school, make sure the world doesn't end and look after the maidens and stuff like this keeps happening to you. Give a man a break. On the bright side, looks like Raven will come good on her promise to get Ren and Nora to Jaune.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 1** **st** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	60. Chapter 60

**So, I got a PM or two asking about my dog's health. I thought I cleared that up, but I may have mentioned it in a story that fewer people read. My puppy, Kali, is back at full health now. She has to eat prebiotic dog food from now on, and some specialist stuff, but luckily, I am used to that since my German Shepherd has EPI and also needs crazy requirements.**

 **She doesn't have EPI. It's something else, more a deficiency in one thing or another. Either way, she's put weight back on and is back to being energetic and crazy as usual.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 60**

* * *

Delta and Echo were on edge, but Winter found herself surprisingly calm. This was the man most wanted by the SDC, who was responsible for some of the most successful and sustained raids on her family and their convoys. He was by all rights a monster to be put down. And yet she moved over to sit opposite him, granting the terrorist her own chair for the moment.

"You aided us on Menagerie," she said, surprising both Delta and Echo. "I find myself curious as to whether you will do the same again."

"I might," Adam said. "For a favour in kind."

"Go on."

"I want you to put me in contact with Ashari."

 _Why am I not surprised? Everything comes back to him eventually._ Winter steepled her fingers. It was no mystery why he thought she would know a way. Everyone knew her position as his first apprentice – officially, anyway – and even more, especially the White Fang, keeping an eye on Schnee matters, might know that she and he were – while not officially engaged – at least `seeing` one another.

"I'll need more than that, you understand. Whatever you might offer me, Jaune is a special individual to me." Winter's brow twitched as she heard Delta elbow Echo's ribs. Even Adam smirked, drawing a flush to her cheeks.

"Special, hm?"

"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" Winter snapped.

"As you wish." Adam's smile fell and he leaned forward. "By now, you've no doubt realised that my loyalties are not to the White Fang as it has become. Those who lead care little for the cause I was willing to lay my life down for. They only care for two things; sowing chaos…" His eyes met hers. "And hunting down Ashari."

Winter's fists clenched. "Why?"

"If I knew that, life would be a lot easier. I'm not trusted. I'm being watched."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I am scouting your facility prior to our attack."

Delta cursed and Echo reached for his weapon, both halted as Winter held up a hand. "An attack?" she asked. "Here?"

"Within the next two days if I can caution patience. More likely tomorrow."

"Jaune isn't here. What's the point?"

"Someone he cares for is here."

Winter's blood boiled. "You wish to take me as hostage for Jaune? I will never allow it!"

" _I_ have no such wish," Adam said calmly. "I have orders. Orders that come with consequences for failure, the kind from which recovery isn't quite so simple. My influence wanes within the White Fang."

"Is that a bad thing?" Delta asked.

"You tell me, human. Will my replacement come meet with you? Will they warn you of an impending assault on your position?" Adam stared the Specialist down. "I thought not." He looked back to Winter. "As for why I need Ashari, I need answers. Information. If I am to act against the ones now running the White Fang, I need to know what their goals are. What motivates them. Considering their obsession with Jaune Ashari and anyone related to him, I believe him to be my best bet."

Winter leaned back, considering the cards that Adam had laid on the table. He was nothing if not forthright, but then if he truly wanted access to Jaune, Adam would know he had to be. She was no frightened maid to be intimidated at the thought of battle, capture or even death. And it would be death. If they tried to use her against her family and the man she loved, Winter would ensure their attempts failed.

"Why not simply leave the White Fang? Given your skills, you could do well in the military. Or as a huntsman if you feel you can't trust Atlas or the SDC."

"I cannot."

"Why? If it's being hunted down you're afraid of, we can work around that. Jaune might-"

"It is not for my sake that I stay in the White Fang. I have… I have a companion. Someone I care for. Her feelings are not as mine thanks to actions taken by Atlas. You executed her father."

Winter flinched. "Belladonna." Her eyes closed. "I had no hand in that, nor did my father."

"I believe you, but the fact changes little. She does not. She is filled with anger and hate thanks to Atlas' actions and believes wholeheartedly in the White Fang's methods, whatever they might cost. I stay for her sake. So long as she remains in the White Fang, I cannot – will not – leave."

"Even if it costs you your life? Even if you hate it?"

"We made a promise to stay by each other's side. Were our positions reversed, if I had become the monster and Blake the spectator, I know she would not give up on me. Blake would do whatever she could to help me, to bring me back to the right path." His eyes met hers through his mask, piercing and calm. "Blake would not abandon me, and I shall not abandon her."

"I can respect that." Winter laid her hands on the table. "Let's talk."

Jaune stood in the middle of the ASH Gym with his hands on his hips, looking at his latest recruits. More streamed in every day after the tournament in Mistral; many of them stood to stop and stare at the trophy Vernal had won, now standing in the atrium looking over the gym. Some even stared at Vernal herself, seeing the celebrity in the flesh. An amused part of him wondered what _his_ Pyrrha would say if she could see how Vernal reacted to the fans.

She'd probably cover her hand with one mouth and gasp at the language used, then, when she was out of the public eye, burst into laughter. Pyrrha always had two faces like that, the polite and kind face for those who didn't know her, and the wonderful person she truly was in private.

Maybe _this_ world's Pyrrha would get a chance to mix those two together.

He didn't know; she wasn't among the recruits.

 _Can't say I expected Alexander Nikos would let her join. And Helena is doing a more than good enough job helping her grow into a huntress._

There were other noticeable faces among the new recruits, though. For one, a shy faunus huddled at the back with long ears poking out from beneath a beret. Mysteries clicked into place as he realised just where Coco had picked up the odd fashion choice. It was her way of forcing Velvet to accept who she was, kind of like if Yang had taken and worn Blake's bow to make her do the same. Right now, Velvet was nervous and on edge, looking like she wasn't sure she wanted to be there.

She had potential. He'd have to try and break her out of her shell – or partner her up with Coco until she did it for him.

Also among the crowd was a blond monkey faunus who was sneaking glances at Emerald, who was sneaking glances in the opposite direction. No, she'd fully turned away now with a huff. If she thought that would dissuade Sun, she clearly didn't know him as well as Jaune did. Imitating Blake's actions was a baaad idea.

Yep, there he went, grinning like a lovesick fool. Or a kid with a crush, the latter being more likely. Of all the people he wouldn't mind trying to win his daughter over, Sun Wukong had to be at the top of the list. The guy had basically followed Blake to the ends of Remnant to help her get over her funk, then brought her back to her team again, all without the promise of so much as a kiss. Sun might dress a jock, but he was a puppy at heart.

The last person his eyes crossed over was the real problem, however. Or an opportunity.

Depended on how it all went, really.

Cinder Fall looked up at him expectantly, sat cross-legged on the floor with the other new students. Where everyone else fidgeted or shuffled about, she sat still and silent. Patient. Waiting. Watching. Scheming.

"Welcome to the ASH Gym," he called out, breaking eye contact with her. It was hard not to show a reaction and the only way he could was to tell himself that there was no proof this Cinder was as his yet. Blake may well have taken her spot.

It was still hard. This girl _killed_ Pyrrha.

"You've all likely seen us on TV, at tournaments or just read about us online. We are a preparatory training gym that focuses on what I like to call results-oriented combat." His words earned a few laughs from his other students, especially Yang. "All are welcome here, but I will warn you now that our training is not for the faint at heart. It is not for the meek-" Oops, and now Velvet was shrinking. "It is not something you will be able to think of as a mere hobby. You may try, and congratulations to you if you can manage it, but you will come here fresh and you will leave shaking and sore. Many of our students will go on to join Academies such as Beacon, Haven or Shade. They will go on to fight Grimm. I will make each and every one of you who stays into someone who can, if they so choose, attempt the initiation at one of these academies."

"As such," he continued, looking over some of the… less fit members, "The workload you will go through is gruelling. It is not kind, nor gentle, nor will you learn fancy `techniques` that will let you defeat your foes. You will learn to fight. You will learn to win." His lips drew into a wide smile. "You will also learn to lose. You will lose a lot." He let the implicit threat sink in. "Any questions?"

Cinder raised a hand.

"Miss Fall."

"Do we need to join an academy on graduation?"

"No. Your choices in life are your own. I'm simply saying you'll be driven to that level." Seeing her hand go down and running through a hundred questions on why she might ask it, he spoke again. "Any other questions?"

"Is your daughter single?" Sun asked cheekily.

"Any questions for _me_ ," Jaune sighed.

"Yes!" Yang shouted.

"No!" Emerald yelled.

"Absolutely not!" Whitley hissed.

"What!?" Emerald rounded on him. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"ANY QUESTIONS?" Jaune asked, shouting over his students.

Velvet looked like she wanted to ask something, but her hand wouldn't make it all the way up. Or even beyond her shoulder. He met her eyes, asking silently if she wanted to make a question, only for her to glance down and lower her hand.

He sighed. There was work to do there.

"Perfect. We'll start with the ASH Gym special." Eyes lit up. "Run laps around the arena until I say stop. If you can't run anymore, you can sit on the mats, but I'll warn you that we'll be doing this each and every day. Combat training doesn't start until you're nice and exhausted." He watched them cringe. "What are you waiting for? Go." To _his_ students, he called, "Any of the new ones beat any of you, and you'll be doing press-ups. To the newbies, beat any of my existing students and you'll get _out_ of press-ups."

Mostly because they wouldn't need them so bad if they could outrun his students. Still, there were a few – Cinder and Sun – who might just be able to do it. Those two were on their feet already, running off. Neither was afraid of hard work.

His students, on the other hand, were deathly afraid of being shown up by new blood and chased after them like young-him after Weiss Schnee. The rest of the newbies caught on and staggered to their feet, loping after them all.

All the running really was boring at times, but it did well to work out the chaff. It was hard to arrange spars and teach them on actual combat training when he had students who were just as likely to kill themselves with a basic dodge or grapple hold.

Another reason for his impatience was that he'd seen Ozpin enter the crowd halfway looking more nervous than he had _ever_ seen the man before. The headmaster had waved to him immediately, asking for his time. His agitation made it clear it couldn't wait.

"What's wrong?" Jaune asked, picking his way through. "Do we need to go somewhere more private? Is Beacon under attack?"

"What?" Ozpin looked genuinely shocked at the suggestion. "No. Nothing of the sort." He _did_ draw Jaune aside, though, away from the other parents and a worried looking Summer Rose. "It's Jaune," Ozpin explained. "Other Jaune."

"Jaune Arc?"

"Yes." Ozpin sighed. "Raven has him."

Jaune's mouth fell open. He usually did his best to try and stay composed around Ozpin – the old man was more than wise enough to pick up on cues – but this…? Raven had the younger version of him? Why? How?

How did Raven even know Jaune existed!?

"I have no idea," Ozpin said, and it took Jaune a second to realise he'd asked that out loud. "I'll admit, I came here hoping you _might_ know, but I can see you're just as surprised as I am. Qrow brought me the news," Ozpin said. "I assume you had no knowledge of it."

"None. I mean… he wasn't there the last time I was."

"Of course not. Nicholas said he only went missing a few days back."

Oh, right. Of course. This was a recent development.

…

What the hell was Raven doing with mini-him!?

 _Wait, she already knows I'm a time traveller thanks to Jinn. Does she have some plans around little me? Why? What's the point?_ He tried to think of a reason, any reason, but nothing came to him. Raven shouldn't have even known where Ansel was, let alone where he lived.

"I'm going to need the full story," Jaune said.

"I cannot tell you everything for I don't know it. I sent Qrow to look in on Raven. I like to keep tabs on her every now and then. Her leaving Beacon was one of my biggest regrets and-" Ozpin paused, then shook his head. "I'm drifting. My apologies. Qrow visited and found Raven in a state of some injury-"

"How?" Jaune snapped. "Who did it?" Shit, they wanted her powers. "Is she alive!?"

"Peace, Jaune, she lives." Ozpin had a hand out, pressing against Jaune's chest.

Given that his own were fisted and one had hold of Ozpin's lapel, he could see why. "Sorry," Jaune whispered, surprised at his own violent reaction.

"All is well." Ozpin smiled. "I'm glad to see Raven has someone who she can rely on so, and who would come to her defence so readily. I really do regret losing her. I still consider her one of my favourite students."

A little shame pooled in his gut. He didn't have the heart to say his reaction had only been out of fear that Salem might have collected the power of the Spring Maiden. "Yeah. I… I overreacted. Sorry. Go on."

"Raven lives and has recovered," Ozpin said, quickly putting him at ease. "As I understand it, she was injured in a rescue attempt on three children, one of whom was the young Mr Arc himself, and the other two of which were children from Mistral. Two orphans."

Two-? Could it be? There was a lump in his throat, one that threatened to burst out with names and wholly incriminate him in front of Ozpin. He swallowed it, hoping Ozpin mistook his fear for that over Raven's safety.

"Are they all alive?" he asked instead.

"Alive and well. Qrow confirmed it with his own eyes."

Thank the Gods of Light and Darkness. Jaune almost sagged and caught himself with a hand on the nearby wall. Ren and Nora – and little him, he supposed, but it was mostly Ren and Nora he'd been worried about – were safe. They were okay.

But why had Raven gone after them alone? Why hadn't she called on him for help?

 _It's not like her to risk her own life like that…_

"Raven has agreed to transport the three of them here," Ozpin said. "She understands that it isn't safe to keep them close when the enemy struck at them. Once she is on her feet, she will open a portal. Given her… difficulties with most of the people she might be bonded to, I was hoping you might work as an intermediary on our behalf."

"Of course. I'd be happy to."

"Thank you." Ozpin smiled. "I'll be honest, I came hoping you would have answers for me, but I see I've only given you more questions. I apologise. Raven has always been a very private individual. I hoped she might have shared with you the reasons for her actions…"

"No." Jaune shook his head. "She told me nothing…"

"I see. I apologise, then."

"Have you told Nicholas?" Jaune asked.

"I informed him via scroll that his son was found, safe and being transported back to Vale. I told him to call his wife and children with the good news and to meet me one hour from now in a restaurant nearby. I'd like to say I planned that solely out of respect for his family, who must be panicking, but the reality is that I was hoping you might be able to answer some of the hundred and one questions I'm going to be faced with."

"I can answer one. Portals."

Ozpin rolled his eyes. "Yes, I figured out how she took the young Mr Arc from Ansel to Mistral. Thank you for your astute analysis, Jaune." His expression became a little more relaxed. "And I'm also sorry for being so pressing about Raven. I understand you and she are close friends, and it cannot make you think the best of me to mistrust her so-"

"But it's Raven," Jaune answered. "I understand. I wouldn't trust Raven with impressionable children either."

Ozpin looked surprised at his candour.

"I may be her friend, Ozpin, but that doesn't make me blind to her many faults."

He laughed. "No. I suppose it does not. Thank you for understanding. I should go prepare for my meeting with Nicholas."

"He can't be there," Jaune said.

"I had a feeling you might say that." Ozpin sighed. "Nicholas isn't going to like that."

"I know, but you know he'll try and pressure Raven if he sees her."

"You can't blame him, Jaune. She abducted his son."

 _If I know anything about me, and I do, it's that I'd have gone willingly like a complete idiot._

"Deserved or not, I can't deal with him trying to fight Raven. And you can't be there to calm him down since we both know Raven won't open a portal if she senses you near me."

"You are correct, of course. I'm not looking forward to explaining this one to him…"

"Do your best."

"I'll have to." Ozpin sighed again. "I'll just not tell him who my intermediary is or when his son will be arriving back. He will be angry at me, but there won't be much he can do. Hopefully, once his son is back, we'll be able to put this behind us. Forgive me for saying it, but people with the name `Jaune` seem unusually adept at causing me problems."

"Heh. No offence taken."

"Good." Ozpin's eyes narrowed suddenly. "And I also apologise for what is to happen after this conversation."

At Jaune's quizzical look, Ozpin nodded to the side.

Summer crept nervously out from behind a vending machine, embarrassed to have been caught listening.

"Is eavesdropping your thing now, Summer?" Jaune asked with a sigh. "Or have you taken to stalking me every single time I walk away to have a private meeting with someone?"

"It is when no one is telling us anything. Raven was – is – my teammate."

Ozpin patted Jaune on the arm and offered a commiserating smile, one that subtly informed him that he hadn't noticed Summer until the end. "Well, I should go," the headmaster said. "Summer, do try not to keep Mr Ashari from his students for too long. He has a class to teach."

Summer looked at him, arms crossed, waiting.

"You know, I'm not a mind reader."

"Do you have to be? You know what I want to know."

"Raven is alive and well," he said.

"That's not…" She bit the words off, aware of the trap she was walking into. "I _am_ glad to hear that. But it's Raven. She's not someone to be taken out by just anyone." Summer smiled cockily. "No member of Team STRQ is going to die just like that."

 _You did._

"She was attacked by the same people that nearly killed you."

Her smile wavered. "The ones from Atlas?"

"I'd assume so."

"Why?" Summer asked. "Why are they after us?"

"It's not you. They're after me."

"Liar!" Summer poked his chest. "They tried to kill me long before I ever met you, and they've attacked Raven now. You might be doing some stupid machismo `keeping the poor maiden out of danger` bullshit, but I'm not an idiot, Jaune, nor am I some frightened princess. I'm a huntress. I'm a fighter. And if me, my team and my family are in danger, I deserve to know what from, why, and who I have to hunt down to make it stop."

"You know, I'm beginning to see the similarities between you and Raven."

"And I'm beginning to see the ones between you and Ozpin. Neither of you want to tell us anything." The words made him wince. "Now stop stalling, stop trying to change the subject and tell me who it is trying to kill every member of Team STRQ."

"You know who it is, Summer. You saw them at Atlas."

"Yes, but I don't know what they want with me and my family!"

"Don't you?" Jaune reached up to tap her between her eyes. "You sure you don't?"

Summer's silver eyes crossed. "Is – Does that mean Ruby is in danger, too?"

"You know what they want, Summer, and you know who they are. As for why they want me, I'm not even sure _they_ know that. That's the point. I confuse them. That's why they want me. But you? They just want you out of the way."

"A-And Raven?" Summer asked, stumbling back. "Why her?"

He didn't have the right to tell Raven's secret. "You sure you can't figure that one out?"

"Her Semblance." Summer leapt to the wrong conclusion, though, on second thought, a very possible and very dangerous one. "If they found a way to force her to their side, or just to control her, they could use her Semblance to find you, me, Qrow or Ozpin at any time. We'd never be safe. They could strike whenever and however they wanted."

He hadn't even thought of that.

Shit.

"What about Ruby?" Summer hissed. "Her eyes. Is she in danger?"

"No." Jaune stepped past her. "Not as long as I have a say in it." He looked ahead; his face next to hers but looking back towards his students. "Leave Raven to me. Please. It's not that _I_ don't trust you. It's whatever is going on between you and her. But right now, Raven needs to bring some very important people here. Kids the same age as Yang, kids who might be hunted down and killed if Raven can't get them to safety."

His eyes met hers.

"I can't stop you following me to try and talk to her. I can't stop you trying to jump in and demand answers on why she ran away. But Raven can sense you and will know if you're near me, and if she decides not to open that portal and those kids get killed as a result…" He let the words trail away.

Summer's head fell.

"I… I'll stay away." Her voice was frail. "But can you ask her? Can you ask her, why?"

"Are you sure you want to know? Not every question has a good answer, or a happy one. What will you do if she just says it's because she always hated you? Never cared about you?"

Summer scrunched her eyes shut. "Is that the reason?"

"I don't know. Raven never told me. We may be friends but she's not exactly the type to come out and share her problems. Or admit she has them in the first place. I've never asked her about you… mostly because I knew she wouldn't answer."

"Then try," Summer begged. "For me."

"Once those kids are safe. Not before. I can't risk them."

"Y-Yeah. I get it. I'll stay away."

"Thank you." He made to walk away, then paused. "One question, though. You have to know Qrow goes and visits her on Ozpin's behalf. Why have you never asked _him_ to go get an answer off her?"

Summer laughed bitterly. "Because it's Qrow. Because Yang is his niece, Tai is his best friend and Raven is the sister he hates. He could never make her answer and he'd just jump to stupid conclusions on whatever she said. Or he'd just not ask her and tell me I shouldn't care or worry about what a traitor and a coward like Raven thinks."

"But she was my teammate," she said, whirling on him. "I… I'm angry she left Tai and Yang, but she's still my teammate. My best friend. Even if she could be a bitch at times, she wasn't always like that…"

Jaune thought of his team. There were few moments where his had been a pain, that had always been him – with his stubbornness over Cardin or his refusal to accept help from Pyrrha. Maybe that was close enough, though. His team had stuck by him.

"I'll ask her. Though I can't promise you'll like the answer."

"Thank you."

Walking away, Jaune focused once more on his students, arriving just in time to find a good two thirds of them out on the mats, exhausted and covered in sweat, with the rest still running. In the lead, Vernal kept ahead of Cinder, but only just. She came in second, struggling and failing to catch up and glaring daggers at Vernal's back for it.

"What's this?" Jaune bellowed. "That's a new member of the Gym beating everyone except Vernal. Stop running and drop. I want thirty press-ups and thirty squats from every one of you. Well? What are you waiting for?"

Everyone groaned and did as asked, shooting glares at Vernal and Cinder as they did, the only two who didn't need to do it. Mostly because those two could have done it in their spare time as it was or kept running for several more laps entirely.

"Okay," he called once they were done. "We'll move onto some exhibition matches – newbies get to watch, except for Cinder and Sun, who I know from the tournament can handle it. Everyone else, I want you to keep a close look on what learning to fight here is really like. You'll be expected to face your peers in this, so if you decide it's too much for you or not what you expected, you're free to not come back in the future."

Nervous and excited faces. Many of them probably would stay. He hoped so. It was getting closer and closer to the time when Beacon would begin – not this year in general, but _his Beacon_. Once that happened, these kids would need to be ready.

And _he_ would need to have a firm grip on Cinder.

"First match, Yang Xiao-Long against Sky Lark. Get up there and show the new bloods what you're made of. Sky, focus on Yang's feet, not her-"

"YES SIR!" Sky yelled, interrupting with a red face.

"Yeah, Sky." Yang leaned forward and blew him a kiss. "Eyes on me."

 _Chalk up another easy victory for Yang. She's way too good at getting in people's heads._

The boy went red.

 _Or the heads of teenage boys, anyway…_

/-/

"Is it always like that?"

"Hm?" Emerald turned, surprised to find someone talking to her in the changing rooms after so gruelling a session.

Cinder Fall stood behind her, having changed into an outfit that included black trousers and a tan jacket over a white shirt. For all the hard work, she seemed remarkably at ease, almost like she was used to it. "The training," she said, "It was hard. Punishing, even. I've never experienced anything quite like it. Is that common here?"

"Yes." Emerald turned away but listened intently, ready for any attack. "If it's too much for you, you're free to leave."

The girl laughed. She had a friendly, charismatic laugh. "It's not that. I actually like it. He's your father, isn't he? I heard someone mention it, and we met briefly at the tournament. I saw your fight with your friend."

"And…?"

Cinder's smile fell.

"Hey!" Yang interrupted with a bright grin, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Don't mind Em here, she's got a prickly shell you need to work your way past." Yang looked past Cinder, giving Emerald a stern look.

 _You don't understand,_ Emerald wanted to say. _She's suspicious._

There could be no explaining why. Yang wouldn't understand.

"Is that so?" Cinder laughed again, unconcerned with how close Yang was. The same couldn't be said for Emerald, who trembled slightly. Yang was her friend, _her friend_ , and she didn't want her near someone her father said might be dangerous. "If that's the case, I won't take it personally. I do hope we can become friends, though. I'm still rather new to Vale. Perhaps you could show me around some time."

"No."

"Sure," Yang answered for both of them. "I'll have to talk to mom and dad, but they'll be cool with it. And Emerald will come as well. She needs to be less of a stick in the mud."

"If she doesn't want to, she doesn't have to," Cinder said politely.

"No. It's fine." Emerald tried not to scowl. She wasn't leaving Yang alone with this person. "Later, though."

"How about this weekend?" Cinder asked.

"I -"

"Sounds great." Yang grinned. "You free, Em?"

"Y-Yes." Her eyes closed. She wanted to grab Yang by the scruff of the neck and drag her off Cinder. There was no choice now. If Yang was going, she was going. "I'm free."

"Wonderful." Cinder smiled. "I'll look forward to it. We can exchange numbers on Friday."

"Cool. See you then." Yang waved Cinder off, then turned to Emerald. "Seriously, you need to be a little more friendly with people. Not everyone needs to be snapped at."

"Maybe you do," Emerald snapped.

"Sheesh. What crawled up your ass?"

"You!" Emerald growled and threw her backpack over one shoulder. "And you call _me_ an idiot who can't take a hint. Try better next time." Emerald stomped on by.

"Why?" Yang called after her. "What did I do?"

Idiot Yang. Stupid Cinder. Emerald grumbled under her breath and made her way out the changing rooms and to the vending machines, grabbing an oat-based energy bar and munching on it with all the hate such a healthy and chocolate-lacking foodstuff deserved.

On the streets, there were always those who wanted to get to know you for some reason. Friendly men with promises of sweets and safety, older boys or girls with `job opportunities` or even just wiry kids who wanted to get in your good graces, then stab you in the back for a scrap of food or choice bit of clothing to wear through the winter.

Cinder smiled like those people had.

Like a liar.

/-/

"You're back, Adam?"

Adam strode into the camp and looked his assigned partner, Perry, in the eye. "Is that a question? Strange choice with me standing in front of you."

The faunus growled back, baring his teeth. Fangs, in fact. Not natural or because of some faunus tick, but because the man had filed them down. The better to strike fear in the humans, he had said. Pathetic. If it weren't for the fact Hazel had the man watching him, Adam would have dealt with him ages ago.

 _All I do, I do for Blake. Whether she realises it or not, they're keeping her a hostage to my co-operation._

"I've scouted the facility."

"You were gone a long time," Perry noted.

"I like to be thorough." Adam sat, showing no concern or panic as he reached for and took a piece of fish from a pan simmering on the stones near a dust-powered stove. He took a bite, humming at the flat taste and texture. "Unlike you, I prefer a methodical approach to rushing in screaming like a barbarian." He swallowed. "It's what makes me so effective."

"Really? And here I thought it was your sympathy for the humans."

"I can sympathise with out enemies. It keeps me from becoming a monster."

"Enough stalling. What has your `scouting` found?"

"The facility is a ripe target. The people stationed there haven't faced a real threat for some time and have grown fat and idle, neglecting training and discipline in favour of their walls and towers. Good enough to keep the Grimm out, less so against an opponent capable of strategy."

"Ha. Schnee dogs. That's just like them." Perry tore into his own fish. "And the woman?"

"Winter Schnee is in attendance. I overheard some people complaining that she intends to put them through extra drills and training to knock them back into shape."

"Too little too late. Her head rolls tomorrow."

Adam's sword flicked out, tickling the man's neck. He began to sweat, other faunus reaching for their own weapons.

"Watch it, Adam," he said, nervous. "If anything happens to me, Rainart will know. And you won't be walking out here alive as it is." He gestured to the White Fang around them. "You've burned bridges, Adam. Far too many. You're a pariah, even amongst your own kind."

Wilt pushed closer, cutting a small line into Perry's neck. Adam's eyes were flat. Cold.

"Are you done?"

Perry swallowed.

"The Schnee's head will remain where it is," he said, whipping the sword back and allowing Perry to breathe. "Our orders are to capture her alive, not dead." The faunus around them relaxed slowly, catching onto the fact he was correcting Perry, not turning on them. "If we being her back dead, it won't be me who has to watch out for Tyrian Callows. You know how he gets about people who… fail to meet his expectations."

"Tch. I know. Was just getting in the mood."

"Sure." Adam laid his sword down beside him but didn't sheath it. "Just remember who was put in charge of this operation and why. Out of everyone in the White Fang, I'm the one that gets the best results. Don't forget that, Perry. You're expendable. I'm not."

The other faunus hissed through gritted teeth. He didn't argue, however.

Adam nodded. "We attack tomorrow." He spoke loud enough for those around to hear. "Ten in the morning, while the garrison is still reeling from its new training regime. In and out quickly, target in tow. And I don't want to hear anyone stopping to `avenge` themselves on the humans." He glared at those around him, all of whom looked away. "We're here for a single mission. A massacre isn't it."

"Yes Adam."

"You're the boss, Adam."

Perry simmered by the fire, scowling his way.

Adam ignored him and drew his sleeve back, looking down at the black ribbon tied about it in gentle loops. He ran a finger over them, smiling softly. A gift, she'd said. A reminder. Something so he wouldn't be alone even with thousands of miles between them.

 _I won't abandon you, Blake. I'll save you. No matter what that takes._

* * *

 **Welp. Adam and Blake coming back for some play, while Cinder has finally joined the ASH Gym.**

 **Will she be able to make friends?**

 **Who can say!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 8** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	61. Chapter 61

**Argh. Internet is still garbage!**

 **Working, but garbage. That's an improvement I suppose, since last week it just would not work at all. But it's painful to have to watch videos online at 360p.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 61**

* * *

"Tell me Summer didn't come with you."

"Summer? Nah." Qrow crossed his arms and leaned on a nearby tree out in the Emerald Forest. Not far outside the city – closer to Beacon than the city itself, in fact. "Though I'll be the first to tell you she's not exactly pleased with you."

"I can imagine."

"Let me guess, she wants you to convince Raven to come back. Or she wants to do it herself."

Jaune didn't answer.

"I'm not an idiot," Qrow said. "And Summer isn't exactly little miss subtlety. When Raven left, she was the last person to believe it. Those two…" He sighed. "I'm not sure what those two were. Best friends, obviously, but there was always something more. Sometimes a rivalry, sometimes the best of friends. If it weren't for Tai, I'd have thought those two were into one another."

"This seems like a random conversation, Qrow."

"Hey. Just making small talk."

Somehow, Jaune doubted it.

"Alright, fine. I'll get to the point." He coughed into his fist. "I wanted to ask you not to get Summer's hopes up."

"Huh?" The request surprised him enough to break out of his thoughts. "What do you mean?"

"Just that. Don't get her hopes up. It's been fourteen years since Raven ditched on us and it's taken this long for Summer to get as good as she is now. Tai, too. Then you come flying into our lives and everything is suddenly complicated again."

Had he-? In a sense, yes. He'd drawn a lot of their enemies onto him, and them by association.

"I'm not saying it's your fault or anything," Qrow went on. "Just askin' that you not string her along on false hope if there is none. We've spent over a decade bandaging that wound. Rather you not open it again."

Summer wouldn't appreciate what Qrow was asking, that was for sure. Still, he could understand the man's reasons.

 _I've done good coming back. Summer wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for me. But not everything can be solved that easily. Team STRQ's problems are their own. Not mine._ It wasn't his place to try and fix them, or to interfere and make them worse.

"You have my word."

"Thanks. I knew you'd understand."

"Are you not curious yourself?" Jaune asked. He knew from the future Qrow didn't know why Raven left. "She's your sister and the wife of your best friend-"

"Ex-wife. And I was for a while. You've got to remember it's been years and years. I might look callous for not giving a damn, but that's because I'm tired of trying and failing to get a reason out of her. I was a lot more emotional right after it happened." He laughed bitterly. "Flew all the way to the tribe to rescue her, I thought she'd been kidnapped. Then spent a day or more not understanding before I challenged her to a duel." He shook his head. "Suffice to say, that didn't go well. Another couple of years trying to fix it and get an answer."

"But you eventually gave up."

Qrow bristled. "I tried for ten years!"

"I didn't mean it as an insult," he said. "Sometimes you need to know when to give up on something."

It was one of those lessons most people told you not to do – how quitters were losers or giving up was for those without the guts to see their dreams through. That was pretty stupid, though. He'd given up on earning Weiss' love and they'd _both_ been happier for it. What was he supposed to do? Stalk a girl who didn't return his feelings and never take no for an answer?

Qrow has given up on making himself, Tai and Summer miserable by clinging onto Raven. That was probably the best for all of them. Move on, raise Yang and Ruby and live good lives.

Let Raven live with her choices.

Well, apart from this one. Jaune's smile faded as his thoughts drifted back to her. And namely, why she'd decided to abduct his younger self. _Answers,_ he knew immediately. _She would have wanted answers. But why? She knows everything through Jinn. What could she possibly need my younger self for? Not blackmail. There's nothing she's asked for that I haven't given, and Salem created this body anew for me. Even if Jaune died in this world, I don't think I would._

The time for their arranged meeting was approaching. Only he and Qrow were in attendance and Raven would be able to feel that through her Semblance. It was late evening and Nicholas Arc was waiting in Beacon, no doubt wearing a hole in the floor with all his pacing. Ozpin would be watching from a distance, sensing them or just waiting for Qrow's report.

Jaune shuffled his feet and blew warm air into his hands.

He didn't want to admit it, but he was nervous as well. Ren and Nora; he hadn't seen them for so long. They would mark the last of his friends brought together. The last but for Blake. His stomach clenched as he thought of her. He wouldn't, couldn't, leave her like that.

 _Sometimes you need to know when to give up on something._

Jaune grimaced.

A portal flared to life in the clearing several metres ahead of them. Qrow pushed off the tree and stood a little taller, while Jaune took a deep breath and tried to smooth out his expression. The two of them waited, unsure what was taking so long. Problems? Was Raven asking for aid. His hand fell to his sword and he'd taken a step forward when she finally stepped through.

The proud woman was being supported by a fifteen-year-old idiot. That alone would have been surprising enough if it wasn't for the fact that she wasn't throwing younger him away. Oh, the scowl was there, indignant and quietly furious, but Raven leaned bodily on the younger boy and was clearly favouring one leg over the other.

Ozpin had mention she was hurt but he'd assumed it was something minor.

"Raven," Qrow said, nodding her way. "Good to see you up and about."

"Tch. I'm sure you're thrilled." Her eyes found his and narrowed. "Jaune," she greeted, voice flat.

"Huh?" the young boy asked. "What did I do?"

"Not you, brat," both Jaune and Raven said in unison.

The poor boy looked confused.

Qrow snorted, grinning.

"Brat," Raven snapped. "This is Jaune Ashari. As far as I'm concerned, your name isn't Jaune, so if you hear me say it, I'm not talking to you."

"But it's my name…" Jaune mumbled.

"Your name is `brat`, brat." With a roll of her eyes, Raven extricated herself from him and stood gingerly on both legs. She jerked a thumb behind her. "And that's the two I saved from a fate worse than death. You're welcome, by the way."

"We appreciate it, Raven," Qrow said. "Seriously, thanks for looking after them."

Jaune's reply was different.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?"

"Eh-?" Qrow looked at him. "Jaune-"

"Oh?" Raven asked, sneering. "You have words for me now? Come then, Jaune. Share them with the class." She spread her arms wide. "But unless they involve the words `thank you, Raven` I'm not sure I'll be able to resist stabbing you in the gut."

"What the hell were you thinking!?" he repeated, stalking forward and knocking his younger self out the way. In an unnatural display of grace – unnatural for him, anyway – his younger self dodged back and landed easily.

Jaune's eyes narrowed.

No, not now. He reached Raven instead, reaching out to grab her jacket and drag her close. It would never have worked normally, and she'd have broken his wrist for even trying, but she was exhausted and injured enough to not have the speed to escape.

It didn't stop her grabbing his fist and digging her nails into his skin.

"You ought to choose your words more carefully, Jaune."

"You want to talk to me about care? Look at you, barely able to fight me off! Running in alone like that against them – when _you_ know more than anyone else what they're capable of. Are you an idiot, or do you just have a death wish?"

"I did what had to be done!"

"You went in alone!" he roared. "What if you'd died?"

"Then I would be dead!" she hissed back, fisting her own hand in his shirt. "Do not think to lecture me on what happens when people die! I know better than anyone what that means!"

"Yet you still went in alone and without so much as _asking_ me if I'd help. That's not just reckless; it's selfish and stupid!" He tried to push her away, but she had a tight grip on him, and he just ended up shaking her.

Raven shook him back, dragging their faces close until their noses were touching.

"Do nothing and I am a coward. Act and I am a selfish idiot!" Raven's teeth ground together, and her eyes burned into his. "What is it you want from me, Jaune? Do you want me to sit back and fulfil your little worldview of me? Hide like a coward because that's _easier_ for you to understand?" Her hand tightened on his shirt and she dragged him until their foreheads were grinding together. Low, so low that only he could hear her, she hissed, "I did what you asked me to do. I rescued them. What the _fuck_ do you want from me?"

"For you to not run off and ignore me," he whispered. "For you to come and get me so that I could have _helped_ you save them. What would have happened if you'd died? I'd have never been able to find them."

"Oh, so that's it." She pushed him away, speaking louder once more and snarling. "I'm unimportant. Only what I can offer you. Is it the convenience of my Semblance? Is that the worth you see in me?" She sneered. "Dye that hair white and you can call yourself Ozpin."

"I'm not Ozpin!"

"Then stop acting like him!"

"I was _worried_ about you," he roared.

"Does that give you the right to scream at me?" she roared right back. "You called me a coward!"

His words, but not his anger, cut off. "What?" he hissed, staring at her and then Nora and Ren. "Is that why you did this? To prove something to me? To prove you're not afraid?"

"No," Raven replied instantly.

Her stiff shoulders gave her away.

"You absolute idiot! What makes you think you have to prove anything to me? This… Running off and nearly getting yourself killed? That – That's not bravery, that's fucking stupidity! Selfish idiocy masquerading as courage."

" _You_ want to talk to _me_ about being an idiot?! Or about being selfish? You, Jaune, who couldn't accept reality with such blatant selfishness that you risked _everything_ to change it." Raven slammed a hand into his chest. It was too much for her and she stumbled forward into him. He caught her, but that only let her dig her finger into his chest harder. "You're the most selfish person I've ever met," she howled. "You threw away _everything_ they achieved just for a chance to have things your way!"

He staggered under her assault, the blows doing little but the words contributing far, far more.

"What would they say, Jaune? What would they say to you? Do you think they'd be happy?"

"I – I…"

"Don't talk to me about being selfish. I know I am. At least I don't lie about the fact! At least I-"

A hand landed on the back of Jaune's head. The next thing he knew, he and Raven had headbutted one another. Or face-butted. There might have been a brief touch of lips in there _somewhere_ , but most of the connection was squashed noses, bruised foreheads and Raven's front teeth into his chin. With a loud clap, they bounced off one another and fell back. Jaune staggered away but Raven, still limping, fell flat on her behind.

Qrow stood beside them, hands outstretched from where he'd knocked them together.

"Got that out of your system yet, or do I need to take the kiddies and give you some time alone together?"

"Qrow," Raven snapped, rubbing her jaw. "If I could stand, I'd kill you!"

"What was that for?" Jaune asked, rubbing his own nose.

"Oh sorry, I just couldn't handle drowning in any more of your unresolved sexual tension. I've been trying to get your attention for the last two minutes but hey, who am I to interrupt two people screaming at the top of their lungs in the middle of a forest full of Grimm? Any louder and Ozpin would have to come himself to ask you to shut up."

They hadn't been that loud, had they?

"Wow." Jaune, younger Jaune – maybe `brat` was easier after all – looked between him and Raven, and like the Jaune Arc he was, jumped to the wrong conclusion. "I didn't realise Raven was married."

"I'm not, you insufferable brat!"

"You have to be. Mom and dad argue like that all the time. Does that make him a fairy, too?"

A what-now? Jaune looked to Raven for an explanation, only to get a fierce glare back, one that seemed to ask what the _fuck_ was wrong with him. Given that he _was_ the same idiot asking that question, he didn't know. Everyone knew they were dumb when they were kids; not everyone got to witness that first hand.

In the interests of not giving anything away, Jaune grunted. "Who are you?"

"Oh, right. Introductions." The boy stuck out a hand. "I'm Jaune Branwen Arc. Short, sweet and rolls off the tongue. The ladies love it."

Oh, wow.

That sounded even _worse_ than he'd thought. Why had Ruby befriended him again? Oh yeah, desperation and pity. Jaune felt his self-esteem dangling down below his feet. That was, until he noticed the discrepancy.

Qrow beat him to it. "Branwen!? No, just no."

"He's not a Branwen," Raven snapped. "What the hell, brat? Who gave you the right to use my name?"

"But you're my fairy godmother."

Raven clenched her eyes shut and hissed through gritted teeth.

Jaune didn't know if he was supposed to laugh at Raven or feel embarrassed. In fairness, he'd grown up in a community outside the major cities and that meant education standards weren't the best. He'd not even known what aura was, for crying out loud, or that faunus had night vision, what a Semblance was or anything about the faunus wars.

A little naivety was expected given that. It didn't make seeing it in person any easier.

 _And I wondered why Weiss never fell for my charms. Fuck me…_

"It's you," Ren said, looking to Jaune with dawning realisation. "You're the one who rescued us from Kuroyuri. The one who fought back the Grimm."

Qrow shot him a considering look.

"I am," Jaune confirmed. "And I'm glad to see you're okay." Since Qrow would be reporting straight to Ozpin, and since this would look suspicious as hell, he decided to elaborate. "Back before I met Raven, I came across a village under attack. These two were running away, so I gave them my supplies and went to fight the Grimm and see if I could find any survivors."

"Before you met Raven?" he asked.

"I picked the idiot up," Raven confirmed. "He was almost killed by a Nucklelavee. I dragged his sorry carcass back to the tribe and patched him up. That was about a week before you met him, Qrow."

"Huh. So, you two only knew each other that long?"

Jaune nodded. If Ozpin looked into it, he'd find it was the truth – and there wasn't really anything he had to hide on that front. It wouldn't be hard to trace his footsteps either, since there were probably records of an `A. Jaune` travelling by boat from Vacuo to Mistral.

Qrow grinned. "Still doesn't explain all that sexual tension."

"That's because there is none," he replied, looking to Ren and Nora. They were safe, though he wouldn't say they were healthy. It looked like they could use a meal or two. Or more. He didn't think Raven was responsible for that. "Qrow, do you want to take the kids back to Beacon and get them settled in? And get them some food before you set Ozpin on them, alright? They need it."

"Yeah, I can tell. And I think Oz will have a hard time beating Papa Arc to them anyway."

Jaune – brat Jaune – shrunk back. "D-Dad's here…?"

"Yep."

"I – Is he angry…?"

"Yeeeep," Qrow drawled, popping the P. It was obvious where Ruby learned the habit. "I would _not_ want to be in your shoes right now, kiddo. Not want to be in Ray's either, but I'm guessing she's going to run away and not face an angry parent." Qrow rolled his eyes. "Or explain why or how she abducted some kid from a backwater village in the ass end of nowhere."

Raven, still on the floor, glowered at him. "I do not have to explain myself to you, Qrow."

"Ha. Sure, sure. Glad to see you're okay anyway. Come on, kids. Beacon awaits, along with food, drink and soft beds." He had them at the latter, Nora, Jaune and Ren rushing over to the huntsman with eager eyes. "I'll leave you two to work out your frustrations."

"I swear, Qrow…"

"Try not to give me another niece or nephew. Especially if you're planning to abandon this one, too."

"Piss off!"

"Pissing off," Qrow said, waving behind him and leading the three children away.

Jaune stood awkwardly behind, waiting for them to go and wondering what he was supposed to say. Raven was still sat on the grass and while he'd normally offer a hand, he knew full well she'd never accept it. "So," he said weakly. "Fairy god mother."

"You are an absolute moron!"

"Me-me, or mini-me?"

"It's the same person."

"It really isn't." Experiences built a person, changed them. "In my defence, I came from a backward town."

"And _I_ came from a wandering tribe of bandits. I was still never half the idiot you apparently were." Raven sighed and closed her eyes. "And I couldn't even argue it without explaining the maiden powers. I blame you for that."

"Yeah? Mind telling me exactly _why_ you decided to pick up my younger self?"

"Someone had to," she snapped. "You certainly weren't going to do anything about him."

He stared at her. "Why would I?"

"You really are an idiot." Raven dragged herself up by digging her sword down and using it as a crutch. Though her skirt was stained with grass, she somehow still managed to cut a fearsome figure. The mask on her belt helped, but it was her eyes which did most of the work. "You know what is to come, Jaune, and you know what he, your counterpart, will face. How could you not prepare him?"

"The future has changed already. There's no guarantee anything will happen the same way."

"And no guarantee it will not. At the very least, you know that the future will be one filled with combat. And he may well find himself at the centre of it again. Someone had to do something about that. Prepare him."

"That someone being you?"

"Well it wasn't going to be _you_ , was it?"

He sighed and looked away. "I didn't see the point."

"In preparing yourself for what is to come? You didn't see the point in you being _stronger_ if that same future happens?" Raven looked at him as though he were insane. "If you'd been stronger, the future may not have happened as it did. Your friends might have lived!"

"Do you think I don't know that?" he snapped. "I get it! I was weak and they died! It was my fault!"

"Don't turn this into a pity party; you know that's not what I meant. You were not weak come the end, but anyone can be stronger. You've proven that already with some of the changes you've made. Yang will be more powerful than ever because of your tutelage. The same for the Schnee and everyone else you've aided. You could have aided your counterpart as well. Why didn't you?"

"I don't know. He was never close. It would have been hard-"

"Don't lie to me, Jaune!" she hissed. "You knew exactly where he would be, and if anyone could convince him to do as you wished, it would be yourself. You would have known exactly what buttons to press to earn his trust."

He growled and looked aside. "Literally any button…"

"Yes, I noticed." She snorted. "He's naïve to a fault and quite the idiot. I still can't believe that was ever you." Her lips stretched into a grin. "So much for your mystique." The smile fell. "But you still haven't told me why you were against training him."

He hadn't though of it. Or he had, and dismissed it, but there had never been any cognisant reason for it. Like someone deciding not to order fries with a burger, he'd just sort of done it without thinking. Looking back and trying to assign a reason to it, only one came to mind.

"It didn't seem worth it."

Raven raised a single eyebrow.

"I'm trying to change the future and I've already done a lot of that. Sure, I know there's still danger ahead, but there's only one of me and so many people to look after. Compared to the lives Yang and Ruby had, or Ren and Nora, even Pyrrha and Weiss… Jaune – I – didn't have a tough life. The worst thing he was ever going to face was a girl turning him down. Everyone else had more pressing problems to try and fix. And… well, they had more potential too. I've made Yang stronger, but she still had a foundation to work off. I just changed the way she approaches problems and challenged her to be better. The rest is all her. Jaune – I-" He closed his eyes. That was getting annoying. "Jaune," he stressed, "-doesn't have that same potential."

He shrugged.

"It just didn't seem worth the effort."

Raven let her head fall to the side. "And how would you have felt if Pyrrha decided you weren't worth the effort?"

Grief, regret and shame pooled inside him. He looked away.

"You see it now, do you?" Raven tutted. "Typical of you. Even if you've grown in some ways, you're still as much an idiot as your younger version. The people of this world aren't your friends. I'm not your Raven, Nora and Ren aren't your Nora and Ren and Blake is a part of the White Fang. Everything is different because of the changes you've made. That means Jaune isn't you, either. He's a person of his own. One who you apparently have no desire to help."

"It's not… I didn't…"

"Maybe you didn't intend it. Maybe you thought the only sadness he'd face is his friends dying. Maybe you had to prioritise. I don't know. But tell me one thing, Jaune. What happens if, at the end of this new life, Jaune Arc stands along among his dead friends and confronts Salem. What happens?"

He goes back in time. He didn't say it, but they both knew it. If this Jaune faced the same end, he'd almost certainly make the same decision. And everything he'd achieved would be erased, just like _he_ had erased everything the others achieved.

Jaune Arc would make the selfish choice, as he had before.

"Call me a coward if you like, but I don't want to be erased. If that means I have to train your younger self into someone who can stand alongside his friends, so be it. I'll not shy away from what needs to be done." Raven crossed her arms. "I still intend to train him. Neither you, Ozpin nor his father can stop me."

To think, he was being trained by Raven Branwen. It was a concept that had never crossed his mind. But then, he'd never really intended to put any effort into himself. He'd just wanted to keep everyone _else_ safe and happy, because they were his friends.

And in so doing, he'd neglected and ignored an innocent young boy.

A boy who was _not_ him, no matter how alike they might have been. The young Jaune Arc simply had a _chance_ of becoming him, if life dealt him a horrible hand. Until that moment, he was a different person entirely.

"I messed up…"

"Hmph. Not exactly an unusual state of affairs for you. I should know. I've seen much of your life." Raven tapped her skull. "But in the end, it doesn't matter. You failed to train him, but I did not. The future of the world does not solely rest on your shoulders. It's arrogant to think that way."

"I don't think that."

"Oh? Then why is it that you believe I should seek help before risking my life, yet you are free to do the same and ask for none in turn? Or is that just your hypocrisy rearing its ugly head again?"

The latter. He knew it was hypocritical to blame Raven for being reckless when he was just as bad. Even if he'd gathered people to his side like Roman, Junior and Winter, he was still trying to do everything on his own. Winter was the closest to an ally, knowing the truth of Salem, but even then, he'd kept some things hidden.

He really was no better than Ozpin.

Or maybe it was more accurate to say Ozpin was no worse than him. For the first time in his life, he could understand just what motivated Ozpin to keep everything hidden, and it wasn't a callous disregard for other people. It wasn't paranoia or doubt or distrust. It was a warped sense of responsibility; the sense that you and you alone had to right all the wrongs of the world so that others could live on in peace.

Though it was born from good intentions, it was still a selfish way of thinking.

And a dangerous one.

"Can you… Can you continue to train Jaune?" he asked, voice soft. "I don't think I can. I… I think I'd try to mould him into a younger version of myself. Or push him too hard and be cruel. I'd expect me out of him, and in trying to reach it, I'd break him."

"Tch. I already said I would, didn't I?"

"You did." He closed his eyes. "Thank you, Raven."

"Hm. About time. I rescued your teammates for you, and this is the response I get? You owe me. You owe me so damn much."

He really did. Stupid or not, she'd saved his friends. "I'll pay you back. I promise."

"If you want to reimburse me, you can do so by making sure this world is the last to exist. No more time travel, no erasing me or everything I've done. Make sure Salem dies this time and doesn't weasel out of it by appealing to some snot-nosed brat."

"Hm. I'll try my hardest. Is this your way of saying you want to help?"

"Haven't I been doing that already?"

She had, but he wasn't sure why. In the last lifetime, she'd never once made the effort. He'd changed a lot, but much of that made sense. His actions had gotten Ghira killed, even if not by his hand. He could at least understand why Blake turned to the White Fang. Summer, Qrow and even Helena and Team November, all of that made sense. Winter, too.

But Raven? All he'd done was be rescued by her and share drinks.

What changed?

He asked her.

"Idiot," she scoffed. "Haven't you heard a word I've been saying? We're not the same people you knew. None of us are. If nothing else, the fact you met me almost _ten years_ early should have told you something. Or do you think it's only _you_ who can change in that time?" Raven rolled her eyes. "You really are self-centred. The me from your world had ten more years of being alone, not to mention her teammate slain and Salem breathing down her neck. She also didn't have the memories of a time traveller stuck in her head. We are completely different people, she and I. One thing you need to stop doing," she said, poking his chest, "Is judging people based on who they _used_ to be. Because those people are dead."

"I don't… do I…?"

"You tell me. You let yourself be stabbed in the back by that girl." Raven sighed and looked up suddenly. "It's time for me to go. Ozpin is moving. Not closer, but… it's not something I want right now." She limped away. "Look after the brat for me. I'll continue his training when I'm recovered."

"Do you want to rest at mine?" he asked.

"Inviting me over? Hm. How bold. Qrow will talk."

"You know that's not it!"

"I'm sure," she said, snorting. "But Summer would notice. I'd rather not. Maybe another time. Make sure to have drinks ready for me. It can be the first step on the road to earning my forgiveness. We'll discuss the second and third steps another time."

"How many steps are there?"

"Hundreds. I'm not an easy woman to please." Raven drew and swept her sword before her, opening a portal back to someone in her camp. "I will speak to you soon, Jaune. Think on what I've said."

Before she went, he called out to her, "Did you really go and face Tyrian, Watts and a maiden on your own, just to prove you're not a coward? You didn't have to. I would have helped…"

"Haven't you been listening? I had to prove it, otherwise you'd still be so sure you knew me, just because of who I might have become in the future." She laughed suddenly. "And besides, I _did_ go to you for help. You were with me the whole time."

Young him. Jaune scowled.

"Not what I meant, Raven."

"Oh, silly me. I must have misunderstood." With a final smirk, she stepped through.

"Summer wants to know why you left!" he called after her, before she could go.

"Ask me again when you've sorted your own problems out." Her parting words came from the other side, she having already stepped through. "Or when I'm drunk. Whichever comes first." With a final laugh, the portal collapsed behind her, leaving him alone in the Emerald Forest.

It would definitely be when she was drunk…

/-/

Ozpin met him at the entrance to Beacon with a smile and a nod. "Mr Arc is back with his father, who is alternating between berating and hugging him. I took the opportunity to escape while I could and have granted them a room here. The two children with them have also been granted lodge."

"That's good to hear."

"I'll offer them the chance to stay at Beacon if they wish it. Though it is rare, it would not be the first time. There are parts of the school the students rarely see, designed in olden days for teachers to live on campus with spouses or children."

He hadn't known that. Then again, Glynda, Port and Oobleck had never had families that he knew about. Beacon was more than just a school, which ought to have been obvious since it housed the CCT, one of – if not the – most important structures in the Kingdom of Vale.

"Will they become students of Beacon?" he asked.

"That will depend on them. It's much too early to face them with such decisions. A hearty meal and time to rest and recuperate are in order. After, we'll see to their security and make sure they won't face the same problems again."

Jaune nodded, grateful for that.

Raven's words were still dancing about in his head, about how he'd judged people based on what he knew of them. In a way, he'd done the same with Nora and Ren, simply assuming they'd come out safe because they had the first time. He hadn't stopped to think of how he'd basically sent a bunch of children out alone into the wilds.

But it wasn't just them. His early reactions to Adam and Blake, to Pyrrha and even Cinder, who was now a part of his gym. He'd already written her off as a threat without so much as giving her a chance to prove herself evil. Cinder wasn't the only one, though.

The biggest example stood before him with a friendly smile on his face.

"Jaune?" Ozpin asked.

"I'm sorry. Raven… She gave me a lot to think about tonight."

"So I heard. Qrow mentioned that your argument was quite explosive." Reaching out, Ozpin laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry so much. Raven is headstrong, but she is nothing if not resourceful."

"I know. It's more she gave me something about myself to think on. Something I hadn't realised about me. Something I'm not sure I like."

"Ah." He made a sound of understanding. "No truth bites harder than one delivered by a person you care for."

Jaune sighed. "Don't believe the nonsense Qrow is spouting."

"I didn't say it. But you cannot deny you care for her in some way. There's no shame in that."

No, but there was shame to be found in other things. Not just how he'd neglected his younger self, but how this had all begun in the first place. Did he regret it? No. He couldn't say he did. But that didn't mean it wasn't a selfish choice. One that he and he alone had made.

If anyone should have hated him, it was Ozpin. He'd undone the man's life work.

"I guess I do want her to be okay. I gave her an earful for rushing into danger on her own. She called me an idiot and pointed out how I do the same thing."

"Is she wrong to do so?"

"Probably not…"

"There you have it. If I can be honest, I'm glad Raven has found someone she can relate to." Ozpin chuckled. "Even when she was on Team STRQ, it never quite felt like she was at home with them, more following the motions."

"You still care for her?" Jaune asked.

"In my own way, Mr Ashari. In my own way. I'm sure it is not returned, seeing as how I am the reason Raven left her team and Vale. At least, I am sure that I am the reason."

"You are," Jaune said. It didn't seem fair to lie to Ozpin, even if the truth might hurt. "I don't know exactly what turned her away, but it was because of you."

"I see." Ozpin sighed. "I have made many mistakes in my life-"

"Haven't we all?"

Ozpin looked surprised at the interruption.

"Haven't we all made mistakes?" Jaune asked again. "Find me one person who can claim otherwise, and I'll call them a liar. No one is perfect. Not me, not Raven and certainly not you, Ozpin."

"Ah, but I run Beacon. I am expected to be perfect."

"Then people expect too much of you." Jaune watched the man carefully. "Or maybe it's you who expects too much of himself. You're as human as me, Qrow or Raven. If you ever forget that, you'll become nothing more than a monster."

Ozpin's lips pursed together. The man looked out past him, beyond him, and then closed his eyes with a short sigh. "Those are surprisingly wise words, Mr Ashari. Wise words indeed. I will endeavour to remember them."

The implicit question – how much do you know? – hung in the air.

Jaune made no move to answer it.

Ozpin made no move to ask for one.

"In your opinion, Mr Ashari, which of those am I…?"

"A man, obviously." The answer seemed to both surprise and relieve Ozpin, whose lips drew into a soft smile. "The moment you stop worrying about that is the moment you lose sight of yourself. Maybe you should keep that in mind."

"You think I need to?"

"I think anyone in your position would," Jaune said carefully. "People like General Ironwood, you, Sienna Khan and anyone else with power and authority. It's hard for the average person to lose themselves because they lack the power. They're not called on to make decisions where hundreds or thousands of lives rest on the answer."

"Sacrificing the few to save the many?" Ozpin questioned. "There are many who would claim that is a worthwhile trade."

"Would you kill Summer's daughter to save a criminal's life?"

"Ruby Rose-?" Ozpin's eyes snapped open, wide and alarmed. "No! Of course not!"

"Would you kill her to save an innocent man's life?"

"No! Such a notion-"

"Ten?"

Ozpin had no answer. It wasn't that he was considering it, more that he could see where Jaune was going, and that he knew silence was the only true answer.

"If you won't kill one to save one, then killing one to save ten, a hundred or even a thousand is just a matter of price. It's negotiation, with you bargaining over the worth of a person's – of Ruby's – life. How much is she worth? One person, two, twenty? In the end, it doesn't matter how many people you trade her for-"

It was Ozpin who finished the sentence.

"-You are still a merchant dealing in death." His eyes closed. "The only thing I am haggling over is the price. Quite the poignant words, Mr Ashari. I will remember them. And thank you, both for those and for your kind words before."

This time, it was Jaune's turn to reach out and pat the man's shoulder.

"You're not a bad person, Ozpin. Just someone in a shitty situation."

"And you, Jaune?"

"Someone who made a mistake. And who is trying to fix it."

A slow smile spread over Ozpin's face. "I know the feeling well. Perhaps we are more similar than I first thought."

Yeah. And how many people had told him that recently? Each had been a blow to his pride, but they weren't wrong. Much like Ozpin, he'd taken to accumulating allies in valuable positions. Winter, Junior, Roman, Helena, Ironwood and even the remnants of Team STRQ. Oh, he called himself different because he cared for them and would never use them and throw them away, but how arrogant was he to assume Ozpin was any different? When he'd been faced with a future he didn't like, he'd thrown everyone's sacrifices away. In the end, he was no better or worse than the man before him.

"Try not to become like me, Jaune," Ozpin said, turning away. "Strike your own path. I only hope it will be a path that runs parallel to my own."

"If it's the death of Salem you're working towards, rest assured it does, Ozpin."

The headmaster, the immortal, paused for a moment, and then nodded.

"I am glad to hear it. Goodnight, Jaune. And thank you. I am glad we had this moment to talk."

Funnily enough, so was he.

* * *

 **Long chapter for what is essentially two scenes, I know, but they were very important scenes and moments for Jaune. Kind of the kick up the ass he needs to stop pussy-footing around and start putting big plans into action.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	62. Chapter 62

**Been out today for Father's Day – a day early, but still – so this chapter came a little later. It's mostly what I could put together in advance and on a train ride.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 62**

* * *

"Hahh!"

"Not bad, Yang. Still a little slow on the draw, but not bad."

"Oh, yeah? Then how about this!" Yang scooped up some dust and threw it in her father's face. It ran down his arms, Taiyang having blocked it.

"Sorry, firecracker. I _do_ pay attention when you're training at the ASH Gym. Plus, I've fought you brats before." He lowered his arms and grinned at her. "If you think I'm going to be caught off-guard by some little tricks, you've got another thing coming."

Yang growled and rushed in, as she always did, and Taiyang laughed and dodged back, wearing his daughter out as she swung like a madwoman. Yang's weakness had always been her temper – something Summer wasn't sure _who_ she got it from. Neither her, Tai or Raven had been particularly explosive people.

Shaking her head, Summer watched with a fond smile as her husband trained with her daughter in a clearing outside Vale, Summer in her lap and Zwei in hers, duelling with a dandelion Ruby was dangling over his nose.

It was a beautiful summer weekend and they all had time off from work to spend together. It may not have been there home, Patch, but the outskirts of Vale could be just as picturesque if you were willing, or strong enough, to go far off the beaten path. The divide between city and countryside was immense, literally a huge wall and then rolling plains and meadows. The people of Vale were used to their security, and few had ever stepped foot outside the walls.

 _More fun for us. It's like humanity has never had a chance to despoil this._

They were careful of course. Summer had her blade on the grass beside her within easy reach, along with several dust capsules under her cloak that could be used as a weapon. Taiyang was also more than capable of dealing with any Grimm that came along, as was Yang.

The only one who wasn't was Ruby.

And that troubled her.

Those silver eyes, those beautiful silver eyes. How Summer hated them sometimes. They were going to lead Ruby right into trouble, and as she was, she wouldn't be able to get out of that.

"Mom?" Ruby was looking up at her. "You're staring at me."

"Hm? Sorry. I was lost in thought." Looking up again, she watched Taiyang sweep Yang off her feet and dance back. Even if she was so much better than someone her age ought to be, Taiyang was still a huntsman. "What do you think of the fight? Is Yang going to win?"

"Yeah!"

"Such confidence." Summer laughed. "You don't think your old man can beat her?"

"Dad always lets Yang win."

The simple logic of a child, albeit one who was correct. Taiyang was such a pushover where his girls were concerned, and probably would give Yang an opening. Oh, he'd make her work for it, but he'd not let this end with Yang losing hope. He really was a softie. Funny how that had been irritating when they'd been back in school yet was now a trait she loved about him.

"Your sister is getting better. She'll be able to go to Beacon in a couple of years."

"Yep."

"Will you miss her?"

"Yeah…" Ruby's face fell a little. "But if we're in Vale, it's not like she can't visit."

Summer didn't have the heart to point out that Yang probably wouldn't visit all that much. It was the age-old ritual of growing older, that moment where you first got to live on your own. Yang would be so busy experiencing what it was like to live with three other people, she'd forget about them. Not _forget-forget_ but probably only come by once a week. Well, it wasn't like they couldn't visit her either. More than learning to be a huntress, Beacon was also a place where people learned to be self-sufficient adults.

"You know," Summer said, "It's not too late for you to try for Beacon as well…"

Ruby froze.

"You don't have to. I'm just saying…"

"I… I don't want to." Ruby brought her knees up, rolling Zwei back against her chest. The small corgi looked up at her quizzically, then licked her chin. "You said I don't have to. You said I could be whatever I wanted to be."

"You can, Ruby, you can. I was just… I was just making sure." Wrapping her arms around Ruby, she rocked them both back and forth. "No one is going to force you to be anything you don't want to be. I just thought you might feel left out."

Slowly, Ruby began to calm down.

"Do you still want to be a nurse?"

"A doctor," Ruby grumbled, looking at her askance.

"A doctor, then. Is that what you still want?"

"Hm. I want to help people."

That, at least, hadn't changed about her. Ruby had always been such a kind and caring girl. The only change was her desire to be a huntress; it had been torn from her. Lost after Atlas. Summer sighed and looked back to Yang and Taiyang, trying to hide her disappointment.

As much as she would encourage and support her daughters in anything they did, there was still a little sadness in learning they didn't want to follow in your footsteps. _Although, maybe that's a good thing here. If Ruby became like me, she might have been killed like I nearly was._

That didn't mean she was safe now either.

"Would you be willing to at least learn a little self-defence?"

"Why?"

 _In case those people who came for me come for you._

"It wouldn't do for a doctor to not be able to look after herself, would it? And besides, you should at least know how to protect your patients from Grimm."

"I don't want to fight people…"

Didn't want to see someone die again, she meant. Sometimes Summer thought that was responsible for her wish to become a doctor, even if that would mean she saw just as much death in the long run, maybe even more. While she'd never blame Jaune for killing that person in front of Ruby, Summer wished they'd not gone to Atlas at all.

"You'd only have to spar with them. Like Yang does with your father." Summer nudged Ruby so she could watch Yang howl with furious laughter from her position in a headlock, her arms flailing as Taiyang used his other hand to tickle her rubs. "Does it look like they're hurting one another?"

Ruby grimaced. "Don't like tickling…"

"I'll make him promise not to tickle you."

Instead of answering, Ruby bit her lip. It wasn't a no like all the other times Summer tried. Reasoning with her seemed to be the best angle, and while Ruby was thirteen, she wasn't an idiot. She knew from living on Patch how dangerous the Grimm could be.

"Just think about it," Summer said, kissing the top of Ruby's head. "You could train with Yang, your father or even me. It wouldn't have to be with real weapons either. And if you manage to bop us with a training weapon, you can practice your bandaging."

"Hm. I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask." Summer looked up as Yang claimed her `victory`, catching Taiyang when he was `unprepared` and knocking him to the floor. He surrendered loudly and Yang cheered, missing the way Taiyang smiled proudly.

Ruby and Summer clapped along, even if neither of them were fooled.

"You're amazing, Yang!" Ruby cheered.

"Well done, sunflower."

Training done for the day, Summer left Ruby to fuss over her sister and patch up her boo-boos. Just a few scrapes and cuts that got past Yang's aura, her control not yet being perfect. Ruby applied some disinfectant and a plaster to each, showing far more first aid knowledge than a thirteen-year-old should. As a teacher at Signal, Taiyang knew it as standard and had been happy to teach her.

"You looked unusually serious back there," Tai said, settling down next to her.

"You noticed that in the middle of a fight?"

"Don't tell Yang," he teased. "As far as she knows, I was concentrating on her."

"And why were you looking at me?"

"I was smitten by something, a rare beauty-"

Summer laughed and leaned in to kiss him. "Don't start with that."

"You _were_ worried, though. And I doubt it was about me or Yang getting hurt."

"Hm." Tai knew her too well. "It's Ruby. I'm worried about her."

"Why? I know she doesn't want to be a huntress, but that's not something to stress over. People change their minds. She's free to be what she wants to be."

"I know that! I just… I don't want her free to be hurt."

Taiyang's eyes narrowed.

"The people who came after me," she explained. "I'm worried they'll go after Ruby as well, especially if they learn she can't defend herself. Tell me I'm being paranoid. Tell me I'm being silly."

"You're not."

"I was afraid of that…"

Taiyang hummed in agreement, leaning against her as he, too, watched Ruby peel off a plaster and apply it to Yang's knee, all the while Zwei tried to climb up on her hair and fall asleep. They were both laughing, young and carefree. As they should be.

"This was never the life I wanted for them," Summer said. "We were supposed to be a happy family on Patch."

"It could be worse," Taiyang said. "It could be so much worse."

"I know. I just don't want it to get any more so than it already is. Yang will be safe at Beacon. Ozpin will look after her and she'll grow stronger and stronger. But Ruby is going to be vulnerable, and we can't look over her forever. She's going to grow up sooner or later. Maybe even start her own doctor's practice."

"And if they hunted you down, they might go for her. If it wasn't for Jaune…"

"I'd be dead. I know." Summer's hand sought his and found it halfway, Taiyang having already reached for her. Their fingers meshed. "Having that happen has just shown me how fragile all this really is. I don't want it to end for anything."

"Hm." Taiyang closed his eyes. "I'll talk to Qrow and Jaune. We'll figure something out. Even if she can't stand to fight, she can at least learn to look after herself."

"Thanks." Summer kissed his cheek. "I'll work on Ruby."

/-/

"You want what?"

"You heard me," Taiyang said, one elbow on the table between them and other holding a glass of beer. "And it's not just me. Summer agrees and I'm sure Qrow would, too. We want Ruby to be better trained to look after herself."

"I get that," Jaune said. "And I approve. It's just… but you don't want it to have anything to do with me."

Taiyang cringed and leapt into a set of excuses that Jaune waved off with one hand.

"I understand why. I know I was responsible for frightening her in the first place."

Ruby was better now, able to talk to and be around him without looking anxious, but that didn't mean he'd be the best person to train her. The worst, in fact. There was a good chance he could send her back into an episode if he drew a weapon against her, even in the name of training.

"I'm more confused on why you're coming to me for advice on something you don't want me helping you with." Jaune scratched his cheek. "I mean, what am I supposed to say? I can't exactly offer to help train her if it's likely to make things worse. I'm not sure what use I am here."

Other than a distraction for Ruby, of course. She was off playing with Emerald, Weiss and Whitley upstairs. Or rather, Ruby was playing with Emerald while Whitley did whatever he could to get into Emerald's good books, and Weiss stood there bemoaning how she was surrounded by idiots. That left the two adults to sit downstairs on either side of the dining room table drinking booze.

He blamed Raven for that. The second Taiyang came asking if they could talk, he'd done the gracious host thing and offered the man a drink, only to realise he had nothing but cordial and beer. And the girls had snuck off with the cordial, several bags of cookies and a tub of ice-cream.

 _I wonder when I decided to come to the past and open up a bar for various members of Tram STRQ._

Ironically, the only one who _hadn't_ come for a drink was Qrow.

"Summer and I trust you-" Taiyang began.

"And I trust you two, but that doesn't really change the fact I have no idea what to say here. Having her learn some self-defence is a good idea." An excellent one considering the future. "But if I can't be the one to do it, I'm kind of useless to you. Unless you want me to suggest someone? Honestly, you're a teacher at Signal. You and Qrow would be the ones I'd tell someone to see."

"It's not just that. Training her isn't the problem; I can handle that. It's what comes after." Taiyang leaned forward. "I've seen the ways you look at my daughters."

Jaune choked. Beer bubbled past his lips.

"It's the look of a teacher who can't bear to see his students hurt."

Coughing, Jaune swallowed and banged a fist against his chest. "Y-You couldn't have opened with that, you bastard?"

"And you know they're in danger too," Taiyang continued. "You were really eager to get hold of Yang and you've done wonders with her. We all know what's out there." Taiyang took a drink. "What's _really_ out there. If they wanted to try and take a shot at Ruby, they wouldn't do it while she's under our protection. They'll strike when she's on her own."

"Again, you're not wrong but I've got no idea what to say. She wants to be a doctor?"

"Yeah. I was hoping you could take her under your wing."

Jaune blinked. Slowly, he turned around to look behind him, just to make sure there wasn't someone in a white uniform there that Taiyang had been talking to. On discovering there was no intruder he had to kick out his home, Jaune turned back and pointed to his chest stupidly. "Me…? Why?"

"You can heal people."

"As a Semblance. And I don't know if you've realised, but Semblances tend to make people lazy when they can do certain things. My actual first aid knowledge is limited to slapping a plaster on something. I've never needed it since I unlocked mine. Ruby probably knows more about first aid than I do." Jaune leaned back. "I guess she could work for me? That might work. Kind of. But that might just make her feel worse. Leaving aside the fact it would be a fake job – my Semblance does the work for me – if I ever did injure a student, me carrying a bleeding body to her might not be the best thing for her recovery."

Or him with a bloodstained training weapon standing over someone. Really, Ruby going to the ASH Gym at all sounded like a bad idea. There was a precedence for solving phobias by exposing people to it, but he didn't think this was a phobia. Those were `irrational fears`.

Ruby being afraid of being cut in two was pretty damn rational.

"Maybe you're right," Taiyang said. "This was a bad idea."

"No, the idea is good. I just… I'm not sure I'm the right person to help. All I can offer is training and protection, and you and Summer can do that better than I can." The problem was Ruby being safe while she was weaker than she had been in the original timeline. "Have you considered an apprenticeship for her?"

"Learn under someone?" Taiyang looked over the rim of his glass. "Not really. I don't think you can just apprentice as a doctor. It's kind of a high-education job. Ruby is going to need to go to medical school for this."

"No, but you can apprentice as a nurse."

Taiyang chuckled. "Ruby's dreams are a little higher than that, no offence to nurses."

"Most places look for experience, though. Work experience or the like. Ruby can't actually attend medical school until she's eighteen. Right? You need to be a legal adult before they'll let you cut open someone's body. So, what if she did all her prep learning vocationally? I bet that would stick a lot better than learning from a book. Plus, she would be paid for it."

"Hm. It sounds alright, but I'm not sure how this helps with the protection problem. Ruby would be _more_ at risk if she was out working at some hospital through the day. Anyone and everyone could have access to her."

"Then how about somewhere a little more exclusive?"

/-/

"You want Ruby to apprentice at Beacon?"

"Please, Ozpin!" Summer cried, clasping her hands together and leaning over the desk. The family resemblance was immediately clear to Jaune, who finally learned where Ruby pulled the teary-eyed look from. "I know it's irregular, but it would mean the world to us, and it would keep Ruby safe."

"We'd be in your debt," Taiyang said.

Qrow crossed his arms, silent, but making it clear that his own avian aid might be restricted if Ozpin turned his best friends down and refused to look after his niece. Jaune stood behind, letting everyone else do the talking.

Ozpin was flustered.

"W-Well, it's not like I was going to refuse you unduly," he said, for once completely unprepared for the conversation at hand. "I was just surprised. I'm well aware of the threat your family faces; it's why I had you relocate to Vale. If you think Ruby will be safer here, I'm all for allowing it. I just want to better understand what you're asking."

"Thank you!" Summer leapt over the desk and hugged Ozpin before he could stop her. The man's hands awkwardly patted her back as he was wrenched out his chair. "And it was Jaune's idea, so maybe he could explain it better."

"Mr Ashari?" Ozpin looked to him.

"Taiyang and Summer wanted Ruby to be somewhere safe," he explained, keeping it brief. "I'm out since Ruby would have difficulties training with me, but her parents can handle that. More than anything, she needs somewhere where she can be safe even as she trains to be a doctor. I was thinking of the only place Callows, Rainart and Watts would never dare attack. Beacon."

Both of the men staring at one another knew the reason why, even as neither would admit it. Before their heart-to-heart of a few days previous, there might have been more suspicion, but now Ozpin only nodded, conceding the point and accepting his reasoning.

"Beacon would be safe," Ozpin agreed. "I see no reason not to accept this, though I'll have to speak with Tsune, our resident doctor. I'm sure she'll agree, however. She's been requesting more assistance for the last two years, but it has never been in the budget."

"You don't have to pay her!" Summer said. "We can cover her costs."

Ozpin held up a hand. "Ruby Rose will be paid the going rate for an apprentice. It would only raise suspicion otherwise, and I said that we lacked the budget for a full-fledged doctor. Their wages are not exactly cheap." Ozpin chuckled. "Miss Rose has certainly picked a lucrative career, though one no less stressful than that of a huntress."

"Yeah." Taiyang laughed. "Our girls don't pick easy lives. How will this work?"

"I could arrange for Miss Rose to come here as a live-in apprentice. She would have her own room in the staff quarters and near to Tsune and the medical wing. Through the day, she would either be studying or working alongside her mentor. Her afternoons and evenings would be her own. No different from work, really, except that she will live here alongside the students. You're free to pick her up at the end of the day if you wish, but if security is your concern…"

"Then it might be best to let her stay here," Summer said. "I think that would be okay. We'll always just be a bullhead ride away if she wants to see us. And Qrow comes around to Beacon every few days anyway. It's not like she'll be alone."

"Could Zwei go with her?" Taiyang asked. "To keep her company?"

"As long as he stays out of the medical wing, I don't believe it will be an issue. We do need to be careful of allergic reactions." Seeing them nod, Ozpin smiled. "In that case, I'll speak to Tsune within a few days and make it official. I don't think we can take her on straight away – a thirteen-year-old nurse would raise a few eyebrows, especially among the students. How about in two years' time? Her sister will be attending anyway, correct? It would help her to have a familiar face."

"That's perfect." Summer sighed, genuinely relieved. "Two years will give us some time to impart some basic training on her, and she'll be a lot safer in Beacon."

"That'll free us up, too," Taiyang said. "Ruby and Yang won't _be_ in danger if we take down those bastards first."

"Be careful." Jaune's interruption drew all gazes to him. "They're not to be taken lightly. You saw what happened to Summer. It was pure luck I was there when I was. If those tribespeople hadn't found me, and her, Summer would be dead."

There was an intensity to Jaune's glare that shook Taiyang and Summer. A raw anger.

"Do not leave them without their parents. I won't forgive you if you do."

Summer and Taiyang weren't sure what to say.

"Jaune has a point," Qrow said, pushing off the wall and coming to his aid. "I know you two want to look after them, but keep in mind they'll be happiest with you safe and sound. Besides, I'm already working on this. Leave it to us."

 _Us?_ Jaune thought, looking over to see Qrow looking back. _Well, I did tell Ozpin I was fighting against Salem too. I guess it makes sense he assumes Qrow and I will work together._ The idea wasn't all that bad of one to be honest. Qrow's trustworthiness was without question.

"Leave this with me for now," Ozpin said. "I'll talk to Tsune and get back to you. I'm sure it won't be hard for you to convince Ruby, just point out how she'll get to spend more time with her sister. Jaune, could you stay? We need to talk briefly."

"About…?"

"About a young man who shares a first name with you, and the two children he came here with."

"Ah." Jaune nodded to Taiyang and Summer. "You go ahead. I'll be fine." He glanced back at Ozpin. "Assuming you're not throwing me to the boy's father, that is?"

"I hadn't planned on it. I was actually hoping to set the other two up to train at your gym."

Nora and Ren? "Sounds good. We can do the paperwork now. Where are they?"

"Saying goodbye to one another, for now."

Jaune, young Jaune, was going home, then. The elder nodded. "Let's leave them to it, then."

/-/

"I don't want you to go!"

Like every father ever, Nicholas Arc felt the bastard for trying to take his son away from his new friends. The orange-haired girl hanging off him was glaring over Jaune's shoulder and at him, blaming him without words for daring to live in a place that wasn't Vale.

Jaune just looked confused, though there was a hint of reluctance there as well.

Nicholas was no fool. He knew his son didn't have many friends in Ansel. It wasn't so much a problem with Jaune as it was the size of the village and how many siblings he had. Ansel just wasn't large enough to have all that many children of a similar age, and a lot of the girls and boys there were already friends with his sisters. There weren't many people his own age to hang around with.

Would that this Nora and Ren lived in Ansel, things would be easier – but given what Ozpin had told him, they had been abducted by someone for some reason. No detail on what, but Nicholas suspected it was Semblance related. Some Semblances had applications that were too grand to leave to chance, and there were groups who tried to find and take them.

Such Semblances were rare, of course. Most only affected themselves – like making someone run faster or be stronger, not entirely noteworthy. But some people had Semblances that gave them more value. He'd once heard of someone who could regrow organs and who had, for a while, been captured and used as an organ bank, with people removing and selling his organs over and over for profit. That person had been rescued in time, but it was just one example.

He had no idea what Semblance the kids might have, but Jaune had mentioned something about hiding them from the Grimm. That alone was a coveted kind of skill. He could imagine any amount of people being willing to turn to cruel means to hide an entire village from Grimm.

The kids had to stay in Vale. It was the safest place for them.

But that meant Jaune had to return to Ansel.

"It's not like he can't ever visit," Nicholas said, already imagining Juniper scowling at him for giving in so easily to a child. "But he doesn't live here. He has a family waiting for him back home, and his mother is worried sick."

"Eh. Oops?"

Yeah, oops. Jaune had already received one hell of a telling off from him, but it would be the first of many by the time they got back. Really, going off with some strange woman. Nicholas would have been tearing the entire room down in fury if it wasn't for relief overpowering his rage. That was a good thing, since these two kids weren't at fault and didn't need to see him ranting and screaming.

"The CCT is also here, which means you can stay in touch. There's no reason we can't come here for holidays and let you all hang out." Nicholas watched the girl's fear diminish with every word. While she might have been trying for an intimidating glare, he was old enough to see the desperate need beneath.

 _No child deserves to wear a look like that._

"Yeah, this isn't goodbye, Nora. I'll see you later. And besides, I'm going to be a huntsman too. We'll join Beacon together."

"We'll see," Nicholas grumbled.

He needed to test his son first. And find out more about this Branwen character, then search the archives, hunt the bitch down, pin her to a wall and get answers on why, how and when she'd found the time to infiltrate his son's life.

 _And I need to set up CCTV around the entire house now. Or sit out in the hallway with a shotgun._

It wasn't paranoia. Not when you found out a strange woman had been wandering around your son's bedroom for nigh on a year and a half. Nicholas had been furious at the news and demanded Jaune explain why he hadn't told him.

" _But I did. You just smiled and said the tooth fairy must like me."_

Idiot. Not Jaune, himself. Jaune had told them so many times about the fairies, and he and Juniper would just exchange smiles about their son's overactive imagination. Idiots, idiots, idiots. Nicholas wanted to smash his face into a wall.

Was it too late to have _all his children_ sleep in the same room as him and Juniper?

"And we'll go on adventures," Jaune said, having continued talking while Nicholas tuned them out. "We'll see amazing places, do cool things and save damsels in distress. It'll be awesome. And then we'll find the people who took you and arrest them. Throw them in prison and laugh."

Not if he found them first.

"I guess…" Nora loosened her hold just a little. The quieter boy, Ren, laid a hand on her shoulder and she reluctantly stepped back. "Do you promise? I… I want a promise."

Jaune held out his little finger. "I promise. And an Arc never goes back on their word."

 _Resist the pride,_ Nicholas groaned internally. _You're angry with him. You're furious with him. Do not give in to parental pride._ It was hard, especially when the girl, tears in her eyes, linked her little finger with Jaune's.

Damn it. Juniper was going to have his head for not photographing this. He pulled out his scroll to save himself. "How about a picture before we go? Something to remember one another by? You can take my scroll details down as well, and I'll give you Jaune's once his is working again."

The children were only too happy to oblige, Nora standing between the two bots with a huge smile as she hooked her hands around their neck. Jaune's smile was just as wide, and although Ren's was smaller, there was a mature and amused quality to it. One that said that even if he didn't smile as much, he was still happy to be there.

Nicholas snapped the picture.

"And you can remember me by this as well!" Nora said, turning and gripping his son's cheeks between her hands. Her face was red, her eyes wide and nervous. "T-This is so you don't forget your promise."

Nicholas was no fool. He could see what was coming.

Jaune Arc was younger, less experienced. He opened his mouth to ask what she meant.

Nora stole his breath away.

It was not a particularly well thought-out kiss, Nicholas thought. They were fifteen, Jaune had never kissed a girl before and he doubted Nora had with a boy. She was also on the verge of a nervous breakdown, while Jaune was in shock, and they'd been through hell. Compared to the exchanges between himself and Juniper, it was downright chaste and clumsy.

But it was a first kiss, and Nicholas knew how much that could mean to a boy Jaune's age.

His son stood gobsmacked, lips wet and eyes bulging. He brought a hand up to touch his lips, then looked down at his fingertips, finally lowering them to stare at a flustered and embarrassed Nora, who refused to meet his eyes.

"N-Now you have to keep your promise. It's the future, right?"

"Y-Yeah." Jaune smiled dopily, clearly smitten. "It is. And I'll not go back on that."

Behind them, Ren snorted. There was no jealousy there, much to Nicholas' relief. The boy seemed pleased for them – if a little amused at how they were acting. Stepping forward, Nicholas clapped a hand on Jaune's shoulder before his son could open his mouth and show his girl the fabled Arc charm. Also known as saying something stupid and making a fool of himself.

"I'm sure Jaune won't be forgetting you anytime soon, Nora." He chuckled as the two burned like red lanterns. "And if it's not enough for him to promise, then I will as well. Jaune will come and visit again. We won't keep him away."

After a few more tearful goodbyes, several more promises and a solid handshake between Jaune and Ren, Nicholas placed a hand on his son's shoulder and led him away.

"Dad…"

"Hm?"

"I… I think I'm in love."

"I know, son. I know." With a grin, Nicholas pressed the send button on his scroll. "And so does your mother."

Jaune's face turned white.

/-/

Nora and Ren's positions in the gym were finalised, his young counterpart was on his way home and Ruby, while not intending to be a huntress, would be present at Beacon. It was different, all of it, but it was, for once, heading in the right direction.

 _If I can keep this up, I can still save everyone. I just have to hope Pyrrha still goes to Beacon and that I can get Blake out of the White Fang and change her mind._

Finally, things were starting to look up.

"I'm home," Jaune called, unlocking and entering his house. "Yo. Is-"

Emerald was waiting for him, stood in front of a frightened looking Weiss and a worried Whitley.

"What's happened?" he asked, eyes sharpening immediately. "Was someone here? Are they still here?"

None of them were armed or injured in any way. Weiss was trembling and Whitley had one arm around her, supporting his sister. He didn't look much better, though. Jaune scanned the room but could see no evidence of intruders of a fight.

"Emerald?"

"You missed a call," Emerald said.

"Who from?"

"Jacques Schnee."

Emerald looked to the Schnee siblings and then back to him. Even she looked worried.

"They have Winter."

Jaune's heart froze. "W-Who?"

"The White Fang. They took her. They're demanding ransom. They want you," she said, the reason for her fear becoming apparent. "And they've said if you don't make contact within two days to confirm you're willing to give yourself up to them..." She trailed off.

"That'll what?" he asked, legs weak.

It was Weiss who answered, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"They'll execute her!"

* * *

 **One Jaune scores, the other Jaune loses.**

 **It is the law of Jaune.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	63. Chapter 63

**Finally got my internet fixed on Friday – two weeks of the ISP telling me it's my fault before they came out, fixed the aerial and admitted it was theirs – and I've done both my event and my speech. Went on okay, but a little small. Only about two hundred people, but I guess it's the quality that counts. They were all Directors since it was an IoD event.**

 **Hate that posh food they always serve, though. It was so tasteless. I get it, posh restaurants don't over-season their food while processed food does, but it doesn't change the fact that by "remaining pure to its natural flavour" all you really did was serve me tasteless chicken.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 63**

* * *

"Our demands have been sent."

"As you say." Hazel stood by the back wall with his arms crossed. "I still say it's reckless to make the demands before we have the girl in hand."

"The compound fell," Sienna said. "Your spies confirmed this."

"Yes."

Their `spies` being the Grimm. Such was not knowledge Sienna was privy to, or that mattered. They'd witnessed the attack and the defeat of the Atlas garrison and reported that back to Salem, who had Arthur pass the news through to them. He'd sounded excited by it, but then he had a personal vendetta against Atlas.

Hazel cared little for it, or for the bloodshed in general. Such waste. Still, he had his job and he would do it, if only to ensure Ozpin paid for his crimes.

"Our spies reported she was captured, but that does not guarantee she will make it here," he said. "Should she not, the White Fang will be ridiculed. You've made your demands without a hostage to exchange."

Sienna snorted and shot him an amused look, one that had him sighing. Hazel had little interest in her games, or in making friends among the terrorist faction. Alas, he was best suited for the role. Tyrian's manner left much to be desired.

"I wasn't aware we intended to exchange hostages at all."

"We don't, but Ashari won't come without proof that she is here. Informing Jacques Schnee-"

"Will keep the news supressed. He's a businessman before a father, and the capture of Winter Schnee would spark a lot of negative press for him. Telling him and him only will ensure the news gets to Ashari but not to the media. Whatever happens, our reputation will remain intact."

"Hm." There was some logic there. "Very well. It seems you've thought this through."

"I have. Not to mention I-" Sienna broke off as a knock sounded on the door leading through to her chamber. Looking to him, and seeing him shake his head in the negative, she frowned and leaned one elbow on her knee, her chin atop her fist. "Enter."

The door opened and a young woman entered, looking around nervously and offering a polite nod to him, one which he returned without a word. She stepped further into the room and bowed much more respectfully to Sienna.

"Blake. I've told you already that I don't have any work for you. Adam is out on his mission and-"

"It's not that, Sienna," Blake kept her eyes low. "I've heard rumours among the men of some success in Atlas."

"Rumours…?"

"Your people need to keep tighter hold on information," Hazel warned.

"As I'm well aware." Sienna scowled and leaned back. "What kind of rumours? Spit it out."

"About the capture of an important person. About Adam."

Hazel remained silent but continued to watch the girl. While not important in herself, she served as a means of keeping Taurus in line, important given his importance to the White Fang. It was something Hazel particularly despised; not because he thought it unnecessary, but because using someone a person cared for against them reminded him of his sister.

Needs must, however. The White Fang needed Adam. Or rather, they needed him to remain loyal.

It was the reason why the Belladonna girl had been kept on standby. Sienna feared that if she was sent out – and with Adam no less – then she would not return. The girl was loyal to the White Fang, but there was no telling how far that extended. While she hated the humans for killing her father, she could hate the humans _and_ leave the White Fang. The two were not mutually exclusive.

Hazel opened his mouth, ready to tell the girl to be patient once more. Sienna beat him to it, but not in a manner he expected.

"I can confirm that the mission was a success, and that there is an important individual being brought back. Naturally, I can't tell you more just yet. That said…" Sienna's face fell. "I have… I have heard some bad news, though I have no way of confirming it."

"Huh?" Blake looked up. "What do you mean?"

"The attack was a success, but it wasn't without cost. Many of our brothers fell."

None of that was untrue, but the girl didn't need to know the details. _What's your angle here, Sienna? I don't remember us talking about this._

"That's to be expected, isn't it?" Blake asked. "Even if they're brave warriors of the White Fang, they're still attacking an SDC compound. They're no joke ever since Winter Schnee took over. I bet Adam had no problem breaking through."

Devotion. Simple enough. Adam Taurus was well-known and revered among the new recruits, though many were like Sienna and doubted his commitment. Too many soft decisions and too much mercy. That wasn't bad in its own right but didn't serve their needs right now.

 _He would have made a better leader than Sienna. Alas, his methods aren't what Salem needs right now. A shame._ Hazel personally felt he'd have gotten on better with the man than he did Sienna. _At the very least, he doesn't seem like the kind to care about his image._

"I'm sure Adam was instrumental in their success," Sienna agreed. "I hear he led the charge himself."

Blake preened, smiling at the news.

"Unfortunately, that meant he was the first to cross blades with the enemy. I didn't want to be the one to tell you but…" Sienna's face fell. "Adam was badly hurt in the attack."

"W-What?" Blake swallowed. "H-How bad? A broken arm? U-Unconscious?"

"I'm sorry."

"No…" Blake took a step back, then a second. "N-No, you have to be mistaken." Her eyes were wide, and she shook her head from side to side. "Y-You said it's just news, though? It could be wrong. Adam – He promised he'd come back safe. He could still be okay!"

"He could." Sienna rose and laid a hand on Blake's shoulder. "Maybe you should hold to that hope for now. The news I received could be faulty. You know how our brothers and sisters can be sometimes." Turning the shaking girl around, Sienna led her to the door. "Why don't you get some rest, Blake? And try not to think on what may or may not happen."

"Adam. He can't. He… He said he'd come back…"

"And I'm sure he wanted – sorry, that he wants to. Give him time."

Hazel watched Sienna lead the girl out the room and away. Sighing, he pushed off the wall and turned away. What was Sienna's game in all this? The White Fang were a complicated mess as it was without more coming between them.

"It doesn't matter in the end. As long as they serve their purpose."

As long as they had Ashari, everything else would fall into place. And if they failed here, Tyrian would succeed in Vale. There was more than one way to strike at the man.

/-/

"Not so high and mighty now, is she?"

"Should put _her_ to work in the mines."

"Just kill her. Not sure what we're waiting on. It's time we sent a message."

Winter closed her eyes and ignored the mutterings around her. Knelt in the middle of the camp with her hands tied behind her back, she maintained a façade of calm, if not calmness itself. The White Fang surrounded her on every side, the remnants of the successful attack on the depot outside Argus. Bloodied and bruised, they were glut on their victory and all too proud to throw that in her face.

A Schnee was calm in all situations, even ones so dangerous. While she normally despised those teachings, she found satisfaction in depriving the terrorists of theirs. If they wanted to see her cowed and broken, they would be disappointed.

"What's the matter, Schnee?" a familiar voice asked. The tall and imposing – at least to anyone other than her – form of the lead faunus approached. He wore his mask and a sneer, showing off his sharpened fang-like teeth. "Our hospitality not up to your high standards? Would you prefer a servant to bring your dinner for you?"

"I have not had a servant in the last seven years," Winter replied. "Not that I expect you to understand that. It's easier for you to assume I am some spoiled brat, I'm sure."

"Easier?"

"Well, we wouldn't want to tax your brain now, would we?"

His hand caught her face. Having her eyes closed, she didn't see it coming but she'd had her aura pushed to the fore regardless. While her head was knocked to the side with a loud crack, she did not fall over. Instead, she slowly looked back toward him, opening her eyes at last. He looked furious. Not an unusual emotion for him.

"Satisfied?" she asked. "Or would you like another go?"

He punched her. Properly, this time. His fist struck her left cheek under her eye and this time she swayed a little to the side, catching herself on one knee and coming back to a neutral position. Her cheek was red, and she might have been looking forward to a black eye.

Good. If they intended to film her for some propaganda piece, then clear signs of abuse would work against their cause.

"Disappointing. Then again, I suppose it makes sense. _You_ weren't the one to capture me."

"Shut up, bitch!" His hand fisted in her jacket, dragging her up so that her face was but an inch from his. He spat his words, coating her face in his saliva. "You think you're so much better than us? Just like a Schnee. You're not. You bleed like any other person." He brought a knife to her cheek, resting it under her eye. "Want to see? Our instructions are only to bring you back alive. Not in one piece."

Though her heart beat a little quicker, Winter stared the faunus down.

"Do it and you'll be killed," she said.

"Oh? By you?"

"No," a voice behind him said. "By me."

A sword tickled the faunus' throat, long and red and held by the young man stood behind and to the side, his mask hanging loose around his neck. Adam Taurus looked disinterested, even bored, but the sword in his hand was ready to behead the faunus who held her.

"Taurus," the man gritted out.

"Perry," Adam remarked. "You're disobeying orders from above. A hostage is no use dead."

"I wasn't going to kill her-"

"No? Just having fun? How pathetic."

"You say that, yet you're the one protecting a Schnee."

"I'm the one protecting an asset. Believe me, she's more of one than you are." Adam tilted the sword so that the edge dug into the man's wrist, making him let go of her. Once he'd stepped back, Adam removed and sheathed his sword. "Let that be a warning to all of you. Our job is to bring her back to our allies. It is not to deal with her ourselves, nor for any of you to take your petty vengeance out on."

"Petty?" someone yelled. "She's a Schnee! My brother _died_ in the mines!"

"And did she run him through?"

The faunus in question sat stunned.

"No? Then she didn't kill him, did she? You joined the White Fang to make a difference, not to be a part of the problem. Grow up and take the job seriously or I'll end you myself." Ignoring their angry mutters entirely, Adam turned to face her. "You could stand to be a little quieter yourself."

"You'll forgive me if I disagree."

"I don't think forgiveness has anything to do with it. But I'll muzzle you."

Winter's lips sealed shut.

"Good." Adam nodded then, with a cursory look around, sighed and sat down on a log beside her. He removed his sword from his hip and propped it up nearby and, Winter noticed, within easy reach. That wasn't for her – she was secured and harmless. It was because he feared attack by the other members of the White Fang. He didn't trust them.

Given the glares they sent as much at him as her, he was right to be so.

"You're not as popular as our sources indicated."

"Really? Then you need better spies."

"Clearly." Winter watched Perry leave with a murderous glare and some whispered commands to some of his fellows, all of whom nodded. "I wonder if you'll survive the journey back to wherever you're taking me. I wouldn't put it past your friend to have you killed so he could claim the glory himself."

"He's welcome to try. I'd enjoy the chance to kill him in self-defence."

"Not worried?"

"Should I be?"

No. From what she'd seen of him, he was a cut above the average grunt. He was young, as young as her, so it was possible he had some degree of huntsman training. It was the only way to explain him do the things she'd seen. Even with the warning, many of the compound's men had fallen like chaff to Adam Taurus.

Not that it hadn't been expected. It was what they got for avoiding training so much. They'd accepted the job knowing what was expected of them, and the risk the White Fang posed. That they chose to both ignore that and to slack off spoke of a reckless disregard for both duty and their lives.

Unfortunate, then, that they'd been forced to pay the ultimate price for it.

"What happens now?" she asked. "If you can tell me."

"You'll be brought back to a camp we have on the eastern coast of Atlas, then transported to Mistral." The lack of secrecy indicated the camp would be temporary, and quickly abandoned. "There, I believe our esteemed leader wishes to speak with you."

"Not Menagerie?"

"No. Curiously enough, Sienna wants to meet you in Mistral."

Winter didn't miss his frown. "You don't know why."

"I suspect but cannot be sure."

"You're not trusted."

"I'm not," he admitted. "Too moderate. Too honourable."

The divisions in the White Fang were greater than expected. There was little she could do to use that at the moment, but it was something to remember. Keeping track of details helped to keep her distracted from what they might do to her at the end of the journey.

That was, assuming she made it that far.

"This is a dangerous game you're playing, Taurus."

"The most dangerous games come with the greatest prizes. The White Fang – no, those behind the White Fang – seem to think the prize is Ashari. They've lost sight of what we were supposed to fight for, even if the fanatics refuse to accept that." He indicated Perry and the others, busy forming a loose circle around them. It might have been mistaken for a protective perimeter, if the faunus weren't focusing their attention inward.

"And you?" she asked.

"I'd like to say I'm a purist, but I guess I'm more an idiot. I want Blake out."

"Does she want to be out?"

"At this point, I don't care. Call me selfish but I'd rather she hate me from safety than love me and be under their control. As she is, she lives only as a tool to keep _me_ in check. A single action out of line from me and she pays the price. Do you know how that feels?"

"I have a brother and sister I love dearly. I know what it feels like."

"Hm. I suppose you do." He smiled. "Then I guess you know how far you'd be willing to go for them?"

"I would kill for them. Gladly."

The sound of a gun cocking interrupted their conversation. Winter looked up, seeing the faunus of the White Fang all around them, weapons drawn and stood nervously, some of them shaking slightly. In the centre, Perry stood with a knife in each hand and a wicked smile on his face.

"I think it's time we talked, Adam," he said. "About you and your place in the White Fang."

"Oh?" Rather than be intimidated or angry, Adam looked up with a curious smile. "And what exactly do you want to talk about?"

"You've done a lot of good for the cause."

"I have," Adam agreed.

"You've led some of the most successful raids, secured the most dust and weaponry. You're a symbol. An inspiration."

"Hm." He chuckled. "Kind of you to say, Perry."

"But that's the thing about symbols. Hang around too long and they become tarnished. Worthless. Going out in a blaze of glory? That's the best way. Which is why we're going to report Adam Taurus' tragic and heroic end against the SDC. A battle in which he gave his life to grant us our biggest victory yet, the capture of Winter Schnee."

"Oh? Interesting." Adam looked around the ring calmly, one hand on his weapon. "An end worthy of a true martyr, except for one small problem. I'm still alive."

"Don't fuck around, Adam. You know how this ends."

"You're right." He stood. "I do. But tell me first, Perry, since we both know you're neither smart nor brave enough to have come up with this on your own. Who made this decision? Was it Tyrian? Hazel?"

He watched the faunus' expression.

"Sienna?"

Perry's face twitched.

Adam scowled. "I see. Better a martyr than a problem. That's just like her."

"Don't take it personally, Adam." Perry said. "We have our orders and you had yours. If you truly believe in the cause, you'll understand why this is necessary and you won't make it any harder than it has to be."

"Is that your way of saying it's nothing personal?"

"Of course." Perry smiled cruelly. "Nothing personal."

"Good." Adam drew his sword and swept it to the side.

Winter stood, fronds of rope falling from her wrists. From inside his coat, Adam drew a thin sabre and threw it her way. The White Fang froze, shock appearing on their faces. It gave Winter all the time she needed to stab her sword down and summon a pristine glyph beneath their feet.

"You – You…" Perry saw the confident look on Winter's face. "You planned this? Traitor…"

"Perhaps." Adam inclined his head and made no effort to hide it. "But to be fair, you betrayed me first."

"Hardly," Winter snorted. "You came to me before the siege even began."

"What-? You – You piece of shit!"

"Did you have to tell him that?" Adam asked her, sighing. "He's going to be insufferable now."

Perry roared and charged in, swinging his knives toward Adam's face. It was a mad attack driven more by rage than skill, yet to the surprise of those watching it struck. The blades tore a line across Adam's cheek. The next slash cut open his chest, leaving a light wound. The third caught his arm above the elbow, cutting both cloth and skin.

"Is this it?" Perry laughed. "No way to fight back? Is this all you ever were, Taurus?"

Perry slashed again, catching Adam's thigh and drawing blood. Adam grunted and dodged back, landing awkwardly on one leg and stumbling slightly. He grimaced and reached up to wipe the blood from his cheek.

"What's your plan now, traitor?" Perry asked.

"My plan is to present Winter Schnee to the White Fang alone, claiming I was betrayed and ambushed by treacherous comrades that I fought off and killed." Adam smiled at the disbelief writ across their faces. "And thanks to you, I now have the wounds to prove it. I'll be sure to tell them how fierce the battle was, but, being a legend among the White Fang, it's no real surprise I was able to come out victorious. Sienna will, of course, have no option but to praise me for it. Unless she wants to admit what she just tried. She won't even be able to question me, since she planned this from the start."

"You plan to kill us? All of us? You and what army!?"

Adam smirked and nodded to Winter. "Her army."

The crack of a sniper rifle from the treeline caused Perry's head to explode. The White Fang panicked but there was no hope for them. Most were untrained and although they all had their aura unlocked, few had the training to use it effectively, especially against the rain of gunfire that poured out from the treeline, scything through on either side of Adam and her.

Winter closed her eyes and sighed, listening to the screams but choosing not to witness their dying moments. Adam did no such thing and watched grimly.

When the gruesome task was done, Delta and Echo stepped out from the trees, over dead bodies and bloodstained grass. They approached, lowered their weapons and saluted. "Ma'am."

"At ease," she said. "None escaped?"

"We caught the rear guard before we engaged here. They're all dead. Every single one of them."

"I hope you're right," Adam growled. "A single message back to Sienna and this will all be for naught."

"I _said_ they were all dead, terrorist," Echo fired back.

"Enough," Winter barked, for all their sakes. "I don't like this as much as either of you do, but Adam came here at risk to himself to arrange this. I will see it through." She saw the protests coming and held up a hand, using her other to hand her sword back to Adam. "It's a risk, I know. A huge risk. But the biggest prizes can't be won at anything other than the most dangerous of games."

Adam snorted and hid her sword on his person. "Wise words. I wonder where you learned them."

"You could stand to be less smug, you realise…"

"I could." Adam pulled out some roped and tied her wrists again behind her back, all the while her soldiers watched on uncomfortably. "But I've captured the famous Winter Schnee and just fought off fifty men at once. All on my own."

Winter rolled her eyes. "You're sure news of this won't get out? If my father hears about this, he'll do something foolish. I guarantee it."

"We only captured you yesterday," Adam said. "And it's not as though we have a CCT to hand. It would be foolish in the extreme for Sienna to claim our victory without knowing it. She'd look a fool if we failed and the White Fang might never survive the laughingstock it would become."

"Good. The last thing I need is someone like Jaune of all people getting the wrong idea and rushing in to rescue or stop me. This is going to be delicate enough as it is."

"He doesn't do delicate?" Adam asked.

It was Delta who answered. "Not exactly…"

/-/

"Weiss and Whitley were entrusted to me. They need to be kept safe. You're the only people I can rely on right now."

"I'm not saying I won't look after them," Summer said, hurrying to catch up. "But you _can't_ go out alone."

"Watch me."

"You'll be killed!"

"Not if I play it safe." Jaune opened a drawer and drew out a submachinegun, inspected it and then hid it under his Atlas military coat. He picked out a grenade as well, attaching it to his belt. The more ordinance he had the better, especially with the number of untrained troops the White Fang could field. It went without saying that he wasn't going to take the prisoner exchange seriously.

Having both Ashari _and_ Winter Schnee as their prisoners? That was something no respecting terrorist would miss out on.

"I can't fight and look after the kids at the same time. I need you to look after them."

"Let Tai. I'll come with you."

"No!" He whirled on her. "And no," he said again when her eyes narrowed. "It's not that I doubt you, Summer. I'm just worried about Emerald and I need someone to keep an eye on her. They have spies among my students, so they'll know I'm gone."

"What? Who!? And why would you keep them?"

"I don't know."

"Then how do-"

"It's the obvious thing to do, isn't it? I can't turn people away, so anyone with a brain in their head would have a spy among my classes." He strapped a bandolier under his coat and pushed some vials of dust into it. To his paranoia, there was no response from Summer. She knew he was right. "I need you to keep them safe. Both of you."

Summer gripped his elbow and dragged him around to face her. "If you fight them on your own, you're going to die. Are you so selfish that you won't think of how that would affect people? Us? Your students? Emerald?"

"I don't intent to die here."

"I didn't intend to die in Vacuo, either. Doesn't mean I nearly didn't."

"The difference is that you didn't know what you were up against. I do." He poured some red dust into another container and stashed it in a pouch on his hip. "I'm not asking you to like this, Summer. I'm asking you to look after them. Winter is in this mess because of me."

"She's a Schnee. The White Fang would have targeted her eventually."

"Eventually. But they went after her so they could demand me in exchange." Happy with his dust, he strapped Crocea Mors to his waist. "If they want me that badly." A gun was holstered under his shoulder. "They'll get me."

"You're being irresponsible! At least wait for Qrow to help."

"He's on a mission for Ozpin and the White Fang aren't going to stay patient." Closing the drawer, he stepped past Summer, pulling out of her grip with her chasing behind. How long would a Schnee survive in their midst? Weiss had once talked of people who worked for the SDC being kidnapped and killed.

If Winter died here, it would be because of him. Because of a change he made.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Summer howled.

Jaune rounded on her, poking a finger into her chest. "Tell me right now that if Taiyang was being held by them, or Ruby or Yang, you wouldn't go out there to save them." he spat, voice tinged with anger and worry. It wasn't Summer at fault, but she'd made herself a convenient target. "Tell me you'd sit back and do the right thing. Tell me you'd be `smart` and leave your daughters in the hands of terrorists."

Summer's lip trembled. No words came forth.

"I thought so." He made his way toward the door. "Don't tell me to do something you're not willing to do yourself. The White Fang have dug their grave taking Winter prisoner. I intend to bury them."

It was his mistake, after all. The White Fang in this era was his error. It only made sense he be the one to deal with them. Permanently.

Emerald blocked him from leaving. "I'm coming!"

"Emerald…" Sighing, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Have a little faith in your old man, okay? I'll be fine."

"I know you will be."

"Good girl."

"But I'm coming. I can fight. And my Semblance-"

"Can only really work on one person at once before you start to pass out. I appreciate the thought, but you're staying here. Look after Weiss and Whitley for me."

Her scowl split her face in two, Emerald having heard him tell Summer to look after _her_ earlier. She didn't argue but he knew the look on her face. One that said she'd be trailing after him or finding her own way to follow.

Kneeling, he opened his arms. "Come on. Give me a hug."

Emerald stepped into his arms with complete trust.

"Sorry," he apologised, squeezing her tight, tighter, then tighter still. Emerald struggled and gasped, then went still in his arms. Gently, he picked her up and offered her to Summer, using his Semblance to heal any residual damage of his chokehold.

"Was that necessary?" Summer hissed, holding the girl against her chest.

"Yes. Emerald is _my_ daughter. That means the second I'm out of sight, she'd use her Semblance on you and sneak away." Then she would find him and use her Semblance on him to make it so he couldn't see her. "She'd be on my Bullhead and I'd not be able to do a thing about it."

"If I could get my hands around your throat, I would."

"I know." He brushed some hair from Emerald's face and leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead. "Look after her for me. And be sure to tell her I'm coming back."

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."

"Oh, I intend to keep it. The White Fang have crossed a line and I'm done playing games. Ozpin has offered me one of his Bullheads. I'll be heading out to the rendezvous point." Summer was still glaring at him but there was nothing he could do. Nothing she could do, either. They both knew if their situations were reversed, she would do the same. "Look after Emerald for me. And tell her I'm sorry."

"Tell her yourself when you come back," Summer huffed, turning away.

 _I intend to._

/-/

Tyrian Callows watched as the Bullhead took off and flew over the Emerald Forest. The Beacon markings on the side were clear, even in the dark to his faunus eyes. He cackled to himself and dropped down off the tree branch he'd been sat on.

 _A shame I couldn't have a little meeting with him again. Heee._

Had it been anyone but his wonderful Goddess to give his orders, he might have disobeyed them for the chance, but the thought of disobeying her never crossed his mind. It would be heresy. And besides, a chance to hear her divine words, and to follow them to the letter?

Ah. It gave him shivers!

"And so the bird leaves the nest, and all its eggs await its return. But alas, for where there are eggs, snakes will always follow."

Or scorpions in this case. It was the same thing. Humming to himself, he pulled out a little sheet of paper with a face printed on it, one he'd had the pleasure of seeing before and of nearly killing in Atlas. And none since then, Vale being too dangerous to approach with both Ozpin and Ashari in residence.

But now with one of them absent and the other distracted preparing for a new year, the opportunity was ripe at last.

"Every man has a weakness. And yours is the most obvious yet."

Cackling loudly, Tyrian let the paper fall, the image memorised. The digital picture of Emerald Ashari floated to the forest floor, staring unblinkingly at the canopy as Tyrian made his way toward the city, a deranged smile on his face.

"When the cat is away, the mice come out to play."

* * *

 **Yep. Winter is fine, sort of, but her and Adam's plan has hit a snafu in that Sienna called the success early and pulled a fast one on Jacques, and by extension Jaune. Obviously, that's a fairly reckless decision on Winter's part, but I'll say in her defence that she expected her and Adam's plan (which obviously the readers don't know yet) to be over before Jaune ever found out.**

 **She expected there would be no "ransom demand" until she was firmly in their grasp.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 29** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	64. Chapter 64

**It's so damn hot over here! Arghhh!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 64**

* * *

"You should not underestimate him."

"I'm not. He's just one man."

"I am just one man," Hazel pointed out. "Yet I would have little trouble dealing with a number of your people. That he has agreed to come and meet with you is not a sign of weakness on his part. It is his intent to attack."

Sienna snorted. "I know what I'm doing."

Hazel sighed. That she would not listen was no real surprise. The first part of believing the faunus could overthrow humanity was to see it as possible, hence the White Fang needed to see themselves as superior. If they didn't, then there was no way for the faunus to think they could win. As a leader, however, Sienna should have been above that.

That she was not made her a poor leader, but also an inspiring one. Her confidence passed over to her people, who looked to her and drank of her absolute faith. It was no lie to say she was the face and spirit of the White Fang, and that made her both an asset and a necessity.

It also made her vulnerable.

Tyrian mocked on how they should kill Sienna and replace her, but the madman didn't understand the nuances at play within the White Fang. Without Sienna, there was no White Fang. The closest other was Adam Taurus, but his loyalties were in question. Tyrian might be able to rule with fear while the faunus were in his sight, but the moment he turned his back they would run.

Crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, Hazel watched as Sienna instructed her most trusted on the exchange. Though calling it an exchange was naturally inaccurate.

"Remember, the goal is to capture him _and_ keep the Schnee. We can't let him get wind of that until the last second. Blake will be the one meeting with him."

"Blake?" another terrorist asked. "Why her?"

"He's shown mercy to her before. I doubt he would kill her."

"And if he takes her hostage?"

"Her loyalty is to the cause. She would want us to take the shot available, even at the cost of her life."

Clever. If Ashari killed Blake Belladonna, then Adam would be bound to the White Fang at last – so long as never got wind of this meeting. That was assuming Adam still lived. He could read through the byplay of Sienna's plan and knew the goal was for both Adam and Blake to die. It would be a tragic love story for the troops.

"The meeting will take place outside an encampment. He might scout around, so we can't put troops out in advance. Once the exchange begins, however, I want teams fanning left and right. Surround him. We need him alive." Her eyes flicked to him in the corner and he nodded. The threat was clear. "Nothing to say he can't be beaten unconscious, but no explosives. Take an arm off if you have to."

 _If you can,_ Hazel thought.

"The main thing will be cutting off his escape. We have news he's coming by Bullhead."

"He'll obviously land that nearby," one of the more intelligent members said. "He'd be a fool to fly it so close. If we keep a team out and in hiding, they can find and destroy it when the meeting begins."

"See it done. I want his every escape route cut off. Tire him out. Wear him down."

Throw their bodies on his sword until he couldn't lift it. None of them were stupid enough to not understand what Sienna was suggesting, but the orders given to the rank and file would be worded differently. It was a waste of life on every account, but Hazel knew such things were necessary, even if he despised it.

 _This is why I prefer to follow. Life is much simpler…_

"Is it really worth it for one man? I get that he's a problem, but we could just rig the meeting place to blow and kill him."

Hazel's muscles tensed. It was an imperceptible thing, but Sienna noticed the implied threat.

"The rewards will be worth it," Sienna promised. "Maybe Hazel could give you a hint of what those might be if you're so uncertain."

All eyes turned to him.

"As you wish," he said, staring each of them down. "Our employer has uncovered some interesting technology from Atlas that allows us to enforce electronic commands on Grimm, allowing us control over their actions."

A lie, obviously, but a useful coverup for Salem's involvement. It helped that if one were to dig, they would find evidence of the research labs Tyrian had attacked and first met Jaune Ashari in. That research had failed to yield fruit, but it wasn't impossible to imagine someone completing it.

"We are willing to provide the White Fang what is essentially _tame Grimm_ for your attacks."

The table broke out into excited and fearful whispers. Some protested of the image, of what it would mean for them to be seen working alongside Grimm, but there wasn't a one of them that didn't see the tactical benefits. They could send the Grimm in first to die, keeping their own safe. In the long run there was even the possibility of them living in peace with a subjugated breed of Grimm.

Such was false hope. They did not need to know the details.

"Why can't we use them now?" one asked.

"Ashari has the final key we need," he lied. "Dead, we will lose this technology forever. Alive, he enables us, and by extension the White Fang, to reap the rewards."

"You see why he is worth sacrificing for," Sienna said, leaning across the table with a feral smile. "We took the image of the snarling Grimm to send a message to the humans, and now that message will come twofold. Even if a hundred of our brothers and sisters die, their sacrifice will win the war for us. We _cannot_ afford to let this opportunity pass us by."

"Yes Sienna!"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Good. You're dismissed. Make your people ready and prepare. The dawn of a new age comes to the White Fang today!"

The commanders cheered and raised their fists, departing with laughter, excited chatter and high spirits. In victory, they would secure that which they'd always wanted. The price for Sienna's loyalty; that the White Fang crush the human Kingdoms, particularly Atlas.

If they could capture Ashari, that was. Sienna was right about one thing. He was just one man. But then, so was Ozpin. All it ever took was one person in the right place at the right time.

 _A good job we're not leaving it to you alone, Sienna._

/-/

"Emerald, come on. Slow down."

Yang groaned as she chased after her friend through the streets of Vale. It was a weekend; the city was bustling, and Emerald was in the foulest mood imaginable. Not that Yang didn't understand where it came from. Mom had filled her in and asked her to watch over Emerald to make sure she didn't do something stupid, like try to steal a Bullhead and crash it in an attempt to fly after her father.

She tried to understand anyway. It was harder for her since she was used to her mom or dad going off on hunts every now and then. It was part and parcel of growing up in a huntsman family. Course, she knew it would be different if, like Emerald, she only had the one parent.

 _I can't imagine mom or dad not being there._

But that didn't change the fact Emerald was doggedly trying to dodge her in the city. Yang reached out and snatched her wrist, dragging her to a stop.

"What!?" Emerald snapped. "What's your problem?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

"You _know_ what my problem is. Dad is… Dad is…" Her face scrunched up, as if she couldn't get the words out. Eventually, however, anger won. "Dad is a fucking prick!"

"Ayeee. There you go. See? It's not like lightning is gonna strike you down for saying it."

Emerald pushed her off and tried to stalk away again. This time, Yang was at her side. Weak as it had been, it was probably still the first time Emerald had ever insulted her old man in front of her. Probably the first time she'd done it ever.

She couldn't say she blamed her, but couldn't say she blamed Uncle Jaune, either. How Emerald was acting now was pretty much proof he'd needed to knock her out. It was so damn obvious Em would have gone after him.

"Come on," she said, dragging Emerald off the busy streets. "I know a place we can talk."

Yang dragged Emerald toward a quiet place in a rougher part of the city. Not rough – rough, but off the touristy paths that were filled with people. It was a quiet little place that served nice tea and ice-cream, the latter of which Emerald was quick to order. How she managed to look miserable still eating ice-cream was a mystery.

"I get that you're annoyed, but you need to get used to stuff like this," Yang said. "Jaune's a huntsman. It's in their job to go out every now and then."

"This isn't some hunt."

"Yeah, mom told me." Weiss and Whitley were too distraught to go anywhere, not that she blamed them. "But it's the same thing. It's not like he could have taken you along, is it?"

"No, but he shouldn't have gone at all!"

"Are you saying he should leave one of his friends to die?"

"Yes!"

Yang winced. "Would you leave _me_ to die?"

"What?" Emerald looked horrified. "No!"

That was good at least. Yang let her shoulders untense a little. "Then how can you expect him to leave Winter?"

"It's not… that's…"

"It's not the same? I think it is, cept Uncle Jaune is ten times tougher than you are." Yang leaned one elbow on the table and stirred a spoon around her bowl. "I get that you're worried, but you can't blame him for doing what he thinks he has to."

"And if that's walking into a stupid trap?"

"Eh." Yang shrugged. "You know he isn't gonna do that. Have a little faith."

Emerald growled something unkind and stabbed her last scoop of sugary goodness, pushing it all inside her mouth and chewing like it was a gobstopper. She swallowed and slammed her spoon down into the bowl.

"We done?"

"Someone is…" Yang sighed. "Look, let's just chat, yeah? How about Beacon? You managed to convince him to let you attend?"

"No."

"You even tried?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because he doesn't want me to," Em growled. "He got angry the last time. I'm not doing that again."

"It's your life. He might be your dad but that doesn't mean he makes your decisions for you."

"Like not deciding I'm staying here? He made that decision." Emerald dropped her chin down onto both hands laid on the table and pouted. "It doesn't _feel_ like my opinion matters for anything. I don't get a choice."

Sheesh. She'd have called Em spoiled if that couldn't be further from the truth. More like she was just confused and crappy at showing her feelings. It was a work in progress. _She's better than she was in Atlas. I hated her back then._

"Maybe you need to take a leaf from his book, then."

Emerald raised her head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if he can make his decisions without consulting you, why can't you do the same? Give him a little of his own medicine and show him how it feels. He'll learn quicker than you trying to explain it to him." Not because he was an idiot but because Em wasn't good with words. "Sign up for Beacon. Just don't tell him."

"What if he finds out?"

"You argue," she said, shrugging. "At least it gets the issue out in the open."

"He'll be angry."

"Better to ask forgiveness than permission."

"What? That makes no sense."

"Look…" She rolled her eyes. "Do you want to come with me to Beacon or not?"

"I do…"

"Then just do it. Show him you're not going to let him dictate your life."

"You know what, I will!" Emerald slammed a fist down on the table, rattling the bowls. The shopkeeper looked over but didn't bother to intervene. "It's my life. And even if he saved me, that doesn't mean he gets to control me."

"That's the spirit."

"And he even said I'm not a tool. I'm free to live my life how _I_ want! And if I want to go to Beacon, I'll go to Beacon."

"Ayeee. Atta girl."

Mom and dad were going to be on her ass for this, but at least Em was fired up. Plus, it wasn't like she didn't want her best friend at Beacon too. They'd make an awesome team. "If he wanted to stop you, he should have told you why he didn't want you there."

"Yeah!"

Yang grinned. "Feelin' better?"

"No."

"Ugh." She sagged. "I tried."

Em would feel better when he came back in one piece. They could argue it out – maybe shout it out, too. They needed it. As much as they obviously loved one another, their relationship was messed up at times. Maybe that was just what being a single dad was like. Yang had her fair share of arguments with her own, but Summer usually broke them up. Without a woman in their life, maybe the arguments went unanswered. Festered.

It was tough being Emerald's friend; not because she was bad or anything, just because things got ten times more complicated. Would have been a lot easier if she was a normal girl.

 _But then she wouldn't be such good fun._

"We could go spar if you want. Take your mind off it?"

"No." Emerald scowled at her bowl. "Actually, yeah. Yeah, I want to fight."

"Spar," Yang corrected.

"Same thing."

Uh-oh. Well, she was no stranger to getting knocked around. With the ASH Gym closed they couldn't exactly use the rings there and her parents would ground her for _life_ if she let Em outside the city walls. There were some places huntsmen could go to train, however. Gyms, rings and even the odd stadium for tournaments and competitions, which usually rented out their arenas for cheap when it wasn't tournament time.

"I guess we can rent a place."

"Why? My house has a ring. It's small but it works."

"You have a key?" She felt dumb even as she said it. Of course Emerald would have a spare key. "Cool. Let's go."

/-/

"Watching kids eat ice-cream. How the mighty have fallen, eh?"

Beside him, Neo nodded, pouting fit for a storm. That had more to do with the ice-cream than the task, Roman knew, but a man could pretend. He had enough snark for the both of them.

"I mean, I'm a master thief. I'm wanted across all of Vale. A gentleman rogue. Do you have any idea what people will say if they see me leering after and following two little girls around? I'll never hear the end of it."

Neo wriggled her eyes at him and pointed to her chest.

"Yeah, I know. Bad enough with you, but there's a difference. Kinda."

Seeing the two leave the diner, Roman – in disguise, of course – followed after, dumping some lien down on the table of a little bistro across the street. Vale was busy enough that he could walk on the other side of the road and keep an eye on them. It helped that he knew where they were headed from his less-than-stellar attempt to rob the scariest man in Vale.

 _I pity any fool who tries for his kid, and not because of me._

Still, he'd gotten the call and knew better than to argue. A less intelligent man might have seen it as a chance to take the kid hostage and get some leverage over his employer. Roman was not a stupid man.

 _Whether I like it or not, he's kept me stocked and paid. I'm still useful to him, so there's no worry he'll get rid. And if I save his brat, he'll only be more in my debt._ His employer having a soft spot for his daughter wasn't all that bad a thing. It was a weakness to exploit, but there was more than one way to take advantage.

Rather than kidnap and blackmail, he could win points through helping the brat. The big guy was emotional; far different in that regard from many crooks he'd worked with in his time, all of whom would have stabbed him in the back if it profited them. Those emotions made Ashari unpredictable, but also reasonable.

As long as he didn't act out or do anything stupid, he was safe.

Neo tugged on his sleeve and pointed across the street, acting for all the world like an excited child. The reason why became apparent a moment later.

There was someone following the brats.

Not even being subtle about it either. The man had a leer on his face that split it in two, his eyes wild and his teeth showing. People sensed something wrong with him and got out his way, people turning with expressions that said they were sure they'd seen his face before but couldn't place where.

Roman could. Tyrian Callows. The terrorist from Atlas.

Seeing him just walk down the middle of the street should have been ridiculous. He was one of Remnant's most wanted. He'd been on international television streamed via the CCT. He'd been there when the White Fang attacked the stadium. And yet here he was, and no one cared to raise the alarm.

People didn't care. It was just how they were. Everyone lived in their own little bubble and didn't give a damn about those outside it. He was no different, but he liked to be prepared. Something the average person in Vale was not. They thrived in ignorance, be it of the dangers of the Grimm, the White Fang or of the possibility that a monster like this could be walking among them.

He could just see their thoughts. Imagine them. Is that Tyrian Callows? Nah, it can't be. He wouldn't just be here in the middle of the city. My mind must be playing tricks on me.

"Sheep," he grumbled. "Bloody sheep…" Roman increased his pace, pushing pedestrians out his way. Melodic Cudgel was strapped to his thigh and he touched it nervously. "He's not exactly someone we want to tangle with."

The grin on Neo's face said otherwise.

"Fine. Not someone _I_ want to tangle with. Shit. I'd say talk about timing, but this was obviously planned. Wonderful. Bloody wonderful." Someone got in his way and he shoved them down, causing a commotion.

What was his options? Cause a stir and hope the distraction cost Tyrian the chase? It might work but it might as easily not – and the guy might just take the distraction as a chance to stab the girl in the back. Also a fair shot _he'd_ be the one to lose track of Tyrian and not the other way around. Fighting was an option. Crappy option but there it was.

He took out his scroll and sent a quick message to Junior. Any help on offer would be nice. Two on one was good odds, but not as good as ten on one. If you didn't outnumber your opponent, you weren't trying.

 _Should have got the brat's number and I could have warned her. Sloppy, Roman. Sloppy._

"Run on ahead," he told Neo. "Prep an ambush if you have to."

Nodding, she sped on, ducking and weaving through the crowd and disappearing among the people. He trusted Neo to know what had to be done. In many ways she was stronger than he was. That was life in the business. Age didn't mean much compared to experience. Jaune himself was a good example. Kid wasn't even thirty and fought like a veteran huntsman.

Tyrian Callows? No idea. Only that he'd fought one on one against Ashari. Something Roman couldn't hope to do even with Neo's aid.

"This really isn't my day…"

Unless…

Well, it was a long shot. Definitely a long shot. Not to mention a bad idea, but hey, so was going toe to toe with someone like _that_. Running a hand through his hair, Roman brought out his scroll and dialled a long-memorised and long-unused number.

" _Hello?"_ a voice he hadn't heard for a years answered. _"Who is this?"_

"Hello Barty." He heard the gasp. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Think you can pass a message on to Ozpin for me? From a concerned citizen? I'd call the police, but you know they and I have something of a thorny relationship."

" _Roman? What -? Why are you calling now, of all times?"_

"Like I said, concerned citizen. This is my city after all." He took the scroll away, angling the camera so that Oobleck could see the faunus across the street, and the two he was following. He heard Oobleck curse. "I'm all for a crook on the up and up, but there's a certain chaos that comes with wanted terrorists. It's just not good for business."

" _I'll call it in,"_ Oobleck said, already rising to his feet on the other end. _"Can you keep an eye on him? I realise it's a lot to ask…"_

"Will I be arrested if I do?"

" _Given the circumstances, I think not."_

"Then I guess I'll do the city a favour for once."

Not like Jaune would give him much of a choice otherwise. Roman hung up and tossed the scroll into a trash can. Wouldn't do to give them too many ways of locating him. Hopefully, Oobleck would be smart enough to guess where the brats were going.

And fast enough to arrive in time to save his sorry ass.

/-/

Bringing the Bullhead to land in a thicket far away from the agreed-upon meeting place, Jaune cracked open the cockpit and hopped out, landing on the grass with a crunch. He checked his sword, gun, grenades and finally his scroll. No news was good news. For now, anyway.

Ironically, Sienna was the last person he wanted to deal with. If this had been Adam, things might have been easier. He knew Adam, or thought he had before this Adam went and acted so unusually. Even so, he at least knew what made Adam tick and how he fought. Sienna was an outlier since she'd been murdered with pitiful ease long before he and his friends ever came near her.

Then again, everything about the White Fang was different now, from Salem's overt involvement to their debut, methods and even their focus. The cold war against the SDC was different, even if the hatred for the Schnee family was the same.

"All from changes I made. Even helping Winter has changed everything…"

Which meant she could die here and now. The future wasn't secure. Nothing was.

Another mistake of his. He'd made plenty, enough so that he was starting to sound like Ozpin. Mistakes were fine, though. It had been a mistake to give in to Cardin's blackmail in Beacon, but the experience had shaped him and given Pyrrha a chance to beat some common sense into his skull.

There was nothing wrong with making mistakes, only in failing to address them.

The White Fang was his mistake.

It was his job to fix that.

To destroy them.

 _I've been leaving them be because they're a part of the future. That was stupid. Even if they have a part to play, the future will be better off without them. I need to start taking Salem's allies away before my Beacon term starts._

He'd achieved fairly little on that. He knew the names of each of her most trusted lieutenants and yet they were all still alive. What was he playing at? What was he doing? Sitting in Vale making connections, friends and a life for himself and Emerald.

It was easy to focus on that and lose sight of the task at hand.

A sound like water running down a drain echoed behind him. He didn't tense, nor did he turn. He knew who it was long before she stepped out of the portal.

"I thought you were angry with me."

"I am," Raven said. "But I can put aside my fury if it means keeping you from granting Salem knowledge of the future."

"You're not thinking to stop me, are you?"

"It would never work." Raven sighed. "You're an idiot who will just run in again and again."

"You're willing to help?"

"Within reason. The White Fang are a threat to me as well, particularly if they're working with her. How long will it be until she uses them to try and subjugate my tribe? The Spring Maiden will always be in danger."

He snorted. "You mean Nora?"

"Qrow's assumption. I chose not to correct him." Raven looked over the weapons he was preparing, humming noncommittally as she did. "You realise that the White Fang will number in the hundreds, many of whom will have aura and training. You're skilled, but not that skilled. No amount of creative fighting will help you deal with that. Not even with my help. Or with the entirety of my old team."

"I don't intend to fight them all."

"Good."

"One man can't hope to fight against hundreds of people and survive," he said, accepting the fact. "But an organisation is different. Cut off the head and the body withers and dies. The White Fang was only ever as strong as Adam. I guess that's Sienna now."

With her out the picture, the White Fang would fall.

"Is this proof of my lone wolf belief, I hear?"

"Not at all," he laughed. "People are stronger when they band together. Whatever they're doing, the White Fang would never have been able to achieve what they have on their own. It's because they've become something larger than the sum of their parts that they've gotten this far."

"I sense a `but` here."

"But it comes at a cost. Ten individual people is ten people to kill. When you combine resources, you combine weaknesses as well as strengths. They're literally hundreds or even thousands of faunus ruled by a handful of people. Cut those away and all those competing voices will tear the White Fanf apart."

"In theory," Raven said. "And that's assuming Sienna will be foolish enough to offer up her head on a silver platter."

"She will," he said. "You just need the right kind of bait."

"Yourself?"

He nodded.

"You really are selfish, you realise." Raven said it caustically, shaking her head and sneering. "I meant every word I said to you before. You're a selfish fool who couldn't accept victory on the terms it had been granted to you, and now you're here putting other people at risk because _your_ happiness is more important than theirs."

He sighed. "I know."

"You accept it, then?"

"I do. I don't like it but… you're right. If I'd been braver, I'd have accepted things as they were. Instead, I played Salem's game and brought her back to life. In a manner of speaking." It wasn't the same, but it was close. "But I don't regret the changes I've made, selfish as they may be. Summer, Emerald, even you and Qrow." He stared at her. "I'm proud of what little I've managed."

"Is this leading somewhere?" Raven asked, smirking.

"Do you have to make this so difficult?"

"Yes." She pushed off and faced him, hands on her hips. "Come. I'm waiting."

How could someone he'd hated so much in his past life be such a child in this one? Jaune groaned and looked up to the sky for salvation. He found none, only clouds, the tree canopy and the sound of Raven coughing expectantly.

"Raven Branwen, I am sorry for shouting at you and calling you an idiot for attacking Watts and Tyrian when I am doing the same five times worse. I am a hypocrite. You are awesome. I bow down to your superiority."

"Hmm. Not bad. And for my saving your teammates?"

"You have my eternal gratitude. You, who achieved what I could not. Thank you for saving them and I apologise for not thanking you the first time."

"And for being churlish in front of my idiot brother?"

"And for being a twat in front of Qrow."

"Oh, I like that." Raven purred, smirking so much he couldn't look. "Is this what the moral high ground feels like? I can see why everyone spends so much time looking for it. Your grovelling apology is accepted. For now. I'm sure you can buy your forgiveness later, once this unpleasantness is dealt with."

Her snark aside, he focused on the words. "You'll help me?"

"I'll have to, won't I? If you die, I'll be the only one alive who knows of what is to come. People will actually expect me to do something about it." She shuddered, holding her arms theatrically. "I'd rather you do all the hard work. You caused it, after all."

"It _would_ require a little more effort than you're used to," he joked. Despite the words, he nodded to her, grateful for the aid. It was in Raven's best interests as well; he wasn't blind to that. If they could take out Hazel here, she'd be much safer in the future.

Thanks to the knowledge Jinn had torn from his head and imparted unto her, Raven knew that hiding away would not stop the war between Ozpin and Salem finding her. Cowardice only made sense as a legitimate tactic so long as it had a hope of working.

With no hope of escape in sight, even the smallest rat would fight when cornered.

"There is one thing I'd like to ask," he said.

"Hm? Go on."

"You call me selfish for causing this reset, and I agree. But do _you_ regret that I did?"

"Not really." She watched him from the corner of one eye. "Don't read into that. I don't know from your memories what happened to me, so maybe I would have lived. But it doesn't seem like a world I'd have enjoyed. I don't disagree with all the changes you've made here."

Of all the ones he could think of that affected her, Summer was at the top.

"Why did you leave your team?"

"That's two questions." Raven looked away, sighing. "How about a challenge? Survive this stupid plan of yours and I'll tell you. You can pass your judgment on me once you know."

It was a freebie, then. He wasn't allowed to die here with Em waiting for him back home.

"Alright then. It's a deal."

Jaune laughed and closed the locker on the Bullhead, taking the last satchel from it. One wrapped up in grey packaging and sealed in a leather satchel. Dust vials adorned it, sparkling ominously. He tossed it in the and caught it, smirking as Raven leaned away nervously.

"I hope you know what you're doing with that. I'd ask where you even got it. I don't care what you say, you never learned to make explosives of that grade. No one you knew would have had the skill."

"What can I say? Criminal contacts are good for something every now and then, and I have ties to Atlas that let me get hold of some military hardware. Combine the two?" He hefted the package. "You get something like this."

"That's going to make quite the statement."

"It's kind of the point. I've been letting Salem and her lot get away with too much. This is going to be my message to them, a direct response to their own. The White Fang don't even matter. They're just the example I'm going to make for Salem's sake."

"Sucks to be them," Raven said. "And what's that message?"

Jaune offered his best Yang Xiao-Long grin, all toothy and vicious.

"It's a declaration of war."

* * *

 **Ugh. I'm snotty this weekend. Lovely. It's super hot here in the UK, which I don't do very well with. Give me winter, rain and storms and I'm fine, but hot weather ruins me. Bah! This took ages to write, too. Stuck in a room with all the windows and doors open, a fan going like mad and several empty glasses of melting ice cubes.**

 **I really hate hot days. At least when it's cold you can put more clothing on to heat up. When it's hot, you just slump over your desk, brain melting out your ears.**

" **Write, Coeur. Write!"**

" **Ugh… too hot…"**

 ***Sobs brokenly.***

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 6** **th** **Juiy**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	65. Chapter 65

**Slightly less murderously hot this weekend. That's nice.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 65**

* * *

Adam had to be okay.

Blake wouldn't believe otherwise, not without proof. He'd always been there, always been the one who stuck with her whenever everything changed. He'd been there when they joined the White Fang, there when her father died and there when she cried herself to sleep. She'd been so excited when he was honoured with such an important mission.

Never once had she considered the danger involved.

 _Sienna only said it was a rumour. There's a chance she was wrong._

That chance didn't do much for her frayed nerves.

"I should have gone with him. Why wouldn't they let me go with him? Adam doesn't get on with anyone but me."

There were times when he looked at her sadly for what she was prepared to do, but she always tried to temper her anger around him, and he knew that. They each compromised, which was more than could be said for how poorly he got on with everyone else.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid. I should have pushed." She slammed a fist onto her sleeping roll. "I-I should have snuck after him." Anything other than sit in her tent and follow orders. Orders that had been slow in coming lately. "I've not had a mission since Menagerie. Am I being punished for that guy escaping?"

That wasn't her fault. She'd wounded him, which was more than could be said for anyone else. Plus, he'd had help. There was no mention of that. When she woke up, her entire team was dead, and her, laid in the middle of an alley, left alive.

It was all she could do to crawl home and curl into a ball.

Adam never asked what happened, but she had a feeling he knew. He gave her that `look` then proceeded to lash out at Sienna for putting her at risk. As if he didn't accept just as much risk himself. Apparently, it was okay when _he_ was doing something dangerous. Just not her.

 _Adam, you hypocrite. Come back safe or I'll never forgive you._

A knock on the wooden post that made the corner of her tent drew her eye. There was a shape outside the flap. She caught sight of a white mask through the gauze material.

"Belladonna?" It was a man. "Are you there?"

"I am. Does Sienna want me?"

"No." The man sounded bored. "We've just been asked to check up on you. Sienna's orders."

"This is the third check in the last three hours! What does Sienna think I'll do?"

"I'm just doing my job."

Blake hissed through her teeth. "Then yes, I'm fine. Thank you for checking."

The man muttered something and left, trudging away through the mud. On the hour, every hour. Ever since her meeting with Sienna, she'd been watched. She wasn't sure if it was out of pity or concern she might take her own life over the news of Adam – or maybe Sienna thought she might sneak off to try and find him. The thought had crossed her mind but been just as quickly dismissed. The chances of just happening to find him were slim. Better to wait until his party returned and confirmed his survival.

Or his death.

No. Adam was alive. She was sure of it.

"I'm sure of it…"

Her hands clenched into fists and she slumped to her knees, leaning against their sleeping bags. She could still just about smell him on them, a familiar and comforting scent. He'd laugh at her if he could see her. Except that he wouldn't. He'd kneel and hold her first, and only laugh at her once he was sure she felt better.

 _Come back safe, Adam. Please._

A pair of boots crunched on the grass behind her, inside the tent.

"I _said_ I'm still here!" she hissed. "It's not been five minutes. Give me some peace!"

A hand was laid on her shoulder.

Blake spun, eyes blazing angrily. "I said-"

She cut off, froze. Standing behind her and next to a swirling red and black mass of light, stood Jaune Ashari – one of the most hated men to the White Fang. And he was in their camp. Blake's mouth opened to scream a warning.

His hand latched over her mouth.

His other hand snaked around her neck as she tried to thrash and pull away from him. It tightened suddenly, drawing her back against his chest with one hand over her mouth and his arm choking her. Blake's legs kicked as panic shot through her. Desperate little sounds came forth but were muffled into the palm of his hand.

"Mfff! Mfff! MFFF!"

Darkness swam closer, closing in on the edge of her vision. His arms were like solid steel and her kicks weakened. Her eyes rolled up, head lolling in his grip. Was this it? Was this how she died? It was so… pathetic.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be gentler," the man killing her whispered. "This is for your own good, Blake."

 _Adam. Help me, Adam…_

The world turned black.

/-/

He felt Blake go limp and loosened his arms a little, not enough to let her go but close enough that he could let her breathe and tighten if she was faking it. She wasn't. She wouldn't fake when she thought her life was on the line. Stooping to one knee, he swept an arm under her legs, pulling her up into his arms.

Blake was limp but still breathing. A properly applied chokehold could knock someone out without too much risk of damage. It wasn't perfect – nothing ever was – but he hadn't squeezed hard enough to crush her windpipe. That would have been a feat considering her aura. She'd be fine. Unhappy, but alive.

He pushed her and his arms into the portal and felt her be taken from him on the other side by Raven. He didn't step through; if he had, she'd have lost the `bond` element of her Semblance and the portal would have closed, trapping him in her tribe. By staying, he created a way back and Raven cut the portal, closing it with Blake on the other side.

It was thanks to Jinn's intervention that she could do that at all. Raven had seen his life in fast-forward. It had just been information, but the information hadn't been watched like a move. It had been deposited into Raven's head, just dumped there.

What was information in someone's head if not memories? If you thought of people as computers, then memories were the files, and Jinn had transferred a bunch into Raven. They weren't _her_ memories, but they mingled and intertwined with them. He wouldn't be surprised if there were some she genuinely believed were her own now. He wondered if he asked her what her mother had been called, if she would say Juniper.

Either way, Raven didn't have the emotional ties with Blake, but she had a host of memories _suggesting_ she did. It was almost like brainwashing, except the exact opposite. Hypnosis, maybe? Unless she concentrated on parsing his memories from hers, she would remember people like Ren, Nora and Pyrrha as friends. People he – or she – had bonds to. Blake was included in that list, for all that they weren't as close as others.

It was enough for Raven to open a portal to Blake, and straight into the middle of Sienna's camp.

 _If I had Neo with me, she could pretend to be Blake and kill Sienna. That would have been an easy solution._ He'd have to indebt himself further to Roman though, and trust Neo. Tall orders. Moving to Blake's bed, he fluffed up some pillows under the blankets to create the appearance of someone sleeping there, then took out his dust explosive and placed it beneath, setting the timer for thirty minutes.

After a second's thought, he took Gambol Shroud as well. It didn't feel right to leave it there to be blown asunder. He hooked it on his belt and left it there, checked his scroll for the time and set a timer running a minute or two ahead of the bomb.

He then dialled Raven.

"I'm in position. Are you sure you can't sense Winter?"

" _The only memories Jinn gave me were of your previous life. I know Winter as `that scary woman who is Weiss' sister`. Not enough for a bond."_

She could be anywhere in the camp, then. It would have been nice to interrogate Blake, but he knew she'd take a secret like that to her grave. She wouldn't break. "Okay. I'll try and find someone a little more likely to talk. Are there any other bonds you have here?"

" _None. The closest by now is in my tribe. Everyone else is in Vale."_ She paused. _"Some small connections in Mistral, but not enough to make a portal to. One or two in Atlas as well. Friends of yours, I suppose. There's no one in the White Fang that applies."_

"I didn't tend to befriend terrorists."

" _Says the man who had us save one just now."_

"Blake is the exception to the rule."

Shifting to the tent flap, he peeled it aside just enough to look outside. The sea of tents before him spoke of a huge camp. There were easily thirty White Fang he could see just from his post. There were possibly hundreds more scattered around, maybe even a thousand.

"This has to be _the_ White Fang camp," he said. "I'm surprised it's not on Menagerie. Maybe our delegation did change something."

That, or it was just too early for them to have support on the island. Either way, there were a lot of wanted and confirmed terrorists in the White Fang, people who didn't have a cover to hold and so couldn't live in the cities. People like Adam, Sienna and other well-known figures.

Then there were those who rejected easy living. Fanatics, monsters or the ones who just wanted to fight the good fight. Whatever their story, while most of the White Fang lived in anonymity among the populace, there had to be a large number who didn't. Given the presence of Grimm and Atlas hunting for them, they needed a place to stay.

This camp, the seat of Sienna's power, looked to be just that. A White Fang city of its own, settled in the wilderness of Mistral. He'd have questioned why Mistral, but then why not? It was between Atlas – their targets – and Menagerie, their supply base. Mistral was also another Kingdom, so Atlas couldn't move military through it without causing a fuss. Being close to the coast, they could raid Atlas at will.

James probably knew where the White Fang were. Not the exact location, but he'd have figured out the attacks were being staged from Mistral. But with Lionheart in control of Haven and Mistral's Council under the sway of numerous criminal families, there was no hope of James getting permission to mobilise.

 _He must be furious about that. I suppose it's been a while since we spoke. Giving him the gift of Sienna's head ought to cheer him up._

In Blake's bags, there were plenty of spare uniforms and changes. They weren't much use for him for obvious reasons, but the masks were one size fits all. He took one and strapped it in place. The Atlas coat, blond hair and fact he was over six feet tall of male coming out of Blake's tents wasn't going to sell the disguise, but it was the best he had.

He strode out of the tent as if he _absolutely_ was supposed to be there.

"Halt!" someone called out instantly. A masked figure approached, scowling. "What were you doing in there? Who are you? You're not part of the detail Sienna set to watch the girl."

"Hazel instructed me to see to Blake."

The name drop must have earned him something because the man's hand left his weapon. It was, after all, ridiculous to assume an intruder would happen to know the exact name of a person. And of Hazel and his relationship with the White Fang.

"I wasn't told of this and my orders come directly from Sienna."

"I don't know what to tell you," Jaune said, spreading his hands. "Except that I'm not sure Hazel thinks it necessary to run his ideas past her. You could ask him yourself, but you're a braver man than I if you do. He's quiet, but there's something about him that puts me on edge. Not sure why a _human_ is giving us orders."

"You're not the only one wondering that." The faunus relaxed further, falling into what _had_ to be a common conversation among the camp. If only because of the common cause of casual racism. "He's a creepy bastard. Sienna will be pissed he's going behind her back. What did he have you do?"

"I gave her something to help her sleep."

"You a medic?"

"More a pharmacist back home. I dabbled. Got me fired."

The faunus grimaced. "I don't want to hear it. She's still in there, then?"

"Sure. Take a look if you like."

The man did just that, poking his head in and quickly finding the form in Blake's bed, which, considering he'd been watching the tent, he naturally assumed was her. He came back out and let the tent flap fall shut behind him.

"I guess Sienna will be happy enough. She wants her kept in place."

"Really? Why?"

"Thinks she'll run off."

"Blake Belladonna?" The shock in his voice wasn't feigned. "I thought she was as loyal to the cause as they came!"

"She is." The faunus said. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's her boyfriend."

"Adam?"

"Hm." He was fully relaxed now, convinced by the intimate knowledge Jaune had of the situation. A white coat and weapons could be explained away, especially if this person hadn't ever met Jaune Ashari. "You didn't heat it from me, but there are some say his loyalties are more to himself and Blake than the Fang."

"I've heard the whispers around camp. Try not to listen to 'em. You know how people are."

"I do. This, though. Let's just say there might be more to it. Sienna wants her watching to make sure we have a leash around Adam's neck. Not sayin' we'd hurt the girl – just that she keeps Adam in line, so we don't want them going off on any missions together in case they don't come back."

"I get you. I think that's why Hazel wanted her knocked out for a bit."

"Probably. Have to wake her up later, though. She's doing the exchange with _him_."

"Him?" Jaune knew who it was yet couldn't quite resist asking. "You mean… Ashari?"

"Aye. Atlas bastard."

"You ever met him?" Jaune asked.

"No. Saw him from a distance in Atlas. Glad I didn't see him closer. I've seen people fight us. I'll tell you this, a lot of them fight us because it's their job, because they have to. Not bad people; they're just on the other side. But him? He hates us. He _wanted_ to kill us. Absolute monster. I hear he was kicked from the Specialists for being _too_ anti-faunus. Can you believe that?"

No, he couldn't. Did those rumours really exist? Admittedly, he hadn't kept track of them and his exit from Atlas had been rather suspicious. It was true that he hated the White Fang as well. He'd shown that in cutting so many down to protect Ruby and Emerald in Atlas. The White Fang also must have thought he'd done the same in Menagerie, attacking Blake's squad. Sienna and Hazel wouldn't have told them that was an ambush gone wrong.

How must that have looked to the faunus? He was sent with Winter Schnee – already hated by the faunus – to negotiate a peace deal, and then he fled after killing numerous faunus in a dark alley. That couldn't have looked good.

"I hear he's engaged to marry the Schnee bitch as well," the faunus said. "Already marrying into the Schnee family. Good as confirms it, doesn't it? Next thing you know, he'll be head of the SDC and making Jacques look like a fucking saint."

"Yeah." Jaune tried to hide his grimace. "Sounds bad. Good job Sienna has him in hand, eh?"

"True. Once we trade him for the Schnee, he's as good as done. I hear Hazel wants him. Won't say what for, but I say it can't happen to a better piece of human trash."

"Too right." Jaune's fingers itched beneath his coat. "Say, what's to stop him trying to mount a rescue on her? She's under guard, right?"

The faunus stopped laughing. "What?"

"The Schnee," Jaune said. "Winter Schnee. She's got a guard on her, hasn't she?"

He'd said something wrong. He wasn't sure what, but the man's eyes narrowed behind his mask and his left foot shifted back.

Jaune moved first, tackling the man back into Blake's tent. He was already in the entranceway, there from his inspection, and they fell back in together. Jaune bore him down and threw his weight on top, wrapping a hand over his mouth and drawing Gambol Shroud with his other. It was much shorter than Crocea Mors. He held it to the faunus' neck.

"Make a sound and I'll kill you."

The faunus glared at him through his mask.

"I'll remove my hand and you're going to talk. Quietly. You'll answer my questions and I'll let you go. Understand?"

The faunus shook his head.

"You don't-? I _will_ kill you," he threatened. "This isn't a joke." He loosened his fingers just enough for the faunus to be heard.

"Kill me, then," the man gritted. "I will _never_ betray the cause."

Something in his voice was convincing. Jaune sighed, dragged the dagger across and held him until he was dead. Those trusted by Sienna would be the most loyal and the least likely to break. If this were Vale or another city, it would be easier. People broke or didn't break rarely through conviction alone. It was always weighing what you stood to lose against what you had.

In a city, any White Fang would have a life outside the cause. Friends, family, pets, anything they might miss and not want to lose. Here, this was quite likely the final chance many of these people had. There simply was nowhere left for them to go.

Some of that was Atlas' fault. Some of it was the SDC's. Some of it was theirs.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," he said, laying the man down.

Finding information would be hard to impossible if everyone was like this, but he'd gleaned something from the man's reaction. He'd only broke cover once he asked where Winter was. Something was up on that front.

"And on the bright side, that's a _lovely_ men's White Fang uniform. Be a shame to let it go to waste."

/-/

Yang had once heard Sky and another guy in the ASH Gym talking about how `men spoke with their fists`. It had been one of those cringeworthy moments where you rolled your eyes and pretended you weren't supposed to procreate with people like that later in life. One where you wished other women could help you get pregnant.

They'd gone on about how emotions showed through the beat of fists, how friendships could be formed by beating someone up and how people lied when they spoke, but never did in the ring. Clearly, no one had ever fought Emerald Ashari, because she lied in the ring all the time. Is that a punch? A kick? A plane? No, it's feint number six hundred and seventy-two – and here's some caltrops. Enjoy!

Leaving aside the fact they _had_ become friends by beating one another up, Yang had though such things were pretty stupid.

"And now this…"

"Less talking," Emerald growled, swinging for her. "More bleeding!"

Emerald was a smart fighter normally.

This wasn't a normal situation.

Retreating under a hail of blows, Yang winced as her arms ached and her aura tanked even further. Getting Em to blow off steam in a spar had seemed like such a good idea. Mom and dad did it all the time, so it had to work. Right?

Well, yeah, it was working. But she'd kinda forgotten that steam had to be blown _on_ someone.

Next time Emerald got mopey; Yang was buying her a stress ball. It'd hurt less.

 _Why do mom and dad do this again? Oh yeah, angry make-up sex._

None of that here. Plenty of anger, though. Yang ducked under a haymaker and decided against grappling her opponent, knowing somewhere deep inside that actually trying to _hold on_ to the explosion that was an angry Emerald was a very poor idea. Kind of like trying to plug a volcano with your hand. Better to let it all out.

 _If this was one of my friends from Signal we'd be laughing it out over ice-cream and complaining about boys. Heh. I guess that's what makes Em so awesome._

Yang's vision distorted suddenly, the room stretching out as Emerald shifted four feet to the left without moving.

"Oi!" Yang yelled. "We agreed no Semblances! Don't make me burn your house down."

The world snapped back and Emerald was four feet right again, where she had been, looking a little sheepish. Annoyingly, she was sure that was more because she'd been caught doing it than that she wasn't meant to. No one in the ASH Gym knew about Em's Semblance. No one in her family even did.

It was their secret. Something Em had trusted her with and told her to keep secret, even from her mom and dad. Apparently, Jaune wanted it kept secret. Or thought it was a good idea. Yang wasn't sure why – maybe for competitions – but since Em had told her it in confidence, without even being prompted, she wasn't going to betray her trust.

Didn't mean she was going to sit back and let herself by hypnotised, though.

"Feeling better yet?" she asked hopefully.

"Not yet." Em fell into a stance. "I won't until I give you a black eye."

"How is any of this _my_ fault?" On getting no answer, Yang adopted a stance of her own, groaning as she did. "Fine, but you owe me some epic favours after this. I didn't sign up to spend my Saturday like this."

"I'll pay you back."

"Eh." Yang grinned. "Good enough for me. Guess we-"

A loud crash echoed through the wall.

"Hah?" Yang dropped her guard. "You hear that?"

"Hm." Emerald nodded back. "From the kitchen."

"Your old man isn't expected back for a while. You _did_ lock the front door, right?"

Emerald shot her a look that was full of snark. Yang nodded back in reply. Her friend wasn't one to take risks on anything, leas of all leaving a door open. It could have just been the wind blowing something over, but one didn't become a student of the ASH Gym without developing a healthy dose of paranoia.

"Your house, your lead…"

Yang followed Emerald as she stepped off the assembled mats and toward the door. They both kept hold of their weapons. Vale was a fairly safe place but that wasn't to say there weren't problems that occasionally went down. The corridor outside the training room was empty. Emerald slid down it with an eye on the main living areas ahead, where the kitchen lay.

There was nothing to hear now. Nothing at all but for the distant traffic outside.

 _Maybe it really was nothing._

The kitchen was empty. On the floor, a glass lay shattered, having fallen off one of the surfaces. There was a small puddle of water beneath it.

"Shit. Maybe I left it too close to the edge."

"No." Emerald's eyes narrowed. "You didn't."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I don't waste food or drink. And I don't like seeing it wasted." Emerald nodded to the side, where _two_ glasses and two plates were in the sink. The ones they'd used before and decided to leave the cleaning up of until later.

"So…" Yang laughed, suddenly nervous. "How often do people break in for drinks?"

"Surprisingly often, actually."

"Really?"

"I'm not even lying." Emerald knelt and touched the liquid on the floor, then sniffed her finger. "But this isn't beer. She only drinks booze."

"She-?"

"Someone who breaks in every now and then. She comes to drink dad's beer."

"Right." Yang wasn't sure she wanted to know more. "So, you're saying someone specifically broke in just to cause a loud noise and break a glass? Why? Bout the only thing it would be good for is a distraction-"

Yang froze.

"Maybe," Emerald said. "But we were sparring pretty hard. I'm not sure-"

"E-Em…" Yang's voice came out in a croak. "I-I think y-you should turn around…"

Emerald did so, eyes growing wide as she finally noticed the person stood behind Yang, and the black, ominously barbed tail laid lazily over her shoulder, tip tickling the underside of her chin. She hadn't heard him coming and all of a sudden, every bit of training that had been imparted on her was gone.

Yang trembled.

"Hello there. Emerald, wasn't it?" The voice speaking over Yang's ear descended into a giggle. "There's someone who would like to speak with you. A friend of your father's. I'm to take you to them so come along like a good little girl."

Emerald was tense, ready. Yang could see her muscles bunched and her eyes wild and prepared for murder. Yang swallowed, throat bobbing against the stinger. Her own hands, flat at her side, were helpless. If she blasted him back, he'd slice her throat open.

"Dad is out," Emerald said. "You could come back in a few days to speak with him."

"He's out? Oh no, I'm late. So late." Another cackle. "But we know, dear girl. He's dealing with the White Fang. Or so the White Fang thinks. I know him. He's not like them, no, no, no. He has the look in his eye that gets my blood pumping. If they're expecting a mouse, they'll find they've caught a Beowolf. I can see it in you as well. Oh yes. Such _bloodthirst_ , such resentment. You won't hesitate to kill me if you get the chance."

One of his hands came around to rest on Yang's stomach.

"Problem is, you'll not be getting one. I wonder if you're truly the same as your daddy, though. Let's find out." He gripped Yang's chin and tilted her head back. "Trade yourself for your friend here or I'll kill her right now."

Yang's heart raced. Options, options. There were always options – or so Jaune taught them. There had to be options here as well. Two of them, tired and young, against someone who had ambushed them and taken her hostage, and who – by the way Emerald was acting – was both powerful and very dangerous.

One of the ASH Gym's earliest lessons was that there was no shame in running from a losing fight. They'd not yet covered what you were supposed to do in a losing fight you couldn't win. Probably because there was nothing to do.

Other than die well.

Emerald's weapon hit the floor.

"Em, no," Yang hissed, trying to at least _sound_ brave. "Don't do it."

"I surrender. Let her go. Yang has nothing to do with this."

"So easy?" Tyrian laughed. "I'm almost disappointed."

"Capturing me is easy; I can't fight you. Keeping hold of me will be harder." Emerald grinned. "Once he finds out I'm gone, he'll come find you."

"That's kind of the point." The man moved Yang closer. It could have been an illusion, but she knew Emerald couldn't use her Semblance on more than one person without intense strain, which would have shown for sure. "Turn around," the man said. "Place your hands behind your back. You, girl." He pushed Yang forward, though he kept his tail on her neck. Something was pushed into her hands, a rope. "Tie her wrists together. Try something funny and I'll be upset."

His tone said he half-hoped she would, just so he could hurt her. Yang took the rope and hesitated.

"Do it," Emerald whispered. "Tie me." Louder, she said, "If you try to leave with me unconscious, people are going to notice. If you don't hurt Yang, I'll come out peacefully and not scream at the top of my lungs."

"Hm? Afraid I'll be going back on my deal already? I'm hurt."

"As long as she isn't…"

"Ha ha. I like it. I like it. Then I swear on my Goddess. If you know as much as your daddy seems to, you'll know I won't go back on that."

"I know. Swear it."

"I swear on my goddess that I will not harm this blonde girl so long as you co-operate." He paused for a moment. "Is that enough for you? I could make a sacrifice in her honour if you like. Course, I'd need a volunteer."

"It's enough. Yang, tie me."

Still shaken, Yang did as she was told, hoping and trusting Emerald to have a plan. Her fingers were a little too nervous to make it a good knot, but once she had the shape down, the man leaned forward to tighten it with one hand himself, making Emerald grunt as her wrists were locked behind her. He then moved forward, letting go of Yang entirely, but still keeping an eye on her.

The new threat was one to harm Em if she did anything.

A new rope was tossed to Yang. "Tie yourself to something," he teased. "Otherwise I might feel jumpy. I tend to lash out when I'm jumpy."

Grinding her teeth together, Yang tied one of her hands to a cabinet handle. It was made of metal and enough to hold on, though she'd be able to get it off within a minute. That time would be enough for him to see and stop her, however.

"You know, maybe you're not like your daddy after all. He wouldn't have surrendered. I wonder if that means he doesn't care about his friends as much?"

Emerald refused to give him an answer.

"Nothing? Oh well, I guess I'll ask him once he's our prisoner. Ooh, maybe I can see how much he'll do to keep _you_ from being hurt. Our goddess only wants him after all. You're not needed." The mad man cackled. "That could be fun. Will he break and give in, or will he go wild with grief and rage? I hope it's the last one. Oh, who am I kidding. It'll _definitely_ be the last one." Tyrian licked his lips. "He has the look of a killer. It gets my heart pounding."

"He's going to kill you," Emerald said confidently. "He's going to destroy the White Fang, and then he's going to come for you."

"Really?" Tyrian leaned toward Emerald, making her shy away. He smiled cruelly. "I hope he tries. I want to fight him properly, without having to take him alive or hostages or anything else. Just two people fighting and dying. Only then do you truly understand a person. I want to have that with him. I want to experience it."

"You're insane," Yang rasped, unable to stay quiet. "You – You're actually insane…"

Yang's vision swam. The world changed – Emerald spaced four feet left, just as she had the last time. She was using her Semblance, Yang realised, and from how she was shaking her head, she didn't want it to be mentioned. Emerald stepped out of Tyrian's arms, ignoring the physical bounds of them entirely, and walked up to Yang. She leaned forward and whispered into Yang's ear.

" _Don't cause a scene. Don't make him hurt you. Get help."_

The world shimmered back to reality. The Emerald in front of her was gone and the one in Tyrian's arms was silent. Except for a simple nod.

One Yang returned.

* * *

 **Ah. This still took longer than it should have, but to be fair today was a weird day. Someone came down the lane saying our horse had escaped and got on the road. It was not our horse. Didn't stop me being expected to do something about it, though. This isn't the first time it's happened either. There are horses in the fields to the sides of us since the ground is, I think, (and could be wrong on exact details here) high in either clay or some other kind of dirt compound, that makes crops not be very good, so the land is pretty much all for grazing.**

 **Sorted it out easily enough but was still a weird way to spend an hour.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 13** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	66. Chapter 66

**That feeling of horror when you are 5,000 words in and your computer blue screens. You go back in, you're nervous, you open the doc. "Corrupted" it says. Your heart sinks. You open it, already thinking of the apology note you'll be writing because you are NOT writing the whole thing again on the same day.**

 **It's corrupted. Your heart sinks. Check cloud? I don't use cloud. I check anyway.**

 **Cloud is auto enabled. The chapter is saved.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 66**

* * *

"Sienna, our scouts have located the Bullhead. It's abandoned."

"Excellent." Sienna turned to the speaker. "The exchange is in just ten minutes. He'll be somewhere nearby, waiting. Tell them to move in and sabotage the vehicle. I don't want it capable of flight even if there _isn't_ someone to pilot it."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Everyone else in position," she barked. "Remember, no moves until he's surrounded. We need him alive. Samson, you're in charge of snipers. Nothing says we can't take a leg off. Ricker, keep your people out the forest until he's visible. If he sees it's a trap now, he might bail. The moment he and I start talking, fan out and surround him."

"Yes, Sienna."

"On it."

Sienna's fingers and arms tingled with excitement. When was the last time she'd been so on edge? It had to be Atlas, when they'd first announced themselves and made their grand splash. That had been incredible, and even if it hadn't been as huge as they'd hoped, there was no denying the world took notice. For once, their voices had been heard.

"This is it," she whispered as her loyal brothers and sisters hurried to their tasks. "This is our moment."

"Provided you can grasp it."

She scowled at Hazel, stood in the corner of her tent as he often was. The tall and imposing man made himself scarce, something she was grateful for, but he couldn't quite fade from view given how huge he was. His constant warnings had grown old long ago. At least he didn't interfere with her decisions.

"The White Fang doesn't lack for courage. We wouldn't be out here otherwise."

"That's not what I meant, Sienna. I'm simply telling you to exercise caution. The odds are in your favour, but then, he knows that. The fact he comes regardless speaks either of insanity on his part or a plan. I would not wager my life on the former were I you."

Did Hazel think she was an idiot? Of course he had a plan. She had a plan, too. Everyone had plans. But plans never survived contact with the enemy and the White Fang needed every advantage they could get right now. They _needed_ the Grimm Hazel and his master could provide. If they didn't get it, their revolution would fail.

It wasn't anything they'd done wrong, more the state of affairs with how powerful Atlas was. A group like theirs lived and died on momentum and aggression. They couldn't sustain an indefinite campaign whereas Atlas could. It was a Kingdom, after all. It had farmland, taxes, economy and infrastructure.

The only thing _they_ had was the element of surprise, and the choice of where and when to strike. The problem was that they _had_ to strike. Standing idle meant their names drifted out of news broadcasts, that they weren't spoken of in fear and that other faunus – potential backers, recruits or agents – would look elsewhere. The White Fang was like a lorry hurtling down a road.

And it was stalling.

"Sometimes to make a big play, you need to take a big risk," she said, measuring her words. "We cannot strike at Atlas given Ironwood becoming General. We cannot strike at Vale, Vacuo or Mistral and invite more enemies than we already have. We need a victory, Hazel. You might be prepared to exercise patience, but I can't keep the White Fang together without results."

Hazel hummed.

"And I have to pick my targets. The SDC is an obvious one and we have the Schnee in transit. Ashari is another. He was there when Atlas was attacked, he was behind the defences and counterattack. Some even say he was involved in Ghira's execution, and then there's his engagement to the Schnee family and even his closeness to the Atlas military. Killing him will show everyone we can bring results."

"You are to take him alive."

"Of course," she said, "But no one says the world has to know that. You can take him, and we can _claim_ he is dead. Is that a problem?"

"No." Hazel's shoulders relaxed. "No, that might even be best on our end."

"Good. And for the record, I don't need your words of warning. I'm well aware how tenuous our position is here. Rebelling against Atlas, challenging the strongest military on Remnant backed by the richest company; we always knew our chances were slim. But we had to take it. We had to take whatever chance was available to us, no matter how small." Sienna's hand clenched into a fist. "I will do the same here."

"Go big or go home?"

"Succeed against all odds or die. Those are our only options." Her smile fell. "Not that I expect _you_ to care about such things."

"I care little for your cause," Hazel admitted, "But that doesn't make me ignorant to them. I will hope for your success, Sienna. And should you fail, I will mourn your passing." He turned from her, marching toward the tent flap. "That's all I can do."

"Save your platitudes," she growled once he was gone. "If we fail here, I don't want to be remembered." Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and let it go. Victory was there, so sweet and tantalising.

All she had to do was reach out and take it.

Her scroll beeped the time.

Sienna stood.

/-/

Jaune waited outside the camp, standing in the open with his arms crossed over his chest and his white coat flapping in the wind. From a distance, he must have looked like Ironwood himself. Their coats were similar in fashion and length. It was not an accident, being both a reminder and a way to honour his time as a Specialist.

He knew it would also piss off the White Fang.

 _Bunch of snipers and I die right here,_ he thought, looking over the camp. _Course, if I didn't know they wanted me alive, I wouldn't stand in the open like an idiot in the first place._ There was strength in knowing what your opponents wanted of you.

That was something he'd learned outside Beacon. Glynda's classes had always just been fair fights. One on one or Pyrrha on many. You fought until you won or lost. Outside Beacon, travelling with Ozpin and Qrow, he'd learned that victory and defeat weren't the be-all and end-all. Sometimes you just had to keep your opponent from getting what they wanted, or to secure something yourself.

It was a risk, but a calculated one. He was banking on Salem not caring in the slightest about the White Fang, and so forcing them to take him alive even if it might cost them their lives. Given it was Salem, that wasn't an all too risky bet.

 _Really, she could just pull her forces back and wait fifty or sixty years if she wanted to beat me. She's immortal. It has to be curiosity that drives her at this point. Who am I? Where do I come from? How do I have her mark?_ When you lived forever, life had to become dull. Things like that, impossible or once-in-a-lifetime occurrences, couldn't be ignored.

The future Salem had known that. His mark was as much a message to her past self as it was a way to help him come to the past. It was a glaring sign that screamed `notice me`. Life really would have been easier without it.

His scroll alarm beeped, telling him it was time. The White Fang had obviously seen him but were keeping up appearances by not making any aggressive moves. Or maybe they really _did_ intend to make the trade.

He hadn't been able to find Winter.

That wasn't surprising to be honest. You didn't keep your important prisoner in some place easily accessible by just about anyone, even other White Fang members. There were plenty who would try and hurt her just to get back at the SDC.

A procession made their way out the gates of the camp and stood before it. Some ten strong, one walked ahead and came to a stop. He could only just make out her dark skin, but Sienna's robes and cloak stood out for her. In a horde of people wearing grey uniforms with white masks, she stood out. Forcing his hands out from under his coat, Jaune strode toward her.

He hadn't realised just what his reputation was to the faunus before he spoke with the White Fang grunt earlier. Now armed with that knowledge, he could see how they stiffened as he came near, how hands strayed to weapons and people's jaws tightened.

 _Is my reputation really that bad?_

He stopped twenty or so metres away and made it clear he wouldn't come closer.

Sienna nodded, moving away from her group and toward him. He didn't miss how her guards whispered to one another. They wouldn't be the ones to do anything, though. Too obvious. If he was Sienna, he'd have people moving around the back of the camp and circling wide. That or he'd set mines under the meeting point – but that would as likely kill her as him. And it would piss Salem off.

"Jaune Ashari," she greeted with a nod and a tight smile.

"Sienna Khan," he replied. "I've heard a lot of about you."

"All good, I hope?"

"Can't say it is. White Fang isn't exactly a humanitarian group."

"We tried that. No one cared."

The worst part was that she was right. On a cynical level, he knew that the White Fang only formed because Atlas and the Kingdoms had failed to learn their lessons from the faunus war, then ignored the peaceful White Fang's olive branch. Everything could have been avoided if they had, and he'd be the first to say the racism against the faunus was stupid. They had _Grimm_ to worry about for crying out loud. Why even bother fighting amongst themselves?

But no. People were stupid. Such was life.

"And so you turn to terrorism and kidnapping. Cute." He tossed his head, glancing toward the treeline. He couldn't see anything but that wasn't what he cared about.

Sienna flinched. That, he saw.

 _Definitely in the trees. Good to know._

"We do as needs must. You're here for the Schnee."

"I am. Where is she?"

"Inside our camp. Why don't you come in and see her?"

"I'd rather not. Show her to me."

Sienna frowned. "You don't trust our word?"

"Do I have reason to? I know you've taken her, but I have no idea if she's still alive. Give me proof of that and I'll disarm. Not a moment before."

"Very well." Sienna turned and called out, "Fetch Belladonna – and have her bring the prisoner." As some of the grunts left, she said to him, "You're familiar with Blake Belladonna, of course. You'll forgive my own lack of trust but who is to say you won't kill me and take your fiancée back by force?"

"And so you have the daughter of Menagerie's chieftain and also of the fallen Ghira Belladonna escort her," Jaune replied. "The narrative would look bad if I killed her. Finishing the job, dragging Menagerie into the war and showing all faunus I can't be trusted." He inclined his head. "Clever."

"I also don't believe you'll harm her. You know her for some reason. Care for her." Sienna hummed and tapped her chin. "Do you feel responsible for her father's death by any chance?"

Jaune sighed. "You've done your research…"

"It was an educated guess. You _are_ responsible, by the way. It was you who allowed him to attend at Amity and your people who took him into custody. We didn't mount a rescue because we thought it obvious he had nothing to do with the attack. No one expected you to kill him."

"It was Atlas. Not me."

And he knew he was responsible. He had proof Sienna didn't; literally the fact that Ghira hadn't died like this in the past. There was no arguing with that, or the changes he'd made. Sienna was in for an unwelcome surprise if she expected to find Blake, however. Jaune checked his scroll, acting like he was checking the time.

 _1:15_

 _1:14_

 _1:13_

"You're as much a part of Atlas as General Ironwood," Sienna said. "For all that you've tried to escape to a new life in Vale. We can't change what we are. We can try, but sooner or later our mistakes catch up with us."

"Hm." Jaune chuckled. "That's something I've realised recently. It's why I'm here."

"To make up for the mistake of leaving your fiancée alone?"

"No. To fix a different mistake."

"Say what you will, but this is our day. Today will be the day faunus tell their children about." Sienna said. "People will look back on it and tell the future generation that _this moment_ was where everything changed."

Jaune's lips curled up.

"You're not wrong about that."

 _0:02_

 _0:01_

 _0:00_

Flame tore through the camp, hurtling timber and ash up into the air.

Sienna and her guards staggered under the force of the shockwave, turning with wide-eyed expressions to look back as a second, third and fourth explosion ripped through the tents, great blasts that rent the landscape and snuffed out lives.

Jaune's hands dove under his coat. His handgun came out in one hand, a canister in the other. Sienna heard it and turned, pushing her aura to the fore.

That saved her life.

Four bullets impacted onto her chest, driving her back. Aura protected her but the force swept her from her feet. Her people rushed in, screaming and drawing weapons. More came from the treeline as expected, howling battle cries. Jaune shot the closest dead and pulled the pin on the grenade, tossing it up in the air and covering his eyes.

A loud _bang_ and a fearsome flash of light blinded everyone.

Oobleck had once told him about the Battle of Fort Castle. He could still remember getting it wrong in class and making a fool of himself. He could also remember Pyrrha trying to help him. Night vision. All faunus had it. The thing about night vision was that it wasn't actually night vision, though. It was something in the eyes that let them capture more light, to better make use of limited light during the night.

That made them uniquely susceptible to sudden flashes of light.

Sienna was blinded as well but rolled away from him with one arm over her eyes and her hand waving before her. The others tripped and fell, some rolling on the floor and others running into one another.

Jaune ran past them all. He dropped another flash en route, letting it fall behind him as he approached the absolute chaos ripping through the camp. Fire and ash and screams greeted him. The lucky had died instantly. There were many who were badly hurt, burned or dying. The bombs had been placed anywhere he felt he could, so long as Winter was nowhere nearby. They'd been as indiscriminate as the White Fang themselves could be. It was just designed to sow terror and chaos.

Time was limited. He had to find Winter, contact Raven and get them out. The Grimm would be en route soon, and unless Salem came in person to stop them – unlikely – the White Fang would have enough on their hands to deal with. He ran toward Blake's tent, the epicentre of the explosions. Sienna mentioned having Blake bring Winter to him. He could only hope Winter hadn't been outside the tent when it went off.

Pushing past White Fang staggering or running out, all of whom ignored him, he made his way deeper into the camp, not even bothering to hide his presence. There was too much panic for the faunus to care.

"Where's the prisoner!?" he yelled, hoping someone would mistakenly answer in the madness. "Where is the Schnee?"

In return, he received screams of pain, pleas for help or calls for medics. He bit his lip and steeled himself, ignoring all of them. Terrorists, he told himself. They were terrorists. Even if they might all be Blakes inside, even if they all had the potential to turn like she did, he couldn't let himself care for them now. It would be his undoing.

It was a good thing Ruby wasn't here. She couldn't have done that.

 _When did I become able to?_

He shook his head. Sienna would be up and sending her people back in. They weren't done yet and a couple of explosions on a camp that had mostly been emptied out to surround him wasn't going to cripple her. He pushed on, following his mental map of the camp until he reached the tent that had once been Blake's. It was a visceral ruin of fire and ash now, smouldering and belching smoke.

Luckily, since the camp was mostly tents, poles and the like, there wasn't any big enough fires to block his path. There wasn't enough to _catch fire_ in the first place, and what little there was burned quickly. There were bodies around the tent. He looked over each, breathing easier when he didn't see any white hair. Winter hadn't died here.

Which meant she was somewhere else. He cursed and ran back, drawing Crocea Mors but leaving his shield in sheathe form. A free hand would be useful for his other weapons and he thumbed out another flashbang, his final one.

If he was Sienna, he'd be going to find Winter. Get a hostage, drag her out of the camp and threaten to shoot her unless Jaune surrendered.

"FIND HIM!" he heard her scream. "FIND HIM! Ignore the tents, they can be repaired. Find Ashari!"

Ducking low behind a pile of crates, he watched as Sienna stood at the head of a good hundred faunus, many of which were fanning out angrily. He licked his lips and put the flashbang away, pulling out a high-explosive instead. Nora had always been the grenades user for Team JNPR, and she'd showed him plenty of different ways to use them, not all obvious.

He rolled his across the floor toward another set of tents, giving it enough force so that it rolled under the tent flap and inside.

The whole thing erupted a few seconds later.

Jaune moved in the opposite direction. People looked to explosions. It was just a rule. If a sudden blast went off, you turned toward it and no amount of training was going to beat that instinctive reaction. He took the second where he _knew_ they'd be distracted to skirt around the crates and run to the west, circling around the back of Sienna and her force.

"Fan out," she barked. "Keep quiet – and no battle cries. The second you see him, start screaming and we all converge. Do _not_ let that bastard escape."

He'd chosen his spot behind her with good reason. The moment she finished, the faunus spread out, but they did so in a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree cone in front of them. Or thereabouts. They didn't think to look or go backwards because that was where they'd come from. They fanned out ahead, searching through the tents past the newly exploded one. Jaune caught his breath behind, watching and waiting to see if Sienna would make a move for Winter.

She didn't. Sienna stood there, watching her people with a furious expression.

Why wasn't she moving? And why did she think he'd escape in the first place? She knew he was here for Winter, because if it was just his life he cared for, he'd never have shown up. Even if she was worried about him getting away, she'd know to make sure he didn't get away _with_ their prisoner.

 _Does she know I'm following her? Is she afraid to lead me to Winter?_

If that was her plan in doing nothing, it was ridiculously ballsy. There was always a chance he just stumbled on Winter and got away. How confident did Sienna have to be to not even think that a realistic possibility?

Certain. She had to be certain.

His heart stopped.

Was Winter…

Had Sienna…

His hands shook, clenched into fists so hard his nails dug into his skin. A Schnee among the White Fang; what had he expected? No Winter as a hostage when he'd arrived, no offer to let him speak with her and not even her in chains as an example. It all spoke of the fact she wasn't there anymore.

Sienna had killed Winter.

Winter was dead.

His student. His colleague. His friend.

"Go! Move! He has to be here somewhere. He won't leave without her! Find him! Bring him to me!"

He was out from behind the crates and striding toward her. Sienna never saw him coming, looking in the opposite direction screaming out orders. She'd sent all her people away, knowing he would be looking for Winter. Knowing he would be trying to escape.

His foot crunched on charred grass. Sienna turned. The second's warning saved her. Crocea Mors arched down but she managed to get her curved sword up in time. Barely. Her footwork was poor, rushed. His sword slammed down and her arm buckled. Rather than give her a chance to recover or call for aid, he dropped Crocea Mors entirely and pushed past her weapon, striking her once in the stomach and then the chin, dropping her flat.

He was on her immediately, knees on either side of her stomach, hands pressing down on her throat. Sienna's eyes burned with hatred, but those flames were snuffed out under his cold gaze. Blue eyes like chips of ice.

"Where is she?" he hissed. "Where is she?"

"Ack – ah-" Aura protected her. "Kack-" It didn't let her breathe.

"Where is she!?" he demanded, louder. His hands gripped tighter still, dragging her head up and slamming it back down again. "Where is my student, Sienna? Where is she!?"

Sienna's knees drove up into his back three times in succession. Her hand slapped up and over his ear, forcing air in with a clap and disorienting him. He wavered, nausea running through him. Sienna used the moment to roll her body and knock him off.

"Haa! Aah!" Sienna gasped for air and rolled over, crawling for a weapon.

"Where is she-?" Jaune growled, catching her ankle and dragging her back. He didn't so much crawl onto her as flop on, dragging himself up her body until he could bury a hand in her hair and push her face down into the dirt. "You killed her, didn't you? You actually killed her."

He slammed her head down three more times, rocking her body with every blow.

"I came back to stop this. I came back to fix it. I watched them all die. Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, Yang, Blake, Ruby and Weiss. I saw them die and I swore it would _never_ happen again." He knelt and rolled Sienna over. Her face was bloody, nose broken and lip split, blood running down over her mouth. His hands settled on her neck again. "Give her back to me, Sienna. Give her back!"

Her eyes bulged and her face was turning blue, hands now wrapped around his as she tried to free herself and draw breath. There was something more than anger in her eyes now. Something wonderful.

Fear.

"He's here!" a faunus yelled. "He's attacking Sienna!"

Bastard. Jaune's head snapped to the right, taking in the charging masked man with a machete. He calculated the distance in an instant, considered Sienna, how long it would take to finish her. He was on his feet a moment later, leaving Sienna to crawl and gasp for air.

Crocea Mors was on the floor a distance away. The man was closer.

He swept down. A clumsy blow over one shoulder, like he was bringing a mallet down on a metal post. Jaune's hand caught the faunus' wrist, blocking it. His other hand pulled out a handgun that he pressed to the man's stomach. He pulled the trigger.

Two lethal injections. The man choked and toppled.

If it had been the one, that would have been fine but there were more. His cries had alerted them. Five on the right, two on the left. More in the distance returning. Easily a hundred all but coming at him piecemeal and many of them untrained.

He charged the five.

They didn't expect it. No one could. He charged straight in and then dodged left, attacking the one on the side and twisting the man's body so he was between Jaune and the other four, cutting them off. They fanned out to try and circle, but it only took him that long to disarm and kill the first. He unloaded the rest of his clip into the others, wounding two and driving the other two back. Clicking empty, he tossed the gun away and kicked up the fallen faunus' spear into his hands.

He didn't know how to use a spear. Then again, these people barely knew how to use their own weapons either. He jabbed for the first, who staggered back to try and escape the range. Jaune followed, using the reach to stab again for his thigh, feinting and lunging higher. The tip tore through the man's arm below the shoulder; a flesh wound for most huntsmen. He fell screaming and curled up on the floor.

The last ran. At that point, it wasn't even cowardice, just sense. Jaune tossed the spear aside and picked up a sabre. It was chipped and marred, notches on it as if someone wanted to record every kill. Given how unbalanced it was, he'd have been surprised if it had killed that many people. It was a sword, though. Not the one he was used to, but it was enough.

"There!" Three faunus rushed in. "Get him! For Sienna! For the White Fang!"

Winter knew how to use a sabre, and through teaching her, he'd learned a little himself. Picked it up even if he never intended to. In the end, it wasn't so hard, especially against the untrained. It had one edge and it cut well.

The first faunus discovered that when Jaune tore his throat out.

The second and third struck at him. Jaune parried one on the flat of the blade and took the other, a spiked club, to his lower back. He grunted, jarred from the impact, but hooked his free hand over the arm of the one he'd parried, jerking it inward and snapping the elbow. The faunus screamed and dropped his weapon.

The other swung in again, wielding his club like a bat. Twisting, Jaune managed to drag the first around him, using him as a shield to take the blow. Elbow already broken, his collarbone joined it as his friend struck, breaking bone and driving one spike deep into flesh. Shocked, the aggressor hesitated.

Jaune lunged over the middle-man's body, stabbing into the man's shoulder.

"Argh!" He dropped the mace. It dragged the human shield down with it, spike stuck in bone. The sword in his shoulder tore free and the man knew he was done, bringing both hands up to try and ward the next blow away with his hands.

The sabre wasn't strong enough to cut through bone. It did sever three fingers and the tendons of an arm, though. It was enough and the faunus fell, gasping and screaming on the floor with his friend. Jaune looked at their weapons and cursed. Not a proper one among them.

The White Fang _had_ better fighters. They had huntsman-quality people. Or they _had_ in his time. Whether they'd not found them yet, lost them or simply sent them out on missions, he didn't know. What he _did_ know was that this man was dying slowly.

"Please," the faunus begged as Jaune leaned down. "Please no, don't kill me!"

 _You're already dead,_ Jaune didn't say. Didn't waste time on it or prolong the suffering. One quick slice cut the man's throat, preventing oxygen from reaching the brain. It was as quick a death as he could provide given the circumstances. Probably more than he deserved. The other would live, maybe. Depended on the Grimm. Jaune stepped over his body, leaving the living faunus with an expression of wide-eyed terror.

He knelt. "Where is Winter?"

"I-I don't know. Believe me, I don't. I swear it! I-I don't know!" He began to cry, then screamed. "I DON'T KNOW!"

Jaune tutted and moved on, leaving him. Sienna was the only one, then. He made his way back to her, only to be confronted by a good eight or ten faunus. They were better armed, facing him with determined expressions.

"Your reign of terror ends, Ashari. Surrender now and we won't be forced to kill you."

In answer, Jaune flourished the weapon and took a fencer's stance, sword held forward and one hand behind his back under his coat. It was reminiscent of how Weiss used to fight in Beacon. The sabre wasn't Myrtenaster and he wasn't a fencer.

"Fine. Forget the orders," the leader growled. "Kill him. Kill him and be done with it."

Dangerous or not, he was still one man and the odds were enough in their favour that they didn't hesitate to charge in. When they came close, he pulled his hand back out and tossed the cooked grenade toward them. It struck the chest of the first and erupted, tearing him to pieces and killing everyone else in a four-metre radius. Shrapnel pinged off Jaune's aura too, weakening it.

It wasn't a fair fight; there was no need for it. Maybe if Adam had been here and against him, he'd have needed to go toe to toe with him, but against these people it was whatever he had to hand. Anything he could use to whittle down their numbers.

More were coming but they weren't there. Tossing the sabre aside, Jaune stalked back to Sienna, stooping to pick up Crocea Mors as he went.

She was crawling away, moving like a worm across the grass on her knees and elbows. In a fair fight, he had to assume she was a capable warrior. Or maybe that was just him reading too much into it. Apparently, Adam killed her with a single blow when he took over.

Maybe she was just a figurehead.

That was fine. A _symbol_ was all he wanted from her.

/-/

Sienna knew it was his feet that crunched across the grass toward her, the sound somehow reaching her over even the flames, screams and shouts. Terror tore though her and she crawled faster still, lungs burning and her windpipe unable to take in the necessary oxygen.

They'd been wrong. They'd been so wrong. He wasn't a human. He was a demon. A monster.

A foot landed on her shoulder and pushed, rolling Sienna onto her back.

Stood against a backdrop of fire and ash, he was like a monster from legend. Something worse than even the Grimm. His eyes, cold and emotionless, watched her without a hint of mercy. This man didn't see her as a person. He saw her as nothing. His foot pressed on her chest. With her throat already sore and weak, she could barely breathe when he leaned down on her.

"Where is she?"

Sienna struggled to draw breath. She couldn't event tell him the truth. He was pushing down too hard on her lungs for it. Her vision grew dark and she knew in that moment that she would die. Her hands scrabbled in the grass for something to use against him. She found a rock and hurled it up.

The stone bounced off his face, knocking him to the side.

When he turned back, some blood leaked from his nose. He pressed down harder still, pinning her in place and bringing his sword up, tip pointed down above her and both hands on the hilt. Sienna watched it with gritted teeth.

If she was to die, she would die fighting.

"Stop!"

Such was the power in the voice that everyone did. Sienna lay beneath Ashari's heel, beaten and broken. The White Fang surrounded them in a loose circle. A hulking figure pushed his way through the crowd. Hazel Rainart's skin crackled with energy but his voice remained calm, deep and echoing as it always was.

The sword above Sienna's chest hovered there.

"Hazel," its wielder said conversationally. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Put down your sword. Sienna Khan is not your enemy." Hazel worked his powerful arms, skin crackling and eyes shining. "If anything, it is I. Face me. Defeat me and I guarantee the White Fang will allow your retreat."

Laughable. As if they were in any way to stop him. Sienna was down and her people were in disarray. It was no exaggeration to say they could kill him – it would not be hard with their numbers – but the toll would destroy them if the Grimm did not. With smoke rising above the treeline, it was only a matter of time until they were discovered.

Ashari looked down on her. His eyes were empty.

"You care for her?" he asked.

Sienna froze. Such a question…

"I do not wish to see her harmed," Hazel replied, surprising her. "It is not my wish to see anyone harmed. I believe you know that."

"You lost someone close to you."

Hazel's eyes closed. "I did."

"You blame Ozpin."

"I do. I believe you know why."

"I do," Ashari said, echoing Hazel. From two men who had seemed so inscrutable, the conversation was nothing if not the same. Sienna understood none of it. "And I know how that feels. I'd tell you to stop. I'd tell you to forget about her and move on." Ashari laughed. "But I'd be a hypocrite, wouldn't I? _Her_ memory drove me ever since Beacon fell."

What? Beacon-?

"Everything I did, I did in her name. And when those I promised I'd protect died; I made a deal with the devil for a chance to save them." He nodded at Hazel. "Just like you."

"Then we are alike." Hazel extended a hand. "Do not do this. Please."

Silence hung between them. Ashari watched Hazel, ignoring her entirely. The sword hovered above her still, clasped in two unwavering hands. Slowly, agonisingly, his face turned back toward her.

Sienna's heart froze.

"We're not alike, Hazel. The difference…" He clenched his hands. "Is that I still have people left to protect. And I will do _anything_ to keep them safe."

The sword pierced down.

"NO!" Hazel screamed, hand outstretched.

It was the last thing Sienna saw.

/-/

The sword burst through skin, muscle and bone. The horrifying _crunch_ of her ribcage giving way echoed throughout the camp. It made the faunus flinch and step back. It made Hazel's hand, outstretched as though to reach Sienna, fall.

"Why?" Hazel demanded. "Nobody needed to die today."

"We'll disagree on that point."

Jaune let go of Crocea Mors, leaving it impaled through her. He slowly removed his bloodstained coat and tossed it aside. He unbuckled his bandolier, grenades mostly spent, and let them fall. His holster was empty, handgun discarded. It dropped to the ground. He removed his armaments piece by piece until only his sheathe remained.

Only then did he reach out and grasp Crocea Mors once more, dragging it out of Sienna's body with a sickening sound of bone and flesh. He stood before Hazel in only his trousers, shirt and boots. Everyone else had been expendable. Everyone else had been easily dealt with.

Hazel was not the same. This battle, Jaune knew, he would need his all.

"Why?" Hazel asked again.

"Because this was a problem of my making. I caused this, and good people died." Jaune's smile was bitter. "It only makes sense I be the one to end it."

Hazel's joints cracked as he strode forward, body covered in spanning arcs of electricity. His footsteps rocked the ground, kicking up dust and mud behind him. With a fury normally reserved for Ozpin, he marched forward.

"No one interferes!" Hazel roared. "He is _mine_."

In the centre of a ring of fire and terrorists, Jaune Arc-Ashari readied Crocea Mors. Once upon a time, Hazel Rainart had been a monster only Ozpin could hope to face and survive against. That had been at the beginning, though, back when Beacon had just fallen and he, Ruby, Nora and Ren were rudderless. They'd grown. They'd had to. No one couldn't say he hadn't grown the most, but that was only because he'd been so weak back then.

No longer. In the end, he'd been someone Ruby and his friends were proud to stand beside. Crocea Mors, covered in blood, lay braced against Jaune's shoulder, tip pointed directly at Hazel's heart. No one moved, not he, not Hazel nor the White Fang around them, who had been forgotten by both. Only the other existed.

The two faced one another across a field of ash and blood.

* * *

 **So, some people have asked – how strong is Jaune really? Does he honestly have skill, or does he just use gimmicks against weaker opponents? I guess we'll have to see now. The truth is that Jaune** _ **has**_ **been fighting weaker opponents for much of Relic. He fought Tyrian once or twice and those were legitimate, but they were also broken off as Jaune had reinforcements and Tyrian fled.**

 **White Fang, crooks and Grimm. They haven't been matching up to him, so it's been** _ **easier**_ **for him to use guns, explosives and such to whittle down their numbers. Such things won't work against someone of Hazel's character.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 20** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	67. Chapter 67

**Ooh. So, my neck is a little swollen today because of my muscle injury. Still not sure what caused it to be honest; I'm thinking just sleeping funny. It's really weird to feel it, though. Anyway, on with the chapter.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 67**

* * *

Tyrian dragged her through the streets of Vale.

It was incredible how little people gave a shit about that; about a strange looking man tugging along a girl who obviously wasn't happy about the situation. People looked in their direction with narrowed eyes and some drew their own children away, but dirty looks and muttering was all Tyrian received. No one made a move to help her and by the time some had decided they should do something she'd been forced on.

Emerald kept her mouth shut, at least for the first few minutes. If she went out screaming, there was nothing to say Tyrian wouldn't go back and kill Yang to teach her a lesson. Or that he wouldn't cut out her tongue and run away with her, or just stab her, leave her to die and escape. They wanted dad alive. She was a means to that, but it wasn't like he couldn't end her life.

"Hm? Persistent." Tyrian looked ahead and pulled Emerald to the left, down a side street. "Ozpin is quick on the draw today. Heh. I'm flattered." He picked up the pace, hauling her off her feet and running down the road, pushing people out the way.

He saw something ahead, cursed and twisted off the road again, cutting across a park and slipping between the trees. He looked back furtively, pulled her a little closer to his side and slipped one of his blade-guns into his left hand.

"Ozpin _and_ Goodwitch. I didn't expect their response to be so sudden. Isn't Beacon in session? Are they turning out early to hunt me down? Oh, such a compliment. Such a compliment. My heart is all aflutter."

"I thought you were saving yourself for my father."

"Oh, but I am, Emerald, I am." Tyrian cackled, running with the barb. "Don't worry, I won't cheat on him like that. We're going to cross blades, he and I, and I want you there to witness it. It would be fun. Hm."

"Even if he kills you?"

"Even then. It would be such an interesting death." He looked down at her and smirked. "Though, if I knew he was coming for that, I'd puncture your lungs first. I bet he'd be _furious_ if he found you drowning on your own blood. It would make the fight that much more intense."

Emerald shivered. Her free hand came up to touch her chest and she had to remind herself he wouldn't do it now. It would only happen if he got her out of Vale, and that wasn't going to happen. Not alive, anyway.

"Looks like we're clear, little lady. Isn't that wonderful news?" His hand was still locked around her elbow. Her brief attempts to pull free had been greeted first with him showing she didn't have the strength to break his hold, then a knife to her leg and a comment that she didn't need her tendons to be a hostage.

She hadn't tried since.

"Maybe I should have killed that girl after all. She must have called for help. Oh well, lesson learned – mercy is bad. I'll go back and finish her another time."

"No." Emerald pulled back. "You promised."

"Oooh, a chink in that armour at last?" He giggled as she glared bloody murder at him. "You're so calm until I talk about her. Is she your girlfriend?" Another cackle. "I promised I'd not harm her _then_ ; I didn't say I'd not come back."

Chuckling to himself, Tyrian stepped out of the treeline and into the centre of the park, by a fishpond. He looked past it, to a small bench with an elderly man throwing crumbs into the water and cursed.

"Still? How do they keep finding us?" He hauled Emerald away again. "Do you have a tracker on you or something? This is getting ridiculous."

"Maybe your `goddess` cursed you."

He backhanded her sharply. "Speak no ill of my goddess!"

If Tyrian noticed the sudden fracture of the illusion the moment his hand hit her, he didn't act on it. She couldn't see what he could – that was the nature of her Semblance – but she'd been putting images of pursuers in front of him for the last ten minutes. The strongest people she could think of. Ozpin, Glynda, Taiyang. They corralled him toward the centre of Vale, or at least away from the outskirts.

The temptation to have the illusions break her free was there; if she could make an illusion swing a sword at their hands, Tyrian might let go and she could run. The problem was, where would she run? Could she escape? This was Tyrian Callows. Dad spoke of him as someone who was far more dangerous than any typical huntsman. He could fight dad one on one, and while she could try and ensnare him in illusions to help get away, it wouldn't stop him tracking her down again. Next time, he might just kill Yang immediately.

 _He needs to die._

It was a Jaune way of solving problems, but she'd grown up on the streets until the Smiling Man took her. He was Jaune now, Dad, but that didn't mean she'd forgotten how he first saved and helped her.

Emerald respected Auntie Summer, but she had this weird saying that didn't make sense - `violence doesn't solve everything`. It was weird because Auntie Summer was a huntress too, so she had to know violence absolutely _did_ solve everything. If you were good enough at it. Emerald wasn't good enough to kill Tyrian, but if Yang could get Auntie Summer and Uncle Taiyang on the case, they might just be.

Tyrian needed to be gone. Gone like King. Removed from her life before he could cause problems. If Summer and Taiyang did find her, it shouldn't be too hard to cause that. Tyrian had threatened to kill Yang after all. He'd even tried to kill Ruby in Atlas.

"Maybe I should just start cutting my way out," Tyrian mused. "A little chaos will keep Ozpin and his merry band busy." He looked toward a couple on a romantic walk through the park. Licking his lips, his gun came up.

"No!" Emerald tackled him.

Tyrian kicked her in the gut, stunning her, but by the time he looked back, the couple were gone. Growling, he fisted his hand in the back of Emerald's neck and clung tight, pinching her skin painfully.

"I think it's time for a little rest for you, girl."

The last thing she saw was a fist rushing in for her face.

/-/

Summer cut across a road, scroll to her ear and her free hand pushing people out the way. They swore and yelled abuse, not understanding the situation. Ozpin hadn't wanted to alert the public for fear of causing panic Tyrian might use to his advantage. In a sea of terrified people, finding one frightened girl would be impossible. In an ocean of calm, it would be easier. In theory.

" _Yang is safe,"_ Taiyang spoke through the scroll. _"She says Emerald gave herself up for her safety. We need to find her before she's taken out the city."_

"I'm looking!" Summer barged another person out the way. "Where's Ozpin!?"

" _Co-ordinating people at the central gate. Glynda is grounding aircraft at the airport while Oobleck and Port are defending Beacon in case he tries to steal a Bullhead there."_ On the other end, she heard Yang shouting something. _"Look, I'll get Yang out and look after Ruby. Qrow is out searching as well. Text him if you see anything."_

Ending the call, she stuffed the scroll away and paused at the rise in a road, looking out over the crowds and biting her bottom lip. Looking through Vale for two people really was a hopeless task. She was banking on them just happening to be in the right place at the right time. She didn't see them. Hissing angrily, she pushed on, guilt gnawing at her insides.

 _This is my fault. Jaune asked me to look after Emerald and I let her and Yang go out together on their own. What was I thinking? What am I going to do? How am I going to explain this to Jaune if something happens to her?_

Her heart was racing. As a mother, the loss of a child was one of her wildest nightmares. It had been just as bad when Yang started to walk, and wander and it took months for her to feel comfortable trusting her eldest on her own. Back then, the fear had just been Yang getting lost or in trouble. Never a kidnapping.

She could just imagine Jaune's face when he came back to find out his daughter had been taken, and that she and Taiyang, who had been entrusted with her, hadn't been able to help. She imagined him screaming, crying and even attacking her. Her vision swayed and her stomach rolled.

Her scroll pinged. Summer checked the message, which came from Ozpin.

" _Summer. We're in contact with an unusual individual who claims to have eyes on Miss Ashari and her abductor. I'm sending his number through to you. Though it may not be satisfying, I recommend you work alongside him to Miss Ashari's benefit."_ Following the message was a number highlighted in blue.

She pressed it without hesitation. Someone who knew where Emerald was? It was a lead she couldn't let pass. The scroll rang three times in quick succession, her foot tapping impatiently on the floor as people passed her by.

Eventually, it was answered.

" _Hello there."_ There was no recognising the voice of the man who answered, but the face on the screen was one she'd seen before. Orange hair, bowler hat and a cocky smile. Summer had never crossed paths with the thief, but he'd become famous of late.

"Roman Torchwick…" Was it the wrong number? Was this a trick? There was no time to be sure. "Ozpin told me you know where a certain someone is."

" _Emerald Ashari, yes? And I do. I've been following her friend for the last thirty minutes."_

"Where?"

" _Central park currently. He-"_ Roman cut off, looking past the scroll. He cursed. _"He's knocked her out and is taking her west. Damn it, he's moving fast now."_ Roman began to run. _"Not even trying to be subtle, is he? Look, I'm activating my scroll's beacon for you. In the interests of doing the right thing, how about you `not` use it to arrest me and instead come help me deal with this bastard."_

Summer was already moving west. "Why?" she asked. "Why are you helping us?"

" _Call it mutual interests. This is my turf and I don't much like someone muscling in on it."_

"Not good enough."

" _Is this really the time?"_ Roman spat to the side. _"Fine. I tried to rob a certain someone and it went wrong – very wrong. Now I'm trying to save that someone's brat before he finds out she got kidnapped on my turf. Our mutual friend isn't exactly the most forgiving when it comes to matters like that, and I'd rather not die anytime soon."_

Jaune? It had to be; nothing else made sense. Somehow, the idea that Roman Torchwick would be afraid of Jaune didn't even phase her, nor did the idea that her friend would have something on him. Jaune was many things; a friend, a teacher and a father, but Summer wasn't blind to his faults. He was focused on things far beyond Vale and her, and he was vicious to a fault. It was easy to laugh at that when it was the kids he taught using dirty tricks on Qrow or Tai but reading deeper into _why_ Jaune thought combat was like that painted a bad picture.

Not to speak of what he'd done in Atlas. Killing was sometimes necessary in their job, but people hesitated. Even against the cruellest of foes, there would be either some hesitation or some regret after the fact. Good huntsmen could force themselves to go through with it, but once the action and adrenaline was gone, they often needed to detox. Alcohol, family, friends or just some time alone. People coped in different ways.

It never felt like Jaune coped. Like he _needed_ to.

The killing never bothered him, not like it did Ruby, Qrow or her. Jaune moved on like it wasn't an issue in the first place. Even if Summer cared for him, there was a dark part of her that always felt nervous. She knew Jaune was a killer.

Apparently, Roman Torchwick did as well.

"We'll work together," she said. "I'm closing in on your location. How far away is he?"

" _Moving fast."_ Roman's movement on the screen was proof of that. _"He's – holy shit – he's cutting across traffic. Not sure if he's realised I'm following or just doesn't care anymore."_ The view through the scroll changed dramatically as Torchwick slid over the bonnet of a car. Summer saw a road, people shouting, and, for a brief instant, a head of green hair slumped over a shoulder. _"I've got someone else helping,"_ Roman panted. _"Short girl. Pink, brown and white hair. You can't miss her. Please don't shank her one."_

"Fine. Just keep him from leaving the city until I get there."

" _I'll try. I - oh, shit."_

"What is it?"

" _He's cut into gang territory and gone into a building. I guess that means he's noticed."_ Roman slowed to a stop. _"Okay, I'm going to have to cut off now. I'll try keep him busy."_ He looked ill at the thought, and with good reason. Torchwick was famous for being a thief. Tyrian Callows was a monster. _"Do me a solid and save me as well, yeah?"_ The screen went black.

What the hell was Jaune up to that someone like Roman Torchwick would knowingly go toe to toe with a confirmed murderer? It wasn't even like Torchwick thought he had a chance. That defeated comment at the end was basically asking her to pick up his brutalised body at the end and get him to a doctor.

More questions for Jaune. Questions she'd ask him once she had Emerald safe. Summer typed a quick message to Qrow telling him what she was doing and to follow her signal. She then keyed into Torchwick's, spotting it toward the west wall and in a built up and industrial part of the city. It was away from most pedestrians, likely an effort to avoid witnesses on Callows' part.

Qrow's message was fired back. A simple ` _omw_ `.

/-/

The signal led to an abandoned building.

There was no telling it had always been abandoned, but it certainly was now – and likely with good reason. Summer checked her scroll one last time to be sure and put it away, drawing her sword. The shortsword was simplistic on first glance but came with a dust channel down the centre fed by vials fixed below the guard. Two triggers rested on it, one by the vials and another above the pommel.

Her boots clacked on the concrete as she stepped into the dark building, dust and pebbles crunching underfoot. The noise of cars and people faded away, replaced by an eerie stillness. The electricity was clearly off.

She hesitated for a moment, then paused to take out her scroll again and switch on the torch, fastening it to her chest above her heart. It cast a glow ahead, illuminating directly in front of her. It would give her away for sure, but Tyrian was a faunus. He had the advantage in low light conditions and only a fool faced a faunus in the dark.

Casting beams of light with each step, turning her chest from left to right to cover the corridor she was in, she came to a stop as light flooded over a patch of red on the floor. She darted over, kneeling and touching a finger to it.

The blood was fresh. Still liquid.

There were a few more splotches ahead. Summer rose and followed them, crouched low and keeping her weapon before her, free hand on the back of the blade to brace herself against a sudden attack. Her sword was single-edged, the curvature on the flatter side a channel for a round to be fired _up_ the back of the blade from the pistol mechanism in the hilt.

Silver eyes scanned every corner as she moved. Creeping deeper, she began to hear sounds from ahead. Possible combat. She licked her lips and moved a little faster, rounding an upcoming corner and finding a flight of stairs. The noise was from above. She hurried up them and turned another corner, taking a few more stairs up to the next floor before she found him.

Not Tyrian. Torchwick. He was flat on his front.

"Damn it." Summer knelt by the thief and reached a hand to his neck. There was a pulse, albeit a weak one. The blood splatters led to him and a wound cut into his left shoulder. There was also blood matted in his hair, his hat nowhere to be seen. "I'll get you a doctor if I can," she promised, patting his back and standing. "Thanks for trying."

There was no time to help him now. He must have been caught in an ambush by Tyrian – probably suffering in the dark. That, or he'd been forced to intervene for some reason. She hoped it wasn't because of a threat to Emerald's life.

The clash of metal ahead drew her on and Summer left the thief behind, cutting ahead and through a narrow corridor. An open door at the end led out into what appeared to be a large causeway made of metal suspended over a much bigger room below. Broken skylights cast illumination inside that rendered her scroll unnecessary.

There, in the centre of it, two figures were locked in mortal combat.

One was Tyrian; Summer recognised him immediately. The other, she would swear she'd never seen. A girl that looked as old as Yang, yet was moving as fast as Summer could, bending and flipping around Tyrian's weapon and his inky-black tail, wielding a thin rapier with precise strikes. Her multi-coloured hair marked her the ally of Torchwick, if the fact she was fighting Tyrian didn't already.

Sumer looked for Emerald and saw her beyond, slumped on her side and not moving.

The moment that took cost her ally. The girl ducked under the knife, side-stepped the tail but couldn't quite escape the wrist-blades of Tyrian's other hand. She leaned back to try and avoid impalement, bending almost double. They scraped across her breastbone, cutting through cloth and skin. Tyrian planted a foot in her chest and kicked off, flipping in the air with agility that belied his size.

The girl was knocked back. Her knees hit the railing of the causeway and she toppled, rapier scattering down below as she caught herself with one hand on the base. She hung there, legs swaying below her and her other hand desperately trying to find purchase.

"Hee hee!" Tyrian cackled, walking toward her and placing a foot on her hand. "You should watch your step. The fall is a looong one."

No time. The second her foot struck metal, he heard her. He leapt back and her sword cut through air. It drove him away enough for Summer to kneel, eyes fixed on him, and offer a hand down. The girl managed to grab on, and Summer hauled her up. She was light enough for it. _No weapon, though. And she looks exhausted._

"Go back and keep an eye on Torchwick. I have reinforcements coming, so point them in the right direction when they arrive."

The girl nodded and limped away, favouring one leg. There was a nasty gash in it and a smell like rotten onions. Summer's attention was drawn to Tyrian's long tail. It didn't look organic at all, more like it was part-Grimm. Had he poisoned the girl? That could be bad. Hopefully, Beacon would have something that could treat her.

Yet again, she looked past him to Emerald.

"Such a glorious day. Such a _wonderful_ day. And I thought Hazel would be having all the fun!"

"Tyrian Callows. Surrender Emerald to me and I shall let you leave."

"Surrender? No, no, no. You misunderstand. What reason is there to surrender now that I find not one, but _two_ of my targets in one place at once? Oh, how my Goddess' disappointment stung when she learned I had failed to kill you, to end the silver eyes." He clutched his own arms, shaking. "She struck and she struck and punished and punished, but it was the look in her eyes that hurt the most. The loss of faith. The disappointment. Ah!" His voice cracked. "I cried that day. I cried and I cried and I cried."

His hands came down, knives flashing as his lips peeled back to show rows of bright teeth.

"But happy day – wonderful day – I can fix that now. I can kill you and end the silver eyes. Oh, but then I'll need to find your daughter and-"

A loud crack broke the silence. Tyrian's head snapped back.

"That… was rude…" He leaned forward again, a red mark in the middle of his forehead. The dust shell casing fell to the floor. "Rude, rude, rude. So very rude. I was talking about what I was going to do to your daughter."

"You won't touch her!"

"Well, not right now I won't. I'll settle for finishing what I started in Vacuo with you."

Summer licked her lips and slid her right foot back, dropping to favour one side, left forward and sword chambered. "Then let Emerald go. She has no part of this."

"Oh, but she does, she does. You see, my Goddess wants Ashari. Wants him badly. Why? I see the question in your eyes, but I don't know." Tyrian giggled. "She wants answers, I know that, but what else? Will he join us? Will he and I march side by side? I think Watts believes that will happen, but I don't. I don't think he has it in him to bend. He's not a branch but a sword. Indomitable. Solid. Brittle. He won't bend and adapt – only snap."

That was an interesting analysis of her friend. There was a saying about branches swaying in the wind that Tyrian seemed to be referencing. From memory, she thought it had something to do with being able to move with what life gave you. People were supposed to bend in the wind rather than fight inevitability. Those that could bend could adapt to change and find happiness. Those that could not would stubbornly hold on against the gale and break, falling from the tree to their doom.

Jaune was stubborn, she accepted that. Why else would he be out there alone fighting the White Fang? Too stubborn, though? Possibly. That was something she'd have to deal with, and she would be dealing with it, because she wasn't going to die here and let Emerald be taken.

"What are you, I wonder," Tyrian teased. "Branch or steel."

"Neither. I'm the hurricane that tears the tree from the ground." Summer's eyes flashed in the dark, rattling him. "And you don't have Grimm, an ambush and numbers to best me this time. I hope you're prepared to pay the price for trespassing a third time."

"Oh?" Tyrian grinned. "I'd better be, hadn't I?"

He leapt forwards.

/-/

Jaune backpedalled.

The battlefield held no objective he needed to fight over, so ground was given easily. He kept his eyes locked onto Hazel's, ducking beneath one mighty fist and bringing the flat of Crocea Mors up for the second. He didn't block – doing so against Hazel was a terrible idea, as Ren had once learned. Instead, he deflected to the side, diverting the force away and taking only a small crackle of electric into his arms. His nerves burned and his muscles tensed.

Against Hazel, even that could be dangerous. Under the powerful assault from the juggernaut, he didn't try to hold his ground. He moved backwards, drawing Hazel in and keeping him at sword's length.

If your opponent is superior in strength, evade him.

Stepping back and away from right hook, Jaune cut left, rushing around Hazel's right flank while he was overextended. Most people would have taken that chance to launch an attack of their own, to take advantage of the momentary lapse in Hazel's guard. He knew better. There were no such lapses, only feints. Against any other opponent, he might have fallen for it, but Hazel was one of four people he'd spent _years_ fighting.

Not always him and rarely alone, but he'd seen Ozpin fail, Qrow suffer and been with his and Ruby's teams as they were knocked about. You couldn't fight the same person over and over without learning a few of their tricks, and no matter how strong Hazel was now, he'd been _stronger_ in the future. Or maybe that was his perception of the man. He was stronger now, after all, and Hazel didn't seem quite so overpowering.

Still dangerous. Lethally so.

And angry.

Hazel charged in with a roar usually reserved for Ozpin. He swung one fist down on Crocea Mors, aiming to swat the sword aside rather than hit him. Jaune slid back on one foot, stepping out of range as the fist swung by. Lightning jumped from it to him anyway. His teeth ground together as his muscles screamed in pain.

His counterattack was caught on Hazel's wrist, Crocea Mors striking it and bouncing off his aura. Hazel swung his knee up into his gut. It clanged off Crocea Mors' sheath, held in his other hand. With a mechanical whirr it fanned out into the familiar shield. Hazel watched it curiously, seeing the move for the first time and taking it in stride. A shield was protection against certain attacks but not all. Rather than try to get around it, Hazel planted one foot down and _slammed_ his fist into the shield.

The force swept him off his feet. He let it to a degree, using the airtime to catch his breath and build some space – at least what he could. Hazel was charging back in like a raging Goliath. It was all he could do to duck under one swing and score a blow on Hazel's thigh, cutting into the cloth there and rolling past before Hazel could bring both arms down and pop his head like a grape. Dust was kicked up in the spot he'd occupied, and even as he scrambled to his feet, his skin was charred.

How does one fight someone who cannot be hit without harming yourself? Rubber soles would have sounded nice in theory, but Hazel had imbued himself with dust that had lightning crackling through him. Whatever effect that had on the man was clearly not as detrimental as what it was on _him_. If he blocked, he was shocked. If he attacked and hit, he was shocked through his sword. Even if dodged and Hazel's body came close, the electricity could jump.

 _What I wouldn't give for Nora's Semblance right now._

As for the big question, it was one that had haunted Team RWBY for a long while. Hazel had seemed so invincible, so powerful. Even Ozpin, admittedly in Oscar's body but still with all his knowledge, hadn't been able to defeat Hazel. How could anyone when harming him hurt you more?

In the end, it had been Ren to figure it out.

"Rarghh!" Hazel struck the ground and kicked up an explosion of raw dust energy. Rock and dirt shot up in every direction, driving the watching White Fang back in fright. As he rose up, however, the crackling across his body faded.

Grunting, he reached down to his belt and retrieved a metallic cylinder. Popping the top, he stabbed it into his thigh. His muscles bulged, veins glowing against his skin. He threw the injector away, adding to the two others discarded during the fight so far.

"How many of those do you have left?" Jaune asked.

"Enough." Hazel threw a haymaker that would have removed Jaune's head from his shoulders if it connected. He didn't let it.

"You sure? I seem to recall you never carried more than six at a time."

He deflected another attack to the side and dove out the way of a roundhouse kick. Hazel was athletic for his size and weight. For once, he got away easy, courtesy of Hazel's attacks now sending out waves of fire instead of lightning. Just as dangerous, but a little less likely to burn him without even connecting.

"Is six your limit?" he asked out loud. "Injecting raw dust into yourself can't be a good idea or more people would be doing it. I'm guessing something bad happens if you use more than that."

Hazel's brows drew down. True or not, he wasn't going to confirm it. It was conjecture anyway; Hazel had always retreated before that became an issue. The main point was letting him know he knew about the limited nature of the vials. In a very real way, Hazel's fists came with ammunition.

"You are a blight on this world, Ashari."

"Me?" Jaune swept back from another fist and darted in – catching himself at the last second and barely avoiding the feint. Flames brushed against his shoulder, catching his shirt. It was a good job he'd ditched the coat, or it would be ruined. "I'm not the one working with the literal personification of all evil. I know what happened to your sister, Hazel. I agree that Ozpin fucked up, but people make mistakes. He didn't let it happen on purpose."

"Do not preach to me of morality. You who kill without thought."

"I kill only those who need to be killed."

"And who are you to pick and choose? Who are you to make the decision? Did Sienna deserve to die? Do the faunus deserve to be enslaved and cruelly mistreated?"

"No."

"And all the people here who died today, for the crime of wanting a better life."

"They chose to become terrorists."

"Because all other options were exhausted to them. You know this. No man _wishes_ to become a terrorist. Driven from their homes, pushed to extremes or just framed for acting out against their human masters and banished, branded as traitors and runaways, left to fend for themselves or die in the wilderness while their masters sit calm and cosy in their homes."

Jaune gritted his teeth. "I never said I liked it!"

"Yet you pass judgment without hesitation. There is never any question in your eyes, no doubt. You _enjoy_ killing. It brings you the rush you crave."

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it?" Hazel barked an ugly laugh. "I saw the look in your eyes when you made the decision to kill Sienna. That _satisfaction_. Raw pleasure. You may convince yourself it is satisfaction at a job well done, but deep inside you know the truth. You're a monster, Ashari. You're more a monster than I could ever hope to be."

His hands trembled. His knees shook. Ruby, Yang, Blake, Weiss, Ren, Nora, Pyrrha. Their bodies dead and broken, Pyrrha on the tower, the others so much later. Bleeding, broken and spent, arranged on the floor with expressions peaceful in death.

"If I'm a monster," Jaune roared, charging in, "Then it's because you made me this way!"

"Blame others all you like. It changes little. You're no better than what you seem to think Sienna was. At least she had a goal. At least she wanted to help people. What of you, Ashari? Vengeance? Is that what drives you to kill indiscriminately? How many have fallen already to your petty lust for blood?"

"Enough." Jaune gasped for breath. "You'll be next on the list."

"Perhaps," Hazel allowed. "But I'm well aware of the consequences of my actions. I will die in time for what I have done, as will Ozpin. Time and time again until it finally sticks and he _stays_ dead. But what about those you endanger with your methods?"

"I'll keep my friends safe."

"Oh? Is that what you're doing now? What of your daughter?"

"She's safe."

"Is she, Ashari? Is she…?"

Emerald was in Vale. She was away from this. She was… She was…

"You didn't…"

"It would be foolish of us to put all our faith in Sienna. If you're willing to give yourself up for Winter Schnee, the obvious question then became how far you would go for someone closer to you. Tyrian is in Vale already. By now, he'll have found your daughter and abducted her. Soon, he will be out of the city and she'll be meeting with Salem. I'm sure that will be an interesting experience."

Jaune screamed and rushed in.

* * *

 **It's kind of hard to write Hazel having any moral turpitude. Trying, but this is a guy who lost his sister to the Grimm and then decided the logical choice was to blame Ozpin for it and join Salem, creator of the Grimm, and destroy the world. This feels like one of those moments where there will be (or I hope, at least) some good backstory reason for that to make sense, but which hasn't been given to us yet.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 27** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	68. Chapter 68

**Man, my internet has been playing up again. It happened on that "hottest day ever" in the UK, which I'll be honest and say was HORRIBLE. It was the worst night's sleep ever, feeling like some tropical country. I hated it. The internet died a death that day and given that I have an outside aerial with wires running to a router, I can hazard a guess as to why.**

 **Conversely, today it has been pissing it down all day. Like, all day. Non-stop. Some of the worst rain ever. But, of course, we still have politicians claiming climate change isn't a thing. This is somehow all just random luck or punishment for sexy-times or something equally stupid. Man, we're really messing up as a species.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 68**

* * *

 _He's insane._

The realisation came quickly into the fight. Tyrian Callows didn't battle like most people did. It showed in his weapons, short range and fragile, but also in his combat style – up close, far closer than where even her short sword was viable.

He had no regard for space, no understanding of range and a psychotic bent for pushing his face right into her guard and lashing out wildly. Even though she was the one on the attack, it felt as though he pushed back at every opportunity. Even when he _didn't_ have the right to do so.

He stepped back and darted in again.

Summer hopped back as he did, lashing out with her longer weapon. The footwork kept him at the tip of her sword, and her body out of reach of his twin blades. Anyone – everyone – would have understood that and stayed back, giving her the advantage and seeking to get past it, maybe by unloading shots until she charged in.

Tyrian did no such thing. He charged _into_ her attack. It bit down on his shoulder. It wasn't a clumsy blow and he didn't mitigate the damage. It slammed down hard enough to knock him off-balance and would have torn down and lodged her blade in his ribcage if he didn't have aura. But that just didn't matter. He continued to charge in anyway, lips peeled back into a feral snarl.

Every bit of her training had prepared her to not _need_ to defend if she scored a hit like that. He should have been pushed back. He shouldn't have even carried on in the first place.

That he did meant he could plant both blades in her gut and _twist_.

"Argh!" Summer stamped on the top of his knee and pushed. It both forced him down onto one knee and also let her kick away. Her free hand rubbed her stomach, feeling the torn cloth but whole skin.

 _He's a madman. That wasn't a good trade for either of us. We must have lost the same aura, and he has no idea how large or small mine is. Is he that confident he can outlast me, even after fighting Torchwick and his associate?_

The wide and manic smile on the man's face said otherwise. She honestly wasn't sure he cared.

"You're insane. You're actually insane."

"Am I? I like to think I'm simply faithful."

"Faithful to someone who serves the Grimm. Where is the sense in that?"

Tyrian giggled and twirled on one foot, somehow attacking side-on.

Summer parried the first blow and his positioning didn't let him follow through with a second. He was spinning – but there was a reason you didn't pirouette like a ballerina in a fight. Summer caught his elbow on the palm of her hand, stopping his spin in its tracks. While he was defenceless, attacking blade on the other side of his body, she stabbed her sword into his shoulder.

He hopped back, still smiling and now working his shoulder to get the kink out.

"Where is the sense in any faith?" he asked. "You trust and follow the words of Ozpin, but do you ever ask why? You follow the words of Jaune despite not knowing the truth of him. He has so many secrets. I bet I know him more than you do."

"I trust him," she spat.

"You have faith in him without it making any sense." He giggled again. "So why is it so strange when I'm the same? Does it matter that you don't understand why I worship her?"

"I suppose not. But do _you_ even know why you worship her?"

"No. Does that matter?"

What? Of course it – Summer panicked and barely brought her sword up in time. His blades linked over it, his face pushing close to the blade and her own as his _entire weight_ settled on her, his feet on her stomach.

He'd leapt bodily forward, slamming into her.

It was a wild move, a reckless move. Had she been any quicker, he might have impaled himself with all his strength onto her. Aura or not, the damage would have been catastrophic. As it was, Summer had to take a step back and then another, giving ground and backing up against the railing. Anything less and he'd have borne her to the floor, and that would have been the end of her.

Arms shaking, she pushed with all her strength, forcing him to kick off and land back on the causeway between her and Emerald.

"Faith is faith," he said. "What is life without faith? What purpose is there without something to believe in? Wretched fiends who live for wealth or power; why would I want a life such as that? Gods who would abandon us for mistakes made millennia ago? Never. She is the only goddess I need. She will deliver us."

"And if she doesn't? If it's a lie?"

"Hee hee. You have no proof it is, little girl."

"You have none it isn't!"

"But I have faith. I believe she will provide, and until I am proven wrong, I will continue to hold faith."

What a pointless way of thinking. Circular. It was like the argument of the cat in the box that both did and didn't exist. He was suggesting that if she couldn't prove Salem's purpose wrong, then it was both right _and_ wrong, and that the only thing that otherwise mattered was what you believed. If you had enough faith that the cat was still alive, then in the absence of proof your faith could never be shown wrong.

As long as you accepted a certain degree of sophistry. And a little madness.

 _Faith for the sake of faith. If it can't be broken without him dying, then it can never be shaken. Is he saying it's better to die wholly believing a lie than it is to live without anything to believe in? What happened to this madman?_

"And what if your faith is proven wrong?"

"What if it is?" he asked. "Oh, I know the truth will come eventually. One day, when my life ends, the veil will be shattered and I will know at last, with utmost certainty, whether my faith was deserved or not. In that moment where my soul leaves my body, the truth will crash down upon me." He shuddered. "Doesn't that sound beautiful? A peak, a climax, a moment that transcends anything else this world can ever offer."

"Will I be crushed by despair, or will I be filled with joy? The question troubles me sometimes, but isn't the mystery what makes it so exciting? The knowledge that, at the end, I will finally have the answer I've spent my life searching for."

"Is that why you're so obsessed with Jaune?" she asked. "Because you believe he will kill you?"

"Hm? It is a good thought. I like it. But no. I seek him for my goddess commands it."

"Don't fool yourself, Tyrian. You're here because you were told to be, but you're not just following orders. You're excited about it. You _want_ to meet him again. You're obsessed."

"Bravo. You've caught me, bravo!" He clapped his hands together and struck a pose. "I am a little excited, yes, but if it was death I wanted, I could seek Ozpin instead, couldn't I? Or I'm sure you would only be too keen to strike my head from my shoulders. Maybe it's answers I want from him. Maybe I'm curious."

From anyone else, she'd have said the `maybe` was him taunting her. From Tyrian, however, she had the feeling it was a genuine question. An uncertainty. He, himself, wasn't sure what drove him after Jaune Ashari.

"Or maybe I see something similar in him, an abyss, that I want so badly to stare into."

"He's not like you." Jaune was bloodthirsty in his own way, she knew, but it was with purpose. That purpose was more than entertainment or some twisted brand of faith. He had killed to protect her daughter, killed to protect his child and killed to defend innocent people.

His was a soldier's ideals, and that was, while still difficult to comprehend at times, not something she was afraid of.

"Isn't he? I see faith in him as well. Faith toward an unachievable goal. He knows it won't ever happen, I can see that, yet he still makes his way unfalteringly toward it, never understanding that the true things he wants in life are unreachable to him." Tyrian's voice faltered, his smile falling. "It is sad, really. What he wants is gone forever."

Summer swallowed. "And you think you can bring that back?"

"No." He grinned suddenly. "And that's quite clever of you, trying to distract me. It's been a while since I had a chance to talk philosophy with someone – quite fun. Quite fun, indeed. Ah, if only we could sit down over hot chocolate and talk, talk, talk."

Shit. He'd caught her.

His tail lashed out. The barbed stinger on the end looked inhumanly black, like the Grimm itself. Summer dove under it, more afraid of that than she was the blades he wielded, which followed soon after. Both scraped off her sword as she blocked the hits. She pushed on regardless, rushing to the side and evading the return blow of his tail. It swept up behind him like a striking cobra.

No more words seemed necessary for Tyrian. He smirked and dashed forward, unloading six shots that she dodged, then closing in with his blades once more. They danced – in so far as brutal murder could be called a dance.

Their feet clanged upon the metal causeway. Their blades clashed. Hers scored hits on shoulders, arms and his thigh, punishing every opening. For each she took, he struck back, not leaving the openings as traps but instead lashing out in vengeance, either unfeeling of his pain or simply uncaring. Aura sparked from both, yet his tail she never allowed close.

Could it create poison now that it wasn't real? She didn't care to find out.

Her attention slid to Emerald. Fighting here wasn't the main goal; that was to get Emerald away. Or to wait for reinforcements. Qrow should be close. If not him, Taiyang or Ozpin.

"Go on," Tyrian said, reading her intent. "Reach for her. Take her." He giggled. "I won't stop you."

Growling, Summer charged in again. Defence was failing her; failing because he didn't care what she did in defence. If she put up a spiked barricade, he was the kind of psycho who would run into it and impale himself just to land a blow. Better she attacked, instead. Put him on the back foot.

Except… that didn't work, either. As she rushed in, he counter-charged, their blades meeting with a flash of sparks and a horrifying clang. They separated, hands and arms jarred from an impact a good fighter would never let happen. Fighting wasn't smashing weapons together like hammers on a nail. That would exhaust you, not to mention damage your weapon.

Tyrian didn't care.

Their weapons were blown back from the impact, but she saw him catch the momentum and reverse it. He was coming in for a second. Eyes wide, the only thing she could do was mimic him. Mimic him or let him hit. Dragging her sword back, she swung it again – knowing that the only possible end to it was their blades crashing a second time.

And so they did. The fresh impact had pain lancing up her arm to her shoulder. A second time, the impact forced their weapons apart – and a _third time_ Tyrian caught himself and swung.

Was he an idiot? Were they going to hammer their weapons together until their shoulders shattered? Or was this some twisted game of chicken? To see who would falter first and allow the attack to land.

Sweat pouring down her face, Summer slammed her weapon into his a third time. It tolled like a bell. Her muscles were aching, her bones rattled. Also rattling was her crossguard, the metal encasing the firing mechanism of her built-in gun attachment, and not designed to withstand such constant abuse. The firing mechanism must have broken

He wound up for a fourth blow.

 _I can't keep doing this._ Something would give. Her, her shoulder, her weapon or just time could be him as well, but she had a feeling he would continue until the dust fell from his bones. He was a madman, after all.

He had no sense of self-preservation.

 _Faith,_ she realised. _Blind faith_. Even if logic, training and common sense said this was a terrible idea, Tyrian simply _chose_ to believe it would work and committed himself wholly to it. By sheer force of will – or belief, faith – he forced the issue.

It was such a stupid idea. So annoying that it was working.

A fourth ring of steel. Summer's teeth, gritted together, began to shake. When he reared back for the fifth, she wanted to scream. This wasn't how fighting was supposed to work! This wasn't how she was trained to fight! This didn't make sense!

Something had to give.

At the last, it was her.

Toppling to the side, Summer fell, _feeling_ the wind of his blade whistling past her face. She planted one hand down, catching herself on her side and swinging up to try and buy space.

His hand caught her wrist, his face pushing close to hers.

"Maybe you _do_ lack faith after all."

/-/

Emerald groaned, curling up in pain on the floor as consciousness swam into focus. Everything hurt and she felt sick. The crashing of metal on metal rung around her, combined with footsteps on more metal, cries of pain and the meaty _thwack_ of something solid striking flesh.

Her eyes opened slowly.

A grated metal causeway lay beneath her. Staring down through the slats, she could just make out the ground far below in darkness. Her fingers poked through some of the square holes as she tried to push herself up.

"Ah!"

The cry came not from herself.

Auntie Summer was fighting someone. Tyrian. The memories flooded back, followed by nausea and fear. They'd found her at last, but Tyrian was fighting to keep her. Vision swimming, she watched as Tyrian knocked Summer about, using his Grimm tail to keep her forever dodging. If it wasn't for that, the fight would have been even, but Summer had to contend with two weapons _and_ the tail. She was losing.

 _If Summer loses, Tyrian will take me out of Vale. If he gets me out of Vale, Dad will come for me._

He'd walk straight into their trap.

And die…

Dad was strong; Emerald knew that. But strong didn't mean invincible and he always tried to do everything on his own. He wouldn't ask for help or let her go. He wouldn't save himself or move on without her. In a way, that was good, but it was also terrifying. She was his weakness. Her own weakness was going to get him killed.

Tyrian swept into Summer's guard and batted her hand to the side. He leaned back from her follow-up, wrapped his tail up under her armpit and coiled it around her throat. Summer's sword came back, trying to cut the tendons in his shoulder. Tyrian caught it with his free hand and squeezed her wrist, forcing her to let go as she gasped for air.

He raised her up off the ground, kicking Summer's sword away.

"Oh," he said. "Nice try! Nice try! I like it, I do, but you don't have the same eyes he does. An appetiser, yes, a boon for my Queen. Not _his_ eyes, but important eyes all the same. I'll pluck them out and deliver them to my goddess."

And Auntie Summer was going to die because of her, too. Yang and Ruby were going to lose their mom because she'd been too weak to escape Tyrian. They were going to be alone and hurt because of her.

Yang would hate her.

She couldn't hate her more than Emerald hated herself.

Her eyes locked on Summer's weapon, which had slid nearby. Her lips thinned, shoulders squaring as she pushed herself up to her feet and forward.

There was only one thing to do.

/-/

Summer's feet dangled off the floor. The tail coiled around her neck squeezed tighter still, cutting off the air to her lungs. She kicked out, finding purchase on the railing and using it to try and flip herself over and twist his tail to break the grip. Her left hand rose up to try and win some space while she dug in her boot with her right, searching for the hunting knife stashed there.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Tyrian wagged one finger as his other hand caught her wrist, turning it over as he pried the knife away. "None of that now, or were you giving me a knife for your eyes? How polite! If it means that much to you, I'll cut them out with this."

He brought the knife closer to her face.

Summer glared back. If he was expecting her to beg, he would be disappointed.

Despite that, she did feel fear. Not for herself but for everyone else. _Taiyang, be strong. Look after Yang and Ruby for me. Jaune, I'm sorry. I was supposed to look after her and I let you down._ In a horrible way, at least she wouldn't be alive to deliver the news to him.

The knife came closer to her left eye.

"Tyrian!"

He stopped. Tyrian turned and looked behind him, granting Summer a clear view as well.

There, standing on wavering legs, Emerald Ashari was gripping her sword, glaring at Tyrian with such hate. Hate, anger, but no fear.

"Run," Summer croaked. "R-Run."

Emerald saw her, she knew. Heard the words or could read her lips. It was just that she ignored her.

"Let Auntie Summer go," she said.

"Or…?" Tyrian laughed. "Are you going to attack me? Oh no, whatever shall I do. Hee." He swung Summer around, holding her between him and Emerald. "I think you need to do better at the hostage thing. How about this, instead. Put the sword down and give up or I'll stab her in the lower spine. It's a painful way to go, if she dies at all. Maybe I can leave her paralysed for life."

Emerald shook her head, ignoring Summer's silent pleas for her to flee and get help. "No. You're going to let Auntie Summer go, and then you're going to let me go. You're going to leave us alone. That's the deal I'm offering."

Tyrian's breath hitched.

Summer stared.

It was a ridiculous statement, even to her. To Tyrian, it must have been even more so because he _burst_ out laughing, his body bending double even if his tail remained still and kept her aloft. He staggered to the side, one hand catching the railing as his other held his stomach.

"Ha! Oh! Oh yes." He wiped away a tear. "You truly are something. Oh, if he hadn't found you first, I might have loved to raise you as my own. You could have served my goddess so well! I've never wanted to have a family before, but I think I'd take you as my daughter. Ah…" He caught himself, standing tall again and smirking at her. "But I think you don't understand how this situation plays out, little Ashari."

"I think it's you who doesn't understand. You need me to get to dad. You _need_ me." Emerald smiled viciously, twisting the sword in her hands. There was no fear in her eyes, only intent. "And if you kill Auntie Summer, who's going to get me to a hospital in time…?"

Realisation dawned. Summer's eyes bulged.

Her sword – her own sword – plunged into Emerald's stomach. She'd drawn her aura away so it dug deep. Emerald grunted; a sound so unfitting for the agony she must have felt – and at fifteen, no less. Her hands trembled and she sunk to her knees, blood running over her fingers and through the metal causeway beneath her.

Even so, she looked at Tyrian, eyes wide and in pain.

"You… need… me." Emerald toppled to the side.

Summer couldn't take her eyes off her.

"Hah…" Tyrian shivered. "Hah… Ha ha. Hah hah! Ha ha ha ha ha!" He threw back his head and _roared_ with laughter. "Ha ha ha ha ha! Yes! Oh yes, yes, yes! Perfect. Isn't she perfect? To die for your beliefs; isn't that the greatest proof? Oh, how I would like to honour you for it. But alas, you're right about one thing."

The tail wrapped around her neck tightened.

"I _do_ need you."

The tail snapped out and Summer's world shifted. It loosened and she drew breath, sailing through the air to crash down on the metal causeway. Her shoulder hit and she rolled, banging and rattling along it until her hand fell in the blood pooling from Emerald. It was warm and wet.

"E-Emerald," she choked, crawling to the girl, turning her over. The sword hadn't run her through, but it was lodged in her. There was blood everywhere. "Emerald, why?" She shook her, but Emerald had already passed out from the pain. Summer's hands shook.

"There's no way she would survive the journey to my goddess, and I'm not much of a healer." Tyrian said. "I can't even take your eyes lest you drop her off the edge by accident. Ha ha. Such a smart girl. I'd be upset if I wasn't so proud. See to it that she is healed. I'll come for her again later." He winked. "And for your eyes."

He swept over the edge of the causeway and fell.

Beaten, bruised and rattled, Summer stooped and swept the girl up into her arms. Children were to be protected, to be cared for, not to try and take their own lives to protect parents. That she could even think that a viable plan.

Summer's eyes clenched shut. With an agonised cry, she forced herself to start moving, carrying her own aching body and Emerald's bleeding one out toward the light. As she did, she couldn't help but think on the steely determination Emerald had worn. No hesitation, no fear, no sorrow. Only an easy acceptance that made her horrible decision so much worse.

"Why are you like this? Why are both you and Jaune like this…?"

 _/-/_

Ashari was a beast.

He'd known it long ago, deep inside, but the proof lay before him now as certain as any that had come before. He wore the guise of a man well, but in truth he was mad. Driven insane by some truth that Salem desired. Hazel was sure it would never be revealed unto them, and perhaps that was for the best, for if it had driven this man to madness, he was not sure what it would do to others.

And he was mad. Jaune Ashari was quite mad.

"Rarghhh!"

The sword bit down, carving a great rent into the ground where he'd once stood. The sword dug deep, deep enough that any normal man would have struggled to draw it forth. Ashari, however, simply chased after him, tearing it from the mud and dirt through sheer force of motion, hurtling after Hazel with the blade raised high above.

 _His stance is full of holes now. It should be easy to take advantage._

So unlike the man normally, unlike how he normally fought. If anything, Jaune had been trying to drive _him_ into a frenzy by constantly bringing up his dear sister. Hazel had refused to allow it, understanding the tactic for what it was, but it looked as though Ashari himself was not quite so immune. Perhaps that was why he believed in it so. If it could work on him, he must surely have imagined it to work for others.

He waited for the next attack. It came in the form an overhead smash and Hazel stepped to the left instead of back, letting it crash down. He stamped one foot onto the blade, ready to slap it down into the dirt.

The rim of a shield crashed into his jaw.

Hazel staggered back, eyes wide. Only his instincts saved him as he ducked low, sword blade whistling through the air above him. He channelled dust into his muscles and struck the ground, causing a huge explosion that blasted both him and Ashari away from one another. Landing on one knee, he wiped a hand across his lower lip, smudging away a small trickle of blood.

How had that hit? His other arm should have been out of place for such an attack. He'd been overextended. Was his madness an act to lure him in? No. It couldn't be. Hazel watched as Jaune dragged himself up out the ground with a mindless rage in his eyes.

There was no faking that, no hiding it.

"Emerald," he hissed. "Emerald."

He lunged forward, covering the distance in huge leaps. It wasn't fast enough that he couldn't prepare for it. He stepped forward, digging a foot into the ground as he through a picture-perfect punch for the crazed beast's face.

Jaune slid beneath it.

Hazel watched, content at first, knowing that the loss of momentum would send the man skidding into the ground, but his face soon changed, morphed into shock when, almost without thinking, the boy drew and fired a shotgun behind him with his shield hand. The recoil, slight as it was, twisted his body on one heel. He allowed it, pulling his stabilising leg up and spinning under Hazel's guard, eyes bright and blue as he swept his sword up in between Hazel's elbows.

Hazel staggered back, eyes bulging as the tip of the sword scratched a line up his nose.

And then the beast was on him.

Hacking.

Slashing.

Screaming.

"Ruby!" it howled. "Pyrrha! Nora! Yang!"

Names? Names that meant nothing to him. Nothing at all! Hazel backpedalled under the onslaught, trying to find footing and regain himself, but it was for naught. Jaune followed, feet so close to his own that they were sharing the same space and breathing the same air.

"Ren! Weiss! Sun! Blake!"

Blake? Blake Belladonna? A coincidence…?

Hazel cursed as the sword caught his arm. He'd allowed the mad raving to distract him. He gripped his arm and drove his head forward, smashing into Ashari's nose. A crack of flesh and blood echoed and even though he swung again, the blow was blind. Shaking his head to clear the blood from his eyes, Jaune looked up in time to take a solid punch to the chest.

Fire erupted from the point of impact. It was like a bomb going off and the man hurtled away.

"Finally," Hazel growled, working the fingers of his fist open and closed. "You fought a good fight, but a monster who gives in to bloodlust can't defeat a man. That's how the world has always been, and how it will remain-"

"You killed them!" Jaune screamed, rearing up again. "You killed them all!"

Hazel could already feel the dust leaving him. He took another vial, popping the lid to reveal the metal syringe. He stabbed it into his arm and watched the shining dust within drift down into his body.

 _Only two remaining after this, and I won't be able to find more until I see Watts. Will two even be enough? How can I hope to capture him when he's in a state like this? He's more Grimm than man._

Well, time would tell. He couldn't exactly look to retreat, either.

When the man closed again, Hazel was at least ready. Prepared this time for trickery, he kept his guard high and blocked the first heavy slash, deflected the shield and even stepped into the man's guard. His own thrust had his fist clanging against the shield, something he'd never shown before. Jaune tucked it in close to his body and surged forward, more akin to a battering ram than a person.

Hazel grunted and caught it and the two struggled to push the other down, Hazel using two hands and Jaune his shoulder and one arm. The sword flailed above, trying to distract him, but Hazel ignored it. Without proper positioning and room to swing, it was nothing more than a piece of metal flapping around his shoulder.

Still, he was surprised the man could hold up in a test of strength.

Willpower aside, he was twice as heavy as Jaune Ashari. The competition should have been a short one. With the dust raging through his muscles, it should have been an even more foregone conclusion. And yet… Hazel's foot slid back.

"Impossible. That doesn't make sense."

There was skill, athleticism and ability that could exist in more than mere physicality, but strength was strength. He was bigger and stronger, so he shouldn't be the one giving ground no matter how furious Ashari was.

Something flickered past to his right.

Light.

Light was flashing out from the man's hand, from… was that a symbol?

It flared suddenly, fed by a ragged scream torn from the throat of Jaune Ashari. The light shone golden and tinged green, burning like a fire that blossomed into an inferno.

Hazel howled as it exploded between them, throwing his body through the air. He struck the wet ground and rolled, scrambling to his feet and bringing both arms up to stop a downward swing – only to find it, for once, absent. He wasn't the only one who had been knocked back, and his opponent was some thirty or forty feet away, laid flat on his side, one hand pushed down as he climbed to his knees. That same hand was surrounded by thin wisps of green-white smoke. Or perhaps motes of light.

"Ozpin…? No. He still lives within a body."

Hazel's eyes roamed higher, boring into the suddenly far more cognizant ones of Jaune Ashari. The shock had awakened him from his fury, it seemed, for he too was looking down at his hand in confusion.

"Who – what – are you? That power exists only within the Relics. The Relics and one man, one _parasite_ that exists upon this world eternally. No one else has that power. Not even the maidens."

Jaune looked down at his hand. "I… I don't know…"

Lies.

They had to be. Salem was right to hunt him, to seek him. Such power couldn't – shouldn't – exist within this world. Hazel rose up, ready to cast aside his orders and _kill_ the man before he could become more of a threat. He took hold of his final two dust vials, muscles tensing as his body rejected the thought of what he was about to do even before he had.

Before he could, Jaune Ashari fell face first into the mud, spent.

He paused.

Was that it? Had the fight ended so abruptly? A part of him felt cheated and yet there was undeniable relief that rushed through him, mixed with anger and a little nugget of fear. Not fear of the man, but of what he'd shown at the end. Salem would know more, and perhaps she would heed his advice and kill the man before he could become a monster. Hazel stepped forward to take him.

A red and black portal swirled to life before he could. Boots, black and tall, splashed down into the mud. A long, red sword curved through the air, cutting off his path to the downed man.

"If you stand before me now, you will well and truly draw our ire," he warned. "This is an act that can never be taken back. One that will see you hunted unto the ends of this land. It is not an act I will forget." He held out a hand. "There is still time to walk away, maiden."

"There is." Her hand extended to him, a mimicry, or perhaps a mockery. The curl to her lips suggested the latter, though the grip she held on her blade told him she was ready for bloodshed. "So why don't you take the time available to you and leave, Hazel Rainart. Go back to your mistress and tell her what happened here. I'm sure she would _love_ to hear from you."

He didn't deny it. He looked her up and down, taking in what he knew. Not experienced in the ways of the maiden, but he knew from Watts that she could control her power at least a little. With six vials, he knew he could defeat her. With four he was confident. Three, willing.

But two vials? Two, and with the risk of Ashari waking up and tapping into that power of his again?

Unwise. And Salem _would_ want to know. He lowered his arms, and she lowered her sword.

"You realise that two of their kind is an impossibility. Not improbable; impossible. The curse of a God is not something that can be mimicked by another, and there are only two people on Remnant who hold such a curse. Throw your lot in with him and you shall find yourself enemies of Salem, and, if he knew, enemies of Ozma as well. Do you truly wish for that?"

"Ha." Raven chuckled and tossed her head back. "You act like I have a choice. I'm the Spring Maiden, so you'll want me in time. As will Ozpin. If I'm going to have to pick a side, I think I'd rather choose the one that legitimately doesn't care about me _or_ my power."

Foolish. Or wise. Depending on the point of view. The Grimm were howling in the distance, the White Fang defeated, and information gleaned. There was no point staying, even if his quarry lay before him. He couldn't hope to take him even if he tried, for Raven Branwen would simply flee and open a portal to him later, stealing Ashari back the moment Hazel left him alone. If they wanted him, they would either need her as well, or her dead.

Raven Branwen truly had made her choice. He wondered if she realised that.

The steely blood-red eyes that watched him said she had. He nodded, respecting her decision, even if they both knew what end it would lead to. With a final, sorrowful, gaze for a woman who had died for her ideals, Hazel turned, leaving the White Fang, and Sienna Khan, to their ignoble end. It was an end she'd known was coming in one way or another; one she'd been ready for. He shook his head, whispering a small prayer for her.

The White Fang was done.

* * *

 **Just in case some people think it; no, it's not Emerald's Semblance in this case. If it was, she'd have passed out from using it on two people, and the Semblance would have cut off when she passed out. Plus, Summer** _ **felt**_ **the blood. I'm not sure a young Emerald would have the control to make people `feel` things while trapped in her Semblance.**

 **I'm not sure she can do that in canon either, or at least not confirmed. Audial and visual hallucination makes sense, but tactile might be harder.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 3** **rd** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	69. Chapter 69

**Long note is long and addresses criticisms on last chapter**

 **Despite what people may think I** _ **do**_ **read the reviews – so while I thank people for being willing to offer their criticism, I do get a little disheartened by the comments of "Coeur won't read this" or "Not that you'll pay attention…" that crops up. I don't know where I've given people the idea I'm arrogant or that I don't think your opinions are worth anything and I hope this post helps prove that as I explain my reasoning.**

 **Last chapter disappointed a lot of people and looking at the reasons some offered – and thanks to those who took the time to give their reasons – I can't say I disagree with all of them. Some of them I did, and one or two I didn't understand – e.g. Hazel being a hypocrite. I mean, yeah, he is. I don't disagree and neither does Jaune, and I think Hazel is a massive hypocrite in the show as well, so I'm not sure what the criticism of my writing him there is unless you thought I was trying to imply Hazel was in the right (he's not, obviously, but look at any hypocrite in real life and they'll be** _ **convinced**_ **that they're correct).**

 **Others, I can agree with. I** _ **have**_ **been avoiding killing off bad guys. Not entirely, I mean, Sienna just croaked two chapters ago, but I could have killed Watts or Hazel or Tyrian by now. The problem is twofold.**

 **RWBY doesn't have many (or even any) compelling villains, so if I kill some here then I need to bring in OC's and we all know how much people hate OC's. It's hard to impossible for me to understand the motivations around almost all the villains in RWBY. Hazel seems like an idiot, Tyrian is just a fanatic, Watts is evil because… dunno? And Cinder is just evil because she is evil. Sometimes it feels like I'm trying too hard to be loyal to RT's depiction of the villains and try to make up justifications for why they act as they do in the show. An example is with Hazel's "hypocrisy" as people put it (and it IS hypocrisy). If this were my own original work, I'd never write such a shitty backstory for someone and part of me was saying "just re-write it. Just make something up, like Ozpin PURPOSEFULLY got his sister killed or something. Something to** _ **justify**_ **what makes NO SENSE from Hazel in the show". But in the end, I didn't. I tried to stick to what RT showed us and I ended up with a middling villain being a super whiny twat to Jaune.**

 **This story was and is designed to have a big time skip in it which will happen soon. The first half (though half is not an accurate measurement) is Jaune coming to pre-Beacon and making changes. The second is when the main cast hits 17 and `Canon Beacon` begins, now set with the changes he has made. But if I want that to work, I can't kill off any of the ridiculously small number of competent villains RWBY actually has.**

 **I know people wanted Jaune to kill Hazel, but take him out and what are we left with? Tyrian and Watts. Cinder isn't even confirmed baddie yet in this story. If I killed him, the story would end before Beacon and we'd never see how the ripples change the lives of Yang, Ruby, Young-Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, Ren and Emerald.**

 **Knowing all that, should I have found another way to have last chapter, maybe with a throwaway villain who** _ **was**_ **available to be killed off? Maybe. Hindsight is 20-20. I did plan last chapter but having a plan and knowing exactly how people will take it is never guaranteed. And even then, I lack in throwaway villains. I kept hoping Canon RWBY would give me more, but instead it just turned competent villain Adam into angsty ex-boyfriend and then chump-killed him off.**

 **Looking back, I knew this pitfall of RWBY for a while and probably should have tried to introduce more antagonists – and I have! We've seen Blake become one and also the "unknown maiden" who worked with Watts and Tyrian against Raven a few chapters back, but those haven't paid off yet, so it's hard to kill off Hazel or Tyrian until they do. I could kill of Watts, but to be honest Watts has never seemed like a fighter, so… why would he be challenging Jaune?**

 **Have I given Jaune no victories?**

 **I don't think so; he just eradicated the White Fang** _ **pre-Beacon**_ **and that is a massive thing. Adam is on the side of good, Sienna is dead and a faction which caused massive disruption and distress across Remnant has been put down. I obviously saw a few criticisms on "No resolution to all the WF grunts standing around" but that's in this chapter, obviously, so I'll ignore that one for now.**

 **I think Jaune has had victories, though. He's saved Summer, he's found Emerald, he's made a family, he's made new friends, he's healing, he founded a school, he's made peace with Ozpin and he's thwarted Hazel and Tyrian, destroying the White Fang in the process. The latter is a big thing for him given how much the White Fang hurt his friends in canon. Let's not pretend that isn't progress on his part. I know people wanted the actual win of him ramming his sword through Hazel's ribcage, but would that really be a strong narrative scene?**

 **Jaune walks into a trap, fights it off, slays Sienna and then dispatches Hazel as well? To me, that just makes him sound like Kirito from SAO. Not even GOOD Kirito from abridged SAO. Being able to fight and kill Hazel, sure, but to kill so many White Fang, Sienna** _ **and**_ **Hazel? All in one go…?**

 **I'm writing Jaune as experienced and tricky thanks to training with Qrow and lots of real-life experience, but he's not OP. I wanted to convey that he was** _ **at the level**_ **of Hazel, able to fight him equally and maybe even outlast and win, but that he allowed Hazel to get under his skin and that cost him the fight. In my head, the fact he** _ **could**_ **fight Hazel one on one** _ **after**_ **dealing with the White Fang was supposed to be proof of his skill. It's not a fair fight and Hazel came in once Jaune was already tired and out of quite a few resources – yet Jaune** _ **still**_ **nearly killed him. In my head, that was supposed to be a good sign of Jaune's competence.**

 **But maybe I didn't translate that down onto the page well, or maybe you all wanted more than that.**

 **Could I go back and change the Jaune x Hazel fight? **

**Have him use more of his other weapons? Be more of a "bastard fighter" against Hazel?**

 **Maybe…**

 **I can't change the ending because Hazel needs to live for reasons both stated above and for others that I can't reveal at this time. About the only thing I could change is having Jaune pull more tricks out and fight for longer – and if people genuinely want that, then I'll try and re-write the fight in the week off that I have upcoming.**

 **Let me know what you think in the reviews. I'll consider a rewrite. Again, it wouldn't change the outcome of the fight, just the way he and Hazel fight.**

 **If people like it, I could at least change it to make it clearer that Jaune was winning the fight, and to have Hazel rattled and forced to shut his mouth. I honestly thought that was obvious from the fight already, though, but I could be wrong. I thought I'd written the fight in a way that showed Jaune was on top of it EVEN WHEN he fell into a craze. I mean, he was still pushing Hazel back, still winning and still forcing Hazel to dwindle his supply of dust injections.**

 **Also, the "deus ex machina" as some people are putting it (despite that Jaune's strange sigil and its powers have been hinted at for ages) didn't come in and "save" Jaune. It saved Hazel** _ **from**_ **Jaune. Jaune was hacking Hazel to pieces.**

 **But again, if you'd like that to be more obviously conveyed then I can rewrite portions of it – but that would be on my 15 – 21** **st** **Aug family trip. You'd get the update to the chapter with the chapter coming out 23** **rd** **August.**

 **Let me know if you want that.**

 **As for the "Where was Raven!?" angry criticisms, the answer is "not doing nothing". She was busy helping at the time and that will be shown this chapter.**

* * *

 **Anyway, long post is long post because I wanted to answer you all, but because I can't write a PM out to every person, let alone those who give their criticisms in anonymous out of fear I will insult or belittle you for sharing them with me. I hope you can tell I'm not like that. I don't quite know where the idea I'm arrogant or rude comes from, if that is the theory, but I'm not. I do know of some writers like that (thankfully not in RWBY fandom) who have responded** _ **furiously**_ **to me not liking a part of their story or, in one hilarious case, me liking someone** _ **else's**_ **story when they don't, and me leaving a good review earning me FURY from another author who didn't like it.**

 **But that's not me.**

 **I'm down to earth and not afraid to accept I make mistakes. Everyone does, and with the number of chapters I write it's inevitable that some will disappoint. That doesn't mean I'll shrug and ignore when that happens. I've never claimed to be a perfect writer, nor will I ever, and making mistakes is a natural part of getting better.**

 **So, yeah. Sorry. I messed up.**

 **I'm sorry a lot of people didn't like last chapter. I'm sorry people felt cheated by what they saw as me hyping up a fight and then not delivering. I'll try to do better and thank you to those who took the time to layout your criticisms in a clear and concise manner. It was helpful to know exactly where people felt I'd gone wrong.**

 **I really do appreciate it more than you know. I always get at least a few bad reviews on any chapter, and sometimes it's frustrating to not know** _ **what or why**_ **the reader is disappointed. But at the same time, I know I have no right to go and DEMAND they write me an essay explaining their reasoning when they're already upset with the chapter. That, to me, feels more arrogant. "You don't like it!? Well, I DEMAND you tell me why!"**

 **You might be surprised to know that College Fool and I actually became friends because he was a really forward critic of my work, unafraid to tell me exactly where I was going wrong. Please never think I don't appreciate the criticism as much as I do the praise.**

* * *

 **Again, if you all want the re-write of the fight, let me know, but keep in mind it won't change the fact Hazel escapes with his life. But I can – if you want it – have Hazel more injured about it and `only just` escaping.**

 **Could I have Hazel die?**

 **It would genuinely require me to pull some narrative gymnastics later, but I could if you all REALLY want it. You'll have to accept to at least one completely OC villain later on. They'd come from the White Fang remnants or something – not just be a randomer – but they'd still be an OC. If you all GENUINELY want Hazel to die last chapter, and for this `randomer OC` to appear later, then let me know. Sa**

 **In fact, I'll make a poll on it. I know, I know, some people hate polls but it will save my reviews being artificially inflated by reviews just saying "rewrite". The poll will be on my profile and will have three options.**

 **Leave chapter as it is**

 **Re-write for a more action fight, but with Hazel escaping (albeit far more injured)**

 **Kill Hazel and introduce an OC villain later to take place**

 **Those really are the only options as, as I said, RWBY lacks enough competent villains for me to work with, so I would need a new one to replace. I'd probably take one of the barely-named side characters from the show and make them a villain. Someone we know "of" but have never seen, and so will mostly be an OC in everything but name.**

 **Poll should be live on my profile.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 69 (Giggity)**

* * *

His eyes snapped open.

He lurched forward, hand dragging an imaginary sword before his face to parry a blow that didn't exist. Wide blue eyes, filled with panic, looked about the inside of a tent, trying to understand where he was. A White Fang mask, shattered, lay on a table nearby, along with his sword, sheathe and also a much larger corvid mask. Raven's.

Raven. Hazel. The White Fang.

"Shit." His head fell into one hand. He slammed the other into the cot. "Shit. Shit. Shit!"

"Need the toilet that badly?" Raven was sat on a chair behind him, chin on one hand propped upon a table. She watched him cautiously. "Or are you just providing a commentary on life in general, because I agree, life _is_ shit."

"Hazel. Is he -?"

"Dead?" She shook her head. "No. I didn't think it a good idea to engage him. If he has the same parasite in him that Cinder did in your timeline, he might be able to suck the maiden's powers right out of me."

"Shit…" Jaune punched the mattress once more and growled into his hands. "I had him. I – I fucking had him, Raven. He was running out of injectors; he was on the back foot. All I had to do was keep up the pressure and I'd have worn him down, then I could have killed him when he was vulnerable. Tha plan was perfect. It was when Ren came up with it, and it was now."

"And then you cocked it up."

He punched the bed again. Raven didn't mince her words and he deserved the rebuke.

"Is Emerald-?"

"Alive. I don't have a bond with her, but I contacted Vernal. She says something happened but she's alive and safe right now." She rose and dragged her stool over toward the bed, reversing it and sitting down with a leg on either side of the backrest. "We had a plan, Jaune. What happened?"

"I… I fucked up." He looked away, shamefaced. "I was trying to rile him up with information on his sister. Kept trying to make him angry so he'd let his guard down. At the same time, I was wearing down his dust reserves. He's weak without them and he can't take more than six in one fight or he starts destroying muscle and bone. I had him exactly where I wanted him."

"And then…?"

"He turned it back on me. I was the one trying to rile him up, but he managed to do it with me. Brought up Emerald. Made me panic." He shook his head. "I lost it." And what an idiot he'd been to let that take him over. Thoughts not just of Emerald but of everyone else he'd lost. In truth, both he and Hazel had been trying to wind the other up. It was the reason for all the talk.

He'd thought himself better than that.

"I still should have won, though. I got angry but I wasn't insane. I can still remember what happened. I was pushing him back. We were trading blows, but you know how big my aura is. It was when we clashed, though. I was so angry, and I remember a bright flash." He tore off his glove. "I remember _this_ burning, then my aura just… poured out of it."

An explosion, a big one. That alone hadn't been enough to take him out, but he'd somehow poured aura out the sigil without meaning to. Like it was a hole in his soul.

"This stupid thing cost me the fight. Hazel should be dead!" He glared at it, wanting to slam his hand down into the wooden bedpost to `punish` the symbol Salem had scrawled into him. It was glowing faintly, still. Glowing like it did whenever he came near Ozpin.

Except that it was glowing permanently now. Tingling. He scratched at it.

"Is it draining your aura?"

"I don't think so. Hard to tell without a gauge. I'll test it later." He put his glove back on and hid the light. "How did things go on your end?"

"Perfectly. You kept the White Fang distracted. I was able to open a portal to allow the best fighters in the tribe though. We encircled the camp while the White Fang were focused inward. Thanks to the smoke and the fire, they never saw us coming and their sentries were dispatched. Once you fell and Hazel departed, all I had to do was whistle. The faunus realised what was going on when my tribe stepped out from the smoke."

"Did they surrender?"

"Most did. Some chose to die fighting. We respected that choice."

The Branwen tribe cut them down. He grimaced but didn't call her out on it. To her and her culture, it was giving the braver members of the White Fang the fate they desired, and he was sure she'd have given them the chance to fight for their freedom. "They're done, then?"

"For the most part. The prisoners are being kept in pens. I realise the implications of caging faunus, but it's not like my tribe has an abundance of jail cells, handcuffs or other tools to hand. They'll have to deal with the racist implications."

"Thank you."

At least Raven had come through on her end. She hadn't allowed her temper to take over. He could see the disappointment in her eyes. He knew he'd earned it. They'd both known Sienna would send White Fang out into the forests to trap him and also find his Bullhead. The camp had far more troops in it then he could hope to deal with, even with his bombs.

Those had been to sow chaos and buy time, and Hazel had unwittingly helped, offering him a one on one fight. While that was going on, Raven and her tribe had been busy rounding up the scattered White Fang and putting them down. Hundreds of them, maybe even close to a thousand. It would have been an impossible task at any other time, but with the element of surprise on their side, not to mention the skill of some of her tribespeople, Raven had been able to pull it off. And even find the time to come rescue his ass at the end of it.

"You're willing to turn them over to Atlas as discussed?"

"Of course. I don't want them." Raven crossed one leg over the other and sighed. "The Branwen Tribe subduing terrorists and delivering them to the proper authorities. You're going to make us legitimate at this rate. What a bother."

"Atlas has a reward system in place. You could earn a lot of money."

"More than we could from raiding," she finished, rolling her eyes and guessing what he was about to say. "Yes, thank you for pointing out the obvious. And I suppose the next part is me coming to Vale to work in the ASH Gym, reconnect with Summer and Taiyang, take Yang to the carnival and we all live happily every after. Forever after, the Branwen Tribe was known as a peacekeeping group who travelled Remnant solving problems and helping old ladies across Grimm-infested streets."

It was his turn to scoff.

The White Fang wasn't entirely destroyed but it was as good as. There would be little cells spread across Remnant that would break off on their own and try to carry on the fight, but without the backing in resources and manpower from Sienna and her ties in Menagerie, they would peter out into nothingness. Perhaps in time a new group would rise from the ashes, but that would be after long enough had passed for people to forget this moment.

"Did you find where Winter was being kept?"

Raven sighed. "About that…"

"What?"

"They didn't have her."

"She's being kept elsewhere…?"

"No." Raven spoke each word slowly. "They didn't have her. I personally spoke to some of the prisoners, and a few of them have been exceptionally co-operative. They were led to believe Winter Schnee had been captured, but the claim they had her here was fake. Sienna bluffed, convinced she could capture you before you found out the truth."

"But Jacques said-"

"Exactly what he believed to be true at the time, I imagine. Winter _was_ captured, or so some of the White Fang seem to think. They're under the impression she's in transit to the camp right now. We're camped nearby, in case you're wondering. I have my people holding back the Grimm that were drawn to all the chaos."

Meaning Winter was still out there, and that she hadn't been here and in danger in the first place. _Did I come here for nothing? No, I killed Sienna and brought the White Fang low. That had to happen sooner or later anyway._

With the White Fang crippled, there could be no proper attack on Beacon in two years' time. Even if Cinder tried to orchestrate it, she just didn't have the numbers required. She could still do her own thing – try to assassinate Ozpin and claim Amber's power – but it would have to be quiet and, importantly, with few casualties on the side of Beacon.

Jaune smiled and laid back, relaxing for the first time in a long while.

"It could have been done better but at least something came of this."

"Do you think Hazel can use any of the information you gave him?"

"Not really." He'd mentioned names that might be put in danger, but Watts already knew about Ren and Nora, while Ruby and Yang were already targets thanks to Summer. Salem knowing they mattered to him made no difference. Anyone who looked at his Gym roster could get a convenient list of people he cared for. "Even if they figure out I'm a time traveller, what does that help them? It makes them want to hunt me down and capture me to find out what I know. Big difference from what's already happening." He scoffed. "Might as well just tell them at this point. It'll only make them second-guess every plan they come up with."

Raven chuckled. "Interesting idea. Is this plan sound, or did we try this in the future? Does he have a counter to it? I can already see the mental gymnastics. I've a feeling they're going to sit back and reconsider their options. You may have bought us time."

Only a little. If Salem finally did have an idea of where he came from, he would become the big prize of this era. Not Ozpin, not the Relics and not the Maidens. Maybe that was better; him taking her eyes off his friends and family. Either way, with the White Fang out of the picture, they were going to have to step back and reconsider things.

New plans, new objectives and new allies. They had time. No need to rush.

"You'll be in danger as well," he pointed out.

Raven shrugged. "I was already in danger. The future shows that."

"You're in more danger now. They want me, but with you and your Semblance out there, they know they'll never be able to keep me prisoner so long as you're alive. A single portal and I'm out of any prison they could think up for me. They _have_ to kill you first."

"The curse of being so incredible."

Curse of having a convenient Semblance, more like. If Semblances could be ranked in terms of usefulness, his would be high but Raven's was off the charts. No obstacle mattered so long as she had an emotional attachment to someone. No distance or barriers could stop her getting to her target. It was honestly bullshit. No wonder Ozpin had wanted her on board.

And poor Qrow. He really got the short end of the heritage-based Semblance stick.

"Raven!" A man came jogging inside. "We've got news. The scouts have seen a small force approaching the camp. Armed."

"White Fang stragglers?" Raven didn't sound worried. "Round them up and give them the same choice we did the others."

"They're not White Fang. It's Atlas."

/-/

"Hey Em…"

Yang slid into the room and next to the hospital bed, looking down on her best friend as she lay beneath the covers, face pale and with a drip in her arm. The machines around her beeped and booped and little lights flashed. Her attention kept straying over them even if the doctors had told mom and dad that everything was okay, and Emerald was going to be fine.

"I… I brought you some chocolates." She put them on the side, next to cards and flowers. "I know you'd prefer them to flowers. Can't eat flowers, right? What's the point? I know what you're like. I… hah... I…" Yang's laughed trailed off. "W-Was this because of me? Did I get you in this spot? If I hadn't been so inattentive, you wouldn't have had to trade yourself for me. If I hadn't suggested we spar at your place, he wouldn't have found us."

Her hands found Emerald's and held it tight.

"A-And you got hurt protecting mom. No way I look at that, it all feels like it was m-my fault." She leaned over and pressed her forehead against Emerald's white sheets. "I'm sorry." Tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm so, so sorry…"

"W-Why…?"

Yang's eyes grew wider. The croaked word had come from above. She looked up.

"W-Why… sorry?" Emerald asked, reddish eyes hazy. "D-Doesn't… make sense…"

"Mom…"

Emerald's tired eyes crossed. "I'm not… your mom…"

"MOM!" Yang shrieked, ignoring Emerald's confusion. "MOM! SHE'S AWAKE!"

The door slammed open and Summer came in, almost tripping over Ruby as she tried to slide between her legs. She caught herself on the doorframe and leaped over Ruby's head, scrambling to the bed side. Summer's silver eyes were wide, her hair dishevelled, and clothing wrinkled.

"Emerald!"

"Is me… Yang thinks me her mom…" Emerald yawned. "Yang broken…"

"Is she sick?" Yang asked nervously. "Has her memory-"

"It's the painkillers, dear." Summer shushed her with one hand but kept her eyes on Emerald. "Em, how are you feeling? Are you okay? Do you want a drink? Food? Anything?"

"Dad…?"

Summer's face fell. "He… He's not here…"

"Oh." Emerald deflated. "Then nothing. I'm fine."

If that wasn't heart breaking, Yang didn't know what was. She held onto Emerald's hand, hoping her friend wouldn't be angry enough to hate her for it. This was all her fault, after all. If she'd just kept Emerald at their house, none of this would have happened. And Emerald gave herself up for her.

"Em, sweetie, we need to talk about what happened. Do you remember what you did?"

Emerald blinked the sleepiness away. "I got rid of Tyrian."

"You… You stabbed yourself, Emerald." Summer's fingers were white as she gripped the railings on the hospital bed's side. "Do you remember the part where you _stabbed yourself_?"

"Yes."

"Yes? Yes!? Is that it?" Summer's voice reached a high pitch, struggling to stay calm as her fury peaked. Taiyang, who had stepped in behind them, laid a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down. "You stabbed yourself! What were you thinking!?"

"That it would make him go away," Emerald said reasonably, so reasonably. Her words had stopped slurring as well. In her focus, she tightened her hold on Yang's hand. "He wanted me to bait dad out, so he needed me alive. He couldn't keep me alive if I was bleeding out. And he'd need to leave you alive to save me."

"You shouldn't have to risk your life to save mine."

"Why not? You risked yours for me."

"That's different," Summer tried to explain. "I'm an adult and a huntress."

"And…?"

"And… And that's just different. Emerald, you shouldn't be in that kind of situation."

"But I was. He was going to kill you and take me away. I couldn't let that happen."

There was something fatalistic about the way she said that, something that had Yang on edge. While Summer struggled to come to terms with what was being said, she took the chance to pipe up. "What would you have done if he got you out the city?"

She had a feeling she knew the answer.

Emerald said it anyway. "I'd have killed myself."

Yang trembled.

"Emerald!" Summer snapped. "Don't say something like that! Suicide is no joke, nor is it something to make light of!"

"I'm not. I already did this, didn't I?" Emerald looked down at herself. "And wouldn't you do the same? What if they took you and said they were going to use you to draw Ruby and Yang to die?" Emerald watched Summer. "Would you let that happen?"

"I… I…"

"That's not fair, Emerald." Taiyang stepped in with a patient, if troubled, smile. "What Summer is trying to say is that you should rely on us a little more. There's no need to go to such extremes."

Emerald said nothing.

Yang, however, bit her lip. Emerald _had_ relied on them. She'd used her Semblance to tell Yang to fetch help, then let Tyrian take her and waited for a rescue. Emerald had never said she _wanted_ to take her own life, only that, if everyone failed to rescue her before she was taken out of Vale, that would be the last resort.

Everyone else might have thought it hyperbole but Yang knew better. Emerald would do it, even if it would crush her father. In her mind, it was better he was alive and in pain than dead because of her.

And the worst part was, she could see the logic. If it were her mom or dad in that situation, she was sure they'd consider the same. Or if not kill themselves, they'd at least tell everyone else not to risk their lives to save them. Death was something huntsmen had to get used to, at least in theory. Most didn't get practice at that until later in life. It was just frightening now because it had happened in front of their eyes. And with Em being her age.

"I don't know why you're all so upset," Emerald said honestly. "I didn't kill myself. I didn't die. It worked, and you survived as well."

"You stabbed yourself!" Summer hissed.

"Non-fatally."

"You didn't know that!"

"I hoped. And there are doctors in Vale. It had to be a serious wound, or he'd take me away and kill you." Emerald looked genuinely frustrated by her inability to understand their problems with what had happened. "Are you saying it would be better if I _did_ want to kill myself?"

"NO! I'm saying it would be better if that never happened!"

"Well, yeah. Obviously. It would have been better if my real parents didn't abandon me on the streets, too."

Summer flinched. If she were being honest, Yang did as well.

"The ends don't always justify the means," Taiyang said.

Emerald glared back. "They do here. I'm alive. Auntie Summer's alive. Yang's alive. I'm still here and get to see dad again. That's worth it to me."

"Worth nearly killing yourself for…?"

"Yes."

Summer drew a ragged breath and spun on one heel. "Excuse me," she hissed, pushing away. "I need some fresh air."

Yang watched her go.

"I'll talk to her," Taiyang said. He smiled and ran a hand over Emerald's forehead. "Don't worry, she isn't angry at you. More herself. I think any loving parent would willingly give their life for their children, but it's harder to accept a child doing it the other way around. Maybe that's a little hypocritical of us but that's just how we think sometimes. Get well soon." He paused by the door. "Ruby, do you want to come with?"

"No." Ruby pouted. "Why should I?"

"Ruby, I think Em and Yang need a private moment."

"Oh." That, Ruby understood. She looked up to Yang and Yang nodded back. "Okay. I'll be back soon, Em. Do you need any drink?"

"I-I wouldn't say no to soda…"

Ruby's face brightened. "I'll get some!" She darted out the room, with Taiyang closing the door behind her and leaving Yang and Emerald behind. Yang kicked her feet nervously against the floor, wondering if she should let go of Em's hand.

"Adults are stupid," Em groused. "They'd have done the same thing, so why are they trying to tell me not to?"

Normally, she'd have laughed at that. "Maybe because you got hurt…"

"But it was my _intention_ to get hurt; that was the whole point. It's not like this was some unforeseen accident."

Yang flinched. "Are you… Are you angry at me?"

"What?"

"Are you…?"

"No…" Emerald looked at her strangely. "Should I be…? What did you do while I was out?"

"Nothing! I've been waiting for you to wake up!"

"Then I'm not angry."

"You should be!" Yang snapped. "I got you in this position. I got captured. You traded yourself as a hostage to free me, and I… I let you down. You were relying on me to get you help and I failed." Bitter tears clung to her eyes. "I failed you."

"No, you didn't." Emerald said it so easily, so casually, that Yang froze. "Auntie Summer came."

"Y-Yeah, but-"

"But what? I needed you to bring help and you brought help."

"But you had to hurt yourself to get free!"

"How is that your fault?" Emerald wasn't even being kind about it, not even comforting her – just pointing out holes in her argument like she was talking to an idiot. It grated. "If anything, that happened because Tyrian was too strong. And it's not like I could have escaped him in my house anyway. He'd have kidnapped me whether you got taken hostage or not."

"Still! It was my idea to go spar at your place!"

"I accepted the offer. I opened the door."

"It's my fault!" Yang hissed.

"Uh. No. Last I checked, I think _I'm_ the one who stabbed myself."

Yang gritted her teeth against the fury. It would have been one thing for Emerald to be saying it to try and assuage her guilt, but Emerald was just being a pain in the ass about it, acting like she was an idiot for even thinking this way.

"You could have died!"

"So could you. Tyrian didn't need _you_ alive. Or Auntie Summer. He wanted her dead." Emerald's hand tightened on hers. "If anything, you should hate me…"

Yang's eyes grew wide. "What!?" Laughter threatened to bubble forth, but she froze, seeing some small hesitation in Emerald's eyes. A small flicker of guilt. Or fear. "No, no, no!" Yang tore their hands free of the blankets and held them over Emerald's lap. "That's stupid! Don't even think it! E-Even if something happened, there's no way I'd blame you for it."

"He's going to come for me again. I bet he's still in Vale."

"If you're about to do some `it's dangerous to be friends with me` bullshit, then don't!" Yang shook her head, hysterical tears flying left and right. "Just don't! Y-You're my best friend. I thought I lost you when you hurt yourself. I'm not losing you now!"

Emerald flinched. "Is that why you're angry? Because you thought I nearly died?"

Yang stared at her. Was she for real? Was Emerald-? Ugh. Of course she was. This was her in a nutshell. "YES!"

"Oh." She looked down. "Then I'm sorry for worrying you."

But not sorry for stabbing herself in the gut. Yang sighed, knowing she'd never get an apology for that, and that the more she tried the worse it would get. Was it really the wrong choice, too? It worked. No matter what you said, the results were hard to argue with. Just the methods. But it wasn't like Emerald _wanted_ to die, so there was no point trying to help her get over a problem that didn't exist.

Just the problem of being so fatalistic in the first place.

"You'd have really done it if he got you out of the city, wouldn't you? Kill yourself…"

"I'd have tried. I'm not sure if it would be easy but I could have refused to eat or trapped him in my Semblance to make him think I was an enemy."

"Why didn't you Semblance him to make him think you did it?"

"There were two people – and my aura was low. I'd been using my Semblance all the time he had me to stop him escaping and to push him deeper into the city. And if I try to use it on more than one person, I have headaches that can wear me out or even knock me out. I needed Summer to panic to sell the image, and I needed Tyrian to see it."

"And if you passed out, the illusion would have broken."

"Yeah. Auntie dies and I'm taken. It… It was safer to do it properly. And at least this way if I was wrong and he chose to take me anyway, I'd die before dad got drawn out. If I tried my Semblance and he called my bluff, I'd be in trouble."

Yang shook her head. "You're messed up."

"What? But the plan was good!"

"It was," she admitted, "But that's not why you're messed up. People choose to sacrifice their lives all the time, but they do it with a little more hesitation. They agonise. You… I know you had a shit start to life. I know that's probably messing with you. And I know your dad is the most important person in the world to you – even more important than yourself. But you were way too willing to give your life for his."

Emerald looked confused but didn't argue. It was all true and they both knew it.

"And that's fine!" Yang gripped Em's hand in two of hers. "That's fine. It's you. And you… sheesh, I need help, but you're my best friend and I love you, so I'll put up with you being a little crazy."

"You… love me?"

"Duh. Yeah?" Yang laughed. "Wasn't that fucking obvious? I'd have to. I mean, you're such a weirdo that love is the only reason to hang around with you. Just ask Sun or Whitley; they've got it down to a fine art. You feel the same, don't you? I mean, you traded your safety for mine. And I'd do the same in reverse."

"I… I guess." Emerald looked away quickly. "I just thought you put up with m-"

Yang squeezed her hand tightly. Warningly.

"N-Never mind."

"Yeah," Yang said threateningly. "Never mind those stupid-ass thoughts. Just… I want you to make me a promise. A promise that if anything like this happens again, you'll give me a little more time to save you. Something like this…" She looked to Emerald's midriff. "It should be a last resort. Let me have a chance to break you out first."

"Yang."

"Please, Em." She gripped on tight. "Please…"

"Hah. You're such a pain. I promise."

/-/

"I have huntsmen returning to Vale. If he remains in the city, we will find him. Glynda is looking over my work for me and I shall be staying with Miss Ashari in the hospital overnight. If he thinks to try his luck, he shall be sorely disappointed."

"Thank you, Ozpin." Summer gave the man a hug. "I just… I don't know what to do. He overpowered me so easily."

"Teams exist for a reason, Summer. Don't fret. Qrow was close to your position and would have been there in a few minutes. You did what you could, and everyone came out fine."

"For a definition of the word…"

"Yes. Miss Ashari's actions were…" Ozpin sighed. "I will not insult her by saying reckless or ill thought out. Such self-sacrifice would be lauded."

"In an adult!" she snapped.

"Miss Ashari has the mind of someone much older than her. Given her past, can you blame her?" He didn't wait for her answer. "I will admit that her personality worries me a little. I can't fault Jaune as he's done all he can and he's clearly been good for her, but his own personality shares a few similar traits. Both are punishingly utilitarian, and both prioritise results over anything else."

Summer bit her lip. "You think he's bad for her?"

"Not at all. I think he's been a wonderful father figure. But a child should not grow up with only their parents to learn from. Social interaction is important and young Emerald has only had that recently thanks to the ASH Gym. She needs more, otherwise she's going to grow up to be a clone of her father. Yang and Ruby have been good for her, I think, but she needs more."

"Beacon. You want her in Beacon."

"I won't deny it, but my aims aren't solely selfish. I feel she would flourish if she had a chance to live apart from her father for a while. Not too far, of course. Close enough to visit each and every day if she wished, but to have a little freedom."

"Jaune isn't the type to keep her locked away…"

"I'm not saying he is. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's Emerald herself who does it."

Summer sighed. That sounded about right. Jaune was always keen to let her do what she wanted, but all she wanted to do was please him, usually be emulating him or trying to make herself useful in the Gym. Emerald absolutely doted on him, but was that stunting her ability to grow? She'd have to talk to Jaune. He'd listen if he knew it was for Emerald's sake.

"I'm still angry she'd hurt herself like that…"

"Angry at her, or angry at yourself for not being strong enough to make it unnecessary?" Ozpin smiled knowingly as Summer frowned. "Don't blame her. She did what she had to, and she did it out of genuine love for you. All you're doing right now is frustrating her because she _cannot understand_ why you're upset."

"I get it, I get it." Summer groaned. "What about Torchwick? What are we doing with him?"

"I have already ensured his freedom."

"Seriously? He's a crook."

"A crook who aided us against a far worse criminal. If I were to arrest him now, I would only tell all those across Vale that they cannot come to me with key information and expect their honour to be returned. I'd rather let him go if it means the next criminal to witness such a crime feels secure enough in coming to me. And in the end, he's little more than a petty thief. There isn't anything to his record beyond a few light injuries, mostly by those trying to stop him."

"Can I question him?"

"No. I'm sorry, Summer, but no."

Damn it. She wanted to ask why he'd done it, and what Jaune had on him. There was no way this was a case of someone like Roman Torchwick developing a heart and going out his way for a stranger. No way at all.

Ozpin had to know that as well, but he appeared content to let it be. For now.

"I'll talk to Jaune," Summer promised. "I'll see if he'll agree to let Emerald join Beacon. Just give me some time. And lockdown the hospital if you have to. I don't want to see that monster anywhere near me, my girls or Emerald again."

"If he tries, Summer, I shall kill him myself."

* * *

 **As a quick reminder, the poll will be open on my profile. It'll last until next week's chapter, and I'll announce the decision based on it there. I will let this poll be binding, because while my plan does require someone to fill Hazel's shoes later, I've already made it clear I'll force that into an OC if you're all really determined that Hazel dying is more satisfying.**

 **Also, because this isn't a "story altering" or "pairing shattering" change like what people have demanded before. It really only changes Hazel's name with another character's.**

 **Choice is in your hands.**

 **Note: I've updated the poll and put it up, but it could take time to be visible. I don't know. The site tells me NOTHING and "some" people have been able to vote already. Sorry if it isn't showing for you but it's the website. May take an hour.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 10** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	70. Chapter 70

**So, the results of the poll quite strongly suggest** _ **not**_ **re-writing the chapter aforementioned. I'll be sticking with that, though obviously I'm not going to use it as `proof` the chapter was good or anything, since 430 people or so still wanted either a re-write or a complete change to the 720 who wanted it kept the same.**

 **That's still indicative of an unsatisfying chapter, but I'll just do my best to not repeat such things as I move on.**

* * *

 **Also, no update next week on my works from 15** **th** **– 21** **st** **August. Family event I have to attend in Wales. Updates will continue normally from week after.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 70**

* * *

"My Goddess." Tyrian prostrated himself before the Seer. "I have failed you."

In the murky darkness of the Seer's head, the visage of Salem, shrouded in mist, could just be seen. Sat upon her throne, her head leaned upon one hand, her elbow upon a stone armrest. "Explain, Tyrian. Do not tell me a small girl proved too much for you."

"No, no, no, my Queen, my Goddess. I captured the girl as expected, yes, I did, but I was challenged by the woman with the silver eyes. I sought to kill her – and would have done so – but the girl wounded herself grievously." The memory of it, and the look in her eyes, had him smiling into the grass. Oh, it had been so impressively done. "I had to choose between killing the silver eyes and letting the girl die, or leaving the silver eyed one alive to take the girl to safety."

"You chose the latter, I presume."

"I did, Goddess."

"Good. So long as she lives, we will have our opportunities to take her. Her alive and in our grasp is worth more than the wielder of the silver eyes dead. You acted well, Tyrian."

"Thank you. Do you want me to try again?"

"Not now. Ozpin will be watching over the girl and Hazel has failed to capture the father."

Hazel failed? Well, that didn't surprise him. Not one bit. He would have been disappointed if Jaune let himself be captured by anyone but him. Downright hurt, in fact. Tyrian giggled into the grass, wondering just how badly Hazel had come away.

Staying in Vale to fight him wasn't an option. It wouldn't be a proper fight; everyone would join in until it was ten on one and neither of them could really cut loose. How boring that would be! Too many cooks spoiled the broth, and a good fight was no different.

"What of the silver eyes? She may yet be unprotected if all eyes are on Ashari's girl."

"No. Leave her." Salem didn't sound worried. "A weapon is only of use if you choose to use it, and Ozpin is either too afraid to or the girl has chosen to not let herself be used. If she wishes to stay in Vale and not get in our way, so be it. I won't risk a valuable piece to kill a neutered one."

Ah. To be called valuable, even as a chess piece. Tyrian's body trembled from head to toe.

Moments like that reaffirmed his faith, no matter how shaken it might be. How many other Gods would speak to you so candidly? How many whispered to the heavens and received no response but for what they imagined in their heads? His Goddess spoke back. Was that not proof of how she stood above and beyond all others? Of course it was.

"Would you have me hunt him down?" he whispered.

"No. We can be patient, and I believe it is time to regroup and recover our losses. Rushing in recklessly has cost us much these last few years. I would see the bleeding stopped. Return to the Grimmlands. Your… insight on the man will be useful for our planning, and Hazel has some interesting news as to his capabilities."

"As my Goddess commands."

/-/

Winter kept one hand on her sabre as they were led through what, to her eyes, seemed a ragtag and brutish looking collection of people. They were both faunus and human, leering and sharpening weapons or drinking and eating, but always watching her, Adam and her ex-Specialist guards with cautious eyes. In the centre of the camp, in several large cages made of wood and iron, faunus were collected and sitting despondently.

It was a grim scene, and only the White Fang masks piled outside the cages prevented her from doing something about it. Their guide, a man of some fifty years who still carried himself with confidence, had assured them of their safety and escort to their leader.

Beside her, Adam tensed, hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. His eyes were fixed on the cages.

"Don't cause any problems," Winter whispered.

"Faunus in cages troubles me," he gritted back.

"I as well, despite what you may believe, but we cannot jump to conclusions."

This camp that Adam had brought them to, which was supposed to belong to the White Fang, was all but in ruins. Evidence of fire, ash and burned wooden walls lay testament to its fate, and it was hard to imagine anyone but these people being the ones responsible. Who they were, why they'd gotten involved and how they'd beaten back the White Fang was another set of questions, and no small feat on their part.

"I see signs of blood everywhere," Delta said. "This wasn't a fight. It was an ambush."

"White Fang suffered for it," Echo concluded.

"You'll get your questions answered by the boss," the man leading them said. "And not a moment earlier." He brought them to a large tent. "Stay." he said, motioning to the floor like he was commanding a dog. He nodded and stepped inside.

"Nice fellow," Delta said. "Attractive, too. My fist feels like it's being drawn to his head."

Winter allowed a small smile to show. "You're not alone in that sentiment."

The flap opened and a tall woman strode forth dressed in red and black with thick ebony hair falling wildly behind her. Red eyes pierced into Winter's, then scanned over those with her. The woman was unarmed but not, Winter felt, harmless. There was a certain viciousness to her. It reminded her of Adam, and not only for the similarities in clothing and colour.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Atlas come to visit. Or is it the Schnee Dust Company? What brings you to this wandering band of minstrels, performers and charitable healers?"

Minsters? Healers? Some of the people sat around tents nearby laughed crudely. The copious amounts of weapons would have given the lie away even if the cages of captured White Fang didn't.

"I recognise you," Winter said. "You are the one who aided Jaune in Menagerie and brought us back to Vale. I am Winter Schnee-"

"I know who you are. I asked why you're here."

Winter scowled. "

"Raven!" The familiar voice came from within. "Can you _not_ try your hardest to be an asshole?"

There was no mistaking the voice. Winter pushed past the woman, ignoring the danger involved, and into the tent. There, sat on a cot with blankets pooled in his lap, was Jaune. There should have been some degree of shock, she knew, but there wasn't.

Big battle. White Fang dead. Jaune Ashari present and accounted for.

Because obviously…

"Hi Winter. I'm glad to see you're okay."

"Why would I not be?"

"Your father seemed to think otherwise…"

Father? But he shouldn't have known she'd been `taken` by Adam. She hadn't yet contacted him to let him know, not trusting the people who worked at the manor. Some might have been spies for the White Fang. "What do you mean?"

"Your abduction…?"

"I was not abducted."

His eyes grew wide, though he hid it by looking away. "Oh. Well, the White Fang claimed they had you. Jacques told me you were being held prisoner in exchange for me."

That was what they'd allowed the White Fang to believe, yes, but her and Adam's plan hadn't even come close to fruition. It should have taken place today, with her arriving as `prisoner` to the camp and Adam springing his trap. Instead, they'd come upon an already ruined camp and here Jaune was, injured but alive.

Her anger mounted. "Wait. Do not tell me you came to exchange yourself for me…"

"No!"

Good. That would have been a trap.

"I came to break you out instead."

Break her - ? Oh, that idiot. All of a sudden everything made a lot more sense, from the unusual group here, to the fire to the captured faunus. Jaune hadn't come to offer himself for her. He'd come to destroy the White Fang and take her back. Funny how she felt more upset about that than pleased. Yes, it meant he cared for her, but he could have shown that sentiment with a bouquet of flowers or something. Not by risking his life.

Winter scowled and stepped up to the side of his bed, hands on her hips. "I think I need an explanation."

"Before that," Adam snapped, marching in with his hand on his sword. "I have my own questions to ask." His eyes flashed dangerously. "And you had better have the answers I want or -"

"Blake is safe," Jaune said, interrupting him. "Raven has her locked in a tent somewhere as a prisoner. She was removed before the fight started and wasn't harmed in any way."

Adam's postured loosened.

"Raven, can you take Adam to see Blake?"

"Hm." Raven smirked. "Very well, but that is _my_ bed you're sleeping in. I'll thank you not to share a moment in it."

Her cheeks burned as the woman laughed and strolled away, Adam in tow. The nerve. Winter waited for them to be gone before turning a scowl onto her teacher. "She is the one who aided us in Menagerie, is she not? Why is she here?"

"Raven? She's a… friend."

"You don't sound so sure of that."

"It's complicated with her. Why are you here? I thought you'd been captured."

"It was a decision on our part to allow that," she said defensively. "Our plans were to locate the White Fang base, where Adam would stage a coup against Sienna Khan. Is she among the cages? I didn't see her."

"Sienna is dead. The White Fang are finished."

Ah. That explained his state. It was too early to say they were done but she was sure he knew that. The White Fang would need to be rounded up in each Kingdom, and the final death throes of the organisation could cause untold chaos, but they were still death throes. With work, the threat would be over. Which meant the end for her as Director of Security forces for the SDC. Her father would keep her on, of course, but there would be less work and less responsibility. Even an opportunity to take Weiss and Whitley home again. That sounded nice.

And Jaune was staring at her. Glaring, in fact.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You let yourself be captured to try and fight the White Fang…"

"Yes." Winter nodded. "It looks like that was a waste of time, but that was the plan."

He shook his head. "Are you an idiot?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"You risked your life just to have a chance to take them out."

"That is what I do every day," she said, unsure why he was really upset. If he was worried about her then fine, but she was literally leading a group that fought the White Fang wherever they could. Expecting her _not_ to fight them was foolish. "What's more, it appears to be no different from what _you_ just did. Except that I use military personnel and equipment, so I'm even less at risk."

"That's not the same."

"Of course it's not." She rolled her eyes, sarcasm dripping from her lips. "It's different because it's you and I'm me. Let's not get into an argument on that, Jaune. You're my teacher, my friend and someone I respect greatly, but I'm the last person you should be convincing to sit out of a fight. I am a Specialist. This is what I do."

He gritted his teeth and laid back, refusing to look at her. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought you were in danger…"

 _I was in danger, and this is the exact reason I didn't tell you. Because you'd run off and do something reckless._ Her father wasn't supposed to know either, but she hadn't counted on Sienna Khan jumping the gun, or her father believing the woman without proof. Bad luck it worked that way.

"There was no way to know what lines were secure and which were not, and time was of the essence. We had to strike while Sienna and the White Fang felt they had the edge. And the journey from Atlas to Mistral was hardly a quick or simple one."

He looked like he wanted to argue more so she cut him off with one hand.

"Jaune, please don't try to lecture me. I'm not a child anymore. Whatever issue you have with my decision, it's irrelevant now. Sienna Khan is dead by your hand and I am safe – and have been from the start. There was _no intention_ to give myself up to the White Fang. The first they would have heard of me was artillery raining down on this location."

He relaxed a little. "You brought vehicles?"

"Already set up as we approached," she confirmed. "The plan was to have Adam sneak in, rescue his girlfriend and then escape – after which we would attack." She looked back in the direction of the coast. "We actually had a small battle earlier today. The White Fang sent a force to `collect me` on the shore. We had to cut them down before they could retreat and raise the alarm."

"I thought there were too few people here," Jaune muttered. He sighed again. "Alright, I guess you have a point. As long as you weren't planning to walk in alone…"

"Only a moron would do that, Jaune."

He coughed awkwardly. "Right…"

 _He totally walked in alone. Why am I not surprised?_ Ignoring that, she said, "These people who helped you. Who are they? You'll forgive me if I say they don't seem reputable, though I recognise the woman from before."

"This is the Branwen tribe and she's their leader. As for what they are… well, they're bandits. Criminals."

"And the reason you know such people?"

"It's complicated."

She wasn't in the mood to let him avoid that one. "Summarise it."

"They came to attack a village, found it destroyed by Grimm and me as one of the survivors. Nursed me to health. Raven and I became unlikely friends. Of a sort."

"Not so complicated, then, though I'd advise against keeping such dangerous friends."

Jaune shot her a look. "Says the woman who walks in with Adam Taurus beside her."

"Ah." How embarrassing, and he was right of course. "It's…"

"Complicated?"

"Perhaps. Touché, then." She drew a seat from nearby and settled down onto it. "Tell me what happened here. I'd like the full story of how this came to be."

/-/

After telling Winter the full story, the tent was filled once more as Raven and Adam returned, the latter with his mask missing and an angry handprint on his face, ironically where the Schnee brand had been in a previous lifetime. That it was absent now told of some change, though he wasn't sure exactly what.

Had Winter taking over the security forces for the SDC prevented someone far crueller from doing so? It wasn't hard to imagine Adam being caught in a raid and branded as an example to other faunus, nor was it hard to imagine Winter coming down on anyone who suggested so cruel a thing within her hearing.

Either way, he hadn't escaped entirely. The red print could only have been from one person.

"I take it Blake isn't happy with you."

"She's livid," Adam said, taking a seat. "I'm a traitor to her, the cause we swore our lives to and – in her own words – someone she never wants to see again."

"I'm sure she's just angry…"

"That goes without saying. Thank you for sparing her. I… I'm not sure what I would have done if she was hurt." He would have tried to kill them. Jaune knew. Rather than say it, he nodded respectfully back and asked what would happen to him and Blake now. "I will take her back to Menagerie and her family," he said. "That is, if you will allow it. She is your prisoner and a loyal member of the White Fang."

"I swore her freedom," Winter said, looking to Jaune.

"I didn't save her to turn her over," Jaune said. "You can take her, Adam. I wish you both well."

"Thank you. I can only hope her mother can speak some sense into her. I don't think I shall be able to, or that she will want me in her life." He sighed. "Still, it's better than what Sienna had planned for her. For all of us. This was the right choice, if not the easy one."

"It was the right choice for Blake," Jaune agreed. "What happens to the rest? Winter, you mentioned vehicles before…"

"You would have me take the prisoners to Atlas?" She sounded surprised. "I can, of course, but I'd thought you would want to deliver them yourself. You would be treated to a hero's welcome. I'm sure Ironwood would give you a medal for this, if not a statue in your honour."

"I know. That's why I want _you_ to be the one to claim the credit."

Winter flinched. "I-I'm not sure I understand."

"I don't need or want the credit, and I'm not sure Raven would…"

The woman in question snorted. "My reputation is tarnished enough already. Who will run in fear if they see me as the saviour of Atlas? Qrow would hold the title over my head for the rest of my life. Take them off our hands, though if there's any material reward…"

"The SDC will be happy to compensate and reward you."

"Hm. That, I might be interested in. As for the reputation, take it. I can't spend it."

Practical as always. The SDC had a standing reward for information that led to White Fang arrests, and given Raven's involvement, they could probably spare a big reward to buy her silence. Ultimately, they'd benefit more from pretending Winter was behind it all, which suited him just fine.

"I'd also like my name kept out," Adam said. "And Blake's."

"There we have it. The only one who can afford to take the credit is you, Winter."

"That is… I…" Winter flushed and glared at him. "You realise I'll have to tell Ironwood and my father the truth. It won't be a secret from them."

"That's fine. It's more the general public I'm worried about. James and Jacques can keep a secret."

Winter accepted the idea with a little prodding from Delta and Echo. It would set her for life, and though he knew she didn't care for things like that, she was better prepared to handle the sudden increase in fame and attention. She was already the heiress to the SDC. "Fine," she said. "But you owe me a favour for this, Jaune. And I will collect."

"Only him?" Raven mocked. "Ha. I can see where this favour goes."

"I hardly trust you enough to see your favour as having any value," Winter snapped back.

"Feisty. I like this one better than your quiet brat back home. Maybe she could even give Vernal a run for her money."

"Raven," he said. "Be nice. So, if Winter can take the White Fang back to Atlas, Adam can take Blake back to Menagerie and I'll return to Vale. I have… There's something that happened with Emerald. She's okay," he said, seeing Winter's alarm. "Just, I need to deal with things back home."

"I see." Winter sighed and whispered something to Echo, who nodded back. "It will do for now," she said. "I have a feeling General Ironwood will want to speak with you. Even with what you've told me, there are questions he will want answered. And if the war truly is over, I should be bringing Weiss and Whitley home…"

He caught her hint and nodded. "You're free to visit, and to make it an official thing if you like. The same goes for James."

"Thank you. I'll tell father to keep your name out of official documentation, though, just like General Ironwood, he will surely want to thank you properly, both for helping me, protecting my siblings and ending the White Fang threat. If you refuse, I think you will only offend him."

"I'm fine with anything so long as it doesn't stop me going back to Vale."

"It won't," Winter promised. "I shall make sure of it."

There was something there, he supposed, but so long as she was willing to help him out, he'd do whatever he had to in return. He had enough things to worry about with Salem, Ozpin and his friends and family in Vale, that adding politics and vengeance-seeking White Fang remnants to the mix was a bad idea.

And then there was the sigil on his hand, which had finally acted up in a fight and quite frankly cost him his chance to kill Hazel. Seeing the disparity now, Hazel wouldn't come that close one on one unless he thought up some new tricks. You didn't nearly kill someone and then get handed a second chance on a silver platter.

Which meant he needed to figure out once and for all what was going on, what the sigil meant and why it had reacted that way. He didn't think it was Hazel himself, even if he was close to Salem. He'd fought Tyrian numerous times and not noticed anything. The only people it reacted to were Ozpin and Salem, but it also reacted to inanimate objects like the ruined temple and the book. Finding time to go out ruin-diving had been all but impossible. Maybe now if the White Fang started to die down, he'd have a chance.

"That's the end of this little `War Council`," Raven said, kicking her feet up onto the table. It was her tent, after all. "You're welcome to take the prisoners how you like. As for monetary reward, bring that to Jaune. I'll collect it from him."

Winter frowned. "You aided Atlas in defeating the White Fang. We could see official pardons issued to you if you're willing to turn a new leaf."

"And if we're not?" Raven met Winter's gaze with a smug grin. "Don't try to change me, girl. I'm happy just the way I am."

"I see." Winter didn't, that much was clear. "We can spare a Bullhead for Adam to use, and one for you, Jaune, if you need it."

"I don't."

"Oh?" Raven asked. "You walking?"

Jaune ignored her and looked to Adam. "Will you be okay getting Blake back alone?"

"Yes."

"Does she… Has she asked to speak to me?"

"No." Adam held his gaze. "And I think that would be a poor idea."

He was probably right. Jaune sighed and broke eye contact, nodding as he did. Blake hated him, and if he was honest, he could see why. It wasn't her fault, and had he let the timeline continue as it was meant to, she'd feel different. That old friendship was one sacrificed, but at least Blake was still alive. Even if he couldn't have her regard in this life, he'd content himself with the knowledge the Blake _he_ knew would probably thank him for stopping her and the White Fang and tell him that Ghira wasn't his fault.

Kali was still alive as well and had managed to maintain Menagerie's neutrality. There was someone for her to return to, and who could help her heal. With any luck Blake would be able to rebuild her life there and stay out of trouble.

And if she didn't…

Well, Raven had a bond with her now. She would always be just a portal away.

/-/

Salem sat back in her throne and hummed, one eye on the Seer floating in the air before her. "You're sure of this?"

"Yes," Hazel said, stood with one hand over his chest. "I saw it myself. I felt it."

"He is not Ozma. News of his current host's demise would have reached us, and his power is weakened ever since he split his power among the Maidens. At least three of the maidens are accounted for, so there is no way he could have drawn that power back."

If such a feat was possible at all. Power split was not so readily regained. Ozma's gambit there failed to yield results, as it so often did. But the other idea… well, it was not an impossible thing to consider. She and Ozma had borne children after all, and those bloodlines might still exist. More than that, it was possible – though highly unlikely – that she and he had not been the only survivors of that time.

If there had been another who survived, who lived, died and passed on their bloodline. Not an immortal like her, but blood from that time. And with that blood, everything else that might be entailed.

 _Tyrian fought him outside one of the old temples. I thought it a coincidence at the time, but that seems foolish now. He is looking for something. Perhaps that something is understanding._

"Tell me, Hazel, did he seem in control of himself?"

"No. The opposite. He gave in to anger quickly, and even though he didn't become sloppier for it, he acted without thought. As for what happened at the end… I would say it came as a shock to him as much as it did me. It also benefitted me."

Not intentional, then. That would support her suspicions. Such power hadn't been seen since she and Ozma shared it among the people – and that was eons past. Now, with only the remnants of that time remaining, the only people who could teach him how to harness it were herself and Ozma, and Ashari would be foolish to come to either of them.

She would use him. Ozma would destroy him, as he had tried to all remnants of that time.

Instead, he sought to find the truth himself and consult the ancient temples. He'd thought his options through, it seemed. Whether he would find what he sought was another matter entirely. What time had not destroyed, Ozma had erased. History was buried. As the only other who knew, she hadn't felt much reason to intervene in Ozma's actions on the matter, or to care who did or didn't know about a time long since gone.

Perhaps that could change. Ashari was unlikely to work with them, even for the promise of answers – he had made his position abundantly clear – but she found herself wondering what he would feel of the truth if he knew it.

It wouldn't inconvenience her to find out.

"Return to the Grimmlands," she told the waiting Hazel. "We've wasted too much on trying to obtain him and it's cost us the White Fang. That is an unacceptable loss."

"I apologise…"

"The fault is hardly yours, Hazel. Return. It's time for a more subtle approach."

"As you wish it. That said, if the time comes to kill him, I humbly ask that I be sent to do so."

"Something personal, Hazel?"

"We have unfinished business between us."

Hm. Hazel had always been the epitome of calm, at least until Ozma presented himself before him, though Hazel only ever called him as Ozpin, his current name. Either way, it appeared that Jaune Ashari had added himself to that small list of people who could evoke such a reaction.

"As you will, Hazel. As you will." She waved a hand, cutting off the connection and causing the Seer to float off to the side of the room. "Watts," she called. "I need you to compose a letter for me."

"A letter, my lady?" Watts, who had been waiting patiently by the door, bowed, one hand over his heart. "Do you mean to make contact with Headmaster Lionheart? I could see him connect a call through to you."

"No. A letter. I shall dictate, and you shall write and see it sent."

"Of course. As my lady wishes." Watts drew forth a notebook from his coat, ready to take down the details he would transcribe later. "And to whom should this letter be made out to?"

"Jaune Ashari, of Vale."

* * *

 **This chapter was a nightmare. Not because of anything with the chapter but because I'm writing it at my mother's house while she is selling a horse and asked me to be here to help her get it on the horse lorry for the customer. And oh my GOD, this horse has always been so nice before, or so she tells me, probably lying… "Oh, it's such a sweetie…"**

 **Because, you know, it's a psycho. Obviously.**

 **Didn't get kicked, but have been dragged around, bucking, dogs barking wildly, horse screeching and rearing at the sight of a ramp. Not a slight incline! Nooooo! We had to quit the first attempt to try and let it relax because it just wasn't having it, then come out again. Calm. Relaxed. Sees Ramp. Full psycho. This "favour" was supposed to take me an hour. It's 8pm and I am STILL at their house. I'm probably staying overnight, and even had to do a lesson on a dinky pc in her front room. I'm used to my full office with huge desk, fan, etc.**

 **What a day… I'm honestly surprised they still bought it after all that, though I suppose the fact they drove, like, four hours to get here means that they don't want to leave empty-handed. I'll be staying over now, which at least my dog is happy about, as Kali loves to play with my mother's dogs. Time for some Chinese takeout to take the edge off.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 24** **th** **August (Two weeks)**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	71. Chapter 71

**And I'm back. Back again. Coeur is back – and a twat.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 71**

* * *

The problem with Raven's portals was that they had to go to someone. The problem with `someone` was less to do with the someone's in question and more to do with Raven, since she'd burned bridges with every `someone` she'd ever known. They could have opened one to Vernal, but she was apparently at the ASH Gym being taught by Taiyang. Raven put her foot down and developed an obstinate look wherever he was involved.

Qrow was with Ozpin, also a no, and that only really left Summer which he knew was also a very touchy subject with Raven but at least _less touchy_ than the others. Not so much on Summer's part given the slap she'd delivered before, but Raven seemed prepared to put up with that again.

And she did. The moment she opened the portal and stepped through, a mighty `clap` echoed and she staggered back.

"Oh!" Summer yelled. "Sorry. I thought you were Jaune."

He, having easily heard that, stayed on the other end of the portal. "I'm not sure I want to come through…"

"Jaune Ashari! Get through this portal or I will come through myself and collect you!" Channelling mothers everywhere, she yelled, "NOW!"

He stepped through and into a bedroom. There wasn't much time to catch any detail thanks to the palm rushing in toward his face. He caught it, having been ready. He also caught her other hand as it came around for his stomach. "Alright," he said. "Is there any reason to- ack!" He buckled and fell, pain blossoming up his side from the blow to his kidney.

"WHY!?"

"It's what you get for using me as a human shield," Raven said.

"Thanks Ray!" Summer was all smiles. "And that's your punishment, Jaune. Consider yourself lucky."

"Punishment for what…?"

"Running off like an idiot, teaching Emerald the wrong things, breaking into my bedroom while I was coming out the shower and making me panic." Summer gestured down to the white robe she'd quite clearly thrown on in a hurry. Whoops. "Take your pick."

"Sorry. Raven's Semblance isn't as convenient as I'd like."

Raven grumbled something about people being less than grateful.

"I know. I lived with it for years." Summer sighed and worked her hand before her, shaking out the kinks from her blow on Raven. Not that the latter looked overly hurt. There wasn't even a mark on her face. "You're alive, I see. And Winter Schnee?"

"Also alive," he said, carefully deciding _not_ to mention that she'd never actually been captured in the first place. "And the White Fang are done. They're finished."

A vicious smile slipped across Summer's face, uncharacteristic in its cruelty. "Good."

It shocked him if he was being honest, though he realised the reason for it a few seconds later. Ruby. She'd almost died to the White Fang, then Qrow and Yang nearly did as well. The whole attack on Atlas could have torn Summer's family in half and though she'd gotten over it, she hadn't forgotten. Nor had she forgiven them.

 _A lot more people like that, people who will sleep easier now the White Fang is dealt with._

"I heard something happened to Emerald," he said.

Summer looked at him strangely. "You already know?"

"Only after the fact and not details. I know _something_ happened and that she's safe now. I also hear I've you to thank for that."

"Less me and more her… I…" She sighed. "I think we need to talk about her, but after you've seen her. She's been looking up hopefully at every person who enters her room, then sinking back down when it isn't you. Jaune, it's like she's a dog waiting for her master to come home, except she isn't. She's a little girl. Or she's supposed to be."

Shame worked its way through him, ever an insidious worm of doubt and guilt. Could he have done better? Should he have? Those questions were always there. Things were always easier in hindsight, though.

"I didn't mean for her to be like that."

"I know. I'm not saying you raised her wrong; I think this is something with her." Summer paused for a second and then came up to give him a quick hug. Very short, due more to her state of undress than anything else. She drew back a moment later and tightened the sash around her bathrobe again. He carefully looked away from any wet patches that stuck to her skin.

Summer had become another loved one to him, but like Nora or Yang. Someone he could love, trust and enjoy being around. There was nothing sexual there and he honestly didn't feel anything of the sort.

"Could you do better? Maybe. But it's easy to say that with hindsight and it's not like parenthood comes with a manual. Life is all about making mistakes and learning from them." Summer laughed and brought out some clothing. "Or at least that's _my_ excuse when I taught Yang to swear or Ruby to feed vegetables she didn't want to Zwei."

Raven snorted.

"Oh." Summer stiffened a little but didn't look back. "Are you still here? Was there something you wanted?"

Jaune winced.

"Nothing from you," Raven said.

"And no words to say to me?"

"No…"

"Then you can go." Summer waved a hand behind her. "Back to wherever it is you hide nowadays."

"I helped destroy the White Fang."

"Then thank you." Summer turned and faced her teammate with a smile. They seemed to ignore him, and it felt like he didn't exist. He certainly didn't _want_ to exist between these two. "Thank you for getting rid of them. That doesn't really make up for anything, though. Does it?"

"Tch. What do you expect of me? Want me to come back, crawl on my hands and knees and beg for Taiyang to take me back?"

"No."

"Want me to take Yang? Come back, tell her I'm her mother and make up?"

"No." Summer frowned. "And you're not."

"Excuse me?"

"Her mother. You're not her mother. I am. Yang is my daughter, just as Taiyang is my husband. Even if you came back, that wouldn't change. You made your choice, Raven."

Raven's mouth opened and closed as she stared at Summer. She scoffed, turning and drawing her sword, opening a portal with the flick of a hand. "Fuck you, Summer. Fuck you."

"You know where I am if you want to talk," she called.

Raven offered the middle finger in response, stepping through the portal back to her tribe. It winked shut behind her, sealing him away and in Summer's bedroom, stood awkwardly to the side of a half-dressed and coldly furious woman. He swallowed.

"Hah." She let out a little sigh. "She's such an idiot…"

"Don't you think you're being a little harsh there?"

"Hm." Summer looked to him and he instantly regretted the question. "You think I'm being unfair?"

"I didn't say unfair." Raven _deserved_ all that and more. "Just… what is it you want from her? If not to come back and make things right, what is it you want her to do?"

"Apologise to us."

Oh. He winced, even as Summer motioned for him to leave the room while she got changed. He did so, stepping outside and feeling like a heel. An apology. Something so simple but, he realised, something Raven had never given. When she left Yang and Taiyang behind, Summer stepped in. Raven couldn't come back and make amends by taking the spot she'd vacated, but an apology – if it was heartfelt – would at least let the wounds begin to heal.

Summer came out a minute later in her usual attire, white cloak draped over one shoulder. She smiled at him, letting him know without words that she didn't hold _him_ responsible. "Don't tell her," she said. "Raven, that is. If she ever will apologise, I want it to be something she figures out and does on her own. You're a friend, but you're not really a part of what went on between her and Team STRQ. It needs to come from her if she wants it to work."

"I guess so." He couldn't force his way into their problems. In the same way he had trusted Weiss and Ruby to make up, or Blake and Yang to get over their issues, he'd have to trust Summer and Raven to do the same. "So, can you take me to see Em? Preferably _before_ the inevitable meeting with Ozpin."

"I'm afraid they're one and the same. Ozpin is guarding her."

Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon, guarding his daughter. That did not bode well. What could be so threatening that someone like Ozpin would not only offer, but think it necessary, to take time out of his busy day to look after one person? Knowing the old man, it had to be serious. He wouldn't waste his time otherwise.

"I think you need to tell me what happened…"

/-/

Ozpin and Qrow were talking outside of what he assumed was the door to Emerald's ward. They stopped on seeing him and smiled briefly. Ozpin made to step forward, then thought better of it and stepped back, motioning with one hand and letting him know any discussions could wait until after he'd seen his daughter.

"Thanks," Jaune said to him as he passed. "No bad news," he added, just so Ozpin wouldn't worry.

"Well, that's be a pleasant surprise for a change." Ozpin said with a chuckle. "Go on in. We'll wait."

Opening the door and stepping in with Summer behind him, he immediately saw the bed Emerald was laid out on. There was a book in her hand, one he'd bought her, and flowers and mostly eaten boxes of chocolates on the side.

Emerald looked up when the door opened, saw him and sighed, looking down.

Jaune stood, hands on his hips.

It took another second for Emerald to process what she'd really seen. Her body tensed and her head shot up again, eyes growing wide as she took him in. The book fell and her mouth opened. He saw her muscles tense as she prepared to _throw_ herself out of the hospital bed.

"Whoah!" he said, rushing over before she could and placing a hand on her chest to push her down. "Stay. Don't do anything stupid."

"Dad!"

Emerald laughed and threw her arms around his neck. Rather than risk her being pulled up, he let her drag him down and push her face against his. His arms found their way around her shoulders and back, keeping her pinned down onto the bed while he hugged her. If he didn't, he had a feeling she'd pull herself out of bed and onto his chest like some scorned housecat.

"You're back!" she gushed. _Emerald_. Gushing. It was so out of the ordinary that he could tell just how frightened she'd been. The ordeal she'd been through… "You're back," she whispered. "You're back."

"Back to stay. I'm done with all the wild adventures for a while."

Done with leaving Emerald behind at least. With the White Fang gone, he could focus on the more important things for a change. His biggest mistake was fixed. Or as well as it could be. _Time to be a proper father for a change._

He extricated himself from her grip and pulled himself up onto the bed, sitting beside her with an arm around her shoulder and against the pillow, letting her lean against it. "So," he said, "I hear you've had your own adventure while I was gone. Not trying to take after me, are you? That's not exactly a good thing to aspire to."

"I'll say," Summer grumbled in the background.

"I didn't mean to," Em said. "Tyrian, he…" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

He cut her off with a finger over her lips. "Don't worry. Summer told me all about it. She also told me what _you_ did to get rid of him." His eyes trailed to the bandages around her stomach. His heart tightened. "You risked your own life for hers, Em. And for Yang's. Did you know for sure Tyrian wouldn't kill you?"

Emerald looked at him with a huge smile, filled with pride and eager joy. "No," she said, without a shred of guilt. "I thought what you would do. I didn't want to see them die, so I did the only thing I could."

Summer took an unsteady breath and stomped one foot on the ground.

Em looked up at him, smiling.

Jaune stared back.

Summer coughed.

Slowly, he reached down to hug her. "You did good, Em. I'm proud of you."

Emerald let out a sigh of relief. "Hm!"

"Jaune," Summer said sweetly, icily, meaningfully. "Can you and I have a word outside?"

"Be back in a sec," he told Emerald, kissing her temple. "I'll talk to the doctors too and see if we can get you discharged. If not, I'll spend the night here with you. I won't be going anywhere until you're better. Okay?"

She nodded quickly, happy to agree to anything now that he was here.

He couldn't do much more on account of how Summer was coughing and glaring at him. He followed her out the door, let it close and then winced as Summer dragged him down the corridor, well out of hearing distance of Emerald. Ozpin and Qrow took one look at them and left to get drinks. Cowards.

"Su-"

"What the hell was that!?"

"I-"

"That was not the talk you were meant to give her!"

"It's-"

"Are you mad!?" Summer jabbed a finger into his chest. "She. Stabbed. Herself! That shouldn't happen!"

"I know!" He caught her finger. That proved a mistake as she jabbed the finger of her other hand right between his eyes. He grabbed that too, and almost had to defend himself from a knee to the balls. "S-Summer, please. Let me explain."

"What explanation can there be? You were supposed to tell her nearly _killing herself_ for someone is a bad thing. How could you praise her for it!?"

"I wasn't praising that!"

Summer huffed and glared at him.

"I was going to talk to her more later. It's… Look, Emerald isn't like most children. She didn't have a normal life and it's far worse than you even know. The first time she met me was as far away from normal as you can possibly imagine. I nearly broke her wrist."

Her eyes wavered. "An accident-"

"It wasn't an accident." He watched her face pale. "She tried to steal from me, and I wasn't forgiving." It wasn't something he liked to remember, how he'd judged Emerald for what she might become and not what she was. "And me adopting her; it was less an adoption and more me picking her off the street and dragging her along. Hell, she acted like a slave for the first few days. I think she saw it more as a kidnapping than an adoption."

"Jaune, what…?"

"And one of the first things she saw me do was kill a bunch of people. Criminal gang members who wanted to punish her, but still. They attacked me to get to her and I cut them down. Do you know what she did when she saw that? Do you know what she did when she saw a scene that caused Ruby so much damage she was traumatised?"

Summer shivered. "She cried?"

"Emerald?" Jaune laughed. "No. She took my hand and came with me. She _liked_ what she saw." He let go of her, allowing her to stumble back. She didn't run; he supposed that was a good sign. He hadn't told her _where_ exactly he'd killed those people, but murder was still murder. "Emerald saw far worse than Ruby did and she saw that much bloodshed as a reason to trust me more, because she knew I could defend her and because I was strong enough to keep her. That was what she saw herself as – a possession. In Atlas, she asked what it was I wanted of her. How she could best be of use. She saw herself as tool."

"B-But she loves you," Summer whispered, shaking her head. "She's different…"

"After years and years of getting better. What you saw in there is Emerald after almost seven years of being with me. Before, she wouldn't have stabbed herself to save you. She wouldn't have done that for anyone. If Tyrian could take her, she'd have just gone with him. Because that was the law of the jungle for her. Those strong enough to take you got to do what they wanted with you."

It wasn't fair to Summer that had threw all that on her. She was recoiling in front of him, wanting so desperately to help – she was a mother after all – but being, for once, completely out of her depth. He was too, so she was in good company.

"I'm basically just winging it with her. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I see my daughter who cares enough about you and Yang to be willing to _fight_ to keep you, and I can't help but think that's better than what she was. I'm proud of her for that. Proud of her for becoming someone actually _wants_ to stay here and stay friends with your daughters, enough that she'd trade herself to some psychopath to keep Yang being hurt."

"It's not ideal," he admitted. "I really wish she didn't have to, or that she'd not hurt herself to do it, but that's something I'll try and fix." Emerald had resorted to that because she had nothing else. Understandable against someone like Tyrian, but if he'd been here then she'd have had him. He _would_ be here next time. "I'm proud of her for fighting, Summer. I'm proud of her for not just tossing Yang aside to protect her own skin, like she would have done when she was younger."

"She wouldn't do that," she said. "Yang and Em are best friends."

"Yes. And that's why I want to keep things that way." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It had grown again, now ruffling around his shoulders. "Honestly, Tyrian getting hold of her was a worst-case scenario. There weren't ever going to be any good outcomes from that."

"But stabbing herself is the worst. It shows how little she values her own life."

"Or how much she values the lives of those she loves. Em is inherently selfish. We all are, but she accepts it more than anyone. I don't think she rates her life lowly, Summer. She just… I guess you could say she's greedy. She wants everything. She wants to stay here, wants Yang as her friend, you as her auntie and to be here when I get back. She wanted all that so bad she was willing to do something crazy to keep it all."

Put like that, she was damaged, but not to the point of throwing her life away. He didn't think for a second she would because Emerald had _seen_ the lowest end of human suffering. She'd been there. If she made it through that with a strong will to survive, that wasn't going to change now.

 _Even if I were to die, I don't think she would hurt herself. She'd dedicate her life to hunting down the one responsible. Still not ideal, but better than living on the streets or being a thrall to Cinder._

"Beacon." Summer said. "Let her go to Beacon."

His head snapped to hers. "Huh?"

"I'm not sure there's anything more we can do for her, and you've done enough. You showed her she can open up, want things and make her own decisions. I was…" Summer sighed. "I was wrong to suggest you could have done better. I'm not sure anyone could have, and I kept thinking of her as any other child, when she isn't. I think you've done more than enough. Maybe all you can. She needs to grow in other ways, however. Maybe on her own."

"And you think Beacon is that way?"

"Yes. You might not know since you didn't go there but being on a team means learning to trust new people. It teaches teamwork and growth. You learn how to be a team, how to lead, how to talk and how to get over problems together. Your team becomes like your family."

 _You're wrong about one thing, Summer. I do know what it's like._

And Team JNPR had been the best damn family he could have ever asked for. His growth from when he'd started Beacon to its fall was astronomical. It wasn't just in terms of his strength or skill, either. He'd been a coward when Cardin bullied him but Pyrrha had taught him to rise above it and face his demons. Ruby, too. He'd left Beacon a better person than he'd entered it. Hurting over Pyrrha's death and in some way blaming himself, but a better person despite it.

"Emerald can grow into herself there," Summer continued, thinking him silent out of doubt. "I think you're right when you say Yang has been good for her but having more people around could be better. You'd always be as close as Vale if she needed you and it would teach her to be independent."

Beacon was the last place he'd wanted Emerald.

Why, though?

Ozpin. And the fall.

But Ozpin and he had made some kind of peace between them. He wouldn't say they were friends, but he respected Ozpin now. He didn't trust him entirely, but he trusted the man to make the decisions he thought were best, and which would help the most people. His anger toward the man had always been born of grief. Such terrible emotions tended to taint your thoughts. Ozpin wasn't the enemy he'd made him out to be. Not close enough to know the truth, but enough to be trusted.

And with the White Fang gone, could the fall of Beacon even happen? Cinder could still manage it, but he had Cinder under his eye and Tyrian, Hazel and Watts were known quantities. What was more, with Cinder here and Emerald with her, Amber wouldn't be ambushed quite so easily. _I might well have stopped the fall of Beacon entirely. Salem will still continue with her own plans, but Beacon might be the safest place on Remnant right now._

"Okay."

"And- And…" Summer blinked up at him. "What did you say?"

"Okay," he said, chuckling. "I'll give her the option. What can I say? You're right."

"I am? I-I mean, yes, I am!"

She was so much like Ruby in that moment that he couldn't help but laugh. She pouted and poked him in the ribs, looking even _more_ like Ruby. He caught her hand before she could poke him harder. _Maybe she's right. I've done all I can for Em and she's a thousand times better for it. Maybe all I can do now is be there for her and give her the power to make her own decisions. Beacon will be a safe place for that with Ozpin watching her, and I doubt Tyrian could get in there unscathed._

"I'll give her the option. If she wants to go to Beacon, I won't stop her. Maybe being around normal people is what she needs. I'm not exactly that."

"You're not. You've laid the groundwork and made her what she is today, but she needs to do the rest on her own." Summer's eyes narrowed quickly. "Don't think I forgot what you just told me. About killing people…"

Jaune shrugged. "I won't."

"You're not even going to explain yourself, are you?"

"Nope."

He laughed and walked away, listening to Summer stomp her foot and growl angrily behind him. He didn't think she'd tell anyone, and she must have already had an inkling from the fact Roman intervened to try and save Emerald. Neo, too.

 _I'll have to reward them for that. Show them I look after those who help us._

But first, it was time to look after his little girl.

/-/

In the end, Ozpin and Qrow held a catch-up meeting in Emerald's ward with her listening. It wasn't like there was anything she wouldn't learn in a day or two anyway. The defeat of the White Fang would be plastered all over the news, hopefully with Winter's name being touted as the main cause. He kept details of his and Hazel's fight, and its unusual climax, out.

Once they were happy and had asked some questions of their own they left, Ozpin mentioning a speech to the students to diffuse racial tensions and ensure no students thought to try and bully faunus ones or blame them for what happened.

"I wouldn't put it past some to blame their faunus peers for the White Fang's actions, or for some sympathetic members of the student body to react in turn. Tensions can turn to violence if left alone."

Qrow went with him, though not without mentioning that Taiyang had looked after the ASH Gym for him. The hint there was obvious. A bottle of wine, keg of beer or something nice for Taiyang to pay him back for being such a pal.

He'd known from Raven, but he nodded anyway. Once they left, he'd taken Emerald's book and started to read it to her as they had when she was younger. She was fine with that since it left her hands free to stuff her mouth with fresh chocolate cookies from Ruby and Yang.

Naturally, she didn't offer him any.

"I don't get why everyone was so upset at me."

"Hmm." Jaune marked the page in the book and put it down. "Which part?"

"Stabbing myself." Emerald pulled her blanket down to show her stomach. "I know why they were worried, and I get that they didn't want to see me hurt, but they all act like what I did was… not stupid, but troubling in some way. Letting him kill Summer and take me away was more stupid."

"Stupider," he said, earning a pout. He shuffled on the chair he'd brought up to her bed and took one of her hands in his. Rather than lecture, he instead posed a question. "Why do you think they're upset?"

"I thought they were upset I might have died. That makes sense. But then when I woke up they kept expecting me to say sorry. Sorry for what? Living?"

"Did you say sorry?"

"Yes."

"But you didn't mean it."

"It stopped them going on about it," she admitted with a careless little shrug. He didn't call her out on lying, not when she was being honest with him. "I'm not sorry, though. I did what I had to."

"You did," he agreed. "It would have been better if you could fight him, but I know you couldn't have. Not yet. We'll work on training you up until you can hold your own, or at least escape. I won't say I like the idea of what you did but it worked and you're safe. That's all I care about. I'll make sure it never happens again."

"I knew you'd understand." She looked to him with such satisfaction, such relief. "I kept thinking even while they were all acting strange that you would know what I meant. That there wasn't something wrong with me."

The faith she had in him filled him with joy. He picked up a piece of chocolate and, under her watchful eye, placed it against her lips. Emerald took it, nodding as though pleased that he'd not dared to eat it himself.

"There's nothing wrong with you. It's just shocking them how far you'd go. It's a scary thing for them to realise, that their weakness might cause you to die to protect them. Every huntsmen has to have faith in their own abilities. I think you shook Summer's. She was supposed to look after you and probably thinks this-" He tapped her abdomen, "-is due to her weakness. Same for Yang."

"It's selfish then?"

"Eh…" He didn't want to leave it at that. "In a way, but everyone is selfish. You love me, but you love me because I make your life better. You live a happier life with me than on the streets. Same with Yang. You like being around her because she improves your life and you have fun. Everyone is inherently selfish, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Whether someone gives money to charity because it makes them feel good or they're altruistic, it doesn't change the fact someone is helped."

It was Ren he'd had such a discussion with, ironically over Ozpin and his motivations. Something about the nature of decisions, the philosophy behind it and whether Ozpin's secrecy was good or bad based on the idea of selfishly keeping secrets. He wasn't quite as eloquent as Ren in imparting the knowledge to Emerald, so he tried a different approach.

"I've got another story for you if you like." He waited for her to be chewing before he posed the question and didn't wait for her answer. "Once upon a time there was a young boy who wanted to be special. He was lazy and indecisive and didn't have much going for him, but he decided he'd join a school and become a huntsman, even though he didn't have any knowledge on how to wield a weapon or even his aura unlocked. He was weak, stupid and not even hard working."

"At that school, however, he met a girl. She was his opposite in every way, and he was a little jealous of that, even if he never let it show. She tried to help him train, help him get stronger – and though he was stubborn and refused at first, he eventually gave in and trained with her. She saw something in him, even if he didn't see it himself. She urged him on and helped him and the young boy found that he _could_ be a hard worker if he tried. And he did, wanting to prove to her that her effort was worth it. He worked harder and harder, growing stronger and stronger all thanks to her teaching."

"He never realised that he didn't have to; that there was no need to prove himself to her because she already believed in him. In the end, he was proving himself to… well, himself. He came to love that girl, even if he didn't realise it. And then one day, a terrible person came and tried to destroy the school they called home."

"What happened?" Emerald asked.

"The boy and the girl went to fight her. The girl was strong, and the boy was stronger but not quite strong enough. She knew he couldn't defeat the evil villain. So, she locked him away, kissed him and sent him to safety, and she went to fight the bad person herself and died for it. The worst part was that she knew she would die, that was why she said goodbye to the boy she loved. But she knew that by doing that, she'd keep the person – and the people – she loved safe. It was her sacrifice to make."

"Is that why you're not angry?"

He gripped her hand tight. "If I told you it was wrong, I'd be saying the same to her. I can't spit on her sacrifice like that. She was a little older than you, true, but I don't think that changes anything."

Pyrrha hadn't hurt herself as Emerald had, but it was all the same. She'd risked her life against a foe they couldn't beat for the sake of someone she loved. It was all foolish, really. Summer and Yang and everyone else would look at what Emerald did and call it horrible because she was a child but give her ten years and make it her dying to protect a village from the Grimm and she would be named a hero of the people.

It was all the same, the only difference the age.

Pyrrha had died too young. She'd died without regrets, however. Or at least he thought so. Thinking of her no longer hurt as it once had. He could now look back and remember the incredible times. The truly wonderful moments.

"What happened to the boy?"

Jaune laughed. "He blamed himself for the longest time. Hated himself. Kept thinking that if he was stronger or faster then maybe she wouldn't have sent him away. Maybe she'd still be alive. He thought he was useless and not worth all the time she put into him. He tried to act normal, but all he ever wanted was to kill the one responsible, even if that meant dying in the process. In some twisted way, he thought that would fix things. Thought it would be the same as her death." Jaune sighed. "It wouldn't have been. Do you know why?"

"Because she died to protect someone in a hopeless situation. He would have recklessly thrown his life away. And he would have thrown away her sacrifice as well."

"Good girl." He rubbed her head. "You're smarter than I was."

No surprise. She'd figured out from the start he was talking about himself.

"Yang's like you in that story, isn't she?"

"A little, except that you didn't die so she'll hopefully not blame herself quite as much."

"She is," Emerald said. "She said she would get stronger. She went to the ASH Gym today." She frowned, thinking over what he just said. "Is she going to work herself to death?"

"Nothing quite as dramatic but I think she'll feel like she ought to. Might blame herself, too. Tell herself that if she'd been better, Tyrian wouldn't have snuck up on her and you wouldn't have had to trade yourself for her."

Em sighed. "Idiot."

Ha. He felt that aimed at him as well, and in Pyrrha's voice. He really had been a moron, and it had been Ruby who dragged him out of his rut and showed him life was worth living. Before she died, that was. Before they all died.

"Spend time with her," he said, patting her head. "Show her that you're still here and grow strong together. It won't be enough to just _say_ you don't blame her. If she's as stubborn as I was, you'll need to prove it. You took a big risk, Em, but it paid off and both you and she are still alive. That's more than can be said for me and… and her…" He'd almost called her by name.

Her hand found his, squeezing it. "I'm here," she said weakly. Desperately.

"I know." He kissed her forehead again. "I'm not going anywhere, Em. I'm back and I'm not that guy I once was, so don't worry about me throwing my life away. If I do, who is going to come and watch you graduate from Beacon?"

Emerald's head rose. "Beacon…?"

"If you want to go. It's your choi-"

"Yes!" Her hands wrapped around his neck again. "Yes, yes, yes! I want to go! I want to!"

He hugged her back, feeling a little lighter for it. Summer had been right. And if Emerald was this eager to go, that could only be a good sign. She'd have a team, make friends, go on adventures and do everything he, JNPR and RWBY had been through. Though hopefully this time without terrorists, monsters and traitors in their midst. That, he would make sure of.

 _I swear it._

On his hand, the sigil burned a pale and misty blue, seeping through his glove.

* * *

 **Just so you know, we're approaching a time skip. I've been waiting to do it for a while but needed to clear up some loose ends, those being the White Fang (now cleared) and providing an explanation for why Salem's lot would give Jaune and Emerald a moment of peace (cleared). Just now typing up loose minutiae before the skip.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 31** **st** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	72. Chapter 72

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 72**

* * *

"Ashari. I hear you've been busy taking down the White Fang singlehandedly."

"James." Jaune tried not to grin back. There was something strangely satisfying about being able to call General Ironwood by his first name and get away with it. In this lifetime, they really were friends. "And I think you'll find Winter defeated them with the aid of Delta, Echo and her security forces."

"We both know that isn't the full story. Or even close to it."

"Winter never was good at lying."

"I wouldn't know," James said. "Since she didn't bother to try in the first place."

"Sheesh." Well, he hadn't asked her to lie to James and he doubted she ever would. Even if she wasn't a Specialist this time, she respected the General. "Well, you know how it is. You go out for a walk, stumble across a terrorist group and take them all out. I assume Winter made it back with the prisoners in hand."

"She did. There is some confusion over what to do with them."

"Confusion? How so?"

"Some within the military want them tried and dealt with as quickly as possible. Executions for the worst, prison for the rest and to brush this unhappy chapter of history under the rug. Winter, on the other hand, has made the surprising decision to refuse the release of said prisoners." James leaned forward on the screen. "I take it you had a hand in this."

Jaune stared back, utterly lost.

"You didn't?" James hummed to himself. "I guess you're not the only one full of surprises, then."

"Apparently not. What is she doing with them?"

"Your guess is as good as mind, but the reason she gave – beyond the obvious of her not serving Atlas military, and the operation being in Mistral and thus out of our jurisdiction – is that Atlas failed to enact justice with the death of Ghira Belladonna. She says she will not be party to a similar tragedy, not if our heavy-handedness will cause another war."

Jaune whistled. "She came out and said that!?"

"More flowery language and in an official statement written by her PR agents, but yes. Essentially."

Was that Adam's work or Winter's own plans in action? He couldn't say he disapproved either way and he had a feeling James wasn't quite as upset as he was _required_ to act. Certainly, he could have asked Jaune to help in changing her mind and hadn't. Ghira's fate was a stain on Atlas' honour, and something he was still sure Salem had a hand in, likely through Watts or Tyrian.

In their haste to hold people responsible, Atlas could easily create another White Fang.

"I didn't tell her to do that, but I like that she has," he said. "She's sending a message."

"Yes. And quite a polarising one. That it is the SDC who defeated the White Fang and not Atlas. That she considers herself a sovereign entity that we should deal with diplomatically. That she lacks faith in us to honestly handle affairs. And that it is Atlas who mistreats the faunus, not the SDC."

The prisoners had family and friends. Supporters. Even if Winter wouldn't exactly free or spare them, keeping them on the premise of their being judged fairly would win her points with the faunus. And by extension, it would win the SDC points. "How is Jacques handling it?"

"Euphorically. SDC stocks are through the roof with the White Fang on the out. He can't step out his bedroom without tripping over lien. And if his heiress is going to reform the image of the company while she's destroying its enemies? Well, I doubt that's something that will bother him."

"He's predictable." Jaune said.

"Yes. That's what makes him so easy to control." James sighed. "I'm officially required to ask you to step in on our behalf and speak to Winter. Respectfully, of course."

"I respectfully decline."

"And I respect that decision," James said, nodding. "You're receiving a medal."

"Can I decline that?"

"Respectfully?" James grinned. "No. You'll be offending us all if you refuse it. Jacques wants to meet with you as well – and I very much doubt he'll be put off. You did save his daughter, after all. Even if she didn't need to be saved."

"Any chance I can avoid him?"

"You have his children…"

"Oh yeah." Man, it would be a shame to give Weiss and Whitley back. He'd actually come to like them. Not a surprise on Weiss, but Whitley was a hard-working little guy and reminded him of himself. Mostly just for how he tried to win Emerald's attention. "Guess I'll need to give them back. It's not a good time for me to leave Vale, though."

"Ozpin informed me about your girl. Is she alright?"

"Handling it better than most." Even if that wasn't exactly a good thing from Summer's point of view. "She's decided to attend Beacon with her friend. She's over the moon last I saw."

"Not Atlas? I'll admit, I'm a little hurt."

"I didn't pick Beacon for any reason, James. Her friend is going there and it's just about the only reason she wants to." Atlas would have been nice, but he really couldn't imagine Em in those uniforms. Or dealing with the weather. On the other hand, he had a feeling her presence in Beacon would draw Whitley back.

And if Whitley was coming, why not Weiss? That would be most of the team with Nora and Ren already there and Jaune – little Jaune – coming, too. That left Pyrrha and Blake behind. The seeds had been sewn with Pyrrha but Blake.

Last he'd heard she was back on Menagerie. Adam had been polite enough to send a message detailing that.

"How about a compromise…"

James nodded. "I'm listening."

"I'll accept the medal and the meeting with Jacques – but it has to be in Vale. I've got Em to look after and a business to run, both of which were neglected while I ran off after a kidnapping that didn't exist. Also, no ceremony."

"Vale, but a small ceremony," James countered.

"How small?"

"Small. Hundred people. Meal and a small media presence. Not as black tie as the last. Invite your brat and her friend. I'm sure Weiss and Whitley would enjoy a chance to say goodbye to you and them."

Formal dinners weren't his thing – the last ended up with Roman crashing it – but James right that Jacques would want to make it a thing. Better to own that and compromise on a small one. If he refused entirely, Jacques might just call him out on international TV and thank him there. That kind of over the top thing would be just his style.

"Alright. Can I leave the planning to you?"

"Ashari, if you planned it we'd not have anything to eat." James chuckled and drew back, ready to end the call. "Congratulations, Jaune. And good job on dealing with them and coming back safe. I will see you in a week or two."

"See you."

The call ended. Back in the old timeline he imagined calls like this were reserved between Ozpin and Ironwood, and while it was obvious those were still happening, it was good to be involved. James was a powerful ally to have, even if that hadn't been the reason he befriended him. It had just sort of happened. Similar personalities; both of them wanting the best for those they cared for and being willing to work toward it.

 _I wonder if I'd have done good in the military if Beacon never worked out. It's not exactly a job I would have seen myself doing._ Then again, he'd have never expected himself to be like this either. Single father, huntsman and now an anti-terrorist veteran. Did that make him a war hero? Probably not. At least not in this world. _Can't complain, though. Jacques is a better man than he was the last time. And all because Winter turned away from the family. Or Winter and Weiss both._

He wouldn't blame them for that. They were free to make their own choices, as he'd finally realised with Em and her wish to attend Beacon. Speaking of, he found Emerald with Whitley and Weiss in the main living room, snacking on pizza and fries, onion rings and soda. It was junk food Em ate all the time, but Weiss and Whitley seemed to absolutely love it. Weiss, especially, balanced a slice in her hand and was munching on the end.

 _Must make a nice change from all the fancy food._

"I just spoke to Ironwood," he said, sitting down and taking a slice for himself. "Winter got back safe and sound. Some politicking going on, but everything looks good. You two will probably be home within a week or two."

"That's… nice…" Weiss looked down at the pizza. She said nothing but she wasn't nearly as good at hiding her emotions as she would be in two years' time.

Conversely, Whitley didn't even try. "I'll miss it here."

"Enjoying life in Vale?"

"Life outside the mansion," he said. Weiss nodded with him. "Everything is so regimented there. We could never eat something like this. Or spar whenever we want. It's always sparring between lessons and tailoring sessions or networking with other young men and women of good standing our age."

"Marriage meetings? I thought the pressure was off you now that Winter is back."

"It is," Weiss said, "But that doesn't change the fact we can marry for the benefit of the family. Father doesn't push it anymore, but we're expected to show face at gatherings."

"You could always come back. How about joining Beacon?"

James would give him the stink eye for placing that idea in their heads, but it was best they all be together. Even if the White Fang were gone, Salem had two years to recall her forces and prepare. Or a year and a half by now.

"I've put thought into it," Weiss said. "If father will agree, I think I shall."

"Problem will be getting us both in," Whitley said. "Other schools might get upset if we both go to Vale. Especially Atlas Academy."

Hm. Politics again. The SDC were heavy donors to all the academies and it wasn't unusual for students to support their schools in the future. Or favour them in little ways. Given how wealthy they'd be in twenty or thirty years, it was understandable schools would vie for their patronage. Understandable, but disappointing. They should have been free to make their own decisions.

 _Not like I'm doing any different, is it? Trying to influence them to come here._

"Talk to Winter," he suggested. "Your sister is a lot savvier on stuff like than I am."

"What about you, sir?" Whitley asked. "Will you be joining Beacon?"

"Ha? I think I'm a little old for that."

"He meant as a teacher," Weiss said. "There's no question you could qualify for one, and the headmaster already has a proclivity toward you."

Proclivity? Had Weiss been eating the thesaurus again? Still, him joining Beacon? It was definitely an option. And an interesting idea. That was all it was, though. Working at Beacon would keep him busy far too much, and he had some glowing hand nonsense to figure out.

"Afraid not. I'll be staying here to run the ASH Gym. But you're all welcome to come down for training. I might make a class for older and more advanced students. It'd give some examples for the newer ones to learn from."

"I'll come," Emerald promised immediately.

"Only if you want to."

"I'll come," she said again, this time shooting him a little glare. "I want to."

"Alright." He'd see what she said in two years. Growing up, making friends and working her heart out in Beacon – it would sap her much like it had him. By the time the weekends came around, more training was the last thing on your mind. "Enough about the future. Who wants some hot chocolate fudge cake and ice cream?"

"Me!"

"I would not say no."

"You're the best, Mr Ashari!"

/-/

" _Oobleck speaking."_

"Bartholomew!" Jaune `boomed` in his best approximation of a Professor Port voice. "It's me, Henry. How are things going?"

" _Ah. Mr Waters-Brown. Did you receive my message?"_

"I did. I did. You said you had something more for me – something to do with the murals I sent you." Jaune reclined on a chair in his office. Emerald was keeping Weiss and Whitley busy playing games in her room. He knew she'd warn him if they were to come close. "My apologies for not getting in touch sooner. It's been a busy week for me."

" _That's fine. Do you have a terminal close to hand? I can send you some files over."_

"I can do. Give me a moment."

The desk in the library had a terminal built into it. He activated it, powered it up and sent the details across to Oobleck. Not two minutes later a mail pinged through, including with it numerous image attachments. Jaune opened one and leaned forward, seeing a section of the mural wall with notes written all over it. Oobleck had been busy.

"I have them," he said. "What am I looking at?"

" _Deciphering the language has unfortunately hit a dead end. I don't have enough context to work with. That said, murals such as these are designed to be understood on their own. I've started to offer my hypothesis on what the mural represents."_

"And that is…?"

" _There are some possibilities. For one, this may be a myth or religious mural, in which case the details included might well be fiction. If they are not, however, then I think this could be quite the grand discovery. I think we may be looking at the first records of aura being unlocked in the human soul! Open image 3."_

Jaune did so. The image showed a section of the mural. The one in question showed the Relic of Knowledge in its lamp form, lines radiating from it like it was a sun. On the left of it, a figure knelt hunched and with hands over his head. On the right, the same figure was tall, back arched and face pointing upward, like he was floating.

Around it, red text read `ascension` `Strength` `Power` and finally `aura?`

" _I kept thinking of religious connotations thanks to the figure's pose, but I instead started to look at it more literally. The scenes before depict the fall of a city to monsters come from the ground – almost certainly Grimm. The scenes after show these taller figures fighting back said Grimm. If there is one thing that has allowed humanity to survive against our foe, it is aura. And no one knows where that comes from."_

"It's the soul, isn't it?"

" _That's what powers it as far as we can tell, but have we always had this power? And if so, who unlocked it first? How did we know to unlock it? Why does it need to be unlocked in the first place? Why aren't we born with active aura? There are so many questions, but scholars have always been thwarted by one thing; the lack of an origin point. Henry… this may be that point."_

The Relic of Knowledge didn't unlock aura, though. It granted knowledge.

But what if these ancient people had asked for a way to defeat the Grimm? What if the knowledge it had granted was how to unlock one's soul and use it as a weapon? If that were true and it let people fight the Grimm away, it would be easy to see why the people would worship the Relic of Knowledge. It had saved them.

Empowered them. Suddenly, the figures made sense.

"Those figures at the same person. It's someone being empowered by the Relic."

" _Relic…?"_

"Ah. Just my word for this strange item," Jaune blustered. "If it were found it would be a relic. Wouldn't it?"

" _Of course. Of course. Though it may be less an item and more a representation of something. Or even a person."_ It wasn't, but Oobleck was fine to think that. _"Either way, this `origin` of aura allowed the people to turn back the Grimm. The next mural is in image 4. It shows the figure stood raised above the others, crown and staff in hand and with four symbols floating above him."_

"I have it," he said. The four relics were giving off rays of light again and the people in the crowd, all of whom looked toward the one on the stage, were straight backed and tall. More than that, they perfectly matched the shape and style of the `empowered` figure from the mural before.

" _I think this shows the power play around aura. If we assume the symbols above the leading figure, who I've called the King due to his crown, represent the ability to unlock aura, then it's clear he kept shared such power among his faithful. They in turn came to worship him. Either as a deific figure or leader of great renown. It could be that the unlocking of aura was limited to a caste system or only given to those the King chose. That would explain the figure turned away."_

"Yes. The one turning his or her back on the King." That person was inked in blue rather than the shining gold of every other. It was darker. Murkier. Salem, perhaps? The person obviously disagreed with the King, even though they were `ascended` like the others. They had the same tall and powerful shape.

" _This one is obviously a traitor of some sort. The reason I believe aura was withheld from the masses is the next scene, which sees this traitor offering a hand to hunched human figures, similar to those before the unlocking of aura. It's obvious he – or she – offered to share this power with those people in exchange for loyalty. And quite understandably, those people were happy to rise up against the King who had denied it to them, thus the final scene."_

"Two armies of empowered people and two rulers."

And two relics, floating above each as the people crashed in the centre.

It was a civil war, then. This Kingdom had been the first to unlock aura – and probably Semblances, too – and those had been because of the Relics. Knowledge had given them the knowhow. Destruction might have given them power and Semblances. Creation and Choice, well, he had no idea on that front, but it was clear each of the Relics was important to the process.

Did aura and Semblances exist now because people were descended from this line? There was no mention of how the war ended but there had to be a victorious side. It wasn't like the battle would end with both armies killing each other to a man. Someone had survived to entomb the warrior placed in the cairn, and to chisel the mural onto the wall. That spoke of the continuation of a civilisation that chose to honour its dead.

" _This is exciting progress, Henry, I have to say. I don't doubt there will be those who doubt its validity, but it will still have the archaeological community on its feet. I dare say your name will go down in history for discovering it."_

"Ah. Yes." He didn't really care for that. "That might get in the way of me finding more, however. Would you mind shouldering that acclaim yourself, Bart?"

" _W-What? Henry, are you sure? To do so would be wrong…"_

"Not permanently. You can reveal my involvement later, or even keep me a mysterious backer for now. I just don't want to have my progress impeded while I look for more ruins."

" _I see."_ Oobleck sounded relieved, excited even. _"You intend to find more, then? I hope you'll share any scripture you find. The more I have, the easier a time I'll have forming a translation. In the meantime, I'll keep your name hidden, Henry. Just let me know when I can reveal it."_

"I shall. Thank you for your work, Bart. I shall speak to you soon."

" _You as well, Henry."_

The moment the call ended, he was moving. Down into the basement, locking the door behind him. He pushed the crates aside, opening the one he'd hidden the tome within. Dust covered the crate and contents, but the book remained startlingly clean. Removing his glove, he held his hand over it. The sigil on the back glowed off his skin.

The ancient civilisation – it must be where Ozpin and Salem were from. Those two were ancient and knew how to use the relics, much like the people in the murals did. Oobleck cottoned onto them unlocking aura, but what if it was more than that?

People had gotten used to aura and Semblances. They were an everyday part of life and no one raised an eyebrow when someone suddenly gained the ability to bench press a car or run faster than the eye could see. Even summoning circles like Weiss' glyphs were accepted. And yet when Ozpin revealed he had the power of magic, everyone freaked out.

Why? What was the difference between Qrow turning into a bird and Blake summoning clones of herself? They were both powers that changed the world around them. Both made no sense from a physics or biology point of view. Ruby's body should have crumpled under the force of her own movement and yet it never did. Semblances were as good as magic but never got called that. Because magic was stupid. Magic didn't exist.

Except that it did. Ozpin, Salem and the four maidens.

And maybe, just maybe, a whole race of people who could do the same a long time ago.

 _Aura might just be what was left over. Semblances just what the word says – a semblance of magic._ He slammed the book down atop another crate and pulled it open. The pages were indecipherable, the words alien. _Imagine that once upon a time Ozpin wasn't the only wizard. There were others like him, a whole city like him. People who could fight back the Grimm and who openly used four powerful Relics to shape the world around them._

Where those Relics had come from was another question. The Gods, maybe? Relics of their power? Whatever the case, these ancient people had used them much more freely than Ozpin did. They empowered themselves, hoarded that power and then caused a civil war, destroying themselves or at the very least crippling their civilisation to the point it splintered and became the Kingdoms of today, the knowledge eventually lost.

The Relics then went into hiding – except they didn't. Ozpin, an immortal who had lived from that age, chose to hide them.

"Was that to prevent another civil war? Power corrupts and he would have seen it happen the first time around. He couldn't trust anyone to keep them." The mural flashed back into his mind – the King stood upon the stage. "Was that Ozpin? Was he the King?"

No one else but he and Salem had been immortal. If the Relics could give that as well as magic and the rest, it made sense the person in charge of the Relics would use it on himself. And since Salem fit the dark figure who stole two and caused the war, she would have empowered herself as well. Maybe something went wrong with her usage of it, resulting in her appearance and Grimm nature.

Either way, Ozpin must have won the civil war, driven Salem away and taken the Relics, sealing them in vaults but still allowing people the use of aura and Semblances. They needed them against the Grimm. Magic, however, faded. Ozpin didn't let anyone learn it.

In time, people would have forgotten it existed and just accepted auras as normal. Part of everyday life. Semblances were the same and barely understood. But what they were, as the name suggested, was a semblance of a greater power people once wielded.

 _At least, that's the theory. Not sure if it holds water but it's as good as any…_

The tome he was looking through had been hidden as well, sealed behind a barrier only his sigil had been able to open. The sigil was given by Salem and was her eye symbol. Accident or design? The symbol might not be hers at all. It might just as easily be the emblem of the civilisation and Ozpin simply chose not to use it anymore.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was symbol of the Relics themselves…

What if those granted its power were marked in some way, and if that mark either granted or was a sign of the powers they'd been given? This wasn't his body. His body was in Ansel doing whatever his younger self was. His other was back in a different time, likely dead on the floor. This body was something constructed specifically by Salem using her magic. It was an object his soul had been pushed into. A vessel. In a way, he was like Penny.

In another weird way, he was like Salem's estranged son. The less thought on that the better. But if Salem had created him based on herself, then didn't it stand to reason his body more resembled that of these ancient people than modern man? He didn't _feel_ all that different, but people worked with what they knew. If Salem had to make him a body, she had to create it from scratch and based on a blueprint in her head.

Had she, without really meaning to, given him the same potential as these people?

"Can I use magic…?"

He found the page spilled with blood and touched his fingers to it. The sigil burned on his hand, shining front and back and illuminating the page. Unlike in the temple, there was no vision to assault him. No trance or words whispered into his ears.

The explosion that saved Hazel's life had come from his hand. He wasn't sure if that was magic or not but `random explosion` certainly wasn't normal. At the time, he'd wanted nothing more than to kill his enemy. Had he somehow tried to do that and caused the explosion? Curious, he held his hand out and pushed aura to it. It glowed faintly – not the sigil, but his hand itself. Aura could do that, manifesting if you saturated one part of your body. Pyrrha had shown it to him before.

Nothing else happened. The aura bled out like it always did until he let go and it naturally swept back through him, evening out over his body like blood. Aura might be fuel for magic, if such existed in him, but it obviously didn't control it. Emotions, then? He'd been high on those against Hazel.

 _I can't have my hand constantly farting explosions whenever I get angry. If I can't control this, it's less than useless._

Picking up the tome, he carried it upstairs. Even if he couldn't understand the language, he could put Oobleck's words to good use and try to decipher the meaning behind the images. A shame the two people who could help him wouldn't. Ozpin kept magic hidden for a reason and Salem would kill him the first chance she had.

"Guess I'm figuring this out on my own."

/-/

Another meeting with Ozpin came to a close. This one of a happier, more co-operative note than the usual. Jaune stood and reached over to shake the man's hand, carefully making sure it wasn't with the one prone to spontaneous combustion. On the table, forms for Emerald to join Beacon were filled in.

"Are you sure you don't want her fast-tracked? With her skill I dare say she could join next year."

"No. I want her in the same year as Yang."

"And I keep telling Summer and Taiyang that she is good enough to enter a year early as well!"

"Let kids be kids for a little longer," he said. "Besides, they'll only be even more prepared in a years' time."

"I suppose so with your training. I'll have this filed regardless. And I shall do right by young Emerald, believe me on that. Tyrian Callows will find himself a head shorter should he try to harm any of my students."

"Good to hear it. I'll be sticking around this time."

"Your days of wandering over at last?"

"Not quite. Just that I'll be doing those less and less often. And with the White Fang gone, I don't think I'll need to travel so much. I might do a few more tournaments, though. The kids enjoyed the one in Mistral. It was good experience for them, even if they lost."

The meeting hadn't only been about Emerald. They'd spoken on the White Fang, Hazel and Tyrian's actions, discussing their plans to keep an eye on Vale and also what had to be done to stop the White Fang rising again. Ozpin asked about Winter too, but he directed all questions to her. He'd taught her when she was younger. That didn't make him her keeper.

Of Tyrian, there was no sign – neither from Vale's law enforcement nor Qrow, who had taken to scouting the surrounding area from up above. It was the latter that convinced him Tyrian had well and truly pulled out. Fighting Summer in an ambush was one thing. Fighting him, Ozpin and Qrow all at once was another.

"Let me know if you do," Ozpin said. "I have an eye on a certain someone in the competition scene and I've been trying to draw her to Beacon for a while."

"Pyrrha?"

"You knew-? Ah, but she won your competition of course. Who else could I mean?" Ozpin chuckled. "Indeed, she is a talented young woman. I've had my eye on her for a while."

He'd never known. Not in this life or the last. Had Pyrrha been _invited_ to Vale? He shouldn't have been surprised, really. Pyrrha always said she came to Beacon to escape her fame, but the idea had to come from somewhere, and Ozpin obviously had a hand in scouting promising students. He'd done so directly with Ruby so why not with Pyrrha as well?

"Do you think you can?" he asked excitedly.

"I believe I can but try. I've appealed to her skill, promising the best tuition on Remnant."

"Aim for her humility," Jaune said. "Push the angle of friendship and bonds more."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "Something you know?"

"Emerald told me about her," he lied. "Said she looked lonely when she fought. That her heart wasn't in it. You know how people fighting can exchange more with their fists than words. It looked like she was… not burnt out, but not quite as passionate about it as she used to be. I also had the displeasure of meeting her father."

"Alexander Nikos. Yes, I do believe he tried to sue you."

"It never came through."

"It did, actually." Ozpin smirked. "The SDC batted it down. Threatened to send their legal teams to defend you thanks to your association with Miss Schnee. Alexander Nikos withdrew his complaint before it even reached Vale. I can see what you mean with him. It's not hard to imagine him pushing his daughter to success after success despite her feelings – and it can be lonely, always being on top. Thank you for the advice. I shall amend my tactics."

He wasn't sure if he should feel guilty for giving up Pyrrha's secrets or not. On the one hand she'd been somewhat ashamed of her weaknesses. On the other, he knew she'd be grateful for him securing her a place in Beacon where Team JNPR could be reformed. Young Jaune, Ren and Nora were already a thing. All that was necessary was for Pyrrha to do her thing.

"I'll leave you to it," he said, standing. "Please excuse me. I'd best find Em."

The elevator dinged down and Jaune stepped out into the main foyer. Sometimes the hardest part about it was not acting like he knew the way. Every corridor was familiar to him. Beacon had been a home away from home.

"Mr Ashari." Glynda stepped forward with Emerald beside her. "Excellent timing. We just concluded the tour."

"Lucky on my part." He ruffled Emerald's hair. "Like what you saw?"

Emerald nodded, standing against his side. "I like the library."

"You would."

Of course, she'd have received the full open evening treatment, being taken to see the cafeteria, main hall, library, classrooms and sparring arenas. It was all pre-emptive but there was no way Em was going to fail to get in or be knocked out during initiation. Not with what he was teaching her.

"It's all sorted and signed," he told Emerald as they prepared to leave. "You can change your mind and all, but as of now you're registered to attend Beacon in two years."

"With Yang?"

"Yes, Em, with Yang. No promises you'll get on a team together, though."

"We will," Emerald said with the kind of certainty that made him think she didn't intend to leave it to chance. "We have a plan."

"Ha. I'll leave it to you, then."

It was still mostly light out and a Bullhead was waiting for them a small distance from the school. As they approached it, a sudden `caw` from nearby caught his attention. A Nevermore was perched on a low branch on the edge of the schoolground. It saw him, flapped its wings and cawed again. Strangely, it didn't attack.

 _Never seen a Grimm try and catch someone's attention before._ He held a hand on Emerald's shoulder and whispered for her to stay where she was. He eyed the bullhead pilot. Not someone he recognised as being against them. Even so, he kept his attention split between the pilot and the Grimm, ready to react to either if they tried to make a play for Emerald.

The pilot did nothing. He was reading a magazine in the cockpit. The Nevermore sounded out to him again, flapping its wings and letting him see a shock of white against its chest. It wasn't bone. Nevermore, like birds, couldn't afford the extra weight.

It was as if something was stuck to its chest.

 _Is that an envelope?_

The Nevermore stopped flapping when he came close. Cautiously, he held out an arm, his hand on his weapon. When the thing hopped down, he tensed and pushed all his aura to the front of his body. Amazingly, it didn't try to attack him. Even more amazingly, there was a letter stuck to its breast. He peeled it off and pushed his arm up. The thing took off into the trees, disappearing away.

On the envelope, his name stood on the front. The back contained a wax deal with a vertical eye-like image burned into it, spokes of a compass on three points. The same sigil that was stamped onto the back of his left hand. A pale light emanated out from under his glove.

It didn't take a genius to figure out who could use Nevermore as messenger pigeons.

* * *

 **That's right.**

 **It's Oscar!**

 **No, wait, my notes say it's Salem. Never mind. False alarm.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 7** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	73. Chapter 73

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 73**

* * *

He waited until he was safely home before even thinking about opening the letter. It wasn't out of fear of a trap or poison – such thoughts didn't cross his mind until he'd slipped a butter knife under the envelope and cut the seal, and by that point it was far too late. It was because he was too afraid of someone seeing the seal on the back and recognising it. Luckily, no one had, and doubly luckily, there was no poison or traps inside. Just a neatly folded letter that he opened to reveal legible and elegant script written by a steady hand. A hand he was sure was not Salem's.

Would she even know their language? What use would she have of learning it, and where could she? Much like him trying to understand hers, she would need to study their own. That couldn't be worth it when all she wanted was to destroy them.

Then again, magic could be the catch-all solution.

He hated how little he knew about that.

Folding the paper out flat on the bedroom table, he leaned over and began reading, trusting in Emerald and the Schnee siblings to be safely in bed.

 _Dear Relic,_

Relic? He sat up and blinked. Relic could mean many things and he didn't want to jump to the first conclusion. If he'd literally become a Relic or been made from one, then Ozpin would have known straight away. The Relic of Knowledge was still whole in this world; he'd seen and touched it. The others ought to be the same.

There was no way she meant to imply he was one of the _four Relics_. She meant the term in another way.

Humming, he read on.

 _Dear Relic,_

 _I hope you will forgive the impromptu method of reaching you. Circumstances are yet to permit an extension of Vale's postal service within my realm, and while I might have had this inserted into it, I expect both you and I would prefer it if a certain meddling wizard were not to learn of our communique._

Again, he had to stop, though this time to laugh. He'd never expected Salem to have a sense of humour. Then again, they only ever tried to kill one another. The last bit was interesting, however. Was she implying that post into and out of Vale was watched by Ozpin? That seemed overly paranoid, even for him.

Perhaps certain names were watched for. Or symbols. Or perhaps she simply meant there was a chance the mail would be seen by Ozpin if it wasn't handled discretely. He supposed he'd never have a chance to find out because there wasn't a return address anywhere on it.

 _You have caught my attention not only with your actions of the last year, but also the improbability of your existence. I might once have said impossibility, but your presence proves that false. You, who are a relic of an age long past, walk among the humans who are but a remnant of those that came before. And what is more, you wear their name freely._

 _It is little wonder Ozma has taken such interest in you._

A relic of an age long past? Improbability?

Did she know about his time travel? She was the one who did it in the first place, so she had to know she had the power. Maybe she had figured it out and narrowed down the options, somehow managing to decipher that a future version of her had sent him back. It was farfetched but who was he to know how she thought?

 _I had wondered for a while why you chose not to seek me out. For the longest time I thought you one of his. I see now that I was mistaken, or rather that I did not have the full picture. You have my apologies, however little those matter to one such as you. You have no loyalty to me and none to him, I imagine, but convenience dictates you act as you must._

 _The truth seems simple now. It is not arrogance that guides you, nor disobedience. It is ignorance._

 _You know not of what you are; of what you once were. Hence, you seek the temples of old, the knowledge of the past – and so you met with Tyrian outside one. I had thought you thief and desecrator, but I see now that you are scholar and explorer. Allow me a moment to impart some advice. Inform not Ozma of your intent. He sealed such knowledge away for a reason he considers most important._

 _He will kill to protect it._

"Advice from you of all people." He wanted to ignore it on principle but when she was right, she was right. He couldn't dismiss it just because he disliked the source. "That said, how can she be so wrong about everything else? Explorer? Scholar?"

She knew he'd been at the temples from Tyrian, who faced him there, but did she know already of the one before? How? And why? There was no Relic at either of them. He knew that. They shouldn't have been a concern for her in any capacity other than a way to find and capture him.

And to know his reason, or to have an idea of what he was searching for…?

She was not wrong there.

 _You must seek understanding. I would share it with you, but how could you trust that which I tell you? Why would you trust me when I have sought conflict with you? The only way you shall believe is if you unearth the truth with your own eyes._

Again, she wasn't wrong. If she'd given him the locations of temples, he'd never go near them. The chance of an ambush was just too high. He needed to know what was happening with his hand but there were limits and walking into an ambush was where he drew the line.

 _Know that you are on the right track, albeit playing with fire. You wear your allegiance too closely and that draws attention. As a gesture of good faith, and to provide you an opportunity to learn, I have instructed my followers to cease their pursuit of you._

 _While I am aware you cannot trust my word on that, you will know in the fullness of time that I speak the truth._

"In the fullness of time…"

There was no way he up and believed her. She knew that and so did he. Even if she offered him peace, he'd prepare for war. That said, was she honest about it? Only time would tell, which was pretty much what she'd said.

 _Broaden your horizons, seek our more temples and learn from what you have taken. The answers are there, if you would have the courage and the determination to reach for them._

 _Remember that you are a relic of a time that once was, as am I and as is He. Your blood does not lie._

 _Choose your side in the coming conflict carefully,_

 _Regards,_

 _Salem, Queen of the Ashari_

"Ashari…"

Queen. The murals. The Relics. Salem didn't think him a Relic or a time traveller – she thought him a relic from _her_ era, from the era of the murals, a time where she and Ozpin had lived. She thought him a survivor. Or a descendant. Most likely the latter.

And why not? He could open the temples. He had her symbol, or what he was quickly realising wasn't hers at all. It was the symbol of the civilisation she and Ozpin had once been a part of. A civilisation which, according to her letter, were called the Ashari.

"I named myself after a dead civilisation," he said, groaning and letting his face fall into his hand. "No wonder Ozpin got paranoid. I might as well be running around calling myself Jaune Salem Arc. Bloody hell."

The Del'Ashari were the tribe – and he'd bet Crocea Mors that `Del'` meant something. Descendant. Formerly of. Children of. Something like that. They referenced their past, but they didn't mean it literally, whereas his name all but shouted the fact. Ozpin picked up on that and so did Salem.

"Just my luck. For once, I'd love something to go wrong because of me _knowingly_ doing something."

Too late to change anything. Ozpin was slowly coming to trust him and Salem, if she could be believed – which was a big fat no – was offering him a ceasefire. He'd take it, even if he wouldn't trust or disarm for it. If he could buy time until Emerald got into Beacon, she'd at least be safe.

Nothing about his hand, though. Then again, what did he expect?

"Really starting to wish I saved Jinn for this." He laid the letter flat and stared down at it. "Okay. Queen of the Ashari, which I've either become or been turned into because Salem made this body." As a test he took out his hand and held it over the page. It was still glowing as it had since he'd caused that explosion, but the glow didn't become any brighter for being near the paper. He wasn't sure what he expected there.

If he was now `of the Ashari` then Salem was right in a way; he was a relic of the past. Not a _Relic_ , but a relic of a dead era. Salem referred to herself and Ozpin as being the same – understandable since that must have been the civilisation they were born to. And likely where they got their powers of immortality.

And it fell, seemingly to civil war.

No. The civil war couldn't have ended it, or no one would have been around to write murals about it. The war ended but the civilisation kept going in one state or another. It could have been in decline, however. Slowly dying and unable to keep itself going. Again, the lack of knowledge was the problem.

 _I've got a book on it downstairs. I just need someone to translate it for me._

Did he dare try and give the book to a Nevermore? Not really. He doubted Salem cared about it since she'd know anything in it, but he also doubted she'd spend the time translating it for him. They were still enemies and if his hand blew him up, she'd be fine with that. Where else was he going to find someone who could speak a dead language? All the Ashari were dead or immortal.

Although, their children were still alive. Weren't they?

The Del'Ashari.

/-/

Having a direction wasn't the same as being able to walk it. He'd just gotten back from Mistral, had a meeting with Atlas in a week or two and had to come back and take care of the ASH Gym, not to mention look after Emerald, make sure Weiss and Whitley were safe from any angry White Fang death throes and basically settle back into his life. He couldn't go running off to Vacuo now of all times.

But he could send out letters and hope for a meeting. A wandering tribe had no fixed address, but he knew they'd stop in Vacuo eventually, and so sent a letter to the one person who owed him a big enough favour to find the Del'Ashari for him.

He sent a letter to Rashem, his `business` partner in RTE, and the humble merchant he'd sold a scroll nearly fifteen years ahead of its time to, thus changing the future of telecommunications and bringing Remnant into a golden age of scroll technology.

It was one of the only things he'd done right, and he hadn't even meant to.

His first few days back were spent whipping the ASH Gym back into shape. His absence had been missed by some, and while he quickly reminded them why they should be happy to have Taiyang in charge, he knew he couldn't keep running off. Besides, he had Nora and Ren in the group now as well, brought to the Gym by Ozpin himself, who still seemed determined Nora was the Spring Maiden.

She had the energy for it, quickly rising to the top of the sprints and keeping up with Emerald, Coco and Yang, though not Vernal, who continued to leave everyone in the dust and remind them of that every chance she had. Poor Ren, though. He wasn't nearly as fit and staggered over the line lingering at the back of the pack.

 _He always seemed so in control to me. Then again, how weak was I when I started Beacon? I didn't know my ass from my elbow, let alone have the stamina to run like this._ He'd get better, of course. He'd have to if he didn't want to pass out.

From there, spars continued as normal and life persisted, as it tended to. There was no sign from Tyrian or his lot for the first few days, and that didn't change as the week rolled by. Whitley and Weiss found their groove again, cheered up now that Winter was confirmed safe. He took them to the CCT both to talk to her and to get a tour of Beacon by Professor Port.

Jaune talked to Summer, set schemes in motion with Junior and even found time to drink with Taiyang and Qrow. All while keeping a close eye on the girls playing nearby, of course. They were all on edge since Tyrian's attack.

"Glad you finally decided to let her go to Beacon," Taiyang said. "Yang was moaning about it for long enough. Ruby, too, since she's going to be interning there as well."

"I didn't realise it was such a big deal."

Emerald said something that had Yang laughing. Apparently, it wasn't the right response because Ruby and Emerald shared a look and a nod. Yang didn't notice Ruby sneaking behind her until Emerald gave a little push, tumbling Yang over her little sister's back. They collapsed in a heap and Emerald quickly grabbed a cushion off the couch and tried to smother Yang with it.

Adorable. In a messy and `I'm glad this isn't my house they're tearing up` kind of way.

"Things like that are always big deals for kids. You know how it is, they make a friend and want to stick with them forever. It's hard to imagine being apart at that age."

"Hm."

Had he been the same with his team? Sort of. It was more Ruby, Ren and Nora after, since there had never been a question of Team JNPR splitting up once they were already at Beacon. After that, though? Well, things changed. With Pyrrha gone, he'd become aware of just how tenuous every friendship could be. People could die in a flash.

"Ozpin will look after them," Taiyang said. "Summer, too. Did you know she's becoming a teacher?"

He hadn't. "At Beacon!?"

"Yeah. She just got her-"

"TAIYANG XIAO-LONG!" Summer stomped back from the kitchen with a glass of wine and precisely no chills. "Did you just ruin my big surprise!?"

"Ah. Oops?"

Summer sighed and plopped down. When Tai tried to snake a hand behind her back, she slapped it away with a pout. Taiyang echoed it while Qrow laughed himself hoarse in another seat. Jaune sipped his own drink to hide his smile.

"So," he said. "Beacon?"

"I was _going_ to announce it as a surprise. Of course, someone had to ruin that for me." Summer paused to let Taiyang sink into his seat. "But yes, I have decided to start teaching at Beacon. And Ozpin was kind enough to allow me the opportunity, subject to passing some exams."

"Which she did," Taiyang boasted.

"Ahem. Is this my story or yours?"

"Sorry, dear…"

Poor Tai. Jaune knew the reason he was so eager was because he was proud of his wife's accomplishments and wanted to shout them far and wide. Despite how they may have looked, Taiyang was more like Ruby in terms of personality.

"I passed those exams recently," she went on. "I got the news last night and an offer of employment for year after next."

"Congratulations. You'll be starting in Yang and Emerald's year, then?"

"Yes. I'd have started next year but with Tai working Signal and me Beacon, there'd be no one to keep an eye on them. I know Yang will be sixteen and more than smart enough to look after herself and Ruby, but I worry, especially with what happened recently."

"Yeah. Holding off a year isn't a bad idea. So long as you can afford it."

"We can," Taiyang said. "This is a decision we made together." He tried to hook an arm around her again and this time she allowed it. "Team STRQ isn't going on hunts as much together. With Raven gone and Qrow mostly doing reconnaissance for Ozpin, and either me or Summer having to stay for the kids, it was getting dangerous."

"I would have died the last time if it wasn't for you," Summer said. "That opened my eyes a little. Made me realise things aren't as simple as they were back in Beacon." She sighed and leaned on her husband's shoulder, watching Yang fight Em and Ruby off, then tackle them back in turn. Ruby squealed, as ticklish as ever. "I have people who I'd be leaving behind if I croaked. I guess that frightens me a lot more than it used to."

Jaune tried not to wince. "A near death experience will do that to you."

"Yep. We decided we don't want that anymore. I've been hunting for almost twenty years now. Maybe it's time to think of the next generation."

Summer in Beacon. He'd never thought of it but now that he did, he couldn't help but like it. She'd be safe there, and what's more she could look after Em, Yang and Ruby and train them to be stronger than ever. And if Salem did attack, that would be one more defender capable of holding off the Grimm. With Summer's silver eyes, she'd be stronger than any normal huntress.

More than that, she'd be alive. Ruby and Yang wouldn't have to worry about growing up without a mother. If anything, their biggest worries would be her embarrassing them in front of their peers. He laughed to himself.

 _Somehow, I don't think they'd mind all that much._

"To Professor Rose," he said, raising his bottle.

"Long may she detention!" Qrow echoed.

"Cheers!" Taiyang quipped. "And cheers to her coming home as a sexy schoolteacher."

"You're such idiots," Summer giggled, digging an elbow into Tai's side and raising her own glass. "Cheers!"

/-/

"There's the man of the day."

Roman was blitzed. Neo was, too, despite ostensibly being only a year older than Em and very much below the legal age. Not that he expected that to stop her. She looked up from her couch and saluted him with a can of beer.

Jaune nodded back, "Enjoying your holiday?"

"It's not really a holiday if it's recovering from an injury, is it?" Roman cackled and then winced, holding his side as phantom pains returned. "Shit, that hurts. I take it you don't mind if I stay seated, boss. Ribs are a little sore."

"You don't have to stand for me." Jaune took a seat of his own. "Did the transfer go through?"

"Sure did. A crisp half a million." He whistled appreciatively. "If I expected to get paid that much, I'd have run in to rescue her sooner."

"It's a small price to pay. And I _always_ reward those who show loyalty." He accepted a drink and cracked it open. "You did well – both of you. I won't forget that." He was laying it on thick, but he wanted to impress on the fact he wasn't Cinder.

"Got another job for us?"

"Soon. Take some time off for now to relax. I have some small assurances we won't be seeing Tyrian Callows again. At least for a year or two."

"Good." Roman sighed. "No offence, boss, but that man was out of our league. He trashed both of us and would have killed us if not for that huntress stepping in. I don't know what kind of enemies you're making, but this is getting to be more than I signed up for."

"You won't be expected to face him. He was an anomaly."

"Yeah?" Roman watched him carefully and relaxed a little, seeing he was telling the truth. "That's good then. What's this job you want us on?"

"It won't just be you. I think it's time to put a stop to the other criminal families. With Tyrian busy and Cinder under my eye, now is the best chance we'll get to consolidate the underworld under one banner."

"Hm." Roman sipped at his drink. "And then what?"

Despite the alcohol Roman's tone carried a certain edge to it. Jaune knew why. The man hadn't gotten where he was by being naïve or trusting, and a tool was only useful so long as you had need of it. You threw it away after.

"I've no interest in running the day to day aspects," Jaune said. "I have my own cover to keep, and you know what that is so you can see how little spare time I have." He waited for Roman to hum in agreement. "As such, I'll need others to run the underworld for me. I was thinking that could be you and Junior. Preferably working together and not at each other's throats," he added. "I don't want this thing splitting in two once I force it together."

"I can work with Hei. We get on. I'm just having a little trouble understanding – and believing – why you'd be willing to give up all that power after spending so much on acquiring it."

Calling him out like that? It wasn't a bad thing, he supposed. It meant Roman trusted his importance enough to ask questions, which he'd never have done with Cinder. "I'll still have the power. I'm putting you and Junior in charge, not stepping down entirely. I'll expect you to assist me when I call on you."

"Hmm. And the money?"

"Less interested in that. I have finances. I want the underworld for other things, mostly information, power and – more important than even that – the ability to stop my enemies getting hold of it."

"To stop…?" Roman stared at him. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly."

"That… snrk…" Roman tossed his head back and roared with laughter. "Oh damn! Oh man, that's amazing. You terrified Hei, forced me and Roman into service, started a minor gang war and now want to usurp the entire underworld to your control – ha ha – and it's all because you're afraid _someone else_ would do it first if you didn't?"

"Pretty much."

"You paranoid mother fucker! I love it. I actually love it."

Well, it wasn't paranoia if he knew it happened the last time, was it? To Roman, it probably seemed that. "To be fair, you've met my enemies."

"We have. Guess I wouldn't put it past them."

"I know why you're worried, Roman. You think I'll use you and throw you away." It was dangerous to admit he knew – because at that point Roman might think he knew and was trying to mitigate the damage – but at the same time, Roman was too paranoid not to see that anyway. "I won't. I don't know a damn thing about running a criminal underworld. I'm the muscle and the money here. I can plan how to take the families down, but picking up the pieces afterward? That's not my speciality. I _need_ people who know how to do things. And I need those people loyal to me, hence how I'm not browbeating or threatening you every ten minutes. You helped protect Emerald and I rewarded you. That's how our relationship works."

Roman's smile fell, along with the drunkenness. It had probably all been an act. "I wouldn't say no to an arrangement like that, but what kind of underworld am I running? I know you're not a crook, Ashari. Not like us. You can't `fix` the underworld by taking it over. That's not how it works."

"I know. You can keep doing what you need to."

"Drugs?"

"If I ordered you not to, someone else would fill the gap," Jaune said. "I can't stop being getting addicted or being tempted. We might as well be in control of it. I'll just ask you to focus on quality and not put anything likely to kill people out there."

"Protection rings?"

"As long as you follow through on the protection."

"Hustling?"

"A certain degree of crime is expected in a city. I can't stop that."

"Prostitution?"

"As long as it's not forced. And no trafficking. I draw a line there."

"Fair enough." Roman leaned back. Neo did, too. "Not as bad as I expected, all things considered. You stick to your word on that and we will on ours. Be fools not to at this point. I expect autonomy once I'm in command, though. I'll work for you, but I don't do best constantly being monitored and forced on jobs."

"As long as you keep control and stay loyal to me, I'll leave you to run everything on your own."

"Ha." Roman leaned forward and extended a hand. "You've got yourself a deal."

Jaune shook it.

/-/

As one week blended into two, there was no reaction from Salem and Tyrian, nor even from Cinder who continued to act – or be, there was no guarantee Salem even recruited her – a model student in the ASH Gym. He kept his guard up as best he could, but there was no denying he began to relax a little. Vale was safer than being out in the wilds, and though there _had_ been some incidents with remnants of the White Fang in Mistral and Atlas, in Vale it was limited to angry protests on the streets and some human supremacist attacks on faunus, which Ozpin stepped down on hard.

He'd stepped in to protect a faunus or two as well, whenever he had the chance, and he made sure to do a speech to the students in the Gym on how animal features didn't make someone a terrorist any more than blue eyes made them a murderer. Choice mattered. Most of them seemed to get that, or maybe they were too exhausted to argue. Either way, there hadn't been any problems between students that he knew of, and Emerald and Whitley assured him the women and men's changing rooms respectively had no fights going on in secret.

In a weird way, Vernal helped, standing up and saying that no one had the right to cause shit over being a faunus if they couldn't even find the balls to fight her. She'd then challenged every single person there to a fight to prove it.

He wasn't sure she really cared about racism. She just wanted to fight.

Eh. It worked out.

When the second week rolled around, however, the prospect of Atlas and the SDC approached, and soon a venue was chosen, and time arranged. It wasn't to be as fancy or exploitative as the last, which had been more to show business ties than thanks. He was free to bring who he wanted and made sure to invite the Rose-Xiao-Long family along with Qrow, Ozpin and Glynda. He texted Raven and invite as well but didn't receive a reply. He doubted she'd be there. He mostly wanted Yang and Ruby along to give Emerald someone to talk to through what would otherwise be another boring dinner.

Winter arrived a full day before.

"Weiss. Whitley." She strode forward and embraced the two of them. An unusual display of emotion for a Schnee, but then she'd changed from her past incarnation. Partly from training under him, partly from not having so poor a relationship with her father. "It's good to see you both safe and sound and looking more confident than ever." She smiled at them both. "Being away from home has been good for you."

"Good for their waistlines at any rate," Jaune teased. "They certainly ate a lot of cake, pizza and sweets." He stepped up as Winter let her siblings go. "You'll have to make sure they don't cause the Bullhead to crash on the way back."

"We didn't eat _that many_ …" Weiss complained.

"I see." Winter's eyes met his and she smirked. "I will need to run them through a cardio session once we return."

Judging from their horrified expressions Winter had learned well from him on how important cardio was. Those two were used to the ASH Gym yet still looked horrified. Ah. Was that pride he felt? Quite possibly.

He and Winter met, and she pointedly ignored his hand to lean in and kiss him softly on the lips.

Short, soft – _warm_. A better man than he would have reacted in time to make something of it, but he stood there like the idiot he was, eyes wide and lips only moving as she was pulling back. Far from being offended, she appeared amused. She had to know she'd surprised him.

"Thank you for protecting them."

"A-Ah. It was nothing." Two lifetimes and he still had no idea how to react. He wanted to wipe his lips since he could still taste her, but that seemed like it might be offensive. It hadn't been a bad enough feeling for him to want to be rid of it. "So," he stammered. "Dinner tomorrow. You staying over tonight?"

"Yes. Though I need to book a hotel."

"There's no need. You can stay with us."

"Perfect. I accept."

It took him a second to realise that had been her plan all along. Since when did Winter _forget_ to book a hotel in advance? Was she trying to put him off balance with such a display as well? He didn't fail to notice Whitley and Weiss watching him with less-than-innocent smiles. Brats. Emerald… well, Emerald didn't look too angry. That was a good sign.

"Shall we go then? I can do some takeout. If that's not too pedestrian, I mean."

"I worked as a Specialist, Jaune. I am used to meals in the mess. Take out sounds divine."

/-/

One big meal later and in the warmth of his home, Winter and the children were sat around the table with content smiles and, in the case of Whitley and Emerald, evidence of chocolate around their mouths. Mistralian had been the course of the day. He suggested Vacuan, enjoying the spicy food, but Emerald pointed out they had it yesterday. It reminded him he hadn't been doing much cooking since coming back from Mistral.

 _Can't live on takeout forever, though. I need to get back into the swing of things._

Considering the kids wouldn't have much longer to play – unless they went to Beacon together – he told them to go off and play games and let him deal with the cartons and mess tomorrow morning. They agreed, taking soda out the fridge and hurrying off upstairs.

"They get along well," Winter said. "I'm surprised, but also relieved."

"Same. Would have been awkward if they didn't with them staying here…"

"That's not quite the reason I meant," she said, watching him. "But it's a fair point. Emerald is a good girl. I knew she'd be upset having them intrude, but even in Atlas she was never a cruel person. Protective and a little jealous of anyone taking your time, but never cruel."

"She's eased out a lot since then. I still remember her glaring whenever you came to train."

Winter smiled. "Me too. Those were good days."

"Feels like a long time ago."

"Hm." Winter hummed her agreement. "Time flies. We are both older. Myself, especially."

He felt like pointing out they'd both grown the exact same number of years, that was how time worked, but he knew what she meant. She'd been a teenager at the time and was now a young adult. She'd grown inches, both in height and outward, into a woman. The only thing he'd grown was hair and beard.

"James told me about you keeping the White Fang to the SDC. And the reasons behind it. It's a good decision. I'm glad you cared to look after them."

"The idea wasn't entirely my own," she admitted. "Adam raised his fear of Atlas reprisal on the captured members, some of which he told me had committed few crimes. I'll be keeping them away until Atlas agrees to charge them for the crimes they _have_ committed and not just convict them all to life imprisonment."

"And if they don't?"

"I will deal with it myself. Some, I may even recruit into my own forces."

That wouldn't go down well with Atlas, but that was the point. Just hearing that would prompt them to move their asses out of fear of losing the prisoners. And they couldn't try and force Winter to do anything considering her importance. The SDC had the resources and influence to cross their arms, dig their heels in and outright refuse the Kingdom of Atlas. It was a dangerous play, but dust was in demand across the world. Any other Kingdom would offer concessions to have the SDC come live, work and pay taxes in their region.

"Sounds like you have everything in order. I knew you would." He chuckled. "You always were smarter than me at this kind of thing."

"You sell yourself short. You trained me."

"I trained you to fight and survive, and to think outside the box a little. Everything else is you."

"You still had an impact," she said. "I wouldn't be the woman I am today without you."

In a way, she was right. Winter would have made it on her own easily enough, but she'd be different – and he wasn't sure that different was a good thing. Weiss seemed happier this way, as did Whitley and even Jacques.

"You put in the hard work, but this argument could go on for hours. I thought I told you to hide my involvement with the White Fang? Atlas is giving me a medal. That's hardly subtle."

"I tried, Jaune. They saw through it – and some of my men talked. I couldn't suppress everything. It was all I could do to drag your involvement down to being _with_ me during the attack and not doing everything on your own. I asked father to play our input up more to the press. As they believe it, you and I charged in side by side."

"I guess that's better than the alternative."

"Yes. And it's quite the nice narrative, don't you think?"

"Student and teacher fighting together?"

Winter shuffled beside him. "I was thinking in a different way. You're not my teacher anymore, Jaune. You haven't been for years. I've grown up and I think it's time you started to pay attention to that."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to suggest you were weak."

"That's not…" Winter sighed and looked away. "That wasn't what I meant. I…" Another sigh, this one even harsher. "The meeting," she said, "Tomorrow. There are things to be discussed ahead of time, opportunities that… I… we, that is to say the SDC…" She trailed off. "That _I_ ," she corrected, "would see made available."

Jaune struggled to follow what she was saying. "Your father plans something?"

"In a sense." She didn't meet his eyes. "The White Fang declared war not on Atlas but on the SDC. They were trying to kill us, and by dealing with them you've done the SDC a boon greater than any other in history."

"I didn't do it to win favours, Winter."

"I know. Father knows. But that doesn't change the fact you've won them."

"Right, so Jacques feels he owes me and wants to give me something?"

Winter swallowed. "Yes."

"What? Money, land... a position in the company?"

"Not quite. Although all three would come as a part of it. In a sense…" Winter's hands were gripped together in her lap. She took a deep breath and blurted out, "He would like to tie the Schnee and Ashari families together." A pause. Winter stood suddenly, looking the other way. "Through us."

"Tie together…?" His brain clicked into place. "Marriage!?" He laughed, looking up to her. The thought was so random, so out there, that he wasn't sure what to think. "He's offering your hand in marriage. Why would he-?" No, it was Jacques. No more was needed. Jaune groaned and brought a hand over his face. "Did he even ask if you _wanted_ such a thing!? Did he care for your opinion at all?"

"He did."

"And he's still pushing it even after you said no? Why?"

"I might not have said no."

His brain fizzled. "What?"

Winter turned to him, face set with fear and determination.

Slowly, she got down on one knee.

* * *

 **Yep. That happened.**

 **And no, this isn't some cock-tease "lol, she was just tying her shoelaces" next chapter. Winter just proposed. Yes, Jaune got proposed** _ **to**_ **instead of doing it himself. Let's be honest, this was probably how Pyrrha was going to have to do it anyway, and Jaune rocked that dress at the dance, so eh. Go for it.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	74. Chapter 74

**Well, I'm animal and house sitting for my parents again while they go on holiday. Weaker internet, laptop time and plenty of animals to feed and look after. Kali, my dog, has become absolutely obsessed with my father's koi pond. Just lays there staring for hours.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 74**

* * *

"Will you marry me?"

The words bounced around in his skull. His eyes were locked onto Winter, on one knee, shoulder bent, one hand offering up a small velvet box with a ring inside. It was simple. Practical. A golden band wrapped around a white diamond that was small and not too ostentatious. It wouldn't get in the way or come off in a fight. It was both a perfect representation of Winter and the exact opposite of a Schnee, who was supposed to be flashy and show off their wealth.

More than anything, that told him Winter had selected it. Which meant she'd put thought into it, planned it, _wanted_ to do it. She wouldn't be pushed around by Jacques and he wouldn't have purchased something like this.

As shock ran through him, he realised his silence might mean something – and that she was waiting for an answer.

"I…"

Nothing came. He knew he needed an answer but not what to say. He hadn't thought she- No, that was a lie. He'd known she was developing feelings for him. She'd made that clear with numerous kisses now, not to mention her requests he treat her more like an adult. She'd grown from the child he once trained. That was more than apparent.

And yet again, he had no answer for her.

"I… I don't know what to say."

"I had hoped it would be _yes_." Winter's voice was quiet. Tense. Her eyes were on the floor now and he could see her withdrawing a little. "But _no_ is also fine. I would not want to force a loveless marriage."

"It's not that!" he said quickly. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. "It's… I just… Why me?"

"Would you like the practical answer or the simple one?"

"Either."

"Because I believe I love you."

He licked his lips, mouth suddenly very dry. "You believe?"

"Who can say for sure what love is? My heart doesn't race and I don't swoon at your presence, but my eyes are always drawn to you and I like what I see. I find myself wanting to spend more time around you and… and more intimately than in spars." Her cheeks warmed up and her shoulders hunched defensively. "I'm aware this may be attraction or something else, but I also respect you as a person, value your opinion and trust you more than anyone else in this world. I want to be with you and I can't think of myself with anyone else." Winter looked up. "Is that not love?"

Jaune swallowed. It sounded like it. Or as close as one could get. He shouldn't have expected long and flowing confessions from Winter of all people, of course she wasn't going to say he was her everything. That kind of love belonged in a fairy tail. Or between teenagers who didn't know better. That was the kind of thing he felt for Weiss, long before he realised it was a crush bordering more on obsession than any real love.

If Winter had felt that this would have been so much easier.

"M-Most people would start with dating," he said, "Just to see if it works."

"I would like to do that, but I am not most people." Winter sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm Winter Schnee, heiress to the SDC. My life is public knowledge and as such, my options for dating are limited. If I were to try, you would be hounded by the media. This is the only real way to do this. Though, it need not be immediate. An engagement period is normal – I wanted to propose a year, maybe even two. That would be a period for us to see if this works. We could-" She cut herself off. "I'm waffling. My apologies."

A sign of her nervousness no doubt – and he wasn't exactly helping matters there.

Did he love Winter?

Yes. In a sense. He loved her as a person, and not just as his student. He wouldn't have felt safe taking Vernal into a battle with him despite her skill, but he'd trust Winter to have his back. He also trusted her to deal with the White Fang on her own, and to cover herself with these new prisoners of hers. The faith he had in her went beyond that of a student.

But did it reach far enough for a wife?

"I have enemies."

"As do I. Less dangerous than yours, of course, though it seems yours have decided I'm an avenue to reach you anyway." That was true. Hazel and the White Fang used Winter to reach him, so the excuse of her being in danger was fairly empty. "I know your enemies, Jaune. You told me of them yourself. Salem and those beneath her. Your wife or not, I would fight them regardless. If not for myself then for Weiss and Whitley."

Another good point. He'd told Winter the truth, or some of it. Not the time travel but everything about Salem and her goals, her minions and the fact she was immortal. There was only one other person on Remnant he'd trusted that far and it was his own daughter. Family. Like Winter was proposing they become.

The excuse that she would be in danger didn't work.

The excuse that he didn't see her as an adult was a lie.

Would it get in the way of his goals? No. If anything, it would facilitate them. Winter could stay closer and thus not be in danger, and with the influence of the SDC at hand, he would have more resources than ever before. And he wouldn't need to use trickery to get it either. Winter knew full well what was at stake and would march alongside him.

Did he find her repulsive?

No. Certainly not. He'd fallen for Weiss the first time and Winter was very much her big sister. Taller, curvier, more mature and with a personality that demanded respect. She'd grown out of her teenage years and was a fine woman, one that he'd admit caught his eye.

So, what was the problem?

Love…?

"Can I have time to think on it? To give you a proper answer?"

"Y-Yes." Winter's stammer was uncharacteristic. He felt awful. "Father will need an answer by tomorrow if there is to be an announcement, but there's no reason you can't have days to decide. Or weeks." She pulled the box away, closed it, looked down awkwardly at it and then the floor. She didn't know what to do.

Neither did he. Gods, it would have been so much easier to say yes.

"This isn't a no," he said, partly to comfort her and partly because it was true. "I'm just… I'm not sure what to think. You caught me off guard. I'll have an answer by tomorrow," he promised, aware of just how short a time that was. "And I'll seriously think about it. I wouldn't lead you on if I wasn't."

"That's fine. I trust you." Winter stood, eyes still not quite meeting his. She drew a long breath and he was relieved to hear it didn't shudder or hitch. "If you will excuse me, I would like to take a shower and… and have a moment to myself."

"Yes." He tried not to wince. Or to acknowledge what they both knew she'd be doing. "My home is yours. Please use anything you need."

"Thank you." Winter nodded her head respectfully and turned away, taking the stairs at a measured pace.

He respected that, especially because his was very much less so as he dashed for his scroll, all but colliding with the kitchen counter and almost falling on his ass. He caught himself with one hand on the floor and combat rolled away, clutching his scroll to his chest like a baby animal. Landing back on his feet, he rushed forward, dashing into the library and looking at his contacts list.

Who the hell did he call?

James? No. Ozpin? No. Qrow? No. Raven? Fuck no.

Emerald…?

Not a great idea.

Summer. Summer would know. Or do. At least she was married! He pressed her name and waited for the call to connect, tapping one foot energetically on the floor and staring at the wall. There were seats nearby but he wasn't in the mood for them. He paced around the room, muttering "come on" under his breath as the ringtone dialled.

Eventually, it was answered. Instead of showing Summer it showed a section of the ceiling, along with some cloth. Bedsheets. He heard Taiyang grumble something about not believing she answered the call and Summer saying how it might be an emergency.

Her face didn't appear but her voice did. _"H-Hey Jaune. Is this important? Kind of a bad time."_

They were having sex. He wasn't an idiot.

"Winter proposed to me."

" _WHAT!?"_ The camera lurched. He got a full shot of Taiyang's naked chest as Summer rolled out of bed. She pulled the sheets around her body, coincidentally leaving her husband with nothing and giving Jaune a sight he hadn't needed to see. Summer quickly appeared, blanket wrapped around her body like a robe. _"She proposed? As in marriage? Just now!?"_

"Yes!" He was glad she saw the importance. "What do I do!?"

" _What do you mean-? Oh hell, please don't tell me she's still there and you haven't answered her!"_

"No. Upstairs." He ran through the series of events, briefly – and hysterically – laying out what happened. Summer listened, while Taiyang rummaged around for clothing in the background. "And I said I needed time. That I'd have an answer for her by tomorrow. But I'd prefer to have one tonight. I – I think she's gone to cry."

" _You think? I'd say that's a given."_ Summer sighed. _"Not your fault, though. Better to not rush it. Okay. Sheesh, tonight? Way to give yourself no time. Right. What do you want to do? Do you want to marry her?"_

"Not really!"

" _Then say no,"_ she said reasonably. _"Where's the difficulty?"_

"It's…" He paused to think up the right words. "It's not that I don't want to, more that I don't know what I want. Does that make sense? I'm not against it, just shocked." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not explaining this well."

" _You're not, but I think you get a pass here. Right. Um. Let's think. Do you like her?"_

"I do, but… marriage?"

" _Do you want to marry someone else?"_

"No. I never put any thought into romance."

" _Are you against marriage? Want to stay single? There's nothing wrong if you do."_

"I honestly don't mind either way. Single or taken, nothing really changes. It might even be nice to have someone to spend time with, especially with Emerald leaving to Beacon soon."

" _Then what is it? You don't love her?"_

"Yes! Maybe…" He bit his lip. "Would you believe me if I said I don't know?"

" _Sure. It's not the strangest thing I've ever heard. It's not even the first time I've been asked. Would you believe Raven cornered me for the same talk when Taiyang proposed?"_ Summer sat down on a chair and adjusted the scroll to give Taiyang some privacy. She ran her fingers through her hair, brushing it out her face. _"Raven was far worse than you. And in more ways than one."_ Her lips quirked into a sad smile. _"It sounds cruel but I'd rather you be with Winter than her. And I don't mean that to get back at her."_

He thought he knew why. Summer didn't want him to be put through the same thing her husband had been, especially not since she couldn't solve it by marrying him. To be fair, he doubted Raven would have ever asked for that anyway.

" _So, let me get this straight. You don't have anything against Winter, her family or the thought of being with her. Can you look at her sexually?"_

"Summer!"

" _It's an important question, Jaune. You can't subject both of you to a marriage without desire. Love can be built, as can happiness, but there has to be some spark in the first place. Could you see yourself having sex with Winter Schnee?"_

Of all the questions to ask, it had to be that. And she looked so serious that he didn't dare not answer. His cheeks flushed as he looked away. Could he…? Well, it wasn't hard. It made him feel a little lecherous since he was pushing thirty but Winter was beautiful and in no way a child. The fact he trusted her only helped, but even if she'd been a complete stranger she'd have been a yes.

"I… I guess?"

" _No guesses. Yes or no."_

"Yes. And I feel like that makes me a bad person."

" _Okay. Good. And Jaune, you're what, ten years apart? That's not exactly Remnant-shattering."_ No condemnation. No disgust. _"How about her personality? You like that?"_

"Yes. She's definitely someone I could see myself dating, if I'd put any thought into it and things weren't as hectic as they have been with the White Fang and everything." Though, that was over now, wasn't it? No more excuses there. "It's just… I don't know what it is. Do I love her? Is it fair? It's so sudden, Summer. I haven't had any time to think about this and I panicked."

" _That's understandable. Taiyang panicked when I proposed to him too."_

"You were the one-?"

" _It's not nearly as uncommon as you think. Tai was torn up over Raven and I saw my chance."_ Summer sighed and again brushed some hair away. It was sweaty and kept swinging back. _"To be honest, I don't think Tai loved me at the time. It was just after Raven like I said, and he was torn up about that. I'd always liked him but his heart was with her. When I saw my chance, I took it. And he accepted because he needed someone. Because Yang needed a mother."_

Jaune stared at the woman on the other end of the call. Summer and Taiyang's marriage was loveless…? How? It couldn't be. They clearly adored one another. She must have noticed his shock and guessed the reason because she laughed.

" _Don't worry. We're madly in love now. Taiyang just needed time to get over Raven and realise how awesome I am. Right, dear?"_ Summer paused to accept a kiss on the cheek. _"But the point I'm making is that sometimes you don't need to be wildly in love at first, just interested in one another. Some arranged marriages lead to love. Some people marry because they got someone pregnant, and they can end up loving one another. Others marry because they're lonely. Marriage is just a thing, Jaune. It's a word, a ring and some little ceremony. It doesn't make love, nor define it. Some people get married three or four times in their lifetime – either from divorce or becoming a widower."_

"You're saying love can come…?"

" _Pretty much. It didn't take long for us because we already knew one another and we had Yang to connect us. Maybe it's longer for others. Maybe it doesn't work for others. Everyone is different after all. You and Winter? I think she does love you, or is very close to it. I think you could love her back but it's fine if you don't right now. You've just had the idea she `could` be a romantic partner thrown into your head. The fact you don't have an answer doesn't mean you don't love her. It just means you haven't thought about it."_

"I… That's a good point." He'd never considered marriage – why would he when he had so much to do? – but that didn't mean it wouldn't work out. There was no reason he couldn't be happy while he tried to defeat Salem, and Winter knew the important things.

Though if he were to agree, he'd need to tell her the full story. If she'd believe him.

And before things got serious.

" _You're thinking about it now so that's a start. But there has to be a spark for love to happen. A desire. Think of it like a fire. You can grow a fire and a fire can die if it doesn't work out, but there needs to be something to make that fire from. Kindling, or a spark. I did love Tai, and even if he didn't feel that way back at first he liked me enough for there to be something. He also didn't want to be alone and emotions built from that. Haven't you ever seen it the same? No relationship starts with both people being in love. Someone has to do the work to attract the other."_

Pyrrha. In a way, Pyrrha and he fit that. He'd fancied Weiss while Pyrrha liked him. Over time, through helping him, being there and supporting him, she'd slowly won him. They'd not had the chance to explore their relationship, but had she survived the fall he was sure they would have. At that point, he'd fallen for Pyrrha.

But it didn't start that way. There was no heavenly choir when they first met. It worked out over time thanks to compatible personalities, proximity and time.

It could be the same for Winter. Quite easily, in fact.

He'd seen her as a student and a child but that changed. What was to say it couldn't change again here? He already noticed her more since she'd started making her interest clear and kissed him. He noticed the sway of her hips or how pretty her hair was.

" _The question is less whether you love her now and more if you think you can come to love her. Though I have to say, that's usually reserved for dating and not marriage. I guess that's what she means about Schnee having difficulties."_

Probably so. He wasn't exactly famous but he had his fair share of attention both after the tournament and his flight from Atlas. It was nothing compared to what Winter went through on a daily basis, however. She probably couldn't laugh in front of a man without people making up rumours she was pregnant.

"You're saying I should go for it, then?"

" _What!? No, no, no. You don't get to outsource this decision to me! No way! If you want to do it, you do it, but make sure you're happy with the decision. If you don't want to marry her, say no. If you do, say yes."_

"And if I don't know?"

" _That just means you haven't decided yes or no yet. Think harder."_

Stop wasting time, basically. He nodded. There hadn't been any real expectation for Summer to fix all this for him, more that she calm him down. That was working at least. He sat and let out a breath. Still scary, but things made sense. He could think about it objectively. No, not objectively. This needed to be subjective.

"Thank you Summer. I think that helped."

" _Glad to help."_ Her smile was honest. _"Tell me how it goes tomorrow or I'll hunt you down myself for an answer. Is that all? If there's anything left to ask, ask now because I'm turning my scroll off after this."_

"That's all. Enjoy your night."

" _Oh, I intend to."_

/-/

Winter was still awake. She answered the door mere seconds after he knocked, and the fact she was still in uniform showed that she'd not had the shower she spoke of. Her face was wet. Thankfully, from water and not tears. He wasn't sure how he'd have handled that. Her eyes didn't look rimmed with red either, nor was her nose runny.

"Looking for something?" she asked, offering a wry smile. "I've not been crying myself to sleep if that's what you think."

"A Schnee doesn't cry?" he offered, remembering something Weiss once said.

"Oh, a Schnee cries with the best of them," Winter countered, surprising him. "They do it in private for the most part, and it's a horrific affair with all that pale skin and the white outfits. I would not at this, however. Truth be, I expected you to say no." Her voice dropped. "I prepared myself for it… even if it's a little more than I imagined."

That was equal parts painful and pleasant. Not too different from him chasing Weiss.

And what irony. He'd spent the better part of his last life fruitlessly chasing one Schnee sister, only to have another fall in his lap in this one, except he had no idea what to do with her.

"I promised you an answer."

"You did." Winter firmed herself. It was visible in her shoulders. "Very well. I am ready."

There were questions he wanted to ask. Things he wanted to tell her. Winter really needed to know the truth about him before they got to the point of marriage, and while that could have all been done now, he couldn't help but think leaving her without an answer to be cruel. She was desperate for it and if he stopped to play twenty questions, she'd suffer for it.

"I want us to date," he said. "With a view to possible marriage after."

Winter's mouth opened. Her expression, caught somewhere between resignation and surprise, registered a sudden flash of something else. Hope. "You wish to court me…?"

"If that's what you want to call it." Schnee and their words. "I'm not ready for marriage but that's nothing to do with you. There's not a person on Remnant I'd have said yes to, and that's not because I don't want to get married either. It's because I never thought it possible. I always thought I had something bigger to do."

"Salem," she said. "Emerald. I understand. And yet…?"

"If it was to be anyone." He looked away, cursing as a blush crept up his face. Damn it. Of all the things he'd gotten better at, why not this? "I don't know many women on a personal level. There's Raven, who you've met. Also Helena." At her confusion, he added, "Foxtrot." Recognition. "Then there's Summer, who's obviously married. I think if I had to say out of those who I'd most likely want to date, it would be you. I just never thought of it."

"Not Raven?" she asked desperately. "I thought… That is to say the way you acted with one another."

Had that been a thing? He hadn't noticed. "Not her. I trust Raven with my back, and in some small way with my life, but I don't think… She has some personal problems. Things that make me think she wouldn't be the best life partner. Especially if it came to having children."

Case in point, Yang.

He couldn't say he'd thought of having kids with Winter either – of course he hadn't – but as he said, if he sat down and thought about it now, it was Winter or Helena, and Helena was in Mistral. They'd parted long ago after a night together and the understanding that what they had ended there. It wouldn't be fair to either of them to drag it up now. For all he knew, she'd moved on.

"I see." Winter breathing out suddenly, her relief palpable. She laughed. "That is – It's more than I expected. Wonderful, even. Then we are-? Not to be wed certainly, but-?"

"Dating? If you'll have me."

"Of course!" Winter didn't fling her arms around his shoulders and melt into him. That wasn't the kind of woman she was. Instead, she stepped forward and offered both her hands, trusting him to take them. She'd eschewed her gloves and her fingers were warm and soft in his.

Not at all unpleasant. He didn't feel the swell of love or desire to settle down with her, but he did feel a warm sensation spread through his stomach. He smiled back, feeling his muscles unclench and relax. No heavenly choir to tell him she was `the one`, but he couldn't say the idea appalled him, if it worked out.

"Would you like it kept secret?" she asked. "I can tell father if you wish. It will be difficult…"

"No. No secrets." Convenient as it might seem, anyone who could use it against him already knew Winter was an easy avenue to him. She was well protected, however. She could look after herself and had proven that. "If you'll do me the honour, I'd like to take you to the party tomorrow evening. Make it official. And I don't mind if Jacques announces we're courting."

"Thank you." Winter stepped in and leaned in. For once, he reciprocated, catching her lips against his own. Before, he'd always been too shocked to do anything, but now he took the time to share with her what had been stolen from him with Pyrrha.

 _I wonder if that would have been any different. Pyrrha and I were never together. We never had our moment. All I know is that she loved me, and that I regret not having a chance to find out if I loved her as well._ Both would have involved him opening up to another. He'd missed out on Pyrrha, but wouldn't here. _Wherever you are, Pyrrha, I'm sure you're smiling at this. Or laughing probably. Just like me to be so dense the woman has to propose._

Winter drew back, and now there _were_ tears in her eyes. Tears she made no effort to wipe away.

"I'll wear the ring if you like."

She shook her head. "No. Not until you decide if you want to say yes."

"On a chain, then," he said. "A necklace. I'll have to get you one in return." Jaune manoeuvred her to the bed. As he did, he noticed her eyes widen and muscles tense. It took him a second to realise what she thought he was after, then another to get used to the idea she wasn't pulling away. He flushed hard, breaking eye contact and coughing. "Before that, I think there's something we need to talk about."

"About us?" she asked.

"No. About me. Something I'd not want to keep secret from someone who might become my partner." He swallowed. The moment of truth. "Something that might seem unbelievable at first, and also frightening."

"More so than the existence of Salem?" Winter didn't make light of it, nor did she laugh. She sat with a serious expression, hands crossed in her lap. "I'm listening. And I will believe you. You've not led me wrong so far, Jaune Ashari."

"Arc, actually." He grinned. "Jaune Arc. The idiot who snuck into Beacon without even his aura unlocked." At her befuddled expression, he sat down, resting his shoulder against hers. "It all started about thirteen years ago, though maybe it would be more accurate to say it _will_ start in a year and a half from now…"

/-/

He was tense. Unbelievably so. Raven knew, but she'd had the knowledge put into her head in a way she couldn't doubt. There was never a chance of her refusing to believe it. Winter was different, and he knew she had to be reeling at the things he told her, from Beacon to its fall, to their adventures after, the battle against Salem and his selfish deal to come back. All the way to her and this proposal. Winter sat silently through it, never once interrupting or making light, nor showing disbelief at what even to him seemed a fanciful tale. Once it was done, he leaned back, waiting for her to explode.

"Weiss, my sister… died…?"

"They all did. Everyone except me." He curled his hand into a fist. "I was too weak to be a threat, I guess, even at the end. That's the only reason I lived."

"Don't say that." Her hands found his and gently unwound his fingers, stroking the palm of his hand. "Of all the people to see survivor's guilt in, I never expected it to be you. It makes sense, though. Considering all you've been through."

"Y-You believe me!? You actually believe me?"

"Yes." Winter nodded slowly. "It's not an easy thing to accept. I think if you'd told me back in Atlas I wouldn't have been able to, but I've _seen_ things since then. Tyrian, Hazel, the White Fang. Ever since you told me about Salem I've researched into it. Dug deeper. It's well hidden but there _are_ references to her in ancient history."

There were-? He'd had no idea. More than that, he hadn't realised Winter was doing her own research in the background. It made sense she'd want to verify what he told her, though, especially with her family on the front lines.

"I've also learned about the Maidens."

"You -? How? The only ones who know are Ozpin and Ironwood."

"Now quite. Nicholas Schnee – my grandfather – kept an extensive library all of his own. Would you believe he was once close friends and allies to a previous headmaster of Beacon, who he helped with resources and finances. They worked together to stop the rise of, as he put it, a great threat that might engulf humankind. He never mentioned the name but I'm sure it's her. He did mention meeting one of the Maidens, however."

That would have been decades ago, long before his time and probably in Ozpin's past life. It wouldn't surprise him if Ozpin was the headmaster in question. _Of course, Ozpin has been keeping Salem at bay for his entire life. It would make sense there have been other Team RWBYs, other Qrows and Ironwoods. People he's called allies and worked with to protect Remnant._

Nicholas Schnee, famous philanthropist, must have been among those people.

"Once I accept that `magic` is a real thing, what else is impossible? Time travel can exist. Or is this more interdimensional travel?"

"I like to think it's time," Jaune said. "That way, all my friends didn't die."

"A good point."

"You're not angry?" he asked. "When Raven found out, she accused me of being selfish. Of putting the lives of my friends before everyone in Remnant by coming back and giving Salem another chance."

"I won't say she's wrong on that, but in this case it keeps both me and my sister alive, not to mention it stops my father becoming a monster." Winter laughed. "I can put up with the selfishness here. I'd have done the same myself."

Someone who understood. Or at least someone who wouldn't call him an idiot for throwing away their hard-earned victory. What kind of victory was it where Remnant descended into such chaos? One that Ozpin would accept, broken and exhausted as he was, but not one anyone wanted. "It'll be better this time, Winter. I'm going to make it better."

" _We_ will make it better." Winter closed her eyes. "It will require planning. And allies. Can General Ironwood not be brought on board?"

"He's friends with Ozpin and it would trickle back. Plus, he has Atlas to worry about."

"I see. And Ozpin would be willing to sacrifice us to defeat Salem once and for all. I can't blame him. If he's as you say then all the people he has become close to in this lifetime are just one batch of hundreds. He's already seen so many come and go, passing to Grimm or old age. Faced with the prospect of that cycle continuing, it makes sense he would take any chance to end it."

"I blamed him once." Jaune admitted. "But I realise now it's not his fault. In a way he's like me, except he's had to face that battlefield strewn with bodies time and time again."

"Not Ironwood, then. Perhaps we need to form our own base. You said that Raven knows. Can she be trusted to fight with us?"

"If it's in her own interest, yes. I'd say this counts. She helped me against the White Fang, so I think she would with this." Raven wouldn't like the idea of him becoming more like Ozpin, but he could be honest with her. Give her power and the choice to back out if she wished. "I can ask her."

"That's three people, four if we count Emerald who won't be a child forever."

"There's more. I have… let's say _contacts_ in the criminal underworld."

"You'll have to tell me about those sometime," she said without judgment. "With what we're facing I'll take any allies available, regardless of morals. With your influence, my wealth and Raven's tribe… that's the start of a formidable army right there. And that's before Weiss, Whitley, Emerald, Vernal and the others come of age. Give them four or five years and they'll be more than capable of holding their own. And we know they can be trusted."

He'd never thought of it that way. Never thought of doing what Ozpin was doing and making his own inner circle of people who knew the truth and could act on it. Maybe that was where he was failing – trying to do everything on his own. He had allies out there, if only he reached for them. Winter, James, Raven, Roman, even Adam and Amber, the current and still living fall maiden. Summer, Qrow and Taiyang were too involved with Ozpin to know the full story right now, but they could be brought in at a different level, then incorporated fully later.

His knowledge, Winter's resources and personal security detail well-trained and experienced after the war with the White Fang, Raven's Semblance and tribe, the SDC's dust technology, Roman's control of the underworld and a plethora of powerful and skilled huntsmen ready to fight Salem. And that was before his ties to Atlas and Beacon were brought into it. That promised a powerful fighting force.

Organisation. That was what they needed. They had the tools; they just needed to put them together.

"Knowing all this," he said, "Do you still want to try dating me?"

Winter stared at him. "Why would this change anything?"

"Well, I'm from another time. I'm younger than you. Or older. Not sure how that really works. And I lied about things and fancied your little sister."

"None of which is particularly bothersome. You lived twenty-one years in your world and around half that here. You still lived those years, so you're hardly some hundred-year-old relic or a six-year-old in an adult's body. As for your feelings toward Weiss, you were both seventeen and she made her stance clear. You respected it." Winter shrugged. "What would you have me say, that I find it troubling my sister got in before me? It might be if the two of you actually dated. As it stands, I don't have any issues."

"Hah…" He let out a breath mixed with a laugh. Maybe he was the one overthinking things. Like she said, he'd lived the years he came back and he definitely wasn't the same man he had been at seventeen.

"It's also convenient that your name needs to be hidden. That will make you becoming Jaune Schnee easier."

"If it works out," he said. "We're dating."

"Courting."

"What's the difference?"

"Dating implies fooling around for fun. Courting means I fully intend to have you as my husband at the end of this." Winter's eyes stared into his. "This is one battle not even Salem herself can save you from."

* * *

 **Sheesh. A chapter all to Winter and Jaune. I'm sure there are going to be things in this chapter that people disagree with – the sanctity of marriage, the importance of love, etc, etc, but keep in mind this is the character's views and not mine. Winter is a Schnee, and has probably faced the prospect of arranged marriages. Makes sense she'd take a chance to weigh that in her favour.**

 **As for Summer, well, I'm sure Taiyang and Summer did and do love one another, but it does seem likely she liked him** _ **before**_ **he did her, mostly because he married Raven first.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 21** **st** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	75. Chapter 75

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 75**

* * *

"I hate this. They're staring."

"Welcome to the last fifteen years of my life," Winter replied in a whisper, her fingers in his, the two side by side as they descended the steps down from the stage, now sporting a medal emblazoned on their chests. Winter's was attached to the military dress uniform she wore while his was on his old Atlas Specialist coat, which matched James' so much they looked like siblings. It didn't make sense to accept an accolade from Atlas in anything less.

"Only fifteen?"

"I don't remember the first six. The birth of Jacques Schnee's first child. Eh." She shivered. "It was probably even worse."

The audience cheered and clapped – both at their award and the fact they were hand in hand, which really couldn't be mistaken as anything other than them being together. It helped that they arrived at the same time, had a spot at the head table together, and that they'd shared the first dance. By now, newspapers across Remnant would be carrying the story. Cameras flashed and people were up on their feet, cheering them as though they were King and Queen of Remnant.

And all because of Winter, ironically. The fact he eradicated the White Fang with Raven would be at best a footnote to this news. People would be happy about it, but the White Fang had been more Atlas' problem than Remnant's. They hadn't yet sparked any violence against the other Kingdoms, so they weren't considered international terrorists. Another small change from the last time, and mostly inconsequential. They'd planned to strike out all the same, and even in his time they hadn't been _really feared_ until after they attacked Vale and Beacon. Defeating them was worthy of praise, but not too much fame.

Winter, on the other hand, was an international celebrity and possibly the richest woman on the planet. At least by asset value and inheritance. Her suddenly appearing on the arm of an older man who wasn't a family member raised eyebrows, blood pressures and headlines. It didn't get much better when Jacques welcomed him `into the family` and granted him an honorary position as a Non-Executive Director of the SDC. Yep. Totally normal everyday things. Jacques probably did that _all_ the time. No sarcasm involved there!

"They're going to make things up about me. Aren't they?"

"I doubt they'll even care about you beyond some base assumptions. I, on the other hand, will be pregnant by the end of the day." Winter kept up her beautiful smile as she waved to the audience. How, he wasn't sure. It had to be some secret training to not react to crazy things happening around you. "That, or some other scandal. No doubt Emerald will be my illegitimate daughter. That's assuming they don't come up with some story on how I was kidnapped and kept in a tower by the White Fang until my dashing knight in shining armour scaled a rope made of my hair to rescue me."

"That's awfully specific."

"I've had worse happen. You should have seen the rumours on why I left the SDC to study in Atlas. I was either abused, disowned, illegitimate, ungrateful, blackmailed or trying to take over Atlas. Oh. Or I was pregnant. That one seems to come up a lot for some reason. The newspapers seem oddly obsessed with my ovaries."

Yikes. Was life always like this for her? He'd faced a little of the same after the White Fang revealed themselves at Atlas and he left - with newspapers trying to figure out if he caused it. But he'd had a hand in arranging that, so it wasn't the same. Here, Winter reminded him of Pyrrha of all people, except that she'd been able to escape it – at least until the Vytal Festival came around. When she spoke to him of the pressure, it was always in the past tense and with a tangible amount of relief that she was away from it all. He'd understood it in theory but hadn't ever been able to really _know_ what it felt like.

That changed now. He could see the questions in everyone's eyes, along with jealousy, judgment and even condemnation. Some were aware of the age difference and didn't approve. _Is this what you had to put up with, Pyrrha?_ And at a much younger age than he. _You truly were amazing._

Winter was too, to have dealt with it for so long. And Weiss, of course.

Not everyone in the crowd disapproved. Summer was on her feet clapping wildly and with tears running down her cheeks. You'd have thought they just got married for how happy she looked, and Taiyang was laughing awkwardly as he tugged her down.

Inevitably, his eyes sought Emerald. She was the one that mattered the most to him of course. This wasn't a surprise to her – he'd told her that morning – but even though she accepted it with the same stoicism she did everything else, he worried.

If she disapproved, he'd step away from Winter. He knew Winter would understand.

Emerald was on a table with the Schnee siblings and Ruby and Yang, the party of five having the table to themselves so they didn't have to put up with annoying questions. Emerald was watching him and caught his eye. She didn't _look_ unhappy. And she'd given her approval that morning – a surprise given her usual animosity toward Winter.

Well, he didn't expect her to start calling Winter `mom` anytime soon.

Winter would choke if she did.

 _At least the actual award ceremony was short. James came through as promised there._ Little more than a grand speech, some overt thanks – and wasn't it embarrassing to be thanked by an _entire Kingdom_ in one go? – and they'd received their medals, along with the honorary ranks of Captain. Such wouldn't let them command Atlas troops unless they either joined the military or it was an international emergency, but it was a nice gesture and probably worked to tie them closer to Atlas, at least in the minds of the people living there.

Returning to the head table was a surprisingly relaxed affair. It had some of the most powerful people in Remnant in attendance, but those were ironically all at least in some way related to him. James and Jacques were in attendance for obvious reasons, but so was Glynda and Ozpin in their stations at Beacon. The other tables included politicians, military representatives and influential businessmen. The kind of people he'd have been swamped sitting with.

He had a feeling Winter had helped there. A word to Jacques would have seen the tables set in his favour – and it was easy to imagine Jacques doing that considering how _happy_ the man looked. It was honestly shocking to see him so pleased, especially as he stood and welcomed Jaune back with a two-handed handshake. Then, to his absolute shock, the man hugged him. Jacques Schnee.

 _It's official. I've fucked up the timeline beyond all repair. It's doomed. It's all doomed._

Oh wait, the cameras were going wild again. Fair play, Jacques. Nothing would cement the image of him joining the Schnee family like this. Fair play indeed.

"Most deserved," Jacques said, his moustache quivering with excitement. "You have the Schnee family's eternal gratitude for helping deal with those violent extremists. And for protecting my children. This is a debt that can never be repaid."

"Ah, well. Winter did a lot of work too…"

"Of course! And I've showered what accolades she will let me on her." He chuckled and leaned in to whisper, "You know how she is, no? All work and no play. It was a struggle just to make her accept a pay rise, let alone what she deserves."

"That does sound like her."

Winter brushed by him and took her seat, rolling her eyes over her father's shoulder as she primly smoothed the lapels of her military jacket out. It was the second dance he'd been to, and both now involved gender reversal. At least this time he had a suit as well as Winter and didn't have to wear the dress. She wore the uniform well, as he'd known she would.

"Do you mind if we have a quick word?" Jacques asked, tugging him aside.

"Of course." He followed. The meals had already been finished, so people were up and about talking and sharing stories. Jacques relieved two flutes of champagne from a passing waitress and offered one to him. Jaune sipped, curious as to what game the old man was playing now.

"Winter's feelings for you are genuine."

"She's told me."

"I'm sure she has," Jacques said, running a finger around the rim of his glass. "But I'm telling you now as well. She always had an interest in you, even before this. Back when it might have been called inappropriate."

"We never did anything."

"Oh, I'm sure. Winter was never one to break the rules. I simply wanted to make you aware."

Jaune hummed. "Why?"

"My daughter is an incredible woman. She has accomplished much, more even than I did at her age."

"She is," Jaune agreed. "You must be proud."

"I am. Despite how it may look I have always been proud of Winter. And of Weiss and Whitley, too. When Winter expressed her desire to study at Atlas for the military, I feared the worst. Words were exchanged between us. Heated words. Words I wish I might take back. In hindsight, I was foolish. Her time at Atlas has helped her grow, and she came back to join the SDC and support the family in a way no one has before."

She very nearly hadn't. In the last life, she chose not to. As a result, Weiss suffered under the increased pressure from her father and Whitley grew to survive that, becoming much like Jacques. It was strange to think how much had changed from Winter going back, but then it was all one thing after another, wasn't it? Winter leaves. Jacques is disappointed and puts pressure on Weiss, which causes her to become rebellious. Jacques cracks down, becoming harsher still, and provoking Weiss in kind. Over and over again.

This, he realised, was what the Schnee family could have been. That made it all seem like Winter's fault for leaving, but it wasn't. The fault ultimately landed on Jacques, who should have been mature enough to let Winter be who she wanted to be.

"My daughter is adept at many things," he continued, "But one of the things she lacks is making her feelings known. A pessimistic man might see this union between you and her as a way to bolster the fortunes of the Schnee family." Jacques met his gaze. "Such a man might think her sudden proposal nothing more than a scheme by a ruthless businessman."

A man like Jacques. "Isn't it?" Jaune asked.

"The Schnee family benefits, I will admit. However, there are many more profitable partners I could have tried to force on Winter. But that is not the man I am."

 _Not the man you became,_ Jaune thought. _This time, at least._

"My own marriage was, I'm afraid, a loveless one. My wife and I were arranged due to the poor fortunes of the SDC. I was the best positioned to turn that around, but certainly not the best husband for her. Despite our best efforts, nothing ever came of it."

Jacques Schnee sighed and finished his champagne.

"I do not wish the same for Winter."

"You're trying to distance yourself from it," Jaune realised.

"Yes. While the SDC benefits, I would ask you not to think about that while you are with her. My daughter has stress enough on her plate and does not deserve to have her heart played with."

"Are you giving me the father threaten treatment?" Jaune asked, shocked.

"It is rather empty, I admit. You're a huntsman and I'm a simple businessman." Jacques mistook his absolute amazement for the fact he'd threaten him at all, not the fact that it was Jacques Schnee – Remnant's worst father – who would actually _care enough_ about his daughter to warn her prospective boyfriend in the first place. "And it's hardly a threat. I just wanted you to know that this isn't a play on my part. Winter has feelings for you. I did not push her to this."

Don't doubt her feelings. He got the message. Thankfully, he'd known it beforehand – mostly because Winter wasn't one to waste time and had made it clear to him. Still, it spoke well of Jacques that he thought to put the effort in.

"Thank you for letting me know. I don't think Winter would be the type to let you arrange a marriage for her, though, so I wasn't too worried in the first place."

Jacques laughed. "That is true. Perhaps I worried for no reason then. Come, we should return before she starts to think I've corrupted you. Or before Ironwood thinks I'm trying to steal you away from Atlas."

"I'm not a part of the military anymore."

"Tell that to him. Wearing that outfit, medal and your new rank seems to me a rather overt attempt to draw you into the fold." Jacques shot him a pointed look, making it clear that jest or not, it was something he ought to be aware of.

"I appreciate the warning. James knows my stance, however."

"As do I. Your daughter is set to make a life here and you won't leave her. Worry not, Winter has made me aware. Please know that we have no issues whatsoever with her. Why, she seems to get on famously with Weiss and Whitley. Especially Whitley." Yeah. And that was going to get awkward if he and Winter _did_ get married. "Whatever you decide in the end, know that you have a place within the SDC. I say this both out of gratitude and as a message. Please do not marry my daughter unless you truly believe you can love her."

How unlike him. To think Jacques could be like this. No, to think he had the potential to be like this. A different decision, a different route, a different set of circumstances and a person could change so much as to be unrecognisable.

"I can promise you that, sir. I won't play Winter along."

"Capital. And for what it's worth, I doubt she'd let you."

/-/

Emerald nibbled on her tenth chocolate biscuit and smoothed her stupid skirt out under the table, wishing for the hundredth time she could have worn sweatpants. But no, apparently, she needed a stupid ball dress that was _designed_ to trip her up at every opportunity. About the only solace was that Ruby was very much in the same boat as her. The two got to sulk together and reject dances.

And the dances. Ugh! Whitley was expected, and less of an annoyance than everyone else, so he got a dance out of her – not to mention sore toes for the experience. Whomever thought combat translated well to dancing was dead wrong. Everyone else, though? No chance. And there _had_ been a lot of boys who asked. She knew none of them.

It had been when she'd finished interrogating a nervous boy as to why he thought he knew her and how, that Weiss had drawn her aside and explained the situation.

"You're not Emerald Ashari anymore. You're Emerald Ashari-maybe-future-Schnee-in-law."

"Not yet I'm not."

"Your father is dating my sister. That makes him a potential in-law to the family, which makes you-" Weiss prodded Emerald's chest, "-a good investment for any family looking to get in with the SDC. Better than myself or Whitley in fact, as you're less of a known quantity and more likely to be dazzled by wealth, attention or gentlemanly charms. After all, you're a simple and innocent girl living the Cinderella story now."

"Me!?" Emerald asked, shocked.

"I didn't say they were _right_ to think it. Only that they would." Weiss paused while Yang snorted in the background, probably at the idea of Em being swept off her feet so easily. Cinderella didn't come with nearly so many thorns. "They're trying their luck to get close to you. Believe me, it will only get worse."

"It won't," she threatened. "I'll stab the next person who tries."

"You _could_ keep them away by dating Whitley," Yang said. "That would mean you're taken."

Emerald shot her a betrayed glare. "Since when were _you_ on his payroll?"

"Eh." No denial. Just a grin. Whitley must have bribed her. "Just saying."

"Yeah well, don't." Emerald huffed. Dating wasn't something she was interested in. It all seemed so stupid, kind of like Winter in a way. Bah. Everyone was stupid and this was a waste of time. "They can ask all they want. I'm not required to dance with them, and I won't."

"Not even if daddy dearest asks you to?"

"He wouldn't tell me to date someone. That's stupid."

"Yeah. Probably not." Yang shrugged and plopped down next to her, helpfully blocking off a new guy trying to make an approach. That wasn't accidental and Emerald breathed a sigh of relief. Yang was good like that. "I'm surprised you're so relaxed about this, though," she said. "Winter and your pops, I mean. I thought you'd be up in arms at the idea of someone muscling in on your territory."

"That's my _dad_ you're suggesting I'm interested in."

"Territory as in attention and time," Yang drawled. "Not saying anything weird. I mean, he's not bad to look at-"

"Still my dad you're talking about."

"Yeah, I'm gonna stop digging that hole." Yang grinned. "Still, you really okay with this?"

Emerald sighed. "I'll have to be. Won't I?" She hooked both arms on the table and leaned down to rest her chin atop them. "He talked to me this morning about it. Said what happened, what she asked and let me know that if I wasn't comfortable with it, I could say so and he'd tell Winter it wouldn't work out." She huffed. "Just like that. My decision."

"Ouch. Talk about pressure. And you couldn't do that to him."

That was why she got on with Yang – because despite how much of an idiot she might act, she wasn't one. She hit the nail on the head. Sure, she could have spoken up and kept him to herself, but he'd have lost out on a chance to be happy. He'd have done it, too. She didn't doubt that for a second. And worst of all, Winter would have nodded and accepted it, backing away and giving up her own happiness because Emerald couldn't handle the idea of not being number one.

Ugh. She hadn't even _said anything,_ and she still felt guilty. Mostly because she knew she'd wanted to speak up and keep it just the two of them. It wasn't like things couldn't get better either. It could work out well. It was just the change that was frightening. The idea of it no longer just being them. In the end, she'd given her blessing. Of course she had. How could she not and ever look her father in the eye again?

"Dad deserves to have someone."

He'd spent almost ten years looking after her, and even if he never complained, he had to feel at least a little lonely. She hadn't realised until seeing Auntie Summer and Taiyang together and how happy they all were. Sure, she was intelligent enough to realise not all families would be like that but didn't he deserve the chance to see? If it didn't work out it didn't work out, but she sure as hell wasn't going to be the reason.

 _Maybe I'm growing up as well. I don't think I'd have cared if it were back in Atlas._ Back then, at the tender age of ten or so, she'd have knuckled down and ignored anyone else's feelings. This was empathy, then. It sucked. Life was a lot easier when you just had to look out for number one. Easier, but not necessarily more satisfying.

"I'll be going to Beacon in a year and a bit anyway," she said, "so he'll be on his own." Meanwhile, she'd have Yang and Ruby, so it didn't feel fair to say she got to go to Beacon and do what she liked but he had to stay home on his own and not interact with anyone. "If it has to be someone, it might as well be Winter." Emerald paused. "Or Summer."

"Ahem? That's _my_ dad you're trying to write out the picture."

Emerald shrugged. She said it like it was. Summer would have been the best but failing that she'd take Winter. Who else was on the cards? The Bloody Woman who dropped by to drink them out of house and home? The Malachite sisters? VERNAL!? _Death_ would come for her before she let her father marry Vernal. The apocalypse would have to happen before she called _Vernal_ mother. Other than that, there was Neo maybe, but that would have been too creepy.

At least Winter, for all her annoyances, actually _respected_ him. She also wasn't weak or some annoying woman telling her to be more feminine, and while the two of them weren't exactly the best of friends, she felt she could put up with Winter more than she could some random woman. As long as Winter put every ounce of her being into loving him, it was fine. Absolutely _fricking_ fine.

 _Not jealous. Not jealous at all._

"Hey there." A tall boy said, leaning an elbow down on the table beside her. "Couldn't help but notice you looking a little down. Cardin Winchester." He tipped his head with what he obviously thought was a roguish smile. It wasn't. It was ugly in a way he wasn't and dripped insincerity so thick she could feel it lapping around her ankles. His eyes raked over Yang's bosom and Emerald's eye twitched. "Nice to meet the girl I'm about to dance with."

"Weiss, hand me the knife."

"No." Weiss pulled the butter knife away before it could find itself in the boy's throat. "I think that's a no to the dance," she said to the tall teen. "She isn't interested."

"I didn't hear _her_ say no."

"Weiss," Emerald repeated urgently. "The knife."

"I'm considering it…"

In the end, Yang came to her rescue, sweeping the boy away for a dance with her instead; something he seemed more than eager to allow, even if Em could see his hands wandering down Yang's back. It lit a fire in her stomach and she briefly considered going over there, ripping his hands away and kicking his face in. That was _her_ friend the asshole was touching without permission.

Emerald memorised his face.

"Is your father dating my sister really so bad a thing?" Weiss asked.

"No." Tearing her eyes away from Yang, she looked to Weiss. She wasn't bad. Weiss was smart and mature and handy in a fight. Having her as a sister-in-law didn't sound all that bad. She wasn't sure how to explain what she thought about Winter. "I've already given her my blessing. As long as she doesn't do anything to upset him it's fine. Let me sulk in peace."

"I'm sure your big bad father can handle himself if she does."

"It'll be okay," Ruby said, sliding up to sit beside her, taking Yang's spot and providing yet another shield from the masses. "You'll see. And if things get weird, you can come and stay at our place for a bit. It'll be a sleepover."

"Thanks Ruby. It won't come to that, though. Winter and I had to share before."

"Is that where this comes from?" Weiss chuckled. "You holding onto past jealousy over being made to _share_ his attention?"

"No."

"Yep!" Ruby giggled.

"Traitor."

/-/

There wasn't much in the way of romance at an event like this. He was surprised how little like a date it was. They couldn't get a moment to themselves without someone coming up either to congratulate or network with them, and Winter – in her role as heiress of the SDC – was expected to respond in kind.

If Winter hadn't warned him this exact thing would happen, he might have been upset. As it was, he felt sorry for her. The gentlemanly thing to do wouldn't be to interrupt, however. That would make her life more difficult. Instead, he met her eyes over the shoulder of a man profusely singing her praises and rolled his eyes. The brief flash of an amused smile told him he'd cheered her up. She waved a hand, telling him he could go and have a little more fun while she handled business.

Jaune wasn't egotistical enough to see that as anything other than the generous gesture it was. He slipped away, quickly spotting and approaching one of the few pockets of people that _wouldn't_ be an absolute chore to speak with.

"Hey, big guy," Taiyang said, looking far too dapper in a black tux. Summer was on his arm, practically attached to it. Judging from her expression she didn't get many opportunities to make her husband dress up and was more than determined to enjoy this one. "Congrats on the medal. And the girl."

"You make it sound like I won her."

"Ha. More like she chased you down like the huntress she is."

Jaune laughed and clinked his glass against Tai's, Qrow joining in from the side, returning from what appeared to be an unsuccessful attempt to flirt with some young woman. Unsuccessful because of the drink splashed down his shirt.

"No luck today?"

"Stuffy people all," Qrow grumbled. "Not sure what I'm doing here."

"Celebrating Jaune's new relationship," Summer chided.

"Summer, I could have celebrated that in the bar and bought him a round. Would've been better than this for both of us. Still." He grinned suddenly. "A certain someone told me you called late at night, mid-coitus, to scream about marriage prospects. Classy. Though I'm offended I wasn't the first person you came to."

"I was caught off-guard."

"Yeah, tell me about it. No marriage on the horizon, though?"

"Not yet. We'll see if that changes."

"Fair." Qrow downed his drink. "Honestly, I'm just relieved it's not Raven."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Funny, Qrow. Real funny."

Neither Taiyang nor Summer laughed. They didn't meet his eyes either.

"Really, guys!? Really…?"

"You and her were closer than most," Taiyang said, trying to keep any emotion out his voice. "Raven was never one to trust easily and she's saved your bacon a couple of times now. What were we supposed to think?"

"That proximity doesn't equal relationship? I don't see Qrow and Ozpin banging."

"We do it behind closed doors," Qrow joked.

"Is it really that crazy to imagine?" Summer asked. "You didn't really hang out with a lot of people, Jaune. Apart from us and General Ironwood, you only really interact with your students. Raven is the one exception and… well, you do look a little like Taiyang. That has to count for something."

"We were all kind of dreading it," Taiyang confessed. "We made a decision to support you both if it happened, but none of us really wanted it. Hope that explains why we're so easy-going with you and Winter. Could have been so much worse."

Raven. He couldn't blame them for not liking the idea of her getting together with him. It would have meant bringing her back into their lives, and not with an apology but as the sudden girlfriend of their kids' friends' father. Awkward wouldn't have begun to describe it.

Did it really look like they were together, though? Maybe from the little they actually saw. He wasn't sure Raven could see him like that. It was one thing to know his past but thanks to Jinn, Raven had his history dumped into her head. People weren't supposed to have that intimate a knowledge of a person. And despite the drinking and fighting together, he never really got the impression he was more to her than a convenience and a friend, and even the latter was more like grudging friendship than anything he, Ren, Nora and Pyrrha shared.

"I don't think Raven and I would have worked out. Nor do I think she would be interested in trying."

"Good." Summer made _no secret_ of her feelings on that. "This is better anyway. And you have to tell us if the wedding happens. I want to be a bridesmaid for once in my life."

"Weren't you for Tai and Raven's?"

"Raven couldn't give a shit for weddings. Her words, not mine. They signed a marital form and called it done." Summer gripped the lapels of his coat. "You're my only hope of becoming a bridesmaid, Jaune. Don't let me down."

"Hey!" Qrow said. "You can be one when I get married."

Summer looked at him for a long moment and then back. "You're my only hope of becoming a bridesmaid, Jaune."

"Oi! Rude."

"I'll let you know," Jaune said, wondering if it would be too cruel to point out that Weiss and Emerald might deserve the positions more. It would be Winter's choice in the end anyway, and he wasn't even sure who his best man would be. James, maybe? "I think it's a little soon to think about that. We've not even had a proper date yet."

"Jaune's right. We shouldn't push."

"But you're the one who brought up bridesmaids…"

He laughed along with them and made an excuse to find Winter, slipping away. Summer wouldn't normally taunt Qrow with his bachelor lifestyle, or Qrow play along. They were trying to cheer him up. Why? He didn't dislike what was happening. Well, aside from it being a formal event, but things weren't bad. Did he look like he was in a bad mood?

Winter noted it the moment he reached her. "You're tense."

"Am I?"

"Your shoulders are stiff and you're giving off that `ready to fight` vibe. It has even me on edge. Did you see something? Should I raise the alarm?"

"No. I haven't seen anything. I didn't even realise I was doing it."

That explained Sumer, Tai and Qrow at least. Most of the people didn't seem capable of noticing – or if they did, they would just assume he was surly. But huntsmen and those used to combat could probably see the nuanced movements and realise what they meant. Thinking about it like that, he could identify the problem.

He kept expecting something to happen.

Tyrian would crash through the back window. White Fang would file in. Cinder would be among the guests; Grimm would attack, or _something_ would happen to ruin things. He hadn't realised it until that moment, but he'd already identified the most likely entrance points and the best exits to take.

"Am I really that paranoid…?"

"Jaune, your daughter was kidnapped a little over a week ago, and you've made yourself public enemy number one to any still free White Fang members. Not even including your past, no one could fault you for being a little anxious." She tapped his chest with one hand. "Paranoia is _unjustified_ fear. What you're exhibiting is caution." Winter shrugged. "I doubled my own protective detail after returning from Mistral."

"Were there problems?"

"No. Just being cautious."

Maybe it wasn't so bad then. Like she said, it wasn't paranoia if there was reason to believe it. It was good to have someone who knew the truth for a change. Someone who wasn't always running off to do her own thing like Raven. _I could get used to this._

"For what it's worth," she said, "I don't think we should expect trouble tonight."

"Isn't that tempting fate?"

"I don't believe in fate and neither should you. It's more to do with that letter you received."

He hissed and looked around. Seeing they weren't within hearing distance of anyone he asked, "The one from Salem? You don't _believe_ her offer to leave me alone. Do you?"

"Of course not. I trust her about as far as I can throw her. But I believe she wouldn't waste her time on the gesture if she intended to immediately break it. It's not like this would make you let your guard down. No one is going to believe their mortal enemy writing them a letter offering peace. If anything, it's only made you _more_ defensive. This would be the worst time for her to attack."

Meaning that she wouldn't. Or that if she intended to, she wouldn't have wasted time with the letter first. There were whole realms of other objectives she might have, from sowing dissent between him and Ozpin to confusing or just distracting him. All those would be lost if she attacked now and proved her word worthless.

Unless, of course, she knew he'd think this way and let his guard down – but once they were into the realm of double, triple and quadruple bluffs, it wasn't worth thinking about.

That didn't mean the White Fang might not try something, but Salem ought to sit back. He'd shown he could defeat Hazel, and while Tyrian, Hazel and Watts working all together would surely be enough to bring him down, she also knew finding him on his own now would be hard. He had Ozpin and the huntsmen of Vale to rely on. And Winter too.

He took a deep breath and let it go, and while not all the tension seeped out of him, enough did that he cracked a smile for Winter's benefit. "Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I guess I was overreacting."

"Don't criticise yourself so much. It's not overreacting if you have the literal Queen of the Grimm after your head." Winter planted a hand on one hip and looked him in the eye. "You do that a lot, you realise. Act like you're somehow at fault for every action. Stop it."

"So-" His apology cut off as her brow rose. "Ahah. My bad."

"You never seemed like this when you were teaching me. Or maybe I was too spellbound by your technique to notice."

"You were a child," he pointed out. "I didn't act like this around you."

"I'll take the fact you do now as a compliment." Winter noticed some people approaching and sighed, leaning into him briefly. Very briefly. She stepped back before he could think to hold her. "I hate this showmanship as much as you. Don't worry. Once this is over, there won't be much need for us to do it again. Not until our victory banquet once Salem is defeated and the world saved."

"Now that's something to look forward to."

She smiled. "I agree. Now, go dance with Emerald while I take care of these people. I don't want to give her any more reason to hate me than she already has."

"Em doesn't hate you."

"I know." She pushed him gently. "It was a jest. But go. She looks bored out her mind."

/-/

Ozpin sat at the head table and watched Jaune Ashari dance with his daughter. The poor man had no idea how many married women he enthused with so adoring an action. If his goal was to avoid attention he'd failed quite spectacularly.

"You're in a good mood today," Glynda said.

"I won't deny it. The White Fang have been destroyed, Vale is safe and, if our information is to be believed, Salem has lost a powerful asset in Sienna Khan." He tipped his glass in the direction of Jaune. "And beyond that, a small celebration and a union like theirs should is a delight to see."

"Thinking of the future again?"

"I must. After all, I'll be stuck here experiencing it. Assuming the two do marry and have children of their own, they may well be powerful huntsmen in their own rights. Perhaps I shall have the pleasure of teaching them."

"Or you'll be on a team with them."

True. There was no way of knowing who he would end up inside when his current body died, or what age they would be. He'd been a student just as many times as he had a teacher. It had gotten to the point where he couldn't even remember his first team anymore. Too many had died and passed on, and not all from tragic causes.

Old age claimed everyone eventually.

"All I can do is plan for the future and maintain the world we have. We will always have need of strong men and women who can fight Salem and her machinations. Jaune is already doing that passing on his knowledge in the ASH Gym. If he passes more onto his children, I will rest assured the coming generation will be safe."

"And yet you still don't trust him fully."

"It is hard to trust anyone, Glynda. You know that. I would stand with him at my back and I would answer the call in his hour of need. Is that not enough?" It was as far as Jaune trusted him in turn, and not everyone needed to be so close to be good allies. Or to respect one another.

And soon enough, Emerald Ashari would be entering Beacon alongside Yang Xiao-Long, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Even little Ruby, who wouldn't be coming as he'd initially wanted, but as someone apprenticed to Beacon's doctor. They would form the next bulwark, growing to the peak of their strength just as the current iteration finished their own.

The future looked all but certain.

* * *

 **Next chapter will include a bit of a time skip – almost a year, in fact. I had it at the end of this chapter, but it read a little strangely and I took it out and saved it for next week's chapter. Probably not the best idea to time skip at an ending spot. I guess that makes this chapter sort of the end of the arc - or does that make the next chapter the end? Hard to say.**

 **My expectation is that next chapter will involve a couple of skips to set the scene for future content.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 28** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	76. Chapter 76

**Welp. The week that refuses to leave Coeur alone has struck harder than ever. I spent yesterday being violently sick – and while I'm better today (much better) I'm still a little out of it. Just exhausted and in that state of being where everything feels like it takes twice as much energy. This chapter is short as a result. I'd have skipped it entirely, but I still feel that releasing "something" is better than nothing – and lets me put a note here so people know.**

 **Otherwise I'd have PMs and emails asking me if I'm alive at all.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 76**

* * *

Jaune stepped over the body of a crime lord and approached the table. Roman sauntered alongside him, cocksure in his victory and swaggering with every step. He took a chair, tipped a well-dressed corpse out of it and sat at the head of the table.

"And just like that the biggest criminal families in Vale. Dead."

"Just like that," Jaune echoed, looking over the bodies. It didn't _feel_ like a just like that situation. The firefight had been swift and calculated but it still cost a lot of lives. More on the side of the enemy than themselves, but still. "Junior. What are our losses?"

"Light. All things considering. You and Roman took on their heavy hitters while my boys only had chaff to work with. The twins handled that without too many falling. Good job on their training by the way, they were vicious."

"They're good students. Are they going to Beacon?"

"Is this the time to talk school?" Junior motioned to the blood running down marble steps like waterfalls.

"I guess not." Jaune laughed, more at how macabre the situation was than because it was funny. "It's good we didn't lose too many people. Neo did her work keeping the alarm from being raised and the Lumens held their end. How are they?"

"Alive. Their meteoric rise to power didn't go unnoticed and they were invited to the meet." Junior sighed and shot him a look. "Just as you planned. They opened fire from within, killing some of the criminal lords before they could call in reinforcements. From there, this was little more than a formality."

"That's how a proper raid goes."

It was how Charlie did things in the Specialists and that translated. Plan hard, prepare harder and strike fast. By the time the criminal families knew what was hitting them it was much too late. With him and Roman at the head, they didn't stand a chance.

And that was without bringing up their secret weapon.

"Chumps, all of them." Raven kicked her way through a doorway, spilling a dead man off her sword. Her boots and legs were covered in blood but the rest of her was oddly clean. Tellingly clean. Roman shied behind Jaune, knowing exactly where he stood with the woman. "I thought you were calling me in for something fun. Looks like I was mistaken."

"I told you exactly what we were doing, Raven."

"Yeah – but I expected more from the most dangerous fuckers in Vale."

"The leadership didn't often get to the top by being skilled fighters," Junior said. "Vale has no shortage of those with the huntsmen. The ones who thrived were either ruthless, connected, wealthy or ruthless. Usually a combination of them all. A combination that didn't seem to do them well here," he muttered. "They couldn't have expected to fight monsters like you."

He chose not to acknowledge the last part and instead sheathed Crocea Mors. The raid had been over in a moment and was startlingly simple in its execution. Their criminal empire grew and grew, acting out and targeting important families – wiping out those not on the ruling council but otherwise leaving the others alive. Naturally, that drew attention. The council convened, drawing together the stronger families to address the threat of Hei's gang.

Roger Lumen, now a respected member of the Council thanks to things going his way, had been summoned to the council. In doing so, revealing the location of the meet to them all. Roger feigned sickness, sending Sebastian, his adopted sun and faunus heir, to take over in his stead.

From there, it had just been a case of moving in, taking care of guards and trusting Neo to prevent any alarm being raised. So paranoid and untrusting, so afraid of being betrayed, each of the criminal families had brought only a skeleton crew of people with them. They'd met under truce and accords agreed long ago.

A shame for them he wasn't prepared to play by their rules. It took the better part of a year after defeating the White Fang, but it was done. Finally. _And before Emerald goes off to Beacon, too. That's good. If Salem is going to try sneaking someone in, it'll be before this next year starts._

"We've done as you asked," Sebastian Lumen said, hand on one hip, notably close to his handgun. He was bloodstained but determined. There was a wariness in him, however. This was the moment of their victory but also the moment where Jaune would betray him if it was his plan. No doubt the Lumens had plans in place but they both knew Sebastian wouldn't be walking out alive. Not with him and Raven here.

"You have," Jaune said, spreading both arms. "Thank you. I'll honour our side of the agreement. The Lumens will have their autonomy and the territory you requested. Roman has already agreed to honour the deal."

Sebastian watched him closely and then Roman. Satisfied, he untensed, though only a little. He wouldn't truly relax until Jaune proved his words true. Lucky for both of them, he intended to. _It's a small price to pay and Roman will be running most of the underworld. Even if Salem got hold of them, they couldn't do anything to us._

"Guess that makes me King, then," Roman said, kicking his boots up on the table. "Unless this is the time you turn on me." He puffed on a cigar, either unconcerned or resigned to the prospect. "Is it?"

Jaune laughed. "No. I already told you I don't want control – and you saved Emerald's life. I'm not one who turns on my allies." Not like Cinder. "King, though? I take it Hei doesn't have a problem with that?" He addressed the question to Junior.

"I'm more of a behind the scenes kind of guy. Those who stand out tend to become targets. On the other hand, Roman _lives_ for that kind of thing." He paused to look at the narcissistic thief who didn't bother to correct him. Hei laughed. "I'm more than fine with it."

"Long as you remember our agreement," Jaune said. "Can I leave the two of you to handle clean up?"

"Sure thing, boss!"

"Probably best this way," Hei said. "There are gonna be some waves for the next few weeks. Until we can clamp down and get everyone consolidated under Roman. You know where to find us if you need us."

Jaune nodded and waved to Raven, the two of them walking out together, past the Malachite twins who waved impishly at him. They were much stronger than they were originally. Loyal to Junior, though. Better that than Salem.

"I really did expect more," Raven said. "You hear _crime lords_ and it just conjures a certain image in your head."

"You're literally the Spring Maiden. And I'm a time traveller. What chance did they have?"

"Not according to Ozpin I'm not." She shot him a meaningful glare. "And if you knew it'd be this easy you shouldn't have called me. I agreed to help you and your wife. Not to do your dirty work for you."

"Winter isn't my wife. And I didn't call on you. I _asked you nicely_ and offered to pay you. I didn't need you for them, though. I needed you to make sure Qrow or Ozpin didn't intervene. Are they near?"

Raven's Semblance let her sense where those she was bonded to were. It was how she knew where to open a portal to, and also when she could. Without it she couldn't have told if Yang was in trouble against Neo on the train. Or if her target was a hundred feet in the air as a bird. If she couldn't sense people, she'd run the risk of dying.

Semblances came with little inbuilt things like that which kept you safe. Like how Ruby didn't pulp her insides when running so fast, or how Yang was immune to the fire she created – or how Pyrrha didn't literally affect the iron in her own blood, killing herself immediately. No one quite knew why, him least of all, but Semblances just worked to keep you safe. Even if they had to defy logic to do it.

"Ozpin is in Beacon," Raven said. "Qrow is with Taiyang but not Summer. Probably a bar."

"And Summer?"

"Nowhere near here. She's with Yang."

And with Ruby and Emerald, then. He'd called in a babysitting favour – they traded those between them frequently, whenever Summer and Tai wanted to spend some time together, or when he had to do something with Roman. _Speaking of…_

He pulled out his scroll and typed a quick message to Emerald. It was late and she should be in bed, but he somehow doubted she would be.

 _All done. I'm safe. Love you._

Her response came back within ten seconds.

 _Good. Love you too._

"Heh." He smiled at the screen and felt the last tension slip out of him. Before he could forget he wrote out a similar one to Winter, albeit a little more detailed. There was no immediate response from her; she trusted him to be safe against mere criminals and was likely in bed. When he put his scroll away it was in time to see Raven grimacing at her own scroll, which was ringing. She pressed the end call button.

It rang again a few seconds later. She ended it again.

The tune played a third time.

"Maybe you should answer it," he said.

"Maybe you should stop being such a whiny bastard," Raven snapped back.

"Me? What did I do?"

"Everything!" Raven scowled and pulled the device to her ear, accepting the call. "BRAT!" she snapped. "What part of _call not accepted_ do you not understand? No, I don't care what your reasons- You were worried? About me!? That just means you weren't training hard enough! I knew it. I take my eyes away for one night and you're slacking off. What?" Raven snorted. "Of course I'm fine. Would I be here talking to you now if I wasn't? Stop being such an idiot. And don't doubt me next time or I'll make your life hell. No, you know what, too late. You've already pissed me off. I'm going to ambush you sometime tomorrow and beat the shit out of you. Consider it training to see me coming."

Raven hung up a second later, brushing some hair from her face with an angry huff.

Jaune couldn't help his grin. "Was that _me_?"

"I told you. You're a whiny bastard."

"Was I worried about you?"

"You were slacking off," she snapped back. "I told you to work yourself until you couldn't think, yet there you are, being pathetic. As usual." The back and forth carried no real sting to it. He laughed, enjoying ribbing her.

"I didn't know you were still training him."

"Someone has to – unless you want him to be as weak as you were. In my best interests he be strong enough to scratch Salem if he's going to end up throwing himself against her. Saves me the trouble."

"Would it be too much for you to admit you like him?"

"Ha. I hope you choke on that sentiment and die. Come on." She started walking away, waving a hand for him to follow like a servant. "You promised me a soft bed, food and drink. All this unsatisfying killing has left me thirsty. Your bitch of a wife there?"

"No. Winter is in Atlas." He sighed. "And she's not my wife."

"Still a bitch."

"You'd like her if you gave her a chance. She isn't weak."

"Oh, I know. Trust me, bitch is a term of endearment compared to what I'd call her if she was anything like you at her age. I just don't like the way she looks at me, like she's judging me whenever I'm around you."

"That might have something to do with the fact you keep making innuendoes around her."

Which he was sure she did on purpose and to bait Winter. The two weren't enemies by any means. They actually get along as allies – just not as friends. At the very least, Raven agreed to join their little group against Salem. On the provision she wasn't kept in the dark and they didn't think for a second she could be _used_ against her will. It was an easy price to pay.

"Any luck on that ruin I asked you to look into?"

"Some of the boys are scouting. We'll move the tribe there once we find it, then portal you in."

"Perfect. Thanks, Raven. You know how much this means."

"Yeah, I do. Got enough of your memories to know." She rolled her eyes and kept on walking. "Now get a move on. That booze isn't going to drink itself."

/-/

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Emerald. Happy Birthday to you!" Silence reigned for a moment as Emerald Ashari leaned forward and blew out the seventeen candles on her giant cake. As soon as she had, raucous applause took over, clapping and cheering as she rolled her eyes like every teenage girl ever.

Unlike said girls, she didn't shy away from a hug with her father, however.

"Happy seventeenth, Em. You're growing up so fast." He ruffled her hair. "You'll still be my little girl, though. Don't forget that."

"I won't."

"Good." She still idolised him, but with Beacon only a few months away he didn't want there to be any doubts in her mind. "Now go on, open your presents and cut the cake. I bought an extra big one this year so you'd be a little more willing to share."

"No one wants a repeat of the cake massacre of your sixteenth," Winter said, approaching with a teasing smile. The reminder drew a glare from Emerald. Winter weathered it like she always did, winding an arm around Jaune's waist as his found hers. "Happy birthday, Emerald. I hope you enjoy the present I got you."

"I will. Thank you."

Politeness was all they could ask for – and all Winter ever did. Emerald spoke to her, greeted her and sparred with her, and those were bigger signs of budding trust than anything else. She might never come to consider Winter a friend like Yang or Ruby, but maybe that was to be expected. She'd invaded Emerald's life and made herself a constant presence, and the fact Emerald allowed it at all spoke volumes.

A year and a half. That was how long they'd been together now. For anyone else that might have been time to start moving onto marriage, but they'd both spent a lot of that time distracted. Winter lived in Atlas still and worked with the SDC. She travelled to see him often – her work being far more conductive to taking time off now that the White Fang were dealt with – but it still meant they only really got to be together every other weekend.

That worked out in the early parts of their relationship. It kept them from overwhelming one another and ensured they had plenty to talk about to fill those awkward silences. It also let Emerald get used to Winter's presence more gradually, and since Winter brought Weiss or Whitley with her, usually alternating them by weeks, it gave Emerald someone to play with as well. Play involved sparring for the most part, which certainly wasn't a problem for Yang, Weiss or Whitley.

Nor Ruby, it turned out. Even if she didn't want to be a huntress, she knew how to fight. Taiyang and Summer weren't taking any chances after the Tyrian debacle, and Ruby could defend herself. She wasn't as good as the old Ruby had been at her age, but that balanced with a rather surprising understanding of first aid and herbal medicine. It was incredible how much she'd learned in so little time.

 _It shouldn't. Ruby always excelled in whatever she put her mind to – whether that's mastering the most complicated weapon in the world or befriending Weiss._ It helped that he'd brought her on to offer first aid at the gym. Accidents rarely happened and his Semblance could deal with them when they did, but the experience was good for her and it gave him an excuse to pay her for her services.

Her nervousness around him had dulled to the point that she could happily talk with him. Or, well, not _happily_ – this was Ruby after all – but at least no less socially awkward than usual. He'd heard her reference him as `Uncle Jaune` to Emerald and that was enough to have his heart soaring.

"It won't be long now until she leaves for Beacon," Winter said.

"I know. I'm worried about her."

"You shouldn't be. Time has changed so much that nothing will happen as it did before. Cinder is one of your own students – and I've looked into her. I can't see any mysterious absences, either before Vale or after. Furthermore, the White Fang are dead and gone."

That was official now. The last dregs had done as expected and tried to exact revenge. He'd never seen them – Ozpin catching some outside the walls and ironically _Roman_ finishing off the rest when they tried to infiltrate and establish themselves in the criminal underworld. He hadn't taken to competitors well, especially not when their stated goals were chaos and anarchy.

"That," Roman had said, "is bad for business."

With the last few cells failing to restart the White Fang, and Menagerie turning their back on them, the organisation slowly filtered out. The diehards went out in small blazes of attempted glory while the moderates – in the context of terrorists, anyway – hung up their masks and snuck back into society, ducking their heads and living on as usual.

It helped that James, using the White Fang as an example, pushed for more equality among Atlas. Winter had done the same with the SDC, highlighting it as both an initiative from her and a request from Jaune – and at that point Jacques had been forced to agree. He'd also seen now what mistreatment caused, and the potential losses of another White Fang outweighed the costs of better conditions for faunus workers.

It'd take time to heal those wounds, but they were working on it. James' new laws were named the `Ghira Laws` in honour of an innocent man who died in a cell. No news from Blake on that front, though Winter assured him she was in contact with Adam, who was working with Kali to run Menagerie. Perhaps the lack of news on that front was the best sign they could hope for.

"The last of the Fang have been rehomed and rehabilitated. Those that didn't commit crimes justifying prison time. James helped with that." Winter watched as Emerald was made to pin a tail on a donkey – a cardboard cut-out of one. With her huntress instincts, balance and memory, she did so easily.

From ten metres away, thrown. Everyone clapped happily, not even surprised.

"We'll bring James in once I'm sure he won't tell Ozpin." He kept his voice low, aware that the very man in question was in the room as an invited guest. He'd gotten Emerald a junior dust-mixing kit, with which she could play around mixing dust to create rounds of various qualities. It was an esoteric but generous gesture.

 _And with Cinder not making Roman steal all the dust, there's plenty to go around._

He'd never realised just how much her actions had messed up the economy in his time. Why should he when his sword didn't even use dust? Ruby, though. She must have been struggling – and there was a reason Blake didn't break out the elemental clones until Weiss got her some dust. The crime waves had driven the price sky high, and White Fang attacks on SDC transports pushed it even higher. What dust was brought into the city had been just too expensive for students to purchase.

That wasn't an issue now. With both Roman not bothering and Jacques able to focus on business again, dust prices were stable. More than that, Winter had refined the security detail into forces that could guard and expand dust mines, helping bring yet more dust into the SDC, and thus, Remnant at large. They'd saved the economy more than anything else. No wonder Jacques loved him.

"Jaune. Winter!" Summer approached with a huge smile and a glass of sherry. "I'm not interrupting anything romantic, am I?"

"Nothing of the sort." Winter smiled and hugged the woman. Everyone loved Summer. "Jaune was just worrying about Emerald leaving for Beacon," she deflected with a smirk and a wink his way.

"Oh, tell me about it. I feel the same way. It's not even the fear – I know Yang will be fine and Ruby isn't even going to be in danger. It's just them being on their own. What if they need help? What if they don't fit in?" Summer sighed unhappily. "What am I going to do with the house so empty?"

"Uh. Aren't you going to be teaching them every day?"

"Yes, but I'll still be going home alone! It won't be the same."

It really wouldn't be. He was just as upset about it. Sure, it was a part of them growing up and Emerald would make friends and be fine with Yang, Weiss and Whitley alongside her – but change always came with reluctance. She wouldn't be the little girl who he'd read stories to in bed. She wouldn't be the cute munchkin with the overly serious expression, always listening on his every word and shadowing him.

He was going to miss that, no matter how she grew up. He wanted his little Emmy back.

And it was less than four months until Beacon started.

"Go enjoy the party," Winter said, nudging him. "You'll only regret the time not spent with her now when she's busy in school. Go on."

"You sure?" he asked hopefully.

"I'll still be here when she's gone. We can spend time together whenever we like. Go."

With a smile and a nod of thanks, Jaune downed his drink and strode into the fray, swiping a slice of cake off Emerald's plate and watching her gasp and hiss – then roll her eyes when she realised it was him. He laughed and dragged her in for a one-armed hug, feeding her the cake with his other while cameras flashed around, Yang taking blackmail and others just finding it cute.

"Happy birthday," he said again, holding the cake to her lips so she could bite it. "My beautiful daughter."

Emerald's blush lit up her face. She stomped down, embarrassed in front of all her friends. It was so normal an emotion, so perfectly teenage, that he couldn't help but think he'd done something right in raising her.

* * *

 **About as much as I could manage in the day. Ugh. Still feeling much better today than I was yesterday. Hopefully this week of absolute madness is a one-off thing. At least my electricity, internet and tyres are now all done. And my body.**

 **What's next?**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	77. Chapter 77

**Heyo. Here we go. More a continuation from where sickness cut me off last week.**

 **Since it's been asked, and because I checked, no, I don't like Jaune's new hairstyle. Why, God, why? Why would you ever do this? And where is Jaune finding industrial hair cement when he's literally at the invasion of Atlas? I kinda hoped his hair would grow rougher and longer since they're spending so much time out in the wilderness where the closest you'd get to a haircut is what Ren can pull off with his knives.**

 **And a beard. Give the man a beard!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 77**

* * *

Adam cocked his head to the side as the door to his study opened. He breathed a sigh of relief on seeing Kali – then felt immediate guilt for it. He took a drink of tea, fully expecting he'd need it for what promised to be a difficult conversation. He could tell from the look on her face, like she didn't want to tell him something.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's Blake." Kali came to his desk. "She wants to attend Beacon."

For the love of... Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. Of all the things she could have demanded, it just had to be this. It just had to be.

"That isn't a good idea."

"Then what would you have me do?" Kali asked, spreading her arms wide. "Keep her a prisoner in her own home? She's been that for the last two years, Adam. She hasn't so much as been out of our sight except for when she locks herself away in her room. We have no right to keep her."

Adam Taurus, Chieftain of Menagerie, dropped his pen with a click and sighed. He still didn't know why he accepted the job when Kali retired. Guilt, probably. It'd been a long two years since bringing down the White Fang. Some faunus despised him for it. There had even been attacks. Menagerie was flourishing, however. With Atlas introducing the Ghira Laws, there was even talk of opening trade ties and recognising Menagerie as the fifth kingdom of Remnant.

None of that could distract him from Blake, however. His Blake – or not _his_ any longer. That relationship had crashed and burned when she figured out his part in the defeat of the White Fang. Screaming, ranting and accusations were his reward, and he couldn't say he didn't deserve it.

"You kept Blake from being convicted of any crimes," Kali said. "That means we have no legal right to hold her. Seventeen is her maturity and she can choose her own path."

"Does she hate me so much she would travel to another Kingdom to escape me?"

Kali laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. "She is angry, Adam. Maybe some time away will give her space to think."

"Or freedom to run away and start the White Fang again."

"I don't think she'd do that. I don't think she _could_ do that. The organisational side alone, there just aren't enough faunus left willing to take part."

Those that had been were either dead or serving time, and he had Winter Schnee of all people to thank for their fair and just sentences. He snorted, amused at the idea that he'd ever thank a Schnee, and even more amused at the fact they spoke often. She was spearheading things on the side of Atlas to get them recognised. On their last call, he'd wished her good luck with Ashari. Curiously mundane conversations between an ex-terrorist and the daughter of their most hated enemy.

With the Ghira Laws coming in, many faunus were adopting a wait and see approach. Even those who did support the White Fang claimed that they'd `won` by bringing about the laws, somehow phrasing it as Sienna going out a martyr to secure peace. He and Kali chose to let that idea spread. It didn't hurt anyone and kept the more right-wing faunus happy.

"It's not Blake starting the White Fang again that bothers you," Kali said. "Is it?"

"No. It's Vale." Adam shook his head. "If it were Atlas or Mistral or even Vacuo, I'd be happy to let her go, but Vale. Beacon. It just had to be there. That's where _he_ is. I can't shake the thought she wants revenge."

He stopped and looked to the older woman, who'd become a mentor of sorts since his return. Things hadn't been easy at first. Though she never said it, he knew she blamed him for Ghira. That was fine. Fair, even. He blamed himself as well. They'd come together over a desire to secure Menagerie, however. And to protect Blake. He wasn't sure if they counted as friends now or not, but they were allies. There was no one he trusted more.

"Do you think she would?" he asked. "I'm not the best person to judge her intent. Not anymore."

Kali smiled bitterly. "I have no idea. Blake has changed much in the last few years."

"Damn it."

"But we can't deny her on something that's a paranoid fear at best. It's a miracle we've been able to keep her here already. We need to give her some freedom – if not to help her heal, then to show her we're not going to act as prison wardens for the rest of her life."

"I know."

Blake was angry. Angry at him, the world and at Jaune Ashari. The spectrum of rage had shifted much over the years. At first, it was all aimed at him. Traitor, monster, fiend. He'd _killed the real Adam_ and taken his place. He was no one to her.

Then, it was the world's fault. They mistreated the faunus and forced them into violent action, then cruelly stomped down on them and made some half-assed laws after. If the Kingdoms had just made those laws in the first place so many people wouldn't have died, her father among them. That was an opinion Adam very much agreed on, and he'd hoped it was a sign Blake was healing.

And then her blame shifted to Ashari, and all his dreams came crashing down.

Jaune Ashari was the one at fault. He killed Ghira. He killed Sienna. He even misled Adam, or so Blake claimed. His own attempts to convince her otherwise yielded no fruit and Kali had suggested they let the anger burn out. Jaune Ashari was hardly in any danger in Vale so it hadn't seemed like a problematic thing. Just a phase.

Burn out it had. Blake stopped complaining, stopped protesting, stopped raging and ranting. She became calm, measured and determined.

It worried him. More than anything, the calm worried him.

 _I'd almost rather have her hating me again. It's less likely to get her killed._

Kali was right when she said they couldn't keep her locked up, though. She hadn't technically done anything wrong other than have a bad opinion of Ashari, and that was hardly a crime. She trained, studied and didn't break the law. She even reconnected with Ilia, her old friend, and though he felt a spark of jealousy whenever they laughed and spent time together, he buried it under a mountain of rock and kept on with his work. He _had_ to pay Ghira back.

"What of Ilia?" he asked.

"She's expressed a desire to go with her."

"Tch. Of course she has…"

Kali sent him a firm look. Adam turned away from it and surrendered the issue.

"At least Ilia has a head on her shoulders. She should curtail any of Blake's more extreme ideas."

"Sure, until Blake smiles and the girl's legs turn to jelly." Blake wouldn't even realise she was doing it. Still didn't notice Ilia's attraction to her; too focused on her own situation to pay attention. Ilia saw their breakup as the perfect time to swoop in. "I could talk to her, I suppose. Ilia seems content to speak with me now that we're not in competition."

"Matters of the heart are always complicated," Kali said with a little smile. "Just be sure to phrase it in a way that doesn't sound like we're asking her to spy on Blake. She'll never accept that."

"I wouldn't ask for it. I just want her to keep Blake out of trouble."

"You've decided to let her go, then?"

Adam realised he had in a way, or at least he'd said it in a way that implied he would. He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes, massaging his forehead with one hand. Every fibre of his being was telling him to say no. To keep Blake locked away and safe. The more reasonable part of his mind conceded letting her go was a bad idea but knew he couldn't be the creep who locked a girl in his basement. The only way they'd truly know if Blake could be trusted would be to trust her.

"I'll be speaking with Ashari personally." he said. "Winter, too. They have a right to know, especially if his daughter will be attending Beacon as well. I don't want to imagine Blake might take her anger out on an innocent girl, but she might be tempted if she's there in front of her. He's a reasonable man; I don't think he'll react poorly."

"I'll trust you on that. I don't know Mr Ashari nearly as well as you do."

"If I could, I'd go with her," he said. "If she'd let me."

"That would defeat the purpose of her having some freedom to grow."

"It would keep her safe. If she tries anything against _his_ daughter, then I dread to imagine his reaction. At the very least, Blake would not survive it. And keep in mind he has Raven Branwen on his side. There's nowhere on Remnant Blake can hide from that woman."

"Then we make it clear to her. We tell Blake the truth and point out how fruitless it would be."

Adam grunted but didn't say he wasn't sure that would work. Blake was stubborn and the more odds you put against her, the more she dug her heels in. If only he hadn't convinced her to join the White Fang. If only he'd kept a better eye on her around Hazel. If only Ghira hadn't died. If only, if only, if only. The list went on.

"Why don't you leave talking with Ilia to me?" Kali said. "A woman's touch might be a little better here. And if you like, I'll help when setting the ground rules with Blake.

"Thank you." His shoulders untensed. More than anything, it was talking with Blake alone he feared. "I'm not sure what I'd do without you."

/-/

"Are you sure you want to do this, Jaune?"

"Mom, I already told you. I'm going to Beacon."

Jaune Arc watched his mom sigh and fret, as she had been ever since she and dad found out about his Fairy Godmother, who they tended to call less flattering names like _child kidnapper_ and _dead once I get my hands on her_. They never had, of course. Raven used her fairy magic to know when he was alone and only ever appeared to him. Not even his sisters had seen her.

"I have friends there," he said. "There's Nora and Ren and Nora-"

"You said Nora twice."

"The girl _did_ kiss him," Nicholas Arc teased.

"DAD!"

"That'd explain it," Juniper said. "Oh, but it's so dangerous, and your father hasn't even trained you."

"My fairy godmother trained me."

"Jaune! What have we said about that?"

He sighed. "No talking about her at the table."

"And…?"

"I shouldn't talk to strange women in the forest," he added with a roll of his eyes. "Even though you told me _before_ that strangers were just friends I hadn't met yet."

"That implied strangers your age! Not every stranger ever. What, would you just climb into the back of a van marked _free candy_ because I gave you some advice about strangers? Use your brain, Jaune. I know I gave birth to you with a head. It was the hardest part to get out."

Ew. That wasn't an image he needed. His youngest sister, Amber, was already choking and gagging on her food, while Sable pushed her own away with a queasy expression. They weren't quite so interested in the discussion as to his future. Mostly because this was the tenth time they'd had it in as many days and they could recite if by memory at this point.

He had to go to Beacon, though. There were baddies afoot and Raven said he'd be in danger. Jaune didn't consider himself a very brave person – honestly, he was a bit of a coward – but that only made it more important he go. Plus, Nora, but he wasn't still thinking about that kiss or anything. No way. Ha. He was a suave gentleman. Not a weirdo.

"Has _she_ made an appearance again?" Juniper asked.

"I thought you said no speaking about her at the table…"

"Answer the question."

"No," he said, lying through his teeth. Raven and he had been training yesterday, but they didn't want to know that. Maybe it was unfair, but he wanted to train with her, and he knew they wouldn't let him.

He'd tried to convince Raven to meet his parents. That hadn't gone down well. Short answer no, long answer involved plenty of insults and him being given a crash course on unarmed combat in case he ever lost his weapon. That was… fun.

"Beacon will be safe," Nicholas said. "Or as safe as can be. At least he'll share a room with three other people, making night-time visits less likely. You _do_ remember what we said about that, don't you?"

"Yes dad."

"Say it."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "If my fairy godmother visits late at night, I'm to tell her to leave until morning. And I'm to keep my pyjamas on at all times." He groaned. "I'm seventeen, you know. I know what sex is. Most guys my age have had it."

"Not at the table, dear." Juniper tapped his nose with a fork. "And not with women twice you age. If you're going, I want you to have a fight with Nicky. It's the only way I'll feel safe. Have a friendly tussle with him for us."

"Sheesh, mom. It's called a spar."

/-/

"I sparred with my dad."

Raven hummed, looking down on her little protégé. He was sweaty enough for that to be true, even leaving aside the fact he never lied to her. He'd read somewhere that fairies could detect lies and punish you for it, and she'd long since given up on correcting him. It worked out in her benefit anyway and provided wonderful blackmail material for the older version. He still couldn't get over the fact his younger self believed in fairies. Ha. Idiot.

"Did you win?"

"No. He's been a huntsman for twenty years."

"No excuses." She bopped him over the head with her sheathe. "Losing just means you're not training hard enough. Professionals get sloppy and complacent. They plateau. They raise families, settle down and stop trying as hard. Even if they don't, they have other things that take up their time like tax, social life and mortgages. You're at a stage where none of that matters, and that means you should be using every second of your day to get stronger."

"I am," he insisted. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yes. I'm simply making it clear the fact you sparred with your father won't save you from training now. If you can stand, you can fight."

He sighed. "Yes Raven…"

There was something in the way he was looking at her. It wasn't infatuation – thank the Gods for that, she'd have decapitated him if he developed a crush on her – but it looked like he had something to say, and it was getting in the way of his focus. "Brat," she sighed. "Say what you need to. Just make it quick."

"My parents want to meet you."

"That's nice."

He waited.

She waited.

"No, they want to meet you," he said again.

"And I said that's nice. They can _want_ to meet me all they like."

He groaned. " _Will_ you come meet them?" he tried again.

"Wasn't planning on it." They probably just wanted to threaten her – like they had the power – and she just knew Jaune, both of them, would have something to say if she hurt them. It wasn't worth the effort. "I'm not here to make friends, brat, or to marry you. There's no need for me to meet them, and what good would it do them?"

"They'd feel better?"

Not likely. She could say without a hint of self-pity that most people didn't like her. If he wanted to make his parents okay with all this, the best he could do was lie and pretend they never trained. In the end, it wasn't her problem. The first Jaune ran away from his, and that had to have hurt them. At least this one would be leaving with their permission.

"Focus on what's important," she said. "You remember your friends, carrot-top and pink-eye?"

"Nora and Ren."

"Yeah, them. They'll be in danger if you're not strong enough to face what's coming."

"What _is_ coming…?"

"More people like those we faced before. Maidens, monsters and Grimm. Those were just a fraction of what we're up against. What _you_ will be up against. You're at the centre of it, brat, whether you like it or not."

Jaune looked down. "That's kinda scary…"

"Good." He had a head on his shoulders to notice it. Naïve bravado hadn't helped Jaune. Maybe some common sense would do more. "Remember, there's nothing wrong with being a coward, long as you know what you can and can't run away from."

"Yeah." He nodded. "Sometimes you need to fight, because running away won't work."

"Exactly."

A stirring of something she wouldn't quite admit was pride rose up within her. Raven crushed it with ruthless abandon, standing and drawing her sword. Naked steel. He'd been training with it for the last half a year, picking up cuts and bruises whenever his aura failed. It didn't nowadays. He had it under tight control.

"Now prepare yourself. The day you can beat me and your father is the day you can relax. And that day is not this one."

"It'll be soon," he said, drawing his own weapon. "I can feel it."

"Heh. That's the spirit."

/-/

"I don't know if I should tell Em about her past or not."

"About your being a time traveller?" Winter asked, eating dinner with him. He'd cooked while Emerald was at Yang's again. He'd took Yang and Ruby to the movies yesterday to earn the favour this time.

"Yeah. I was thinking of telling her just before she leaves to Beacon, but I'm not sure how it'd go down. I can't tell if it's cruel to tell her then because she'll fester when she goes to Beacon, or a good thing because she'll be able to think it over without me looming over her shoulder. But then if I don't tell her, is that worse? If it comes out eventually…"

"Would it?" she asked. "Come out, I mean. It's not like you're keeping the fact she's adopted secret, or that you have enemies – you told her about Salem before you did me. I don't think the fact you're from an alternate timeline is going to just _come out_ randomly. And does it even matter? That timeline is dead now. It never happened. It's completely irrelevant."

"You're saying I shouldn't tell her?"

"I'm saying it's an option," she said, sipping some white wine and leaning an elbow on the table. While she wore her Schnee manners with utmost grace formally, she was always a little more relaxed when it was just the two of them. "When you have a big secret like this the danger is it somehow coming out and affecting someone negatively. I don't see that happening here. Really, you didn't even need to tell me."

"Wouldn't you be offended if I didn't?"

Winter shrugged. "Not really. Like I said at the time, it's not like it changed anything. Your age is accurate. Your personality is yours. About the only difference is that you once had a crush on my sister, and that you met me before I met you." She waved her fork. "Hardly deal breaking. There's the other problem, too. You said Emerald was an enemy the first time."

"Hm. She worked for Cinder."

"There you have it. You'll almost certainly hurt her if you tell her. She'll wonder if you adopted her because you didn't trust her – and you did."

"That wasn't the only reason."

"No, but it was there. Perhaps you didn't mean it, but you can't say it didn't play a part."

He couldn't. He looked down, shamefaced.

"You came to love her in time, so it doesn't really matter, but what do you gain from telling her? You don't prepare her for some big truth – there really isn't one. You're not protecting her from unknown enemies – you've already told her about every enemy you have. You don't put her in danger by keeping it a secret, and you're not keeping key information back because you've changed the timeline so much that information no longer works. We don't even know if Cinder is loyal to Salem. You may well have picked her up before Salem could."

"On the contrary," she went on, "You tell Emerald and you introduce her to a world of self-doubt. Before Beacon, no less. She'll question everything she's ever known, close herself off and run into problems. And for once she won't come to you for answers. There's simply no benefit, not to her or to you. Emerald never did and never will become that person she was. Bringing it up… It would be like you telling Summer how miserable her children were without her. All you'd do is make her feel guilty and hurt Taiyang. Do you want that?"

"No. Of course not."

"Then why do it for Emerald?"

"I…" He didn't know. His mouth closed. "I… I guess just because I feel like I should. I trust her and it's a secret I've been keeping."

But it was useless information in a way. The fact he was from another timeline didn't change anything or matter in any significant way. As Winter said, the information he once had was now suspect, and most of the things weren't even applicable. Summer was alive, the White Fang was gone, and Adam was now on their side. Would he tell Adam how much of a monster he'd been? No. Why would he? So, why tell Emerald?

"You don't think it's unfair to keep it hidden?"

"Not really. You're not going back to that time, are you?"

"No. My life is here."

"Is anyone from that time coming here?"

"Salem died and she was the only one able to do it."

"You're not going to judge Emerald based on what she did in that time."

"No. She's my daughter."

"Then what does it matter? You're no longer Jaune Arc. You're Jaune Ashari. Stop dwelling on your past and start focusing on the future. Emerald doesn't even tell you half the things she's probably been through on the streets, and I doubt she ever intends to. You don't have to tell her every little thing you got up to before adopting her, either." Winter laughed. "Frankly, I don't think she'd even care to know. All it'll do is hurt her."

"And if it comes out?"

"Who by? Me and Raven? Even if it does, you just tell her what you've told me – that the past is dead and this is your world, and that in this world Emerald Sustrai never existed. Only Emerald Ashari. Really, you're overthinking things. Let Emerald be excited for Beacon. It's not your or my place to ruin that for her."

Jaune chuckled. "I guess so. I'm kind of looking forward to seeing who she'll be on a team with."

"Any preferences?"

"Yang, obviously." Others, though? Well, there were a lot. "I don't know if Pyrrha is coming but I'd like that. As for the last, I wouldn't want to break up Nora and Ren. I'd want them on a team together." And he had a feeling Ozpin would ensure it since he still thought Nora the Spring Maiden. "Whitley or Weiss would be good, but they might want to stay together. Other than that, well, I wouldn't say no to Sun, but I've a feeling Emerald might object."

"And Whitley," Winter said. "Not Jaune?"

"Me?"

"Yes." Winter smiled teasingly. "The younger model."

"Oh _him_." It felt weird to say that, but Jaune Arc really wasn't who he was. According to Raven, he was nowhere near as pathetic. "I'm not exactly sure what to expect from a version of me personally trained in the Branwen Tribe method. I think I'd rather he go with Nora and Ren. Maybe even Pyrrha to recreate Team JNPR. But I wouldn't push it," he added quickly. "I know it's silly to try and recreate things for nostalgia's sake."

"Indeed. The future is unpredictable, and that is a very good thing. I guess we'll see the results next week. I've asked Ozpin if I can watch initiation to see how my brother and sister do. Do you wish to come with?"

"And potentially embarrass Emerald in front of her new friends?"

"Yes."

"I think it's my fatherly duty." He grinned. "I'll be there."

/-/

"And that," Ozpin said, signing the final form, "Is all the preparations for the new year complete."

"On your end perhaps," Glynda replied. " _We_ still have to order food, supplies and clean out the new rooms, not to mention assign them to victorious teams. There's plenty of work to come, Ozpin. Now isn't the time to sit back and relax."

He watched his deputy and close friend ramble on with a patient smile. "Ah but Glynda, we can't do any of that until initiation is finished. You do this every year, and every year goes by without problems. Relax a little."

"The fact I stress, and the year is without problems would be signs I should stress more. Not less."

"Sit." He pointed to the chair.

Glynda sighed and accepted it, then the cup of coffee he poured for her. He felt the burn himself of course – even after all these centuries, preparing a school to take on almost a hundred new students was no small task. It only got more frantic the closer it came to the start of term, and then after it would be initiation, assignments and more. Exhausting work.

But satisfying. Always satisfying.

"We've quite the few interesting students this year."

"Any in particular you mean?" Glynda asked. "Or do you mean to make my guess?"

"It would not be hard. Miss Xiao Long, Miss Ashari, Miss Fall, Miss Valkyrie, Mr Ren, Miss Rose-"

"Who is not joining as a huntress."

"I know, Glynda. I did not forget."

"I can't help but notice most of those you're excited about come from the ASH Gym."

Ozpin chuckled. "Can you blame me? I've long since pressed for more pre-Beacon training but the Council never saw the need. They were content with the strength the students showed and didn't want to rock the boat to try and eke out more. Mr Ashari's students come more prepared than any have before. It's wonderful."

"It's vexing," Glynda snarled. "Not just the trickery but the attitude problems."

"Come now, you can't judge them all by the standards of one. I'm sure Miss Vernal just needs time to settle in."

"It's been a whole year, Ozpin! She's been here a year and showed no signs of `settling in` at all. Every single person in her year cowers before her. She's a menace!"

"Different people need different amounts of time." He sipped his coffee and hid a smile as Glynda's temper flared. Oh, he, Peter and Bart had heard it all year how much Glynda considered Miss Vernal a problem. The girl was brash, rude and disrespectful – which didn't bother him so much, but frustrated Glynda to no end. "Maybe you should take a leaf from Peter's book. He has her under control and she pays attention in his class."

"Ozpin, he put her in the infirmary!"

"Miss Vernal accepted the spar and the terms – and she seems to genuinely respect people who can beat her."

"I won't be pushed to that childishness." Under her breath, she mumbled, "And don't tempt me. I'd smear her against the wall and call it a sparring accident. I'm _this_ close to throwing her into the Emerald Forest myself."

Yes, she was quite the colourful character, reminding him of Raven in some small way. She also slipped out of Beacon each weekend to the ASH Gym, challenging Jaune to fights and establishing herself as a dominant presence over all the new students there. It was enjoyable to watch, and good for the people there as well, who got to see both a Beacon huntress and how far training could carry them.

 _With more students of her level – though hopefully a calmer temperament – the coming generation may be one of the strongest for some time._

Strong enough to face Salem?

It had been a while since he tried. Each lifetime he tended to focus on defence and maintaining the status quo, usually because Salem and her forces were individually stronger, and because he benefited more from infrastructure, building up each Kingdom to be stronger and stronger until one day in the distant future they could spill over and defeat her. But with so many promising students coming, perhaps this was an opportunity not to be squandered.

 _I might not have another like it. So many powerful Semblances and styles in one place, all trained to a level higher than any students I've taken on before._ He had Qrow as well, along with Summer and Taiyang still alive – and even Jaune himself. While he wasn't exactly loyal or someone he could command, he was an enemy of their enemy and had expressed that he would fight on their side, especially if Emerald was at Beacon, and so in Salem's sights.

It was something to explore. With one of the maidens under his control, he was closer than ever. It would risk their lives, but they were huntsmen. This was what they did. What they signed up for.

"Whatever it takes…"

"Ozpin? What was that?"

"My apologies," he said. "I was thinking out loud. You were talking about Miss Vernal?"

"Yes! A menace, Ozpin. A menace!"

* * *

 **So, this chapter was kind of supposed to be added onto last chapter but for my illness. Basically, I intended to get all this time skip business done in one longer chapter, but well, life struck. I guess it's not really a big problem.**

 **Kinda does mean I run out of content this chapter. Kept asking myself if I really go and start writing initiation this chapter – but that just doesn't feel right. Want to properly dedicate that to the students and their first impressions of one another.**

 **I am aware some people might see Jaune not telling Emerald the truth as some big betrayal, but I hope I've expressed the reasons why he won't be here. Simply put, there's really no benefit to either of them from sharing the knowledge. If it were a secret that might affect Emerald, then sure, he must tell her, but the fact he is a time traveller really doesn't anymore. The only way it affected her was in being a target, etc, but Jaune filled Emerald in on all that ages ago. He never kept that from her.**

 **Will it come back to bite him? Honestly, I normally refuse spoilers, but I'll say here that it just won't. As said, the only ones who even know are Jaune, Winter and Raven.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 12** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	78. Chapter 78

**You know, I don't make much mention of it but I'm a huge fan of competitive LoL and today is the start of Worlds. Go G2! Go FNC! EuW represent!**

 **Nuuu. Fnc lost...**

 **Well, it was to SKT so it's not too unexpected.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 78**

* * *

"This is gonna be awesome!"

Emerald looked to her best friend sat beside her and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. While she agreed in principle with what Yang was saying, the blonde was literally bouncing up and down in her seat and that was doing all sorts of interesting things to her chest, which in turn was drawing all sorts of interesting looks from the boys. Despite growing up as the daughter of the ASH Gym, attention was something she still wasn't that keen on.

"Could you be any more obnoxious?"

Yang paused and looked at her. "That a challenge?"

Emerald's face dropped. "No. No, no, no."

"Sounds like a challenge to me." Yang, with the kind of social grace of a bellicose swan, stood up on the Bullhead's seats and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Hey, everyone! Yang Xiao-Long here, and this is my pal, Emerald. You're looking at the two future best students in Beacon."

Face a curious mix of ashen white and blood red, Emerald tugged urgently on Yang's skirt. It was far, far too late and everyone in the airship was looking their way. Blood flooded her face and she warred between the idea of burying her face in Yang's leg or burying her _fist_ in Yang's stomach. One would be a good way to hide; the other would be cathartic as hell.

"Anyone who wants to try themselves should – whoah!"

Yang wheeled her arms as Emerald decide on a mixture of the two and violently tackled her off the seats. They fell with a crash of metal and body parts, instantly becoming tangled on the floor. Several people burst out laughing, some with them but mostly _at_ them.

"Ugh." Yang pushed her head up and rubbed her skull. "What gives?"

"What gives!? What-? I…" Emerald's teeth ground together. "I swear I'm going to make you see ten-foot spiders in your sleeping bag tonight!"

"Meh. I'd know they were illusions."

"What were you thinking!?"

"You looked nervous," Yang said reasonably. Or in a way _she_ probably thought was reasonable. It really wasn't. "You're tense as hell, Em. Relax. You know there's no way we don't make it into Beacon with our skill level. We could probably hold our own against some second years."

"That's not the point at all! You - argh, you're so cringe." she hissed. "And if you wanted to make me _less nervous_ then you've failed spectacularly."

"Ah." Yang rubbed her face and laughed. "I think that's the Xiao-Long charm."

"This is the Ashari charm," Emerald said, waving her fist slowly in front of Yang's face. "You will be _eating it_ for the next year if you do something like that again."

The glimmer in Yang's eyes was the only warning she had before the blonde leaned forward, opened her mouth and _bit down_ on Emerald's knuckles. "Nom."

In return, the glimmer in Emerald's eye was the only warning Yang had before the fist she was eating turned into a live snake and tried to bite her.

"Ahhh!" Knowing it was fake or not didn't stop Yang recoiling with a shriek. More attention came their way, this time unwelcome enough that even Yang blushed. "Not cool," she whispered. "I thought I told you not to do stuff like that."

"And I told you not to bite me."

"When? I don't remember that.

"Because it shouldn't need to be said!"

She turned away, ignoring Yang's half-hearted attempts to catch her attention. They were both a little tense and this was just how Yang dealt with it. It wasn't so much the prospect of initiation as the social aspects. Beacon was a new chapter in her life and the first time she'd willingly be away from her dad. The other kids were all going on about how excited they were to have some freedom and the chance to do whatever they wanted, but they had no idea what _really_ having no one to rely on felt like.

 _It's fine,_ she told herself. _Dad is half an hour away at most and I can visit him whenever._ Her fingers itched to call him right now, but he was going to be at Beacon tomorrow anyway. _I can do this. I want this. It's going to be fun._

Initiation wouldn't be too difficult. She'd killed Grimm already and fought against horrible criminals like Tyrian. What could compare here? With the training from the ASH Gym, the two of them and everyone else were fully expected to pass. That created its own pressure – no one wanted to be the ASH Graduate who _failed_ initiation – but she was confident they'd all make it. Sky was off to the side and fidgeting with his fingers. He was as good as Velvet, who was already _in_ Beacon as a second year, yet he looked just as nervous as she felt.

"The Bullhead is coming in to land at Beacon," a polite voice said over a speaker system. "Please keep the doorways clear. I repeat, we are coming in to land at Beacon."

"This is it," Yang said pointlessly. "You ready?"

Not really. "Sure." She held out a hand. "Same team, right?"

"Same team," Yang said, gripping it. "You and me, kicking ass together. It's gonna happen."

/-/

They had an advantage in already knowing more about Beacon than the average person, so while everyone else was coming off the Bullhead and looking around in awe, they skirted to the edge of the landing zone where Miss Goodwitch was waiting to greet them all. Showing unnatural patience, she waited for the others to fully take in their new home and chat among themselves before leading them to the auditorium where they'd be sleeping for the night. They received a quick and mostly empty speech from the headmaster – he must have wanted to wait until initiation was over before giving his real one – and were then dismissed to get changed and claim a spot to sleep.

It was both like and unlike being on the streets, in a strange way. She'd gotten used to having her own room, and even when she stayed over at Yang's, she would share a bed with Yang or Ruby – Ruby whenever Yang's snoring got too much. Having well over a hundred people, boys and girls, cramped into one space reminded her of how urchins would huddle together for warmth, except that everyone here was laughing and talking.

 _It's not the same at all. No one here has to worry about being stabbed in the back._

"Long look on your face," Yang said, laying down beside her. They'd claimed a spot by a wall. Yang wanted to be right in the middle of the room but Emerald managed to convince her that would be annoying thanks to people rolling into them. "You're not missing home already, are you?"

"No. Just not used to this."

"Won't have to get used to it from what mom and dad told me. We'll get our own team rooms. Uncle Qrow says they're pretty small, though."

Four people to a room was bound to be, not to mention sharing a bathroom and shower. That would take some getting used to, but it was nothing she hadn't faced before. _I practically lived in a hotel room with dad in Atlas for half a year before he bought our first apartment._

"At least the eye candy is nice," Yang said, leering at some men showing off. "Yang likes."

"Ugh." Emerald rolled over.

"Oh come on, they're not _that_ bad. Some of them are cute."

"I hope you're talking about me," a boyish voice said.

Yang sat up. "Whitley! Of course I am. You know you're the only man for me."

Whitley Schnee laughed good-naturedly, knowing Yang was about as serious as she ever was with that comment. He was dressed in some pale blue pyjamas that hung loosely from his shoulders. He'd cut his white hair shorter on the sides though some bangs fell across his face in what she supposed some might call a dashing manner. It was his smile that stood out, as always. It was straight off a movie star's face and his teeth were sparkly white. She wouldn't be surprised if he had a few fans already despite being a year or two younger than some of the other students. He carried himself like he was older.

"Good evening, Emerald." He inclined his head toward her. That was something she liked about him. Even if he had feelings for her, which he still made clear in subtle ways, he didn't push them. "Would you mind if Weiss and I shared some floorspace with you?"

"Sure."

Emerald made some room for them by shifting closer to Yang. Whitley laid his sleeping bag out with a space between his and hers for Weiss to take. He kept on the outside, holding the spot for his sister.

"Thank you. Weiss is just taking a little longer to get changed." Whitley rolled out his bag, white with the Schnee emblem in silver, and sat down. "I'm looking forward to initiation tomorrow. Have you put any thought into making teams yet?"

"Emerald and I want to be together," Yang said quickly.

"That's a given, but teams are made of four. Would you be averse to Weiss and I taking the other two spots?"

"That'd be nice," Emerald said, meaning it. There were so many unknowns in the year that having two people she was used to sharing a home with would be downright lucky. They'd stayed together for almost a year while the White Fang ran rampant. "Dad said it won't be easy to force a team, though."

"Wait, your old man told you how it works?" Yang rounded on her. "Mom, dad and Qrow wouldn't tell me anything!"

"I've not been able to find anything either," Whitley said. "I asked Velvet at the ASH Gym two weeks back and she said it was something they weren't supposed to share. Tradition, I believe. I meant to ask Vernal but… well… she's…"

"Vernal?" Yang offered.

"Yes. That's the best way of putting it."

Tradition, huh? Emerald wasn't all that surprised her dad would break with it. He was the kind of person who liked to take a direct hand with things, so leaving stuff up to chance just because it had always been done that way wouldn't fly. Plus, he was never afraid to break the rules if it meant she got an edge up. The whole ASH Gym espoused that style.

"Dad told me it's decided in initiation," she said. "It'll be a task – he said it changes each year – but that we'll be sent in solo and have to team up with people to complete it. Whoever we team up with is who we have as partners."

"Interesting." Whitley rubbed his chin. "So in theory we could simply decline any offers to work with people until we found one another. Is that to be our plan?"

"Might work," Yang said, "But I bet there'll be some trick. Like we have to team up in a time limit."

"How do we make sure we find one another?"

"We plan for it," Emerald said. "We don't know where we'll be tested but it has to be a big area where we'll be spread out. We should just make our way toward the centre of whatever that area is and meet there. If anyone reaches it first, they wait for the others. If we don't know where the centre is, we go for the biggest landmark."

"That might work." Whitley looked around. "Though there are a lot of people here; more than I expected. Some might have similar ideas."

"It doesn't matter." Yang boasted. "We're from the ASH Gym."

"You really think it makes us that special?"

"You never went to a huntsman school so you wouldn't know. I'm miles above my classmates in Signal. And I didn't use to be. Wait til you fight someone who _didn't_ train there. You'll see how big a difference it is."

Whitley chuckled. "I suppose so. There are a few other gym members here, I see."

"Hm." Emerald nodded. "I've seen Nora, Ren and Sky. Less than I expected."

"Some trained here but decided to school in Mistral, Vacuo or Atlas. At least there's Velvet and Cinder in the upper years. Some familiar faces there."

Familiar but not friendly. Well, Velvet was, but Cinder was still an unknown and Jaune's anxiety was clear whenever she was mentioned. He still didn't know if she could be trusted or not. Whenever she offered to help, he said no. Almost begged her not to. _Nothing to say I can't keep an eye on her, though. She's obviously bothering him._

"You realise we'll be making new friends."

"I have no problem with that."

"Wasn't you I was talking about," Yang mumbled.

"I don't see the point," Emerald said, knowing Yang meant her. "I already have the three of you, not to mention I know everyone else from the Gym. Isn't that enough people?"

"Your social skills could use work."

"Why? I'm talking right now. And I don't see _you_ going off to socialise."

"You know what, you're right." Yang stood with a wide grin. Emerald winced immediately. The one thing she shouldn't have done was make it a challenge."I'll go make a new friend and then you'll have to. Otherwise, you'll only prove me right."

Was that such a bad thing? Emerald didn't mind being wrong if it meant not having to put herself out there. Besides, most of the people in Beacon were already in friendship circles, so pushing into one of those was like poking Vernal with a sharp stick. Not that such logic was stopping Yang, of course. Challenge issued, even if she hadn't accepted, Yang was on her feet and walking away, eyes scanning over the various boys and girls like a hawk scouting for prey.

"Here we see a Yang in its natural habitat, prowling through a mass sleepover with a hungry gleam in her eye," Whitley whispered in his best documentary voice.

Emerald buried a snort in her hand.

"And look, she's spied some prey. A lone girl by the back wall reading a book. Distracted and unaware, she's allowed herself to be separated from the pack and has thus become vulnerable." The girl in question had black hair and feline ears. The poor girl was woefully unaware of what fate awaited her. Yang stalked forward. "The Yang approaches, keeping her footsteps light. Many Yangs hunt this way, isolating prey and surprising them with ambushes, usually in the form of overwhelming volume and insurmountable cleavage."

She punched Whitley's arm, not quite able to hide her smile. He'd really come out his shell since living with her and dad. Or maybe it was just getting away from the SDC. Weiss had as well, though she liked to pretend otherwise. He was alright, as far as guys went. _I'd really prefer to be on a team with him, Yang and Weiss. That'd make the next four years a cakewalk._

As for Yang, well, she could have her victory tonight. Assuming she managed to befriend the faunus. She'd just managed to sneak up on her, not hard given the other girl was reading and so obviously ignoring everyone around her. Yang raised a hand and opened her mouth.

"Hey the-"

A red and black portal swirled to life behind Yang. She didn't see it but everyone else did, including the black-haired faunus, whose eyes threatened to bulge out her skull. People were already gasping and moving aside, while Emerald was up on her feet, ready to charge in and help if needs be. It didn't _sound_ like an attack was coming, though. In fact, it sounded like screaming.

"Arghhhhhh!"

Yang turned, eyes wide, mouth open.

"Arghhhh!" someone yelled, coming through the portal in a fully horizontal position, arms ahead like he'd been falling. "Arghhhhhh!"

He spear-tackled Yang in the stomach and launched her to the side. Or would have if `tackle` didn't imply some intent. It was more a terrible crash of bodies that ended in cartwheeling limbs tangling in some bystander's sleeping bag and wrapping them up. The portal blinked shut behind him, job done, and the two ended up a heap on the floor surrounded by panicked students. The faunus' book had fallen from her fingers as she sat exactly where she'd always been, somehow miraculously spared from the portal-based disaster.

 _Wait,_ Emerald thought, slowly lowering her arms not that it was clear an attack wasn't coming. _Isn't that the same kind of portal the woman who comes and steals dad's beer uses?_

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Yang groaned. "What hit me?"

"My head," a boy cried. "All I asked for was a way to skip travel sickness. Why? Why!? Oh hey, you look like my fairy godmother."

"Get!" Yang managed to get her feet between her and the man on top of her. "OFF!"

He sailed through the air with a yell, crashing down several sleeping bags over.

"Well," Whitley teased. "Looks like she's managed to make a new friend, though not quite the one she expected."

"Yeah. I'll say."

Emerald turned back and sat down, content in claiming her own win. Yang had tried to socialise and been attacked for it. Sure, it might be a little selective to say this was proof she herself didn't have to, but hey, she had a 100 per cent sample to draw from. Yang was one for one on talking to random people not working. That was good enough for her.

"Stupid idiot ass," Yang growled, stomping back with a face like thunder. Her hands were working through her hair, which was woefully bent out of shape. Miss Goodwitch had arrived to take the other boy away, maybe for questioning. It wasn't every day you took a portal into a protected school. "And you two can stop smirking!"

"I have no idea what you mean, Yang." Whitley smiled charmingly. "Just another man _falling_ for you."

"Oh, har de har. You should be a comedian."

Her work done, Yang rolled over and buried herself in her sleeping bag.

Weiss arrived not five minutes later to find Yang sulking, Emerald grinning and Whitley trying and failing to look innocent. Meanwhile, everyone was staring their way and Yang's hair was covered in dust and dirt.

"Do I even want to know?"

/-/

First awake meant first to breakfast. It helped that they knew the way – or she and Yang did anyway, and Weiss and Whitley followed. A few other early risers did too, drawn either by the smell of food or just too hungry to wait for a teacher to come collect them. There were a few teachers eating as well and Yang gasped and gripped her shoulder, pointing.

"It's Ruby! And she's in a nurse uniform." The noise that left Yang's throat defied human comprehension; it was so high-pitched. "She looks so professional – and… and adorable! Look at her!"

Emerald did, if only because Yang would break her neck and force her head that way if she didn't. Ruby was sat at a table next to a brunette with animal ears and a similar white outfit with red-rimmed skirt combo. She had a red sash-like belt with a bow on the front around her stomach, bare shoulders and sleeves that flared out. The style was almost Mistralian and was clearly meant to denote them as healers, which made the older woman Beacon's resident doctor, and the person Ruby was apprenticing under.

Ruby saw them and waved happily but stayed where she was, listening to her teacher talk about something. Emerald had to drag Yang away before she could run over. "She's working," she said. "You can't interrupt her during work hours, Yang. This is a job for her, remember. She has to be professional."

"But she looks so serious and special. I have to squeeze her!"

"Eat now. Initiation after. Squeeze later."

"Fiiine."

Once they found out Ruby's hours they could hang out; it would be just like old times, especially once they got their computer console up. In fact, Beacon was going to be one big sleepover that kept going and going. Emerald found herself relaxing as she ate, surprised at just how easy it was to adapt. She hadn't felt the urge to call her dad all night. Maybe that'd change after a few days once it sunk in just how they were living apart, but for now everything was looking up.

"Morning," a voice behind them said. "Mind if we take seats here?"

"Ren?" Yang grinned. "Sure. Where were you last night? We missed you."

"Nora dragged me around looking for an old friend," he said, nodding to the wildly smiling ginger girl beside him. They'd joined the ASH Gym late but had a full year of experience there. Ren was quiet and polite while Nora was frankly the exact opposite, but so _friendly_ about it that you couldn't help but like her. "I'd have told her to calm down and find you, but I couldn't get a word in edgeways."

"I refuse to believe it," Yang said sarcastically. "Nora? Anything but quiet and demure? You lie."

Ren chuckled. "I'm sure. I also saw Sun in the changing rooms," he said, looking to Emerald. "He was asking where you were."

Emerald's cheeks warmed up. "Did you tell him I was in Mistral?"

"I told him the truth; that I hadn't seen you. Are you avoiding him?"

"Just until after initiation," she admitted. Sun wasn't bad per se – just a little much. Especially when they had to focus on passing their tests and getting in. And while she liked him well enough, a part of her didn't want him on the same team. He was way too flirty for that. Good to hang around and train with, but sleeping and showering in the same room? Yeah, no. Too awkward.

"Aw, you shouldn't lead him on," Yang said.

"I agree," Whitley said, nodding. "You should let him down immediately."

"Such gallantry," Weiss drawled. "And I'm sure you're the very picture of impartial advice here."

"Yeah," Yang said. "And it's not like Emerald doesn't fancy him; she just isn't interested in anyone right now. Needs to find that right kind of guy." She winked. "Or girl."

Emerald grunted and went back to her bacon. Yang had the right of it, though she couldn't stop the teasing if her life depended on it. Whitley was alright and so was Sun, both as people to hang around with and on the attractive scale, but she just didn't see the need for that right now. _It's not like I haven't made that clear to both of them. Well, at least they're not pushy about it._

Nora stood up suddenly and pointed. "Jaune! Hey, Jaune! Over here!"

"Uncle Jaune?" Yang asked, poking her head up.

Emerald turned too. "Dad!? What are yo-"

It wasn't her dad.

Blue eyes, blonde hair, a face that was so familiar her brain skipped and rewound itself, trying to check again and see if she wasn't mistaken. The nose, eyes, mouth, jaw… everything was the same. Not just similar, but the same. The hair was shorter and messier, the jaw and chin bare of stubble and looking like none was about to appear any time soon. He was the same height but less wide, lacking muscle and definition.

That translated all over his body and only drew attention to the boyishness of his face. Her dad was thirty-something whereas this boy was eighteen at most. The differences were so glaring she couldn't help but notice them, and yet that didn't change the fact she had to stop and stare. Her head slowly leaned to the side, like she was trying to place a confusing piece of a jigsaw puzzle and couldn't make it fit. Her eyes narrowed.

"Em! Em! Remnant to Emerald!"

He was… so similar. Honestly, if someone said her dad looked like this fifteen to twenty years ago, she might have believed it. Except, the cheeks were darker. No, not darker. Pinker. The boy's entire face was turning red as he looked bashfully away from her and laughed, scratching one hand on his cheek.

"H-Hey," he said. The voice, too, was similar but not quite there. Like everything was just a _little_ bit off. "N-Nice to meet you too. The name's Jaune. Short, sweet and rolls off the tongue. The ladies love it." He swept out a hand. "What's your name?"

Jaune…? His looks she could ignore. Well, no she couldn't, but she could call that all off as one hell of a coincidence. The name, though? How many people were called Jaune? She'd never met anyone sharing it. _Then again, I don't exactly know every guy in Remnant and I've never checked._ Maybe it wasn't a rare name. Maybe it was one of those names of a famous person that kept getting recycled. Emerald wasn't exactly uncommon either, the old `precious gemstone` naming convention being common, just like it had for Ruby.

Distantly, she was aware she was distracting herself. That she was lost and staring and that he'd said something she should probably respond to.

"Her name is Emerald," Yang said, coming to her rescue. Good Yang. Yang was great. "Emerald Ashari. I'm Yang. This is Whitley, Weiss and well, I guess you know Nora and Ren."

"We've met. Hey, you're the one I crashed into last night. Look, I'm _really sorry_ about that. I didn't mean to at all. I was thrown through that portal and couldn't do a thing, then I was all dizzy and an idiot when I hit you. Sorry?"

"Nah, it's fine." Yang laughed. "I was cranky cuz I looked stupid. Water under the bridge."

"Great!" His smile was too wide. Too innocent. Another thing not quite right compared to dad. "And it's Jaune Arc. Sorry, I didn't introduce myself properly"

Arc…? A distant memory stirred to life. Back when she'd still been an urchin; when dad had been the Smiling Man, a creepy and terrifying person capable of killing without remorse. Not that much had changed there, other than her learning to see the person behind the mask. He'd needed a fake identity and had given his name as Ashari to King.

Not to her, though. He'd told her his name was Jaune Arc.

He'd also said he didn't have any family anymore, implying that they'd died. She'd asked a few times, curiously wondering if she had relatives by virtue of adoption or why he never mentioned his parents. Whenever she asked, he made excuses. They weren't around anymore, or it didn't matter or something else like that. Something so obviously a hint that she stopped asking so as not to cause her father any distress. People died. That was part of life. If he didn't want to talk about how he lost his family, that was fine. She just assumed it was too painful.

 _His face is too similar. They have to be related… and the name is proof. Does dad have distant family he never knew about?_ It wasn't too hard to believe, and he might never have known. Except, they shared the same first name too. That was a lot of coincidences. _Sword and shield,_ she noted, looking at the boy's waist.

More than that, a sword and a shield-sheathe mecha-transform weapon.

Just like her father. Oh sure, he used guns, grenades, dust and just about everything else he could get his hands on, but his main weapon was a sword and transforming shield – which felt like a pretty distinctive style. The weapons were similar but not as much as their faces. They were obviously different weapons, with her father's having more gold and red on it, being a little longer, too. A little more ornate.

Similar features, same name, same last name – which her father felt he had to change – and now a fighting style straight out of the same rulebook. If her dad really thought his family was dead, why change his name? There was no point. The only reason you did was either to escape some kind of criminal past or because you _had_ to lose your old name. Considering he'd gone on to get involved in criminal activity, she doubted he was much afraid of the former.

What if he hadn't lost his family, but his family had lost him? Or rather, they'd gotten rid of him?

Disowned. Disinherited. Some families were like that, all about honour and glory and getting rid of disappointments. And if they'd kicked her father out a while back, they might even have named their next son the same, just to make it clear the old Jaune Arc was dead and gone. Emerald felt anger stir up inside her but quickly pushed it down.

 _I've no idea if that's true. I'll have to ask dad first. No point going off half-cocked._

"Is she normally like this?" the new Jaune asked Yang, pointing to her. It occurred to her she'd been staring and ignoring them for a few minutes now, far beyond what someone could dismiss as idle curiosity or being lost in thought.

"Nope. That's all you, buster. I think you broke her."

"Wow. I… well…" He laughed awkwardly. "I've never had that kind of response before."

The speakers in the hall crackled to life and invited them to equip at the lockers and make their way to the cliffs for initiation. Emerald didn't even speak, just gripping Yang's sleeve desperately. Yang got the hint and made excuses for them both, pulling her away.

"What was that back there?" she hissed once they were gone. "You looked like you were digging into his skull."

"Tell me you noticed the similarities," Emerald said.

"Well yeah, obviously. Same name, kinda looks like a younger version." Yang shrugged. `Kinda looked like`? The only reason she didn't see further was because she didn't live with Jaune Ashari every day. Emerald could see so much more. "Don't tell me you were lost because of that? You know, mom and dad used to say you'd look for a guy just like your dad. Please don't tell me that's literal in this case."

"What!? No, I'm not _into_ him!"

So much so the opposite. Even if she knew it was just a wild theory, she was already miffed at this person who could dare act like _he_ deserved the name of Jaune Arc. He was _nothing_ compared to her dad. Nothing.

 _Calm,_ she hissed in her head. _He's not done anything and I might be wrong. It could just be a stupid coincidence. Or some kind of stupid family naming thing._ Every male being named Jaune sounded a little unlikely, but so did her old man being cast out if she just _assumed_ it without proof. _Dad can fight his own battles. He definitely doesn't need me getting upset on his behalf. This is Beacon. This is supposed to be my time to shine._

"Let's just focus on initiation," Emerald said. "We have to meet up and be made partners."

"Right." Yang fist-bumped her. "You and me, Em. Let's do this."

/-/

"Technically speaking, I shouldn't be letting you come and watch your daughter in initiation."

"I don't know what you mean, Ozpin. I'm here in my role as an educator at the ASH Gym to monitor the performance of my students and make necessary changes to future training in the event they underperform."

"Hmm." Ozpin knew better than to believe that. "I'm sure. Well, I don't have any problem with it. Another mind to wrack over team names once they're assigned. Deciding on those within the thirty minutes we have between the end of initiation and orientation speeches is always a challenge."

He'd wondered about that, honestly. The teams in his year had been rather simple. Cardinal for CRDL and Juniper for JNPR just jumped out, but it was obvious they'd stretched a little with RWBY. He was honestly surprised Weiss never made a meal of her name pretty much being ignored when people called them `Team Ruby` instead of RWBY. They could have made it RSBY and gone with Team Raspberry.

"I'll help however you need me," he said.

"Good. You shouldn't need to do much. We have Bart and Peter on standby in case anything goes wrong, but nothing ever does. We cull the numbers in the forest before initiation each year to make it safer."

Another thing he'd never considered – not the culling but the people that failed. He'd deserved to fail himself, and would have if not for Pyrrha, but what about all those who did? What happened to them? Obviously, they hadn't died or it would have been a scandal, but some must have been hurt by Grimm. Did Oobleck and Port really fun around saving all of them? Someone had to. He just couldn't believe all that could have been going on without them noticing.

"We'll be ready if you need us, Ozpin," Summer said, dressed in her dark grey outfit sans her white cloak. Ozpin drew the line at a cape for a teacher, saying the last thing the students needed was ideas. Summer was bubbling with excitement, both for her new job and to see how Yang would do in initiation and Ruby in her own role.

He couldn't blame her. He was itching to watch Emerald. She'd pass, he knew, but what team. Yang was a given and he hoped they got together, but a part of him didn't know if he should want her to be with the Schnee siblings or not. It would be easier for Em in terms of settling in, but it wouldn't give her much in the way of room to grow if she kept taking the easiest route.

 _I'll leave it to fate to decide. No point trying to control every little thing._

There were plenty of ways it could go. He'd kept an eye out for familiar faces, spotting the Beacon usual like Cardin, Sky, Russel and Dove, but also seeing Ren and Nora. There was Sun, too, which was a change from the norm. Aside from that, everything was roughly as he remembered it, though Miltia and Melanie being among the students was a definite surprise.

The only thing he missed was Pyrrha. He'd kept looking for her whenever he could, but he couldn't see hide or hair of her. Maybe he'd changed that. He couldn't help but feel disappointed, even if it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Pyrrha came to Beacon because she hated her life in Mistral. Not being here could be a sign she was happier now. That wasn't something to feel bad about, but he did. _Well, changes were always going to happen. Emerald being here is more than enough to show that._

The students were arranging themselves on the launch pads, and they had no idea what was going to happen to them. Huddling alongside Summer, he focused on the display unit in her hands. _Good luck, Em,_ he thought as Ozpin began to explain initiation.

From here, it would be up to her.

* * *

 **Oh God, he's doing initiation again!**

 **Don't worry, I'll be changing a lot of how it works. The only similarity is the launch pads and the whole "teams made from it" thing. This chapter is just collecting everyone in one spot and giving them the chance to meet and interact and form some first impressions.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 19** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	79. Chapter 79

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 79**

* * *

Emerald saw her dad watching and tried not to react. A lot of people there knew who he was to her but anyone from the ASH Gym knew better than to think being his daughter meant any kind of favouritism. If anything, he pushed her harder and expected more from her – something she always delivered on. There were still enough people who didn't know, however. Yang had forewarned her what people would call her if they thought she was getting by on his fame.

Yang herself was on the pad next to her. A silvery metal surface in the ground which she'd bet her spine was going to launch them into the forest. It wasn't exactly hard to figure out, what with them being in front of a cliff overlooking a Grimm-infested forest, in Beacon which meant fighting Grimm and having been told to stand on the marked spots. What else were they going to do? Start an impromptu quiz show? Only an idiot wouldn't have figured this out.

A few people were still wondering. They went silent as Ozpin approached.

"Thank you all for coming. I shall keep this brief. In the Emerald Forest you see before you are scattered numerous relics. Your objective is to locate these relics and bring them back to Beacon, at which point you will have passed initiation."

Scattered? So, they'd have to spread out. How did that inspire teamwork?

"It must be said that there are not enough relics for every person here. You will be competing against one another to locate and secure the relics. You will also be competing against the environment and Grimm."

Emerald grimaced. That prioritised speed over anything – Ruby would have done well here. More a problem, it cut down on the time they had to enact their plan and meet up to be a team together, since if they took too long then all the relics might be taken.

"Once you have a relic, you will not be allowed to exchange it back here unless you have a partner. Your partner will be the first person other than yourself to touch the relic. It is in your best interests to co-operate and form bonds of teamwork. I wish you all well."

 _So, we have some choice over teammates but not much._ Emerald glanced to Yang and received a nod. They'd try and find a relic and then each other.

The launch pads began to fling them. It went slowly from left to right and people were thrown in various directions. Emerald awaited her turn, tensing her legs as Yang was flung far to the right. The pad beneath her moved. Cursing, she watched Yang trail far away as she was launched left. _Damn it. What bad luck!_

Flipping in the air, she righted herself and prevented a spinning descent. It didn't matter in the end. They'd be better able to find a relic by spreading out anyway. She tracked Yang's trajectory as far as she could and estimated the direction, before losing sight of her as the canopy approached. Emerald brought her feet before her and pushed all her aura down to her legs. Her weapons came out, ready to slow what was otherwise sure to be a painful landing.

She wasn't wrong.

The first branches helped break her fall, her body hurtling through them and making them whip and crack against her skin. Through one open eye she watched the thicker boughs approach, bent back under one and hooked her weapon into another. It sheared through the wood but gave her a minor change to her trajectory, turning her fall from a forty-five-degree death dive to about thirty-five. That left the momentum to bleed out more horizontal than vertical, cutting her velocity as more and more branches got in the way.

Another sweep and a slice had her adjusted a little more, than another. Moving sideways with as much speed as she had down, Emerald braced herself and flipped so her feet took the impact of a tree trunk first. Agony shot up her ankles and her knees bent but held. If it were terminal velocity, she'd be dead, but she'd bled enough off that it simply hurt like a bitch. Kicking off, she landed with a thud on the grass.

"Not the best and not the worst." In her defence, there hadn't been much to work with. Yang would probably use her gauntlets to arrest her momentum. Emerald's handguns lacked the stopping power.

Taking in her surroundings, she saw she was in a small patch of woodland on the edge of a clearing. In the centre, a ruined and old set of pillars stood, with a small plinth in the middle of that. Something shimmered golden on it.

"Huh. That's convenient."

/-/

"It seems our first contestant has found a relic," Ozpin said, "And so soon."

"Huh," Jaune said, looking up and at the headmaster, who didn't seem quite as surprised as he ought to. "That's convenient. Very convenient."

"It was bound to happen to someone; it's the luck of the draw that it was your daughter. There are only so many relics and plenty of applicants."

That was true. He wasn't sure how far he bought it, however. Ozpin was too calm, and Emerald had been launched as far away from Yang as humanly possible – something Summer had noted with some disappointment. They both wanted the two friends on a team together. Now, coincidentally coming across a relic within the first few seconds of her initiation.

 _It could just be a coincidence._

"Oh," Ozpin said. "It looks like she has some competition."

/-/

"That relic is taken!"

The boy who yelled out was muscular and tall with ginger hair and a heavyset jaw. He wielded a two-handed mace slung over one shoulder and came with a companion, having already teamed up with some, likely the first person he saw. The other boy was clearly a follower, wielding two small daggers and a set of clothing that looked like it was dragged out a bargain bin.

They were equidistance from the relic, neither moving. Emerald had her guns trained on them. "I don't see your name on it."

"And you won't." The tall one strode forward, unafraid. "Get lost and find another."

Yang was probably making her way over right now, which meant she was trusting Emerald to secure a relic for them. The moment it was clear he was intending to take it, Emerald opened fire. The man cursed and ducked back, yelling out for his friend Russel to grab the relic.

 _Not likely!_

Emerald surged forward and dashed for it. The faster boy did the same. They charged across the clearing with her squeezing off clumsy shots to try and push him away, none of which worked. There was no telling who'd make it first, but the other would be upon the first almost immediately and that was unacceptable. She focused her eyes on his and concentrated.

The boy with the mohawk stumbled suddenly, discovering that the floor had _not_ risen up as he'd seen in his head. His forward momentum was torn to pieces and he crashed down, rolling over the floor and letting her jump over his body. She took all three steps up to the plinth with one mighty jump, rolling over the pedestal and snatching the relic as she did.

"Mine!"

"Fuck!" The taller guy was approaching fast. "You idiot, Russel. Get her."

"I've already got the relic," Emerald said, ducking away before he could get close. "If you two want to team up, you need to find another."

"To hell with that. Just take hers – no one will ever know."

Tch. They were going for that approach? Emerald flipped back off the plinth and hugged the relic close to her side. It was some ornate looking but obviously not old piece of machinery, likely just plated that colour. It was about the size of a football and she held it under one arm for fear of them touching it.

Two on one was bad odds but she was sure she could take them, neither was from the ASH Gym. Her free hand fell to her side, touching the bandolier of flash grenades, dust and caltrops. A second later, she drew away. Fighting was too risky. Leaving aside the Grimm and even knowing they didn't have much of a chance against her, all that had to happen for her to be stuck with one of them for the next four years was them touching the relic. Unacceptable.

Emerald turned and ran.

"After her!"

Persistent of them. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw them in pursuit as she fled the clearing and entered the forest. The bigger guy was slow and wasn't going to catch up anytime soon, but the other was a damn sight faster. She couldn't escape him on foot, and he was leaving an obvious enough trail for the other to follow.

Did she set the relic down to deal with them? She could, but what if someone came along while she was distracted and took it? What if one of these two decided it'd be better to be on a team with her than to lose out altogether and ignored the fight to touch it and secure their place in Beacon? Hiding it would work better, but not with this guy on her ass.

 _Come on, Yang. I need you here._

Or Whitley or Weiss. Whomever she ended up partnered with, as long as they could make their team, it wouldn't matter. She dove over a root and ducked left, cutting a path past some trees to try and lose them. Mohawk kept up, breathing heavily but obviously a lot fitter than she'd given him credit for. She cut right again, then left and right, zig-zagging past trees and rocky outcrops, scaling and jumping off a small cliff and landing ten feet below, kicking off into a sprint once more.

They'd give up eventually. No one could run as long as someone from the ASH Gym could. Dad had made sure of that with endless laps and drills that left their muscles torn to shreds. The big guy was already panting and even the quick one was flagging. Just a little further and she'd be completely free-

Emerald struck something and bowled it down.

"Ahhhh!" _it_ yelled.

"Oof!" she yelped, rolling over and over, momentum and the slight incline dooming her to a mess of tangled limbs, knees and elbows.

A rock halted her fall. She slammed into it with something – someone – trapped beneath her moaning. She cracked one eye open and looked down, straight into the face that was _stolen_ from her father. Not-Dad looked up at her with a little pain at first and then a tentative smile.

"Oh hey. It's you."

Emerald screamed in panic and rage and swung at his face.

Not-Dad brought his hands up to deflect it, coincidentally _catching_ the thing she'd unconsciously used as a bludgeon. The moment his fingers touched the relic, it made a loud pinging noise that signalled her demise.

/-/

Jaune Ashari groaned.

Summer did too, though for different reasons. "Oh. Emerald is partnered with him now." She did her best to do as a teacher should and not show any disappointment. "Well, that still leaves two spots on her team free. I hope Yang takes one…"

Emerald and Jaune. Young Jaune. Real Jaune. Whatever the Jaune he was. The older variant dragged a hand down his face and stared out through his fingers. It wasn't _bad_ per se – he didn't know any reason why it should be – and yet it was so messed up it was almost bound to backfire somehow. And there he went, the younger him, running his mouth and nearly getting brained by a girl. Raven's training couldn't alter destiny, it seemed. Jaune Arc would forever be the idiot.

"Jaune Arc and Emerald Ashari." Ozpin sipped from his mug. "A curious partnership."

Something in his voice had Jaune looking over suspiciously.

They'd been launched awfully close to one another. And close to a relic. Again, it could be coincidence, but so could someone flipping a coin ten thousand times and getting head every time.

"Anything to say, Ozpin?"

"Only that I hope they can sort their differences out quickly enough to defend themselves," he said. "Mr Winchester and Mr Thrush are upon them."

"You didn't tell them attacking one another wasn't in the rules," Glynda snarked.

"I didn't think I had to. I specifically informed them the relics would register their teams. Why would they think stealing one would achieve anything?" In Ozpin's defence, he hadn't brought it up in the original timeline either and no one had attacked another student. It must have been the ability to selectively choose their teammates this year. It had them willing to take risks to secure what they wanted.

 _And if it was eye contact again, Russel and Cardin would already be teammates like usual. Then again, that might mean it'd be Jaune, Emerald, Russel and Cardin on a team._ He wouldn't wish that on his worst enemy, let alone his daughter.

"That boy looks awfully like you," Summer pointed out.

"It's a coincidence."

"Sure." Summer looked between him and the scroll, eyes narrowed. "I'll pretend I believe that. How will teams of four be made, anyway? I don't believe that was in the rules. Is it a secret?"

The last time, it had been by connecting the chess pieces. That was about as random as it came, but then so was first eye contact. Jaune looked to Ozpin meaningfully, but the man shrugged his shoulders, keeping the answer close to his chest. Jaune turned back to Summer and the scroll instead.

"How far away is Yang?"

"Approaching fast but still a way out." Summer sighed. "She has a relic, too, which means she wouldn't have been able to partner with Emerald anyway."

"Wow. Yang was launched next to a relic as well," he said, speaking loudly so Ozpin could hear. "All these coincidences just keep on stacking up."

Ozpin sipped his coffee.

/-/

Jaune opened his eyes, having closed them instinctively when he flinched away from the girl hitting him. He figured she was scared – he _had_ come out of nowhere and knocked her down. Okay, she knocked him down, but if there was one thing his sisters taught him, it was that it was always his fault. Technically, Raven never told him otherwise, saying weaklings blamed others and the strong took their mistakes in hand and learned from them.

He shouldn't have been wandering around like an idiot not paying attention. It was his bad.

Did he deserve being brained to death? He didn't think so. And as he opened his eyes and saw a large golden object had been pushed into his hands, he realised with a little awe that he'd misjudged her completely.

"Y-You want me on your team?"

The relic made a mechanical noise, kind of like a scroll. That must have meant it registered them as partners. He looked past it to her, noting the absolute shock and horror on her face – which must have been nerves, really. She _had_ pushed it into his hands, after all. Come to think of it, had she really run into him by accident? She _had_ been staring at him pretty intently earlier, going still and not saying a word.

Did… Did she have a crush on him?

Oh.

Oh wow! His cheeks turned a bright red and he looked away. "I. Um. Well… thanks for having me? I'll try and be a good partner. Teammate, I mean teammate. And partner. Well, not in _that_ way – unless you want it. I'm not saying no and you're really-"

"Damn it, she already found someone!" a man yelled out.

"Does it matter? Just take them both out and we'll have the relic."

The girl was suddenly off him and rolling to her feet, looking back with a hiss at two boys approaching – one armoured and the other not. It didn't take him long to figure out what the deal was, especially when the one with the mace stared hungrily at the relic now in _his_ hands.

"You!" he said, pointing at Jaune. "Give that up and we won't have any problems."

"Two guys picking on a girl…? That doesn't seem very gentlemanly."

Or a good idea. Did they not have any idea how scary girls could be? Well, they probably hadn't met Raven. He noticed his new partner sticking close. He wanted to say her name was Emerald, but that felt like he was mangling what he'd been told before with her hair colour. His memory had never been the best. Emma? Emmaline? Esmerelda?

"Hey you…" he said lamely. "Do you need help with them?"

"Not from someone like you."

Ouch. Or wait, was she being shy again? She'd given him her relic and wasn't even trying to get it back. "Oh, I get it. You didn't want one of these people to be your partner."

She hummed. "I already had someone in mind."

Jaune felt a dopey grin slip over his face. He tried to turn it into something a little cooler with mixed results. Well, that was a nice thing to hear – especially from someone he'd only met once. He hooked the relic under his arm and drew Crocea Mors. It'd be his first time using his father's weapon on a person and he could still remember the advice his dad gave him.

All you needed was a little confidence.

Funnily enough, Raven said the same thing. In a few less words.

"Sorry, but this relic is ours. We can help you find another if you like?" Except that might end up with them being teammates. "Or we can just go our separate ways, no hard feelings. There's no point fighting over this. We'll just attract Grimm."

"You think I'm afraid of Grimm?" tall and burly demanded.

"No." He'd be a pretty poor huntsman if he was. "But they'll get in the way. You still need to find a relic to pass and you're wasting time here."

"I see a relic right in front of me."

Jaune sighed. Esmerelda did, too, and drew her second weapon. Another reason she might have been running away, because she couldn't fight with the relic in hand. He was a little weaker for it too, but Raven made sure he knew how to fight two-handed, one-handed or unarmed. The latter might just have been her beating him up, but eh. Training.

"I'll take the big one," he whispered. "Can you handle the faster guy?"

Glaring at him, the girl nodded. Hey, it wasn't like he'd meant that in a bad way. He wanted the big guy because he would be slower to dodge, while she looked like she was more than capable of chasing down the guy with daggers. Apparently, they'd had enough of being ignored. With a nice battle cry for forewarning, the guy with the mace charged in, swinging it at Jaune's chest.

He stepped back and nodded to his partner as she ran by to engage the other. The mace whistled past his breastplate and was chambered expertly, the boy ready to bring it back if Jaune rushed in. He probed with his sword instead, stabbing toward the taller boy's leg and making him block. He was strong and heavy but on the slow side. Raven loved those kinds of opponents, and while he didn't have a fraction of her speed – she was a fairy after all – he was quick enough to hop over a low sweep and bash his sword into the boy's wrist. For some reason, he'd chosen to wear full armour but leave his hands bare.

The sharp blow made the guy drop his weapon and Jaune stamped on the shaft, locking it to the floor. Stepping in, he drove the pommel of his sword up into the boy's jaw to stun him, then swung with his shield – forgetting for a moment it was the relic – and braining him dead in the face with it. The much larger boy fell on his ass with a poleaxed look on his face.

His friend slammed down a second later, cradling one arm as Esmerelda landed agilely beside him, sheathing her weapons. She spat once on the grass between the two. If they'd been chasing her from the start, he couldn't say he blamed her.

"You heard her. This is _our_ relic." The emphasis on the `our` had his partner scowling in the opposite direction. "Go find your own and stop wasting our time." He took his foot off the mace and rolled it toward the guy's foot.

"Tch." Tall and burly scowled and gripped it. "Don't think I'll forget this."

The two scurried away, yelling back empty threats. Less than a full day at Beacon and he'd already made en enemy. Raven would be so proud. Sighing, he turned back to his new partner and saw she had a hand held out toward him.

He took it. "Nice to meet you, partner. We met before but it's Jaune Arc, in case you forgot."

"Emerald." She pulled her hand away with a fearsome scowl. "And I was _asking_ for the relic back." She held out her hand again. "It's mine. Give it to me."

"Sure." He handed it over, internally flinching over getting her name wrong. Or right, but then changing it. "But it's useless now, right? We're partners. We just need to make our way back to the cliffs and we're in Beacon."

"We are _not_ partners." Emerald turned and stalked away.

"Teammates then," he said, following. "Whatever you want to call it."

"We're not that either!"

"Allies? Colleagues? Companions?"

The girl stopped. She was looking the other way, but he heard the loud breath she took in, and the equally loud exhale. Her shoulders looked really stiff. "Go find a relic," she said. "You need to find one for yourself."

"Uh. No I don't. We have one here."

" _We_ do not have a relic. _I_ have a relic."

"Sure." He shrugged. " _You_ have _our_ relic."

"Are you… Are you stupid?"

"Uh." He scratched his cheek. "My sisters _have_ called me that, but I don't think so."

"Very well." She rounded on him, eyes narrowed. For some reason, the mere sight of his face seemed to make her even more annoyed. "Let me explain. This-" She hefted her relic "-is _my_ relic. It belongs to me and my friend, Yang. It is not yours. You still need to find yours to pass initiation."

"But I touched it…"

"No you didn't."

He looked at it and then back at her. "Yes I did."

"No," she stressed, gesturing with her other hand. "You didn't."

"I don't think I understand."

"That much is clear…"

The trees rustled nearby, and they turned in unison, weapons out and aimed toward the same blonde girl from earlier, who came hurtling out with a _second_ blonde on her tail. They weren't chasing one another, though. At least not like the other guys had Emerald.

"Yang!" Emerald gasped in relief.

"Hey Em."

The second blonde was a male with an open shirt. He pointed toward the girl and clicked his teeth. "Hey Em," he echoed. "Looking gorgeous. As usual."

Emerald sighed. "Hello Sun."

"Hey, what's with that tone? And after I helped Yang find you."

"He did," the blonde, Yang, said. "Though I bribed him by saying you'd probably have a relic of your own, and he could take the spare. Which," she said, grinning, "I can see you do. Nice." Her eyes flicked to Jaune's. "You've not partnered up already, have you?"

"No."

"Yes."

Emerald glared at him. "No, we haven't."

"Cool." Yang hefted her relic and looked at it. "I guess that means me and you together and these two can hang out. Jaune, was it? This is Sun. He's a cool guy. You'll like him."

They weren't even asking his opinion. And the other guy looked resigned at best. It was all spiralling out of his control faster than he could catch up and he had to hold a hand out. "Wait, wait, wait. Can someone explain to me what's going on?"

Emerald sighed and rolled her eyes.

Yang was kinder about it. "Sure. Em and I made plans to team up before initiation started. We've been best friends forever and want to be on the same team. We even have our third and fourth team members planned out. No offence to you, of course. I'm sure you're a cool guy – Nora and Ren said so – but we already have plans."

"Oh." Jaune tried not to sound disappointed.

"And don't you want to be on a team with Nora and Ren?"

"I… I guess…"

"Great." Yang tossed her relic to Sun, which the faunus caught. It made a quiet beeping sound. Yang didn't hear it, too busy coming over to hook her arm with Emerald's. "So, as far as anyone asks, me and Em touched first and you and Sun did the same. We're partners."

"You're suggesting we _cheat_?" he asked.

"There's no such thing as cheating," Yang and Emerald said in unison. "Only those willing to try everything and those who lose."

It sounded like something they'd said a lot or had been taught to say. Jaune sighed, looking over to his _new partner_ with a hesitant smile. Thankfully, Sun didn't seem like a bad sort and came over to throw an arm around his shoulders.

"Trust me, I know how she is. Don't take it personal, man. Me and you – we're going places. Blonde and Blonder. Team Awesome."

His laughter was infectious. "Yeah. You don't mind if we try and find my other friends, do you? If we're already cheating, I mean…"

"Do I mind being on a team with them? Nah. As long as they're cool with this." He let his tail wag to his side and pointed his thumb at it. Jaune nodded, sure they would be. Ren and Nora didn't seem the type to hold anything against anyone, let alone the fact they were a faunus.

"Cool." Yang said. "You're cool, we're cool, and everyone is happy with their partners."

Jaune looked at his and shrugged. He supposed he was fine with it if it meant the difference between getting a partner who _wanted_ to be on his team and one who didn't. At least Sun was prepared to give him a chance.

"Yeah. I guess this is fine."

"Cool." Yang huffed. "Now we just need to find Weiss and Whitley."

/-/

Whitley knew he was in trouble.

Alone, in possession of a relic, and far away from his sister, he was in a forest full of Grimm other students. And somehow, it was the other initiates that were the biggest danger. He kept the relic – which he could tell was just gold-plated electronics – to his side, other holding out a revolver which was still smoking. The Beowolf that had tried to jump him had a fist-sized hole through its stomach. It fell to the ground with a crash. Birds fluttered from the nearby trees, telling everyone his location.

 _I can't shoot someone who comes and tires to touch the relic, which means I'm defenceless. I need to find Weiss before someone else finds me._ Or Yang or Emerald, either would do at this point. Tucking it in tight, he dashed into the trees, then came skidding to a halt as he heard voices.

"Someone came this way," a girl said. "Didn't you hear the gunshot?"

"I'm not deaf. Why are we bothering? We already have a relic."

Whitley relaxed against the tree he was leaning on. Two people with a relic was probably the luckiest thing he could stumble on. They didn't need his and had no interest in becoming his partner. More than that, their voices were familiar. _Miltia and Melanie. Not people I'd like to run into if they didn't have a relic._ _I don't doubt for a second they'd have tried to steal mine._

Should he announce himself? They could work together and the two _were_ ASH Gym. They had a bond of honour, in so far as the Malachites believed in honour. If nothing else, they were motivated by money and he was a Schnee. A little bribe wouldn't go amiss if it meant their help finding Weiss. More eyes made lighter work.

Decision made, he stepped out. "Miltia. Melanie. It's me, Whit-"

They weren't alone.

The third member of their group had been quiet. Very quiet.

"Hey, it's Whitley." Miltia smirked. "And he has a relic, too. Look at that."

Melanie matched the smile. "I think we've found you a partner."

Mismatched eyes focused on him. Her lips curled up, set in a pale face beneath waves of hair that spanned three colours at once. He didn't recognise her, but she moved with a grace he hadn't seen in anyone but Jaune Ashari himself and maybe Vernal. Sometimes also in his sister. It made her look like a dangerous animal as she stalked toward him. A predator.

He was frozen solid, so much so in fact that he didn't move a muscle as she pushed her face up close to his and smiled, tapping her finger against the relic. It beeped once.

Weiss was going to have his head.

/-/

"Give me the relic, Schnee."

"No! And my name is Weiss. Not _Schnee_."

"You're still a Schnee."

"You say it like it's an insult!" Weiss growled and tugged on the golden object, struggling in a tug of war with the black-haired cat faunus. The only reason it hadn't come to blows yet was because of the two people stood nearby, Nora and Ren, currently without a relic but not willing to try and _take_ one from them.

"You realise that the two of you could partner together," Ren said.

"Me with her? I think not."

"I completely agree!"

Nora and Ren watched, bemused. They'd all come for the same relic, but Weiss used her ice walls to cut them off, and by the time Nora smashed through, she had the relic. Not wanting to split up, they'd decided to let Weiss have it and find one of their own. It was the safest and surest way to make sure they ended up on the same team. And then, this. Streaking out from the trees and trying to steal it came the girl currently fighting with Weiss for possession of the valuable golden ticket of Beacon.

"Ren," Nora moaned. "Can't we just leave them and go fine a relic?"

"I'd be worried they might kill one another…"

"But Reeen, we need to find Jaune!"

"I'm sure he's looking for us already. Trust him to find us."

"LET GO!" Weiss yelled.

"No! You can just _buy_ yourself another. I need this."

Nora sighed.

/-/

"I hear Weiss," Yang said.

Emerald raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"LET GO! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!?"

Emerald sighed and picked her way toward the voice, ignoring Yang's triumphant smile. There was no mistaking the ego there, and true enough they came on the scene of Weiss fighting with a black-haired girl for a relic, both playing tug of war.

"Jaune!" Nora hurled herself across the clearing suddenly, crashing into Not-Dad and tackling him to the floor. The girl straddling him laughed. "Found you. Boop!"

Though she probably hadn't meant it that way, the interruption cut through the argument, bringing both to stop and stare at them. Weiss coughed and looked embarrassed while the other girl reached for her weapon, only letting go once she saw that they each had relics already and wouldn't take hers. That didn't make them friends, however, and she kept a wary eye on them.

"Problems?" Emerald asked Weiss.

"I – Yes. This is my relic and she's trying to steal it."

"Doesn't that mean you're partnered now?" Sun asked.

"No!" The two girls said it in unison and then glared at each other.

Emerald sighed.

"Same problem as us," Yang said, stepping forward. "And solved just as easily. Look, what's your name?"

The faunus narrowed her eyes. "Blake."

The name was familiar. Emerald wasn't sure how. She was sure she'd never met the girl before.

"Right, Blake. I take it you don't want to be partnered with Weiss, right?" She waited for the nod and then smiled. "Awesome. See, we want her on our team, but we want her with Whitley, her brother. How about a deal? You come with us to find him and we'll scout out other relics along the way. If we find one, you can take it and get a different partner. If Whitley has one, you can have his while he and Weiss team up with us."

"Hmm." The girl looked them over, noting and counting their relics. "And you don't need any?"

"Nope. We've got enough. It's this or you get partnered with Weiss."

That wasn't much of a choice, apparently. The girl hissed and let go of her weapon. "Fine. I guess that's a better choice than being on a team with a Schnee. I call dibs on the next relic, though. If not, I'm claiming this one and leaving."

"You can try," Weiss muttered.

/-/

"Well, you've managed to turn initiation into some kind of political simulation, Ozpin." Glynda sounded both impressed and frustrated. "There's precious little combat going on, bar for the occasional Grimm they come across."

"Which they are dealing with handily," Ozpin remarked. "All in all, I'm not too disappointed. If only more conflicts could be solved with words, we might well have pushed the Grimm back by now. It's interesting to see Miss Xiao-Long leading negotiations."

"Yang's always been good with words when she wants something," Summer said.

Jaune agreed with a hum. Emerald was doing alright, all things considered. Bending the rules here and there, but that was nothing he hadn't taught her to do. His only concern was Blake, who hadn't reacted to her yet, but that might have just been because she didn't recognise her. Could he stay away from Beacon and keep things that way? No. Emerald would reveal her surname when asked, and then it'd be up to see how Blake reacted.

"I shall keep an eye on Miss Belladonna," Ozpin said, reading his expression.

"Thank you. I don't want to assume the worst but…"

"Well, it shouldn't matter. I would not be so reckless as to place them on a team together if I can help it. We'll soon have to decide the team names. I'm not looking forward to them, Team WNMM especially."

Whitley, Neo and the Malachites? Poor Whitley.

"Wait, you've already decided?" Summer asked. "What if Whitley makes the same deal the others did and partners with Weiss? It might be this Blake girl to join their team. BNMM can be Team Bantam. I think it's a colourful bird."

"A chicken," Glynda said.

Jaune snorted.

"I'm afraid that won't be a possibility," Ozpin said. "Did they not think to question once what the relics were? There are transmitters inside that are reacting to their assigned scrolls. The partnerships are decided upon touch, and while this diplomacy is inventive, I'm afraid the rules exist for a reason. Mr Schnee's partner is Miss Neo. Miss Schnee is partnered with Miss Belladonna. I'm really sure I mentioned that."

"You didn't," Summer said, annoyed.

"I told them all that their partners would be the first other person to touch the relics. Where they all got the idea they could turn that into picking their partners at will, I don't know." Ozpin didn't appear angry, more bemused. He'd made it clear how partners were formed; it was the students who seemed to think no one would be monitoring them. "If letting them pick had been our intent, I'd have said so at the start. It would have saved a lot of time."

No more than his time and eye contact. No one argued back then, but if Weiss had tried to shirk Ruby and partner with someone else, she'd have been called upon for it and placed back on Team RWBY. Jaune winced. Despite his teachings, bending the rules couldn't always work out, and it looked like Emerald and Yang were about to find that out the hard way.

"And the four-man teams? How are they formed?"

"We prioritise signs of teamwork first," Glynda said. "Either against Grimm or toward an objective. If two sets of partners show willingness to work together, they'll be earmarked for a team."

That explained Ruby, Yang, Blake and Weiss after the fight with that Nevermore – and the same for him, Pyrrha, Ren and Nora against the Deathstalker. It didn't mean much here, however, seeing as how they'd not been challenged by any Grimm of a size to require teamwork.

"If there are no such examples, we work on the basis of propinquity."

"What now?"

"Propinquity." Glynda explained. "It's how people who are in proximity for a period of time tend to form strong social bonds with one another. A good example would be work colleagues coming to know and get on with one another solely because they're forced to interact for eight hours a day. We do the same here, putting teams together based on how much time they spend together in the forest."

"It tends to be a good method," Ozpin said. "If two sets of partners thoroughly despise one another, they usually separate early. If they can get on well enough to stick together through initiation, that's as good a sign as any that they can form a healthy team."

That meant Whitley was out of luck.

"Then Emerald is…?"

"I'm afraid so," Glynda said. "Emerald Ashari, Jaune Arc, Yang Xiao-Long and Sun Wukong. EJYS, or however you want to arrange it. I'd place a suggestion that Miss Xiao-Long be leader, if only because she's the only one to show any leadership qualities so far."

"I think that's a fair assessment, Glynda."

At least Yang and Emerald would be together. Small mercies. Summer looked relieved about that, and he could admit to a little himself – if only because Yang would look after her, and it prevented Blake being on the team. She was locked in with Weiss, sure to be explosive, and presumably on a team with Nora and Ren. Assuming the two found a relic, which would be a given. Ozpin thought Nora was the Spring Maiden, so he wasn't going to let her fail.

And if he was prepared to step in for them, what was to say he hadn't for Emerald? But why with his younger self? What was the angle there?

"Time for the fun part," Ozpin said without a hint of enthusiasm. "So far we have Team WNMM and Team YSEJ."

Ozpin took a long drink.

"I'm open for suggestions."

* * *

 **I wanted to keep Initiation short here because in the show it's supposed to be dramatic because we don't know if they'll pass or not, and Rooster Teeth wanted to show what aura was, what Grimm were and how the combat worked, etc. Here, that isn't the conflict of the story. The conflict is more how the teams shape up and how Emerald will handle them.**

 **Hence, the initiation is just a vehicle for that, which is why it's quite skippy and jumped back and forth in PoV.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 26** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	80. Chapter 80

**So, I'll come out and say it right now. I'm cheating.**

 **Team names in the show usually have the first letter be the leader, but that's just too restrictive for me. It worked in the show because they can design character names around team names but do it the other way and it gets obnoxious.**

 **Shout out to TeeAiDee for the name of Emerald's team. It was better than mine.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 80**

* * *

"I repeat, will Yang Xiao-Long, Sun Wukong, Emerald Ashari and Jaune Arc step up onto the stage."

Emerald stared at the headmaster, frustrated, upset and just a little betrayed, even if she could admit she had no right to feel that way. The students around them had begun to whisper, not because of their names or the implications, but simply because only Sun and _he_ moved upward. Emerald remained where she was, clutching Weiss' sleeve.

"Looks like we've been rumbled," Yang said. She gripped Emerald's arm and pulled her away before the silence could get any more deafening. "Come on."

Yang hauled her up onto the stage alongside the two blond boys – in fact, the whole team was three blondes and her, which promised a whole world of idiocy and nightmares moving forward. Sure, her father was blond as well, but he didn't count. He was an exception. He was also _not_ an Arc, no matter what this _imposter_ decided.

 _He's mine! Not yours._

Jaune _Arc_ stepped away nervously when she came up on the stage beside him.

"Thank you." Ozpin hid his smile. "For collecting their relics and fighting off quite the stiff competition, the partnerships of Emerald Ashari and Jaune Arc, alongside Yang Xiao-Long and Sun Wukong, have been formed. They will form Team SYJE. Or Sage."

Polite applause was their reward; a scant one as far as she was concerned. At least she had Yang. That was literally the one mercy she'd hold onto. And Sun wasn't bad. He was a familiar face and strong in his own way. It wasn't Weiss, though. None of that mattered either because Yang and Sun could have literally been the God of Light and Dark and it wouldn't have changed the fact she was partners with the last person on Remnant she wanted to be around.

"Led by Yang Xiao-Long. Congratulations."

Yang bowed dramatically, and no one clapped louder than Ruby in the corner, practically slamming her hands together and whooping. She vaguely heard "that's my sister!" over the crowd.

"The next team…"

Emerald let Yang steer her off the stage and to the side with the other teams that had passed. Everyone in the hall was someone with a relic in possession, the ones who hadn't passed being spared the humiliation and sent home early. She couldn't begin to understand how they must have felt, but there wasn't much sympathy in her. If they hadn't made it, it was because they hadn't trained hard enough. No one started life with less advantages than her.

"So, we're on a team." Sun grinned. "That's pretty cool."

Emerald scoffed.

"I think we all know why _you_ think it's cool lover boy."

"Heh." Sun laughed good-naturedly but made no attempt to deny it. "Guess so."

Jaune raised a hand. "I don't."

"That's because you're an idiot," Emerald sneered.

Yang elbowed her in the side, shooting her a raised eyebrow and a small frown. She probably didn't understand where all the heat was coming from. _Later_ , Emerald mouthed. Yang nodded, though not without a warning look to stop being so mean. _You don't understand, Yang. You'll get it later. You'll see I'm right._

"And next is Whitley Schnee, Neo Politan, Miltia Malachite and Melanie Malachite."

Neo? As in -? Yes, _that_ Neo. The Neo that worked with dad and Roman, who once asked her to call him Uncle Roman. Once. He never asked that one again. What was she doing here, though? She was no more a huntress-in-training than Vernal. Actually, Vernal was already in Beacon so maybe that was a bad idea. Still, what was Roman playing at? Up on stage, Neo hooked an arm around her nervous partner, squashing him up between her and the Malachite sisters.

"Lucky bastard," Sun whispered.

"I announce Team MMWN or Team Maroon, led by Whitley Schnee."

Again, the crowd clapped. Whitley shot her a longing gaze.

Emerald gazed back.

If only. She'd trade Jaune for him in a heartbeat.

"And finally, we have Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna."

The final four came up, Weiss shooting so much hatred at the black-haired girl beside her, and that sentiment being returned in full. Nora looked oblivious to it all, or just too happy to care. Ren kept his eyes forward and stood with the easy nonchalance he was known for in the ASH Gym. She wasn't close with them, but they talked. Ren's stamina could use work, but his attitude was on par. He never shied away from hard work. Nora powered through everything.

"The four of you will make up Team NRBW or Team Nierembergia."

The audience didn't make a sound.

"Team… what…?" Weiss asked.

"Nierembergia." Ozpin said it again, eyes looking pointedly over their heads. "Apparently, it's a colourful flower. White and yellow. You can thank Professor Rose for your team name later. On a side note, your leader is Nora Valkyrie."

Way to shift the blame. Auntie Summer would be getting an earful for that – and Team… Team whatever would be finding a way to shorten it, she imagined. Team Nier, maybe? That didn't sound too bad. The four rather confused people made their way off the stage, Nora trying to mouth and memorise the confusing name while Weiss stared ahead with empty eyes and Blake sulked.

No one was thrilled with the teams. Except maybe the Malachites – and only then because they'd obviously realised they'd snagged the rich hotty. Why couldn't they just let them have the teams they'd chosen? Blake could go with the Malachites and Neo and it could be her, Yang, Weiss and Whitley. Things would be so much easier and there'd be no teamwork issues to get through.

It was just dumb.

"Welcome to Beacon and congratulations on passing initiation. Miss Goodwitch will now escort you to your dorms, where you will have the opportunity to interact and get to know your new teammates. Remember, the faces beside you will be the allies you rely on for the next four years, and perhaps even beyond. Though you may not know one another now, I trust you will all keep open minds and become the finest of teammates."

/-/

"That last one sounded like it was aimed at a certain person's daughter," Jaune said, stepping up as the last of the students left the auditorium.

"Did it?" Ozpin asked. "Then perhaps it was, though it could just as easily be aimed at Miss Belladonna and Schnee, or any other partnership starting on otherwise rocky ground. Thank you for help with the team names. I was having particular trouble with MMWN. The idea of turning the W into another letter hadn't occurred to me."

"I'm sure it would have," he said, thinking back to Team RWBY or `Ruby` as Ozpin eventually passed it off as. "Not sure Team Flower is all too happy with their name."

"I'd say not. Still, it's Summer's problem to deal with now. In the end, most teams refer to one another by the acronyms anyway, so the full name hardly matters. Team NRBW can call themselves whatever they wish."

He still couldn't believe Ozpin went and made _Nora_ team leader. Well, he could, but only because he knew Ozpin thought she was the Spring Maiden. And what better way to ensure she had people around her than to make her team leader? In theory, it would teach her responsibility, strategy and patience. That was all well and good, but Jaune knew Nora better than most. You couldn't force her to be patient if you nailed her to the floor.

"I can't help but think you're playing games here, Ozpin."

"Hm. Whatever do you mean?"

"The team assignments. Nora and Ren together? Possibly, but it's awfully convenient they were launched to similar areas. Meanwhile, Yang had to track half the training area to reach Emerald. Jaune, on the other hand-" It still felt strange to refer to himself in the third person "-was tossed almost on top of her. The only reason they didn't lane face to face at the start was because his landing strategy was to use the trees to drain his momentum."

A better strategy than being saved by Pyrrha.

Ozpin remained silent.

"You wanted them on a team together."

"Had I the choice, I would have liked them on a team with Miss Valkyrie and Mr Ren, actually. Alas, fate is not always so fortunate. Don't read into things too much. If I really wanted to force them together, I'd have skipped assignments entirely and just placed them on a team." Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "It is within my authority after all, and I could pick teams with simple acronyms as well. It would have saved us all some work."

 _Nora and Ren stumbled on Blake and Weiss first, but Emerald and Jaune weren't far behind. If it wasn't for Yang and Sun distracting them, they'd have bumped into them first and formed a team together. Emerald, Jaune, Ren and Nora._

The exact team Ozpin wanted. Convenient indeed.

"Regardless, the teams are assigned," Ozpin said. "What will you do now? Shall you be staying in Vale for a while?"

"A week or two," Jaune said. To make sure Emerald was okay and could handle being on her own. "After which I have something I need to do in Atlas with Winter." He cocked a smile. "Engagement things. Social rituals. You know the like."

Ozpin chuckled. "Of course. The Schnee family must show you off like the prize horse you are."

It wasn't a lie but not the whole truth either. There were other things to be done in Atlas, not least of which was Winter having located what she believed to be another Ashari Ruin. If that proved true, it might shed more light on the blasted symbol on his hand and the origins of Ozpin and Salem's civilisation.

"I'll come and see Emerald before I go; make sure she's okay with it all. I won't be gone long and the ASH Gym will be on break since most of the students are busy applying to academies anyway." The biggest risk was leaving Cinder and trusting nothing bad to happen. He'd have to ask Em to keep an eye on her.

"Will you be meeting with James?"

"Possibly. Depends if he realises I'm there."

"He's a General now. I'm sure his agents will inform him the moment you arrive."

"You really think he'd have intelligence officials keeping track of my whereabouts?"

"Mr Ashari. Do you think he _wouldn't_?"

Huh. Touché. "Fine. I'll call in with him before I go."

"It would be best. James was quite upset when you decided to flee Atlas and take the blame for the White Fang on your shoulders." From the sounds of it, James hadn't been afraid to vent. "Destroying the White Fang may have earned you a pass there, but let's not give him any more reasons. I doubt he's thrilled you chose Vale as the location for your training school as it is."

"Politics aren't really my thing."

"And yet you're engaged to Winter Schnee. Curious bedfellows, you and politics keep." Ozpin smirked. "Literally in this case."

"Winter and I haven't-" He cut himself off. What Winter and he had and hadn't done was their business and complicated enough already. "Thank you for inviting me, Ozpin. I'll leave you be. If anything happens with Emerald, anything at all, you know how to reach me."

"Of course. Do relax a little, Jaune. I've increased security around the school. No one shall get close to her. And Blake Belladonna is being monitored. You will be the first to know if anything untoward occurs."

Jaune nodded but paused at the door. "Keep an eye on Jaune as well. The other Jaune."

"Jaune Arc? Why. Is he related to you in some way?" Dangerous question. Loaded question. Obviously, Ozpin hadn't entirely given up on what wasn't altogether an incorrect assumption. "Or is it just because he was trained by, and if what Glynda tells me is correct, was _delivered_ to Beacon by Raven Branwen."

"A little bit of both. But also the look on Emerald's face."

"Ah. Yes, I did notice that. I think she was rather upset with me…"

He chuckled. "I'd say that was obvious."

"Really." Ozpin sighed. "I _did_ tell them their partners would be the first to touch the relic they held. It's not my fault they all thought to outsmart the system. If I made an exception for one of them, I'd have had to for them all."

It wouldn't be the first time Ozpin made exceptions for those he considered useful.

Ruby, for one.

"It's fine either way. I'm sure Em will come to like him in time. I'll see you later, Ozpin. Have a good night."

"You too, Jaune. You too."

/-/

Yang hauled her out into the corridor. Sun and Jaune were chatting in their new dorm room; it was a small room with four beds, four dressers, two cabinets and an en-suite bathroom. Emerald had taken the bed furthest on the left and against the wall, all but begging Yang to take the one next to hers and act as a human shield. It wasn't that she actually thought Sun or Jaune would try anything – more her not liking to let her guard down unless someone she trusted was nearby.

It was something Yang was all too used to from their sleepovers. In a strange house overnight, she didn't like to sleep alone, and they'd taken to sharing a bed – sometimes even her and Ruby. Auntie Summer thought it cute.

"Okay," Yang said, drawing her a little away from the open door. "Spill. You're cagey around new people but this takes the cake. And I know you don't mind Sun as much as you're putting on. Did the new guy do something to you in the forest? Do I need to have a word with him?" The way Yang hoisted her fist made it clear the word would be _smack_.

Tempting to say yes, but then Yang would learn she'd lied to her.

"No…"

"Then what? You can't stop glaring at him."

"You've got to be able to see the similarities!" Emerald blurted out.

"Between him and Uncle Jaune? Well yeah, duh." She rolled her eyes. "They're like younger versions of one another or something. Your dad is your teammate's famous twin, except it's way more literal." Seeing that it was bothering her, Yang sighed. "I just assumed it was a distant relation or something. You know, brother and sister some generations back move to different Kingdoms and the families just sort of forget about one another."

That… That was something she hadn't considered actually, but also something she dismissed. Dad called himself Arc before Ashari, felt the need to change his mind and was always evasive when talking about family.

"If… If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell anyone? And I mean no one, not your mom and dad and not Ruby either."

"Sure."

Couldn't she give it a little more seriousness than that? There were so many dangerous secrets her dad had – from working with Roman Torchwick to the existence of Salem, to the risk of Cinder Fall and how he was involved with some of the most dangerous people on Remnant. It was just like Yang to summarise all that down to one word, and just like her to stick to what she said. _I guess this isn't a really dangerous secret, and Yang would never tell._

"Dad's real name wasn't always Ashari…"

"Yeah?" Yang looked curious but only that. "I'm guessing it was Arc, right? Not much point you getting worked up otherwise."

Emerald nodded.

"Jaune Arc and Jaune Arc. That's one hell of a coincidence, especially with their faces looking so similar."

"You can't be serious…"

"Relax, relax, I'm joking. It's obviously not a coincidence. Right. So, your old man once had that name but had to change it – then a new kid comes in, pretty obviously related, and wearing the same name your dad once had. I'm not sure what to think. I take it you know more."

"I don't know anything. Dad never mentions his family."

"Never? I thought he always told you everything."

"He does!" she said, frustrated. He told her _literally everything_ from Salem to Grimm, to Tyrian, to his plans, to his criminal actions. He trusted her completely, and yet the issue of family was avoided time and time again. "Maybe he didn't think it was important. If they got rid of him and that was that, then it doesn't matter. Does it? He just wanted to keep me away from it."

"Whoah. Whoah. Got rid of…? You think he was abandoned?"

"Or disowned. You know he just picked me up off the street. I wasn't adopted from an orphanage."

"Yeah, you've told me." Yang looked as uncomfortable as ever at that. She always was and had long since stopped asking what life had been like back then. Whenever Emerald told her, she just got angrier and angrier. Kinda like Auntie Summer did.

"I think… I think maybe dad took me in because he felt sorry for me."

"That's kind of obvious, Em. I doubt he took you in for your epic conversation- oh wait. Oh shit." Yang had figured out her thoughts. "You think he felt sympathetic because _he_ went through something similar." She ran a hand through her hair. "Shiiit."

"Hm." Emerald nodded. "I don't know for sure. Maybe they lost him, maybe he was taken away or they thought he died. Maybe he was put up for adoption. Either way, Jaune Arc – my dad – felt like he had to change his name. And Jaune Arc, the idiot back in our room, got to keep his."

"Like they replaced him." Yang ran a hand through her hair in obvious agitation. It struck a little close to home for her as well, especially the abandonment issues. "I mean, we don't know any of this for sure, right? It's all just an idea."

"Hm. I want to ask dad."

"Yeah. You do that. In the meantime… I know it's hard, but you need to give this guy a chance. Maybe he doesn't know. I mean, you were picked up at what, nine? Assuming your old man had any time on his own before then, Jaune – younger one – would have been, like, anywhere from two to six when he left the family. He wouldn't be responsible."

"Would you feel that way if you found out Raven had a child and family?" Emerald asked.

"No. No, I wouldn't. But I'm telling you to be a bigger person than I would. You're the calm one. I'm the idiot who flies off the handle." Yang grinned. "Act it, okay? We'll corner Uncle Jaune at the ASH Gym and pry information out of him."

Yang was right. Annoyingly. Jaune – she'd just refer to her partner by name and dad as dad – couldn't really have been involved in anything that happened to her father. She knew that but knowing that was like knowing a spider hanging above your head when you went to sleep didn't have your death in mind. It didn't stop you glaring at it all night.

"I'll try. It's not _just_ that. He's an idiot, too. He wouldn't take a hint when we met up in the forest."

"Boys are idiots," Yang agreed. "That's standard. You know Sun and Whitley were as well."

True, but they weren't idiots who _also_ ticked her off by wielding a face and name they didn't deserve. "I'll do my best."

"Good." Yang clapped her arm. "Let's get back then. Before they think we're planning to murder and replace them with Whitley and Weiss."

Tempting.

Very tempting.

The boys were chatting animatedly when they returned, Sun having worked his usual magic to have the other laughing. The only person he didn't seem able to befriend was Whitley, and that was for… reasons. He looked up as they came back and winked.

"So, decided which of us is hottest?"

Yang snorted. "Is that what you think we were talking about?"

"Well it had to be something you didn't want us to hear. I'll live in hope."

"You'll be hoping for a long time then." Yang stepped up onto her bed, kicking off her boots to stand in her socks. "Right. First Team SYJE official meeting, hosted by me, your beautiful and incredible team leader, Yang Xiao-Long. Don't applaud too ha-"

Sun and Jaune actually were clapping. Yang blinked and then bowed dramatically.

"Heh. Think I could get used to this. Alright. We're all on a team now and it's not exactly the teams we wanted when this all started, but we should try and make it work. We're stuck together after all. We're gonna do introductions one at a time. I'll go first."

"Why are we doing this?" Emerald asked. "Most of us already know-"

"Em, babe, shush. _Most_ of us know one another but not all."

Emerald crossed her arms and sulked.

"I'm Yang Xiao-Long, team leader. I grew up in Patch and moved to Vale a few years back. I have a sister who's training here in Beacon to be a doctor – she's currently the cutest nurse you've ever seen. I'm friends with Em from way back, and I trained at the ASH Gym. You may also recognise me from winning a few regional trophies." She threw the last one out so casually but with a smug flick of her hair.

"Nope," Sun said.

"Never heard of you," Jaune echoed.

Emerald laughed as Yang stumbled and nearly fell off her bed.

"Tch. Fine. Emerald; your turn."

Better to get it over with. "I'm Emerald Ashari. I'm friends with Yang, have lived in Vale most my life with my dad. I study at the ASH Gym. That's all."

Yang looked a little annoyed that was all she was giving, but what else was there? That she liked reading and cake? That she planned to become a strong huntress and help her dad fight back Salem? Those things weren't important for them to know.

"Guess I'll fill in," Sun began. "I'm Sun Wukong, originally from Vacuo and now living the big life here in Beacon. I want to be a kickass huntsman because a wise old man once helped me out when I was young and told me I'd not only be a great huntsman but meet the girl of my dreams. I mostly trained by fighting other huntsmen-in-training in Vacuo, at least until their teacher got tired of that and took me on. Since then, I've come to Vale and trained in the ASH Gym. Now I'm single and ready to mingle." He clicked his tongue and pointed both fingers her way.

Emerald rolled her eyes. It was hard to tell if Sun had more confidence than sense or if it wasn't some elaborate plan to get her to lower her guard around him. If so, it was annoyingly successful. And he _still_ wouldn't close his shirt. How long had he been wearing that thing now? Years?

"And last but not least," Yang prompted.

"Yeah." The final member of their team sat up. "I'm Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you all. I lived in Ansel before coming to Beacon. I love my family and all my sisters. We're a really big family." He didn't notice the twitch on Emerald's face, or the concerned look Yang shot her. "I guess I'm not really sure why I wanted to become a huntsman. At first it was because I just wanted to be a hero and cool, but I think now it's because I don't want to be afraid of dangerous people, and because I need to be."

"Need to be?" Sun asked. "What is this, some destined prophecy stuff?"

Jaune laughed. "You know, I never asked. I was just told I had to by my godmother…"

 _Don't call him an idiot. Don't call him an idiot. Don't call him an idiot._

"That's cool." Yang lied through her teeth. "See, we're all getting to know one another. This'll be awesome. And you're friends with Nora and Ren, right?"

"Yeah."

"Awesome. We know them too. Team SYJE will work out." That felt more aimed at her than Jaune or Sun. "You'll all see. We'll be the best team ever and the best of friends. Let's all agree to work toward that."

"I'm in," Sun said. "Team SYJE forever."

Jaune grinned. "Yeah!"

All eyes turned to her in the corner, sat on her bed with her knees drawn up to her chest. Yang intended this from the start. How annoying. And now if she didn't agree to take part in the love-off, she was going to be harassed all day by Yang. Emerald sighed.

"Yay," she deadpanned. "Go Team SYJE…"

"Eh. Close enough."

/-/

"You alright, man?"

Jaune looked back in time to see Sun catch up with him. It was strange to see the other guy in the school uniform, especially since the white shirt was buttoned up. Not all the way, he noticed. The top two buttons were undone. He was smiling though and Jaune grinned back. "Yeah, I'm fine. You?"

"First day of school. Couldn't be better."

He was so cheery. Jaune couldn't help but feel a little happier for it and they walked down the corridor side by side, following the smell of food and the helpful signs the teachers had placed around to guide them to the cafeteria. Yang and Emerald apparently already knew the way and said they'd catch up. He knew it was so they could get dressed and not have to worry about him and Sun. There were things to get used to sharing a room co-ed with two girls.

"Are you really doing okay?" Sun asked. "I know Em and Yang can be a little much."

"You mean them trying their hardest to _not_ have me on their team?"

"Not have us, man. It wasn't just you."

That was true, but they didn't seem to mind Sun in any way. No, scratch that. _Emerald_ didn't mind Sun. Yang hadn't shown much enmity toward him – he just got the feeling she wanted other friends on her team first. Emerald, though? That was more personal.

"She really doesn't like me…"

"Don't take it personally, man. Look, I know Emerald. She's a complicated girl and she's _slow_ to get to know someone. Always puts on a cold persona to strangers. This? It's nothing new. Or anything to worry about."

"Really?"

"Really. She's awesome once you get to know her but she's not the kind of person who's ever big on emotions. A little cold at times, a little sarcastic. Well, a lot sarcastic, but if you can look past that you'll find she's driven and loyal. Friends are a big deal to her. Not as much as her father," Sun mumbled, "but still a thing."

Jaune spared the other boy a long look. Sun really knew a lot about Emerald, and he wasn't exactly blind to the way he'd tried to flirt the night before. _I'd normally be bad at that, but Sun was so obvious even Yang called him out. I guess he has a thing for Emerald._

That could have been awkward – and maybe it would be; relationships on a team might get problematic if they ever got together and then broke up – but it wasn't really his business, and it wasn't like _he_ had a chance with her. Not in that way anyway.

"I'd like to make friends with her. You got any advice?"

"Time. That's pretty much all I can say with Em. It's not about trying your hardest or being the best person ever, just letting her come to accept you as not trying to take advantage of her. Apparently, even Yang and her hated each other once upon a time."

"Really?" That was good news. Those two were so close they might as well have been communicating telepathically. "You don't think it's anything I did then? I knocked her over and might have come across a little weird…"

"Dude. I started an air hockey brawl to win a kiss off her. And I tackled her with my chest. You can't have come off any more a stupid jock than I did." Sun slapped Jaune's chest with the back of his hand. "Just be yourself. You'll be fine, bro."

Jaune smiled cheerfully, a little surer of himself. Sun knew Emerald better than he did and even if it didn't work out, Sun himself was a pretty cool guy. He had the feeling they could become best friends. _And there's always Ren and Nora here. It's not like I'll be on my own if I don't get on with one person._

"Thanks, Sun. I'll do my best."

"That's the spirit." Sun sniffed the air. "Hmm. Smells like we're close!"

The cafeteria was already full when they arrived. Nora had saved a seat for them though and yelled out when she saw them. Jaune tugged Sun's arm and pointed to them, bringing him over.

"Hey," he said. "This is Nora and Ren. Guys, this is Sun."

"We know him." Nora held out a fist that Sun bumped. "Saw him a few times at the Gym."

 _Did they all go to the same gym? What are the odds…?_

"This is Weiss and Blake," Nora said, introducing her new teammates. "This is Jaune Arc and Sun Wukong. They're friends."

"Charmed," Weiss said.

"Hm." Blake refused to look up from a book she was reading. Her feline ears marked her a faunus like Sun, but apparently not quite as friendly. Then again, he'd both seen and hard them in the forest.

 _Emerald and I are doing better than them. Maybe I'm worried over nothing._

"How is your team doing?" Ren asked him. He lowered his voice. "Better than our own, I hope."

Jaune chuckled. "There are teething issues."

"Emerald?"

"You can tell?"

Ren, Nora and even the pretty white-haired girl called Weiss looked at him like he was a fool. In the end, it was Weiss who answered. "Emerald is often wary around new people so it's hardly a surprise she would be cold to you."

Far from upset him, the confirmation of what Sun said earlier had him sitting a little taller. "Really? Is it a temporary thing?"

"For the most part," Ren said. "I don't think she was ever cold to me but then I didn't really try speaking with her. Nora, however. It took time for her to break through. Once she respects you, she'll be easier to get along with."

"Emerald is the same as any other person," Weiss said. "The big difference is that to her it's guilty until proven innocent. She'll assume strangers are complete idiots out for their own selfish ends, then wait to be surprised."

That sounded a little cynical but still better than her flat out hating him. _I'll just have to prove I'm a decent guy. Shouldn't be too hard. Raven taught me how to be a proper gentleman and huntsman._

And Raven knew best, obviously. She was cook and probably had loads of friends.

"It may or may not help that you look like her father," Weiss said.

Nora leaned forward, chin on her hand. "He does, doesn't he?"

"Eh?" Jaune balked under the sudden attention, especially from Nora. His cheeks warmed up and Sun began to snicker to his left. Jaune elbowed him under the table. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. You look like a younger version of her father. Considering she's something of a daddy's girl, I can imagine that might make things awkward. Gain a few inches, grow a beard and your hair out and you could pass as twins." She paused. "Is the Ashari family related to the Arc family?"

Blake's head snapped up, book closing with a snap.

"I don't think so," Jaune said. "I don't have any family apart from my own."

/-/

" _Hi Dad."_

"Morning Em." Jaune looked down at her image on the scroll. He could see a dorm in the background along with Yang drying her hair on the next bed along. "How was your first night in Beacon? Good? Are you getting on with your team?"

" _Yeah. Sure."_

Yang's snort suggested otherwise.

He'd let it go for now. This was Emerald's first time being properly away from him since she'd been adopted. That she was willing to try at all was worth being proud of. "Glad to hear it. It's your first lessons today, right? Try to make a few more friends while you're there. And have fun. Don't sweat grades this early."

" _I won't."_

"Have you had breakfast yet? I hope you'll not just eat cake without me there to-"

" _Dad! I'll be fine."_

"Right. Sorry. Were you just calling to see how I was doing?" He was in the library in his stately home with the thick tome from the Ashari temple on the table before him, fresh notes and translations by Oobleck spread over the table, along with a communique from the actual Ashari tribe itself in Vacuo.

" _I wanted to talk."_ Emerald watched him closely. _"Are you okay? You're not lonely?"_

"It's quiet here," he admitted, "But I'm not a houseplant. I miss you, but I know you'll have fun over there so it's okay. And you got on a team with Yang as well. That's great."

" _Not Weiss and Whitley though."_

"Hm. We can't always have everything we want."

" _Ozpin cheated."_

He did, but Jaune felt like pointing out Emerald and Yang tried to as well. Then again, he'd taught them that so who was really to blame? By the very teachings of the ASH Gym, Ozpin was in the right to cheat the teams as he wanted. His lessons taught that if you weren't cheating, you weren't trying – and that the only thing that mattered was how much you could get away with.

"That just means he beat you. Maybe plan better next time."

" _We didn't have time to plan."_ Emerald sighed. _"That's not what I wanted to ask. It's… well…"_ Emerald looked away for a second and then back. _"Do I have any other family members?"_

Sustrai…?

"I don't know. I found you on the streets and you were on your own. Obviously, someone had to give birth to you but-"

" _Not that. I mean through your side."_

His Arc side? Jaune; that could only be who she meant. He supposed it was inevitable given she was on the same team as him now. The similarities would be too much to ignore. And of course, she'd never cared enough to ask about it in the past, so it was a bit of a leap to assume she'd suddenly want to know about distant family now.

The Arc family wasn't his, though. Not here. They had a son and it wasn't the man he was now. His family was in a different timeline and he'd grieved for them when they died. Like Summer and so many others, they had a better life here. _It wouldn't do to ruin that by stepping in and making things difficult. Or to hurt this version of myself by dragging him into trouble he has no right getting involved in._

"No," he said. "I don't have any family."

" _None? What happened to them?"_

"They died. My family are dead." He smiled to show it didn't bother him. Not anymore. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Em, but it's just me and you. And whatever friends and family you make along the way."

" _R-Right. And Winter."_

"And Winter," he admitted. "Was that all you needed?"

" _Um. Yeah. That was all."_ Emerald looked to Yang; he couldn't make out her expression. _"I have to go. Breakfast will end soon and then there's lessons."_

"Alright. Good luck on your first day. Be good. I love you."

" _Love you too, dad."_

The call ended and he put the scroll down, sighing and sipping his morning tea. There was no telling how much Emerald really believed him on that front, but it was nothing if not the truth. The Arc family weren't his anymore than Emerald was Cinder's. Everything was different. Hopefully, she wouldn't be too harsh on the idiot he'd been as a teenager. A portal blurred to life behind him. The rush of wind from Mistral blew pages across the table.

"I wondered when you'd be coming by."

"Oh." Raven's boots clicked across the wooden floor, her sword scraping as she unhooked it and slammed it down atop his table, scuffing the surface. "Am I that predictable now? Maybe next time I'll come in the dead of night and wake you up with a trumpet by your ear."

"How would you being a bitch be any less predictable?" he asked with a smug grin.

Raven laughed in return, dragging out a chair and spinning it so she could sit with her legs on either side of the backrest, arms crossed over the top. She brought her chin down to rest upon her wrists. "I got your message. You wanted to talk. You realise you could have used the message itself to _have_ that talk. My portals aren't a taxi service for you and your wife."

"Fiancée."

"Oh? Trouble in paradise?"

"No. We're simply not married yet. And you're hardly one to needle, _Mrs Xiao-Long_." He watched her smile fade. "I very much doubt you filed for an actual divorce when you ran away. You're probably still listed as that."

"Taiyang would have done it on my behalf."

Maybe, but that was what she got for trying to poke holes.

"What did you want?" she asked. "I want to get the tribe moving again. People in the nearby settlements have been asking after us."

"Salem…?"

"Perhaps. One was described as a bronze-skinned woman with dark brown hair and a hood. Someone who walked with a long stave and carried herself with unusual confidence." Raven tossed her head. "In today's world, that's enough to have me on edge. The tribe is moving. We're not going to sit still if we can help it."

Neither would Salem. This new person didn't match anyone he could think of on her side, but then why wouldn't she recruit new weapons to serve her? He was doing the same with Raven, Roman and the criminal empire. _And she needs someone to replace the White Fang. Something with enough punching power to threaten Ozpin._

"I won't keep your time," he promised. "I wanted to ask about Jaune."

Raven chuckled. "How self-conscious of you."

"Not me. Other me." He rolled his eyes when she laughed. "You asked Ozpin to put him on a team with Emerald, didn't you? Or to put her on a team with him and the others." He knew he had it when her smile turned just a little smug.

"I've no idea what you mean."

"It didn't work."

Raven's smile dropped.

"Jaune and Emerald got on the same team, but they're partnered with Yang and Sun. Nora and Ren are with Weiss and Blake instead." Naturally, she knew all the names from his memories crammed into her head by Jinn.

"Trust Ozpin to fail even that small request."

So it _was_ her. "Why?"

"Why not? Jaune is a Branwen now, if not by blood then by training. I would not squander my investment by letting him die to some random Grimm. That team would have been kept safe by Ozpin, so long as the one whom he believes is the Spring Maiden remains a part of it."

"They'd have been targets too. You know Salem will have spies in Beacon."

Raven held his gaze.

"That was your plan. You want to use him as bait to draw out enemies – because you have a bond with him, which means portals. Nora is going to be a target thanks to Ozpin, which means he'd be in the thick of it if they shared a team. And I'd be dragged in if Emerald was attacked." He sighed. "I don't appreciate that, Raven. We're on the same side. If you need my help, ask. Don't put my girl in danger."

"You had no intention of training your younger self, despite knowing the danger he'd be in. I took steps to ensure his safety – steps you weren't willing to."

"That's not… I wasn't avoiding him."

"Liar. You didn't see the worth in him. Still don't." Raven sneered across the back of the chair. "Despite all those times your father told you to be confident, you're still anything but. You've been busy trying to make your friends stronger, but only those you deem _worth it_. Naturally, you'd not include yourself in that. After all, you were helpless at the end. Everyone died around you."

His stomach flipped. "Watch your words, Raven."

"Ha. Or what? You'll kick me out? I did what had to be done. He's not you; he only has the capacity to become you. Your friends may have been protected through your actions, but by neglecting him you were willing to throw away his life."

"It's my life."

"No, it's not. It's his. His to live and his to lose. Keep that in mind the next time you think he isn't worth the effort."

* * *

 **Just so people know, tomorrow is going to be Arcanum from now on (Sunday slot) while a new story will be released this Tuesday and will rotate every other Tuesday alongside Service with a Smile.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 2** **nd** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	81. Chapter 81

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 81**

* * *

Stepping off the commercial aircraft in Atlas reminded him of his first arrival with Emerald, back when she still mistrusted him and his only goal had been to earn some money outside Vale. Not much had changed for all that the White Fang had come and gone along with almost ten years between. The cold seeped into his bones a little more and he tugged his coat tighter around him, filing off the aircraft with all the other passengers.

They made their way to the rotating carousels where their luggage would be brought out. Jaune skipped that, pulling his sword case up by his side and subjecting himself to the inevitable customs procedure. Ten minutes, a baggage search and an interview later – Atlas wasn't taking chances, it seemed – he walked out into the arrivals area, where a large party of men and women in white military uniforms awaited him. It wasn't the white of Atlas, but the white and pale blue of the Schnee family, replete with their distinctive snowflake emblem.

"Master Schnee-Ashari." The one in the centre, the eldest, bowed to him. "Welcome to Atlas. Winter sends her apologies for not being able to greet you in person but matters within the SDC demanded her attention."

"That's fine."

Schnee-Ashari? He couldn't remember any mention of his last name being that. It wasn't too hard to imagine Jacques spreading it around, all the better to show the world his latest gambit. It wasn't such a bad thing he supposed. One of the attendants took his sword case and the other his small amount of luggage. He was escorted out the building and to a stretch limo of purest white parked outside. People coming and going stopped to stare, a few recognising him but just as many trying to figure out who the apparent celebrity was. Ahead and behind the limo were two other cars. He had an armed escort.

All of the attendants except for the one who had spoken before departed to the other vehicles, the older one holding a door open for Jaune and then climbing in after him. There was room enough for ten people in the back of the limo, and yet the man took a single chair attached to the driver partition, leaving the comfortable couches for him. He even cracked open a minifridge and brought out a bottle of wine.

"A drink, master?"

"Beer. If you have it."

"Of course." The bottle went away and out came a much smaller one, which he opened with a small metallic object brought from his pocket. "We import our ales and beers from celebrated breweries across Remnant. This one is from Vacuo and has a spicy flavour reminiscent of the vast desert."

Expensive, then. It certainly tasted it. Not too heavy or stodgy and with a kick he found himself enjoying. It was the kind of drink you had for the experience and not to get drunk, which was well and good considering he was here on business. Raven would have loved it. His face twisted at the thought of her.

"Not to your liking, sir?"

"No. it is. I was just thinking unhappy thoughts." He chuckled to let the man know it wasn't any lack of service on his part. "Things back in Vale. I'm sure you understand."

"Of course. Well, I hope a few days with Miss Schnee can help you feel better."

Jaune spluttered a little. Was he suggesting-? There was a strange neutrality to the man's smile. It was honestly impossible to tell whether he'd meant that as a joke or not, but Jaune had the suspicion the man was teasing him. "Hm. I'm sure it will. How is Winter?"

"I would not dare to spoil what conversation you might have with your fiancée."

"Humour me. No details, just… is she busy? Has she been working too hard?"

"My lady always works too hard, sir. If not on matters of the family then her security unit, the remnants of the White Fang or Atlas itself. Many of us are concerned for her, though she would naturally brush away such matters. If I may be so forward, there are many who are grateful for the timing of your visit."

"I'll see what I can do."

They wanted him to take her mind off work; a nice thought if he hadn't been here on business himself. He leaned back in the comfortable seat and looked out the window, watching the busy streets of Atlas give way to long roads headed out of the city. The Schnee manor had its own grounds away from what Jacques would consider the common folk.

 _On my way as a wealthy patron to visit my Schnee fiancée. Funny how the younger me would have dreamed of something like this, though with the younger sister._

He wasn't sure what he thought of it.

/-/

"Mr Schnee."

"Please, call me Jacques. We're soon to be related."

Jaune laughed awkwardly and accepted the firm handshake from a man he'd once hated beyond many others. The Jacques before him was so different to the one Weiss described. _Not different, just in a better mood. He's gotten everything he wants here, while the other Jacques was constantly thwarted by Weiss._

Understandable as his anger might have been, it was chilling to know the charismatic man before him could react to Winter and Weiss' perceived betrayal so drastically. The average man in his position would have been upset – maybe disowned them. Jacques became a monster who took over Atlas and became a dictator, brutally suppressing any who went against him.

Winter stood behind and to the side, silent and with her hands linked before her. She inclined her head on seeing him looking, smiling briefly. They didn't get a chance to talk however before Jacques was rattling through questions, both as to his business in Vale, how long he was staying, the time they two of them might spend together and even an invitation to meet the Board of Directors and go on a tour of the local dust refinery.

"You simply must see how things are done. We're really pushing a revolutionary angle here."

"I'd love to." He couldn't have cared less if he tried. "But I was hoping to spend some time with Winter as well…"

"Both of you, then. This all belongs to Winter as well. The Board has been itching to meet you."

"I-"

"We will of course be happy to, father." Winter stepped forward and took one of Jaune's hands, drawing him out from the older man's control. "Perhaps after the weekend? Monday would be less disruptive to the staff and will give the Board time to prepare."

"Wonderful. Francois, prepare a conference call." Jacques nodded to the uniformed butler, who bowed and walked briskly away. "I will handle things on that end. And perhaps you're right – a chance for the two of you to spend some time together will do you all a world of good. In fact, I prepared a surprise of my own there." He held out a hand and accepted two tickets placed into it by a maid. "Tickets to a show tomorrow night in the city. A private box, of course."

Jaune hid his grimace.

"Thank you, father." Winter took them. "We'll be sure to attend. I will take Jaune to the tailor tomorrow for a fitting. I hope you don't mind if we borrow the limousine."

"Not at all. Ah, but I should leave you to talk." He smiled magnanimously. "Welcome to the manor, Jaune. Anything you should desire, you need but ask of the team. Our household staff are second to none when it comes to quality and trustworthiness. I hope you'll treat the manor as a home away from home. You are family after all."

"Thank you."

Winter pulled him away after the not-so-brief meeting and brought him up the grand staircase toward her quarters. They were flanked by guards, neither of which he recognised. Staying quiet, he followed her down a gilded corridor with maids and butlers who bowed their heads respectfully as they went. Eventually, they reached a large set of double doors. The guards took position on either side, one pushing the door open with a hand and holding it so.

"Thank you, Sanderson."

The door closed behind them. The room was not, as he'd expected, her bedroom. It was more like a sitting room honestly, but one so clearly styled to Winter's tastes with maps of the Kingdoms, books on military strategy, a chess table, bookcase, TV and more. A fire roared at the back, filling the room with a soft and welcoming heat he found downright blissful after the outside cold. Winter removed her long coat and put it to rest over the back of a chair. Suddenly, she turned, placing her hands on his shoulders and leaning forward.

Jaune closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss. It wasn't hot and heavy, nor was it overly chaste. Winter pushed in against him and he let his hands rest on the back of her hips, holding her as she stole his breath away. Without breaking the kiss, she pushed her hands up under his coat, sliding it off his shoulders.

Much to the frustration of a certain part of him, it wasn't for that purpose. She broke the kiss, smiled and took his coat, laying it on top of her own and taking his hand in hers. She guided him to one of the sofas in front of the fire and then sat next to him, their legs touching. Her shoulder pushed into his as she leaned her head against his neck, then hummed and tried again for a more comfortable position.

There was a certain inexperience to it all that came off more charming than not, like Winter knew the theory of cuddling with someone on a couch but not quite how. Jaune chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, helping.

"You don't have to force it," he said.

"I'm not forcing it," she said with a little huff. "I've missed you and want to relax. I'm just not quite sure – ah." She found a good spot and leaned into him. "This is better."

"I've missed you as well," he said, pleasantly surprised to find he meant it. Not as much as he missed Emerald, but close – and that meant a lot. "I've missed your father less. I see us being engaged hasn't stopped him being as pushy as ever."

"I doubt anything will. I'm sorry about what happened back there."

"Not your fault, Winter. What's with the factory visit? Do we really have time for that?"

"No, but it's unavoidable." she spoke candidly, dropping the overly polite façade she showed around her father. "If he's pushing then it's because he's being pushed. Father is getting older and the Board of Directors must want to meet you – or at least get a feel for how to manipulate you. I'm trusted by them after dealing with the White Fang. In fact, I'd say they adore me for that, but you're an unknown quantity."

"I like it that way."

"Hm. _They_ do not, sadly. We'll just have to play along I'm afraid. Make life difficult for them and they'll return the favour in kind. It won't take long. Half a day at most. With any luck, we'll have the Ashari business finished this weekend."

That was true. Well, if that was the case he supposed it wouldn't hurt to lose a Monday to something like this. He nodded and leant back, closing his eyes as the warmth from both the fire and Winter seeped into him. "I guess you're right. And maybe it's for the best; one of the butlers was telling me before how you've been working too hard."

"Pierre." Winter growled under her breath.

"I didn't catch a name."

"No, it's Pierre. My personal butler – I sent him to collect you, and to make sure father didn't try to spring for a parade welcoming you to Atlas. Each of us has a butler that works solely for us. Weiss has Klein and I have Pierre. They just about raised us where mother and father were either too busy or wouldn't. Carer, educator and confidante. I dare say Klein is more a father to Weiss than Jacques ever was."

"And Pierre for you?"

"He certainly worries about me overworking myself enough to be a father…"

Jaune laughed. "I'm glad you had someone to look out for you."

"I'd rather look out for myself." Winter poked him under the armpit. "Speaking of, we'll also need to attend this show tomorrow – and a visit to the tailor. I know, I know, it's delaying our work, but father isn't wrong to push for this. You and I haven't really made a public appearance together in Atlas and people are talking."

"About what?"

"Silly things. There are more than enough photos and reports of us seen together in Vale for them to know our relationship isn't a charade, so they're instead making up stories of you hating Atlas or a schism forming between General Ironwood and the SDC."

Winter rolled her eyes and he couldn't blame her. She and General Ironwood were on fantastic terms – not quite as close as the original timeline for obvious reasons, but she was essentially the intermediary between the SDC and the military now, so they worked together often. Then again, the media didn't know what went on behind closed doors, and her decision to push for leniency for the White Fang probably _looked_ like her going against Atlas.

A night out on the town hadn't been in the plan but if it helped her and satisfied Jacques, it was worth doing. And come to think of it, they hadn't been out on many proper dates. _Maybe it's not just Winter who needs to take some time off work every now and then._

"Fair enough," he said. "We'll make a date of it."

"Thank you." Her hand squeezed his. "I know it's a pain."

"It's not. I just didn't expect it. We can still get our own work done on the side. It's not like I need to go running back to Vale now that Emerald is at Beacon."

"How is she taking it?"

"Good! She seems to be doing well."

They fell into the familiar routine of talking about Emerald, Weiss and Whitley, discussing their stories from Beacon and what news they'd heard. That always differed from each of them, Emerald choosing not to tell him tales of where she'd been acting out and Weiss and Whitley doing the same for Winter. Together, they managed to cross analyse the stories and build a fuller picture.

Most of that was them settling in with their teams; they hadn't been at Beacon long enough to necessitate anything more. Whitley felt beleaguered and stressed by his while Weiss and Blake were apparently still at one another's throats.

"I'm concerned, I must admit," Winter said. "I don't want to judge the girl without knowing her, but I'd feel safer giving her the benefit of the doubt if it wasn't Weiss' safety I was risking."

"Blake and Weiss used to argue in my time too."

"Under different circumstances. Do you really believe she is no threat, or are you thinking too much of what _your_ Blake Belladonna was like?"

"I… I don't know…"

It was too close to what Raven accused him of, except this time in Blake's favour and not against his younger self. It was hard. He couldn't just up and abandon Blake. Leaving aside the fact she was a close friend, she hadn't done anything wrong yet. Joining the White Fang happened the first time, as did leaving it. At best, Blake was only guilty of being a little more in line with the old Adam's point of view. That didn't instantly make her a killer.

"Ozpin knows," he eventually said. "He'll keep an eye on her, and I doubt Blake would risk her life for a chance at Weiss. She isn't the heiress of the SDC; you are. If she's really in Vale to get revenge, I don't think it's Weiss who needs to worry."

It was him.

If Blake wanted to kill anyone, she would try and kill him.

"They'll be fine. Let's focus on us for a bit. Tell me about this temple you've found."

"Very well. It's a rather well-hidden thing set into a mountain on the eastern fringe of Atlas. The locals of a small village had been using it for storage of food goods through the winter, and they noticed a rather strange property about it…"

/-/

"Are you still ignoring me?"

Emerald ignored Jaune, shuffling her assigned homework into her bag and putting her pen case away. History was depressingly dull and not at all what she'd hoped for. Worse still, Doctor Oobleck wasn't like Professor Port and wouldn't let anyone get away with sleeping in his class. Not that she'd tried, of course. The wise choice was always letting some other poor sucker test the limits before you had to. In this case, Miltia earned herself the first detention, and then a set of lines for calling the teacher a `motherfucker` before she'd fully woken up and realised who she was talking to.

"Yep. You're still ignoring me. You know, we're supposed to be partners. You and me, the dynamic duo."

Yang snorted from the other side of her. Trust her to have nothing better to do than listen in. Emerald hooked her bag up over her shoulder and stood, scraping her chair back with the chorus of others doing the same. The rush out was hectic and she hung back, content to let the idiots all try and squeeze through at once.

Whitley was among the mass, though not by choice. Melanie and Miltia had flanked him and were dragging him to his doom. Chances were, they wanted to copy his homework for the next class. He needed to learn to stick up for himself, especially around girls. He melted whenever one of them smiled and begged for his help. Well, it wasn't like she hadn't done the same with today's homework. Just because she thought he could stand to be a little tougher didn't mean she wouldn't take advantage of him not being.

"Training again tonight?" Yang said from the side.

"Hm. Training rooms at seven. Don't be late."

"Sure thing. I'm gonna go harass – I mean, check on Ruby." Yang giggled and slipped away. "Have fun with your partner, Em. Don't get up to anything I wouldn't."

Traitor. If she acknowledged her partner…

"Finally." Jaune stepped in front of her with a huge smile. "That was pretty cool about the faunus war, right? And to think it almost happened again. Good thing the Schnee were able to sort it out before it got worse."

"It wasn't the Schnee who did it. It was my dad."

"Ahah! You _can_ speak to me."

Drat. Outsmarted, and by this idiot too. Emerald grumbled and pushed past him, wishing Sun had stuck around and not chased after Yang. Wasn't he supposed to be crushing on her? Not that she wanted him to, but still, leaving her with Jaune _Arc_ wasn't fair. Nor was him having that name. It was hard to sneer the name without feeling like she was insulting her own father.

She could hear him following behind her. Apparently, he'd gotten it in his head that she'd warm up to him if he hung around long enough, something Weiss and Yang had told him apparently. Yang, probably before she'd found out about his last name and the possible connotations there.

" _My family are dead."_

Her lips drew into a frown. It wasn't like she wanted to say he was lying to her, but at the same time why wouldn't he? She knew for a fact he loved her, but love didn't mean absolute truth all the time. She kept some small secrets from him, and he did the same from her. Never anything big, but personal stuff like her sneaking in an adult book to see what it was like wasn't any of his business, and nor was his old family her business. Lying was just like cheating in a fight. So long as it didn't hurt anyone and you weren't found out, it was fine.

 _He could be protecting me from something. Or just not wanting his past dragged into it. I should honour that, but if they try and cause trouble for him…_

They'd find a nasty surprise waiting. So far, Jaune – her partner, that was – hadn't made any untoward moves in her father's direction. As long as that didn't change, she supposed she could put up with him. Endurance didn't mean affection, however.

A foot was stuck out in front of her path. Subtle and quick, out from the side, it was still far too slow for her paranoia. She came to a stop and stared down at it. Jaune almost bumped into her back but caught himself before he could sign his death warrant.

"Why did you-? Oh."

The owner of said limb, realising he'd been caught, stepped out to block the door. "Well, well, well, look who we have here. Bet you thought you'd seen the last of us, you little thief."

The insult, if it was one, meant little. She'd stolen. What of it? The guy…? Tall, broad and with orange to red hair stuck up at the front. He wore the school uniform but had a lot more in terms of muscle to show off than Jaune. Not as much as Sun, though.

Emerald looked him in the eye. "You're blocking the door."

"Nothing to say?" he challenged.

Hadn't she just-? Oh, wait. "Hello."

"That's not what I meant!" the man growled and held up a fist in what he possibly thought was a threatening manner. If it were the streets, she'd have capitulated then and there. Size mattered, especially when you were small.

This wasn't the streets.

"I don't even know who you are."

"We're the ones you and your boyfriend stole the Relic from!"

Boyfriend-? Oh, the Relic. Not _the_ Relics that Jaune had told her about but the mechanical things from the forest that ruined their plan to get on a proper team. That must have made them the two who tried to steal _her_ relic in the forest. To be fair, she'd only really been paying attention to their weapons and armour in the midst of a combat situation. It wasn't like she'd gone out of her way to ignore or forget them; without his full body plate armour, he wasn't nearly so recognisable.

"I remember you," she said. "So, you found another relic."

"Only just. And we had to save the two who had it. They'd found two – and that doesn't matter," he growled, changing the subject. "You almost cost me my place in Beacon! I've trained all my life to get here and you could have ruined that."

"You could have ruined mine," she pointed out.

And that would have been far, far worse.

"Doesn't change the fact you're a dirty thief. Don't think that just because we made it in, we've forgotten what you pulled." He gestured to his friend, the one with the mohawk. He didn't look nearly as enthusiastic about this as his big friend. "You owe us, bitch. You." He tapped her chest. "Owe me." And then his own. "And Cardin Winchester doesn't forget his debts. How do you intend to go about paying that off?"

A debt? Really? Emerald looked to Jaune.

"I'm not currency!" he hissed.

That hadn't been what she meant, though now he brought it up. Hmm. Two birds with one stone. No. As tempting as it was, Yang would have her head. "Sorry," she said, not really meaning it at all as she looked back to the big guy. "I don't think I'll be paying. It was a race." She shrugged. "And you got in anyway. I guess that means you were good enough. Congrats."

If he was tough enough to fight her, lose, and _still_ find a Relic, killing Grimm along the way, then he had to be better than the absolutely zero credit she'd given him. Good for him. Emerald pushed on by, nudging him out the way.

His hand gripped her shoulder. "We're not done talking."

"I think we are," she said, batting it away. "Take your threats elsewhere."

He stumbled back as she gave his hand a little push. His eyes flashed angrily but she was already out of his reach when he surged back up. Jaune was not and yelped as big and ugly grabbed him by the arm and slammed him into a locker. Jaune groaned and slumped down onto one knee, cradling his shoulder.

Emerald looked at her pained partner and then back to Cardin.

"This doesn't make us friends."

"Emerald, why?" Jaune whined. "That's mean…"

Yeah, probably. Yang would have words. Weiss, too. Sighing, she helped him up and behind her, keeping her eyes on Cardin the whole time. His muscles were tense. He wanted a fight. Unluckily for him, she wasn't interested in causing trouble, or being dragged into whatever stupidity he had in mind. She turned away.

"Running?" he taunted. "That much of a coward?"

Whatever turned him on.

"I hear your old man's a coward too!" Cardin yelled. "It's why he teaches all his students to cheat – because he's too much of a pussy to fight properly."

Jaune crashed into her back as she came to an abrupt halt. Emerald turned and walked _through_ him, pushing Jaune aside and stalking toward a laughing Cardin, fists clenched at her side. It was nothing, her mind said. Just someone spouting crap. Knowing that didn't help. Her blood was boiling. Her eyes burned.

"What did you just say?"

"Got under your skin, did it?" Cardin leaned forward and sneered. "I said your old man is a fucking coward who can't fight for himself. Need me to say it again?"

"No." Emerald let out a long breath. "I just wanted to be sure."

/-/

The speakers chimed in across Beacon.

"Will the leader of Team SYJE please report to the headmaster's office. I repeat, will the leader of Team SYJE report to the headmaster's office."

Yang put down her burrito as all eyes turned to her. The seats beside her, which ought to have contained Emerald and Jaune, were empty. She hadn't thought anything of it, content to let them out her sight for fifteen minutes so they could sort their issues out.

"Welp." Sun patted her back. "Good luck."

Yang sighed.

/-/

Jaune sat and watched the opera with as best a smile as he could manage. In truth, he was bored stiff. A musical might have been interesting, a concert manageable. Opera was an art he'd never listened to before and doing so now only drove home the fact his first instincts had been spot on. It was impressive how high a note the singer could reach, but it was all just wailing.

Combined with the overly tight and itchy suit, the absolute silence of an audience of well-dressed men and women, the guards behind him and the people he could still feel looking his way, the experience was far from the romantic and private evening he'd been hoping for.

Winter was sat beside him, one hand atop his on the armrest. She looked gorgeous in a long silver gown with blue sequins and a pale grey shawl. How she wasn't freezing to death outside, he didn't know. Atlas blood no doubt. There had to be a way these crazy people could handle all that snow. Apparently, it also extended to liking something as dull as this.

Or she was faking it well.

Honestly, it was hard to tell. Winter wore her position carefully, maintaining a polite and calm demeanour even as their dinner had been ruined by paparazzi and onlookers. They hadn't been able to so much as walk down the street without people stopping to stare. As such, they'd travelled by limousine and escort, giving them absolutely no opportunities to speak candidly about anything. Their conversation at the dinner table had flitted around nonsensical topics neither of them cared about.

Their arrival at the theatre heralded several well-known, or well-known to Winter, families and businessmen who had been eager to meet with him. Hands were shaken, empty greetings were given and vague promises to speak again thrown left and right. Older women glared at Winter and flirted with him in equal measure, so many so that he had to assume it was orchestrated for some reason, as he wasn't _that_ much a catch. Gossip, perhaps. Or just to weaken Winter's position and create a scandal. He wasn't interested in playing but that only made them try harder.

He sighed loudly.

Winter's hand squeezed his. She didn't look over or react, either to chastise or assure him it was okay. Just a quiet reminder that she was there. If nothing else, it told him he had to keep as straight a face as she was.

 _So much for us having a date. This is more like a business meeting._

The people he was meeting being Atlas as a whole, or its public eye and several important people at the theatre. Was it a coincidence Jacques happened to send them to the one place where a few councillors and politicians were going? Doubtful. The focus was less on him and Winter having any time together and more on the Schnee family showing him off. Ozpin's words about parading their prize dog around had never seemed so accurate.

Was it a bad sign that he felt so uncomfortable here? If he married Winter, scenes like this would become only more and more commonplace. She was Winter Schnee before she could be anything else. That was something she'd seemingly gotten used to. Of course, he was responsible for that, wasn't he? Left to her own devices, she'd have joined the military and thrown this all away.

It had to be something he could get used to. He didn't want to think it a sign of worse things so soon, and not without trying. _Every relationship has its ups and downs. Life with Pyrrha wouldn't have just been a bag of roses. Besides, she was just as famous as Winter in her own right._ This was work. If he stopped thinking of it as a date and started thinking of it as an obligation, maybe that would help. It didn't sound healthy, even in his head, but it was something to push through.

The singer reached a pitch so high it could shatter glass and held it, warbling out to a climactic finish.

Winter started to applaud and he followed suit, sound quickly drowned out by everyone in the theatre doing the same. The lights focused on the singer on stage, leaving their private box shrouded in darkness.

"You're bored," Winter whispered, leaning into his ear.

"This really isn't my thing. I'm sorry."

"It's not mine either. And I should be the one apologising. I wanted us to be able to spend some time together, but not like this." She sighed and brushed some hair behind her ear. She'd worn it down and he had to admit she looked beautiful that way. "Father means well, but he's always been like this, trying to meet expectations and push us to do the same."

From what he recalled Weiss once saying, Jacques wasn't born into wealth. He married in. There must have been a certain expectation there as well, either to adapt or become like the people he was suddenly dealing with.

"It's fine," he said. "I can put up with it. Will it always be like this?"

Winter must have noticed the worry in his tone because she suddenly looked nervous. Her hand held his a little tighter. "No. No, it won't. This… It's more because you're still an unknown. We don't have to stay if you don't want. We've made an appearance and can leave now."

"That's not what I meant." Jaune twisted his hand so it was palm up and intertwined their fingers. "I'm not thinking of calling it off. I just… This is new to me. I don't know what to do here I don't know what to say to these people."

"And you hate it."

He thought of denying it but there was no point. Winter could see through it.

"It's just not what I'm used to."

"Father." Winter growled under her breath. "Let me talk with him. I'll convince him to lean off a little. And please, give me a chance to properly show you the good parts of Atlas. This is the last thing I wanted us to be doing tonight as well." She sighed. "I'd hoped for something much quieter. Without someone screaming at us as well."

In his head and the movies he remembered his sisters making him watch, this was the moment where he was supposed to suggest something wild like a theme park or a crazy dance club. They'd let loose, go wild and have a wonderful time, cementing their relationship and with him teaching her how fun it could be to let go once in a while.

That kind of crap worked well in the cinema. Less so in real life.

He and Winter couldn't just wander off. They'd be stalked by reporters and their every action would be judged. She couldn't let loose in a club because every patron would record her on their scrolls and the scenes would be posted everywhere by morning, to say nothing of the fact neither of them would be able to enjoy themselves anyway as the centre of attention.

Similarly, Winter couldn't just ignore her responsibilities because that was what they were. She had her SDC Security forces to think of, their reputation and how they fit in with Atlas without causing political friction. The continued survival of that depended on people seeing her as both responsible and respectable, especially those boring ass politicians they'd spoken with before.

All combined, they needed to be here. Running off, while satisfying, wouldn't solve any of their problems. It'd just create a hundred more.

"Tomorrow," he said, holding her hand. "Let's spend the day outside of Atlas. No Jacques, no SDC and no people."

"What about the temple?"

"We'll still do that, but it won't take all day. I want the rest of it to be ours."

Winter nodded, more relieved than anything. She looked back to the stage as the singer came back on for a painful encore. Her lips drew down, eyes narrowing. Suddenly, she pulled her hand from his and reached over for her glass of wine.

It splashed over her chest and bodice, soaking her dress.

"I appear to have spilled my wine. A clumsy but not unusual error." Her eyes met his. Her lips quirked up. "Jaune, would you care to escort me back to the manor? I don't think I want to be seen in such a state."

"Such a shame." He rose to his feet and held out a hand. "But it would be terribly rude of me not to acquiesce to my fiancée's request. That said, what shall we do with all the free time we suddenly have?"

"I'm sure we can find something to entertain us." Winter laid her hand in his. "For one, I need help getting out of this dress. After? Well…" She leaned and whispered into his ear, "We shall just have to see what happens."

Their limousine was waiting for them outside. Cameras, too. Winter hissed as they snapped pictures of her, but he warded them away and escorted her to the car, where her butler had the door held open.

"Back so soon?" Pierre asked, not sounding nearly as surprised or confused as he ought to. "How unexpected. And here I thought my lady enjoyed her classical music."

"Pierre. Silence."

"As my lady commands it."

The windows were tinted black and she let the façade fall once she was in. Her shoulders drooped and she kicked off her heels, leaning down to replace them with combat boots. Jaune ripped off his overly restrictive jacket as well, tossing it deeper into the limousine.

"If father asks, we left without realising there was an encore." Winter said.

"I would not dream of saying otherwise, my lady. Would you and the good sir like a drink? Or perhaps you would prefer if I excused myself to the driver compartment and gave you some privacy?"

"Your _lady_ would prefer it if you stopped with the overly polite nonsense, Pierre. And the teasing. How many times have I told you I don't care for father's silly rituals and rules?"

"Very well, I shall speak more frankly. Would you like a condom?"

Winter squawked and hurled a cushion at the man's face.

Jaune burst out laughing.

* * *

 **The trappings of high society aren't always so fun. I've been to a few as a journalist, sometimes even as a guest of important people or embassies. I've also been on press trips where I'm basically dragged around new factories by big business and once even I was taken by the Thai Embassy to show a big trade initiative they were working on. Fifteen course meals, posh hotels and a meeting with the old King of Thailand. From a distance, of course.**

 **It always sounds exciting to people but fuck me it wasn't. I had an itinerary every day from around 6am to 8pm and it was always full. Not an hour went by where I wasn't either being dragged to some event or shaking hands with someone or pretending to care as someone tells me about what they're doing to bolster trade. It was so mind-numbing.** **And opera. Ugh. I thought I liked opera because I love "Phantom of the Opera" but someone else there politely informed me that's actually a musical, not an opera. God, the real thing was horrid.**

 **Thankfully, this was just for this one chapter and we'll be escaping to the Ashari temple next chapter so we can move onto more plot-related content. Woot.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 9** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	82. Chapter 82

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 82**

* * *

"Snow, sleet, wind and rain." Delta trudged through the snow, sinking up to his knee. "You two sure know how to pick your romantic getaways."

"Less whining," Winter said.

"And more what? Freezing my ass off?"

"He's just jealous _he_ doesn't have anyone to take out to the ass end of nowhere," Echo teased. "Not that he'd know what to do with a woman even if one did decide to take pity on him."

"Har-de-har. You're fucking hilarious."

Jaune trudged after Winter and in the middle of a part with a nostalgic smile. With just the four of them out in the wilderness of Atlas, it was like the old days in the Specialists. The constant complaining was just as much a part of that as the company. It was all to keep boredom down. Winter recognised that and didn't make any real effort to silence them.

Atlas was a mountainous and snowy place once you got away from the capital and some of the more hospitable villages and towns, all of which were dotted along the coastlines where the climate was warmer. They were far away from that, picking their way between two towering spires as wind howled above so powerfully that their Bullhead had been forced to withdraw. Thankfully, Atlas being Atlas, their scrolls were boosted to such a level that they could reach the pilot even through the storm if they needed exfil.

He doubted they would. While Grimm were resilient to weather conditions, they weren't immune to them and cold this harsh and winds this strong would buffet and hurl them around, to say nothing of the lack of visibility. It was crazy to think people could live out here, especially considering they were making their way to what Winter called a village.

 _Wooden homes would be blown down in this gale and I don't see how they could transport brick all the way up here, or why they'd bother._

No hope of farming, little access to water outside of boiling snow and some of the worst terrain he'd ever seen. People settled where they had to and made the best of it – Vacuo was an example of that – but only where there was no alternative. Atlas had plenty of more arable land down by the coast, meaning the people had _chosen_ to live here.

"We're close," Winter said. "The map puts the village up against the mountainside here."

Here? No matter how he turned and looked around there was nothing to be seen beyond snow and rock. Even with the curtain of sleet and hail scything diagonally before them, there should have been the silhouettes of buildings.

"Maybe it got blown away," Echo said.

"No." Winter pushed on. "This village has survived here for over a hundred years now. It would not suddenly fall to a stiff breeze."

"Stiff breeze she calls it. My frostbite has frostbite."

Winter moved on and they followed, trusting her and the map she'd procured which was hardly old by any means. Her scouts had it accurate as of two weeks past. He'd had a chance to look over it before and knew that the village they were searching for was literally marked as being adjacent to the mountain. Something that would be dangerous given the risk of rockslides and avalanches. Again, the fact they survived told of some solution to both.

 _If the map is correct, it should either be here or around the corner._

They rounded the rocky bottom of the mountain and pushed around.

Nothing. Snow, plains, rocks and empty landscape as far as the eye could see. Not a village, nor even the remains of one. Jaune wasn't the only one to sigh angrily.

"Wait." Delta peered forward. "I see something. Is that a flag?"

He pointed and they followed his hand. It was hard to see for sure but there was a wisp of red in the distance. Standing out stark against the snow and rock alike. It fluttered and flew to the right, caught by the wind.

"Good eyes, Delta," Winter said, marching forward.

"Heh." Delta elbowed Jaune's side. "Hear that? I have good eyes. When was the last time she complimented yours?"

Snorting, Jaune slugged him back. "Idiot."

With their spirits renewed and sight of something resembling civilisation before them, they pushed through the snow toward the flash of red, eventually coming close enough to see it was red cloth wrapped around or pinned under some stacked rocks. The rocks were stacked on top of one another and six high, in a way that nature would never allow. Standing stones. People often used them to mark civilisation, at least in times before signposts existed.

 _Are we looking for another?_ Jaune looked back and forth down the mountainside. If they were markers to draw travellers toward the village, they'd be in sight of one another. This one had a bowl at the base of it for offerings, but it was empty.

"Where do we go next?"

"Nowhere," Winter said, walking away from the standing stones and to the rockface. "We're here."

Feeling around with her hands, Winter made a sound and stepped between two rocks, disappearing from view. Jaune, Delta and Echo shared a quick look before following, finding a thin opening in the rockface that was just a little wider than they were side-on. It wasn't an easy walk through, but side-stepping wasn't too tight either. They were able to hold their weapons against their chests and follow Winter in, her ahead and pulling around a corner out of sight.

"A cave system?" Echo mumbled. "Suppose that's one way to stay out of trouble."

"It's not a cave," Winter said from ahead. "You'll see why here…"

Turning the corner, the tunnel opened suddenly and dramatically, going from two feet wide to a huge open space where fifty men could stand abreast. A giant door stood before them, easily twenty feet tall and a hundred wide. It was made of carved rock which had an all too smooth sheen to it. An unnatural cut.

"This was man made," Delta said needlessly.

There was no way anyone could have fit the door _through_ the tunnel they'd just entered from, nor a way to bring it up the mountain in such harsh conditions. Jaune stared at the thing in awe, then noticing a second set of standing stones with red cloth off to the right, by the far wall. Beside that was a set of packs, rocks and even several bowls with bottles of clean water inside. There were even a few pairs of boots stood up by the wall, dripping with moisture. Modern boots. Above that was a bell hanging from a rope.

"Is that a doorbell? For something this big? We ring it?"

"Unless you want to trek back home," Winter said. "This _is_ the village the map led to. The people here need some way to signal those inside." She reached out and took the striker under the bell, then struck it three times. The tolling sound echoed, though not too lour or with any immediate or mysterious results.

The doors remained closed.

"Maybe no one is in," Echo said.

A scraping sound came from further above. Winter stepped back and watched as a small segment of the wall was pulled back and away, swinging inward on rough rope hinges. A man appeared, holding a spear and dressed in thick fur. The spear was put to rest as he saw they weren't Grimm.

"Who goes there?"

"Visitors," Winter called. "My name is Winter. I believe companions of mine arrived two weeks back and told of my arrival?"

"The Schnee? Yeah, they spoke of you. Two seconds." The man backed away from the entrance.

"The scouts made contact?" Jaune asked her.

"I thought it best to not come unannounced," she whispered back. "They're friendly, or so I'm told, but I did have to provide them some dust to win their trust. People are allowed into the village itself but not so much allowed into the ruins we're looking for."

As always, money opened doors. They opened these ones too as the man returned and rolled down a rope and wooden slat ladder for them to climb up. The giant doors were closed for good, it appeared. Delta secured the ladder at the bottom and Jaune scaled it first, stepping up through the hole and onto a wooden platform built up against the door. From it, he got his first view of the village built into the mountain.

The first thing to hit him was the heat.

It was _warm_ inside. Not warm in the sense of coming out of the snow, but warm like a summer's day in a far more temperate climate. Warm enough that he found himself sweating under his thick coat. The people inside walked around in shirts and trousers, some even going topless.

"Whoah," Echo said, coming up behind. "There a hot spring in here or something?"

Not as far as Jaune could tell. The inside was mostly rock – again hewn and smooth and not at all natural. The buildings were a collection of wooden construction and tents and ranged in size and nature. There was an open bar of sorts off to the left with numerous tables around an open roaring fire with someone slicing and cooking meat on a flat rock to the side. Barrels of drink were arranged nearby, and people helped themselves.

On the far end, around fifty tents were arrayed along the back wall and next to one another, people coming and going about their daily lives. Some children played below with a dog, throwing a ball and then chasing it as it ran in circles wagging its tail. Animals brayed and grazed in a pen near the door, feeding from metal troughs.

"Welcome to Vault," the man said, pulling the ladder back up once they were all on the platform. "Safest place in Atlas. You're welcome to rest as you wish, just know we don't put up with trouble. Your people said you wanted to see the murals."

"Yes." Winter dragged her attention away from the miraculous village. "We do."

"You'll be wanting the temple at the back." He pointed. At the word `temple` he'd imagined temple remains of the Ashari, but instead it was a wooden structure built like a more modern house of worship. "High Priest is inside. He's a good man, just remember to pay tithe."

Winter nodded. "Thank you."

The four of them climbed down the wooden ladder to the ground level, leaving the sentry behind. It was so hot that they had to take their coats off, tossing them back over their shoulders as the last of the snow and ice clinging to them melted. Jaune even removed his gloves, rubbing his warm hands together.

"This doesn't make sense," Echo said. "I don't see no thermal vents or pools to create such heat. No smoke or steam, either. You think there's a thermal vent underground? A volcano?"

"We'd see structural damage if that were the case," Delta said.

"What else, then? This is impossible."

It was impossible, if one discounted magic. Jaune met Winter's eyes and received a nod. This was the _anomaly_ she'd spoken of before, the thing that made this place – Vault – so special. No wonder the people here had survived so long. They were protected from the Grimm and elements in equal measure. The only thing they'd need to do was hunt for food and fur and trade for vegetables from other villages. It wasn't a huge community by any means, but for a village in the arse end of nowhere, it was practically thriving.

"Delta, Echo." Winter pivoted to face them. "Jaune and I shall be meeting with this High Priest. No combat is expected so the two of you can indulge yourselves as you wish. Just be sure not to cause trouble. If you can, secure us some food from this canteen as well, along with room for us to pitch our tents for the night. We shouldn't be long."

"Yes ma'am. Leave your packs too, we'll erect them."

Winter shrugged off her pack and laying her coat atop it. Jaune did the same with his, stretching and rolling his shoulders. It was hotter here than it was back in Vale, though not quite as much as Vacuo. He had to wonder if they farmed somewhere. The ground was solid rock, but it wouldn't have been hard to make an indoor farm with so much heat.

The biggest concern was sunlight, of which he realised therewas none. Lights and wires were wrapped around the walls, leading to generators powered by dust. Sun lamps might let them grow certain crops, however.

With Delta and Echo on their way to the canteen, Jaune pulled Winter aside.

"This is definitely Ashari. There's magic here."

"I thought so when I heard about it," she replied. "The scouts mentioned that they couldn't locate any obvious source of the heat. No dust deposits, no thermal activity and no unknown but obvious signs like glowing rocks or unknown technology. As far as they could tell, the heat doesn't even _originate_ from any specific location. The entire village just maintains an even temperature despite that convection should draw all that outside. And you may have noticed that there was no steam coming from the cave mouth to indicate this shift in temperatures."

Impossible. Or rather, impossible without magic.

"What do the people here think causes it?"

"Magic." Winter smiled at his surprised expression. "I doubt they know it is or where the magic comes from, but they're obviously aware of the impossible nature of this. Given this `High Priest` I imagine they believe the magic comes from spiritual or religious entities and not an ancient race of people."

It was probably obvious looking back. The people here had grown up with this being a part of their everyday lives, so what others saw as impossible, they thought perfectly normal. He'd never heard about this place, though, in this life or the last. Had Ozpin just not cared about it? Or did those who found out about it dismiss it as some backwater nonsense? Odd that Atlas hadn't investigated or claimed it for their own. Even if it wasn't needed, he'd have thought scientists would be crawling all over such an anomaly.

Why did it exist? Why make this?

"Come," she said. "Let's go speak with this priest of theirs."

/-/

"Welcome, daughter and son of Atlas." The priest was a tall and stocky man without an ounce of fat on him. He was also huge, reminding Jaune of Ghira, albeit with blonde hair and a beard that had grown down to the middle of his chest. "I am Alfonso, High Priest of Vault, the final bastion of mankind."

"Final bastion?" Winter asked. "You realise that there are hundreds of villages out there, to say nothing of the four kingdoms."

"Oh, I am aware. But Vault will one day become the final bastion. This has already been decided." He smiled and spread his arms out wide. "Of course, I pray it will not happen in my lifetime or the ones to come after, but all things fall to dust eventually."

The temple was ramshackle but obviously well-used. Pews of hewn wood and felled logs stood in rows before a raised platform that Alfonso had stood on before coming to greet them. Behind that was a thick red curtain hanging from a railing several metres up. The temple was devoid of much in the way of decoration but that was likely by design. The homes they'd passed on the way here weren't exactly lacking in household amenities. Despite their life far away from Atlas, the people in Vault lived well.

"The sentry at the gate said you could show us the murals."

"Yes. For a… charitable donation."

Winter answered by pulling out a vial of red dust. The priest took it with a wide smile, storing it in a pouch behind his back. "This will do nicely. Rest assured that all donations go to supporting Vault and its people. This shall not be squandered." He pivoted and made his way to the curtain. "Behind here. We normally only reveal these on festival days, but I shall make an exception this one time."

He drew the curtain back, revealing that the back wall of the temple was aligned against the walls of Vault itself. On it, murals in a similar but not quite same style as the cairn in Vale were visible. Jaune's breath caught.

His hand began to glow faintly. He pushed it into his pocket.

They weren't quite the same. The style was – the pictography having the same tall humanoid figures and drawing style, but where the cairn had been scrolled in some golden ink, this was just hewn into the rock wall itself. It was only visible thanks to the light reflecting off the smooth bits of rock, highlighting those where a chisel or some other tool had been driven deep.

The priest didn't stop him as he stepped up with Winter to run his hand over the surface. It was warm like everything in the hidden village. The rock itself was hot.

The imagery depicted a scene of a landscape – the mountain visible, and all too likely the one they were inside. People were running toward it from all directions, toward a hole cut into the side of the mountain that must have represented Vault. Monsters lay on the outskirts and great cracks had opened up in the ground. The sun was in the sky on the left, shown by straight lines radiating from it, while on the other side the moon could be seen.

Rather than a series of images forming a story of sorts, this was just the one large image with various scribbles and scrawls around the outside. _No Relics,_ he thought, looking for the distinctive objects and their lines of power. There were people, tools, Grimm and Vault itself, but no signs of the Relics or those who wielded them.

"This mural prophesises the end of times," the priest said. "A time when the Grimm become too numerous and will push humanity back." He pointed to the Grimm fighting people. "When this time comes, we are to retreat to Vault, where we will become the last bastion of mankind. What comes after, we do not know. Perhaps we shall emerge and repopulate Remnant. Perhaps we will make for ourselves a new home within the mountain."

"Intriguing." Winter brought out her scroll. "Would you mind if we took some photos? Is that allowed?"

"We do not seek to hide anything. Go ahead."

"Do you have any more information on this?" Jaune asked. "If this is a temple, are there any religious texts?"

"There are some written by me…"

"I'd love to buy one." He brought out his wallet.

"Delightful." The priest smiled. "I'll go and fetch my personal copy. It's always nice to think of one's hard work being spread around the kingdoms. Please, stay here and explore the murals as you wish. I shall return in a moment."

The man left, Winter snapping pictures behind with the occasional flash of light. Jaune wanted until he was gone before speaking.

"This isn't a prophecy. It already happened."

"I thought as much." Winter zoomed in for some more pictures. "There's no way for them to know that without knowledge of the Ashari. How does this corroborate with the murals you have already?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure it does."

The last ones showed the Ashari in Vale overcoming the Grimm but falling to civil war. This one showed the Grimm overpowering the Ashari, and their people locking themselves away in Vault for safety. It could be that the civilisation was spread over a large area – and that Vale and Atlas, or whatever their names were back then, suffered differing fates.

Or it could be a different period in time; either before or after the events in Vale. If the civil war went badly and the people were left weak and helpless against the Grimm, they might have chosen to lock themselves away.

"I wonder what happened to them."

"The door was closed," Winter remarked, "But we've no proof they didn't close it after them."

He looked at her. "You think the Ashari lived?"

"I think it's possible. Our own race had to originate from somewhere. Look here." She touched the cracks in the ground spanning toward Vault. "It looks like a calamity tearing the very foundations of Remnant apart. I can see why they would assume it to be the future end of the world with imagery like this. It could represent natural disasters in the past. Historians have long theorised Atlas may once have been a part of Sanus, but that it may have broken away and drifted apart over millennia."

If that was true, then Vault may have served its purpose. The Ashari who locked themselves inside survived the so-called end of the world, emerged and founded the next civilisation – either the one that became the four kingdoms, or a different one between their time now and Ozpin and Salem's time. _Ozpin and Salem could be from Vault. Or they could have already been immortal before Vault since they wouldn't have died like everyone else._

His hand with the sigil was glowing faintly as he brought it out his pocket and laid it on the wall. He wasn't sure what he expected but there was no flash of light or sudden movement. Even to his eye, the mural was obviously more amateur than the last. A steady hand made this, not magic.

"I wonder if Ozpin had a hand in building this place."

Winter paused. "Do you think he would have?"

"Vault sounds like something he'd name a place. He founded the academies and those are named Beacon, Signal, Shade, Haven and Atlas. All of those have something to do with protection."

"We've no evidence this place was called Vault before. That's just what these people call it."

"True." He hid his hand before the priest could return. "So, _something happened_ to make the Grimm appear and the world start tearing itself apart. In Vale, the Ashari found the Relics and used them to empower their people and fight the Grimm. However, there were arguments over it – or maybe over how they were used and on who – and it ended up with a civil war. Meanwhile in Atlas, the Ashari created a place they could use to endure and outlive the calamity."

It still wasn't enough to know for sure what happened.

How did the civil war end? That felt like the missing piece. If one side fled, then those people could be the Ashari who locked themselves away here. If one side was massacred, that wouldn't be the case, but they also didn't know if the Ashari civilisation ended after that civil war. It could have survived that easily, lasted for a few more hundred years and then fall to something unrelated. There had to be someone alive to make the cairn, temple and that book.

 _But that could have been Ozpin. He can't die._

"We don't have enough," Winter said, echoing his thoughts. "There are too many loose ends."

"We need to find more temples," he agreed. "This was a good find – especially since it proves the Ashari were active outside of Sanus. I think this marks the end of them in Atlas if nothing else. They all came here and locked themselves away."

"But from what?" Winter asked.

"The Grimm."

"Do you really think so? If they had the power to make a place like this, why fear the Grimm? Just make all your walls out of this material and have an impenetrable fortress."

She was right. The Ashari didn't need to fear the Grimm if they had the power of the Relics, of aura and Semblances, and judging from the fact the people in the mural walked upright and were holding back the Grimm on the edges, they had aura.

 _That's the proof this comes after the events in Vale. After the Relics were discovered and used._

Which made sense. This was obviously founded by magic and that probably came from the Relics, either form the Relic of Power or the Relic of Knowledge, assuming magic was something that could be learned and thus gleaned from Jinn.

"Not just the Grimm then. Something else. These cracks, you think?"

"It seems plausible," she said. "Why bother carving them into murals if they're unimportant?"

The curtain was drawn back before they could continue and the priest returned, carrying with him a worn book with yellowing pages. He proudly held it out. "Here are the annals of our legends that my father told me. I composed them to word. I pray they will be as valuable to you as they were to me."

"I'm sure they will." Jaune took and flicked through quickly, relieved to find the language was their own. There was a good chance it was all nonsense, but if even a single page held a kernel of truth it would be worth it. "Here. Will two thousand be enough?" A typical book in Vale could be bought for seventy lien, but this wasn't typical.

"Most generous. Thank you. Have you had time to indulge yourself upon the prophecies?"

"We have, yes." Winter put her camera away and chose not to call the priest out on his assumption. It wouldn't change anything. "Thank you for letting us see them."

"It is no great task, believe me. And should the end times ever come, I hope you return to Vault. Know that our gates will ever be open for those who would find their way here." He bowed from the waist, one hand on his heart. "Fare you both well."

"You as well," Jaune said, bowing back.

/-/

The food in Vault wasn't much different from that served elsewhere in Atlas; hearty stew, meat and soft baked bread that melted on the tongue. It wasn't as rich as what was to be had in the Schnee manor, but it was heartier. Bigger portions and less artsy presentation. Jaune ate his over the book he'd purchased, going through the tales and legends written down.

Winter pushed the flap of his tent open and stepped inside. "Anything in there?"

"Not much other than legends. One interesting line here saying the end of the world will come when the moon is whole again."

"Whole? It's shattered."

"Hm. It's based on the murals." He wiped the last stew up with some bread and swallowed it. "We didn't notice but the murals had the moon as a circle. Whole. The priest assumes that means the moon will form again…"

"When it really means the moon was whole when Vault was made. The calamity – whatever that is – shattered the moon as well as the land." She came in and sat down beside him. "The risk of Salem aside, there's something fascinating in discovering all of this. Ancient history we've forgotten so easily."

"I feel the same way."

If not for everything else he could just imagine him, Winter and Emerald exploring Remnant and just discovering things. It wouldn't have been a good life for Em, though. As much as she'd have agreed to be with him, her having friends in Yang and Ruby back in Vale was better for her. Whether she realised it or not, she'd become so much more expressive since the ASH Gym.

"One thing to consider," he continued, "is that it might not be a case of forgotten history so much as buried."

"Ozpin?"

"I think so. I wouldn't even fault him for it. Whatever happened, it wiped out an entire race of people. There's not much point causing a panic over that or causing people to go looking for the Relics." Jaune tapped his own scroll, on it the image of the first mural. "Look, the civil war. I thought before that it might just be over power of who got to rule, but what if it was about the calamity?"

Winter leaned in and hummed. "How so?"

"Well, the original problem is the Grimm and the Ashari use the Relics to empower their people to beat those. Everything looks good. But then the civil war happens, and we see the Relics split – two for each person." In his head, he was still convinced the King was Ozpin and the leader of the opposite side of the civil war, Salem. It made too much sense. "It might not just be a power play, though. It could have been a disagreement on how to handle whatever was going on."

"A theological or political rift which split their people in two, with the Relics split between them. It's possible." Winter stroked her chin. "This was found in Sanus, yes? The side which won the war might have remained there while the losers fled to Atlas, which would have been Mantle at the time. They could have eventually become the Ashari who chose to live in Vault."

Meaning that those outside would have been the victorious Ashari, who had fallen in time to the Grimm or their own internal issues. When the moon shattered. "The calamity wasn't over when they used the Relics to fight back the Grimm. It can't have been because the moon was still in one piece."

"Exactly. The land split first." Winter touched the picture of the cracks on the mural here. "The Grimm came forth, the Ashari used the Relics to empower themselves – or discovered or made them – and then there was the war." She tapped the final scene. "As a result of the war, the Ashari were split and probably reeling. One side fled to Atlas to create the Vault and the others presumably stayed to defend their kingdom. However, the land continued to crack open when the Ashari here entered the Vault, which means we can assume whatever happened after was enough to split Remnant and the moon as well, wiping out most of the life aboveground."

"And finally," Jaune finished, "The Ashari came out of Vault and started to populate again, but since their Kingdom was as good as dead and they probably didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the past, they let their history fade into obscurity…"

"The secrets of magic and Relics with it," Winter said. "Didn't that letter from Salem suggest as much? It said something about not informing Ozpin because he would _silence_ you."

"Yes. And when I found that book in Vale, I had a vision. I remember putting the book down and then being killed upon it." He touched his chest where the blade had come through. "I think the people I was looking through were trying to hide it. It was sealed behind a door I could only open thanks to Salem's mark. They even killed the one who placed it."

"That's a lot of effort to go to. The question is, why?"

"To prevent another calamity…?"

"It would be the most obvious answer. So…" Winter leaned back. "Does that mean magic _caused_ it?"

It almost had to. That or human greed, which would explain why Ozpin hid the Relics away. That was too flowery however, and Ozpin was willing to reveal and gather them with Team RNJR and the others to beat Salem. Ultimately, that was his goal, killing Salem. And her goal was what, to destroy everyone? To become all-powerful…?

He didn't know. There'd never been any case to ask her what she wanted. He knew her past, at least in terms of her and Ozpin once being together and the death of their children, but revenge or grief didn't really fit. If she only wanted revenge on Ozpin, why include so many other people? She could just come out in public and offer to draw away the Grimm if they gave up Ozpin. It was a trade the kingdoms would be lining up to complete.

Ozpin never told them.

He never mentioned what it was Salem wanted, only hinting at how she wanted to destroy everything or end the world. And yet, what sense did that make? Ozpin made it _sound_ like she wanted a way out of her immortality, but she'd found that at the end of his life. She was dying there but wanted to prevent it.

There was something more. Some other motive.

Gathering the Relics? Aside from the fact that wouldn't really offer her much she didn't already have, he had to wonder why now. Salem had existed ever since the Relics were found and first used, so why wait exactly until now to do it? She must have known about the maidens before, and Ozpin would have been far more vulnerable in the early days before the huntsman academies were as established as they were now.

"Why wait?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her?"

"What?" Jaune stared at Winter. "Ask Salem…?"

"It can't hurt to try. She _did_ contact you first. Find a way to reach her and send a message; see what she says in response. Obviously, we can't trust it to be accurate, but we can pick apart the detail. She mentioned how you were the last living Ashari."

It clicked.

"She thinks I'm from Vault!"

"It would make sense, wouldn't it? You appeared out of nowhere with little history and no background. Your memory is scrambled as well, but that would make sense if you were born and raised in Vault with no knowledge of your people." Winter touched his arm. "Play into it. Contact her. See what she will tell you when she believes you know nothing."

"And Ozpin?"

"I wouldn't mention it to him. As strange as it is to admit, he's more a danger to you here than Salem. If he truly believes knowing of the Ashari might bring about the end of Remnant, he wouldn't hesitate to kill you."

There was little faulting Ozpin that. If it was as bad as the murals implied. And if the end was coming again, well, that might explain just why Ozpin and Salem chose this era to act. Time was limited and they were on a deadline. Or at least they _felt_ that time was running out. Were they right? The Grimm were more active, but he hadn't heard of any fissures or natural disasters lately.

"I guess there's no leaving it to chance. I'll see what can be done."

* * *

 **I'll just head off a rather obvious theory that would likely come about as of reading this chapter – no, the Ashari isn't Earth and the world ended thanks to nuclear apocalypse apart from the survivors of Remnant who had a fallout shelter to go back to.**

 **I mean, it's a fair theory, especially with Vault here looking so much like a fallout shelter, but it's not the angle I was going for, hence me saying it's made of rock, stone and carvings. It's still a medieval-fantasy style ancient civilisation, just with magic.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 16** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	83. Chapter 83

**Still a little bit sicky today. The swelling in my neck has gone down, although it still aches a little and my mouth feels dry and itchy. Fun times. I used to be such a winter child; always outside and seemingly impervious to the cold weather. Now I need to snuggle under blankets the moment November comes around. Weak!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 83**

* * *

Waking up in Vault had less to do with the rising sun and more the rising volume. Jaune grunted and sat up, rubbing a hand over his face as he heard the distant but loud chatter of the people at the canteen.

A similar mumble drew his attention to Winter where the heiress sensed the loss of his warmth and rolled into the spot he'd vacated. She was dressed in her sleeping clothes, as was he, the two of them sharing a blanket and body heat together but nothing more. With her guard down in the grip of slumber, her hair fell disjointedly over her shoulders, a far cry from the professional bun she normally wore it in. Her hands were up before her lips, face flushed pink as she breathed in and out softly.

 _She really is beautiful._

Tearing his eyes away, Jaune rose and pulled the blanket back over her, slipping behind a curtain to shuck his pyjamas and pull on his combat gear. He checked to make sure she was still asleep and then crept out the tent, sealing it up behind him.

Delta and Echo were already up and eating at the canteen, though both had chosen a table closest to their tents and well within sight. They'd been keeping watch in case anyone approached him and Winter. Even in times of peace, a Specialist was a rare breed who didn't let their guard down easily.

"Morning." Delta pushed some eggs and bacon towards him. "No toast I'm afraid. Turns out bread is a bit of a rare commodity in Vault. Not as easy to harvest all the wheat required as it is eggs and livestock."

"That's fine. I was in the mood for meat anyway."

Echo nudged his side. "Got to recover that strength, eh? Busy night?"

"No. We didn't do anything like that."

"Bah. Why not? It's not like we'd tell the old man." Old man in this case must have meant Jacques. "What happens on a mission stays on a mission. You know that."

He did, but it didn't change the fact Winter and he hadn't taken that step. Was that a bad thing? He honestly wasn't sure. Pyrrha and he had never done more than kiss and he couldn't doubt there'd been love there, and he _was_ attracted to Winter – and her vice versa, he hoped. He was enjoying himself more out here with her than he had at the opera.

"Not everyone has sex before marriage," he eventually said.

"Seriously? That's surprisingly conservative of you."

Jaune shrugged.

"Especially since I know you slept with Foxtrot."

His fork scraped on the plate. "How?"

"Man, it was obvious." Delta leaned forward. "Level with me, though. Are there problems? If it's her asking to wait then that's fine, but is this working out? She's our boss but you're a teammate. We'll not say anything if there is."

"No. I… I don't know." He sighed. "If there is, it's probably my fault." Him, Salem and all the other things distracting him. Winter had put everything aside to help him to the point that even she rarely brought up the marriage. "Just leave it be. And stop trying to tease us. It only draws attention to it."

Echo winced. "Sorry."

"What's the plan today?" Delta changed the subject. "We staying at Vault?"

"No. We have what we came for. We'll wait for noon and the sun to be at its highest, then make our way a fair bit back and signal the Bullhead."

"Why not signal it here?"

"Winter and I think the less people who know about this place, the better. We'll be telling James," he assured them, "But you know full well what would happen if everyone knew about Vault. They'd descend on it in waves, force those living here out and try to research it. Probably dismantle it too."

All that might be worth it if he thought they'd gain the ability to replicate it, but they wouldn't; Vault was a wonder of a different age.

How many more such wonders were there? If he'd found Vault so far and the temple in Vale, then there had to be more. Ancient structures that defied logic and the common sense they'd wrapped themselves in for so long. Remnants of the Ashari. Given that the Kingdoms paid little attention to the frontier outposts – they sprung up and died so quickly after all – it wasn't impossible to imagine there were many more like Vault; communities that eked out a living by virtue of their finding a place of power. If news of such places made their way back to the Kingdoms, people would only dismiss it as backward frontiers folk believing their silly little legends.

Did he have to find them all? The obvious answer was no, he didn't – but the bigger question was whether it might benefit him to do so. His hand was firmly hidden in his glove once more, and thankfully not glowing since he wasn't close to the murals.

 _I definitely did something more than glow against Hazel. This body isn't mine; it's one Salem created for me that only looks like my original body did._ There was no telling how deep that went. Would he even have the same DNA as the Jaune from this era, or would his be more like Salem's? More tellingly, did this make him a second generation Ashari? _If so, then can I use the same magic the original Ashari did? Could I create a place like Vault?_

The thought was dizzying. Leaving aside the implications, the sheer demand he'd receive from everywhere across Remnant to come and make their homes safe would be staggering. And that was assuming there were no other powers to speak of. There were. He'd seen them used by Ozpin. Maybe even felt a spell be used by himself without ever meaning to.

Finding those places wasn't helping if he came no closer to understanding how to use them. If Ozpin was once a great wizard who diminished himself to the create the four maidens, then maybe another wizard was required to defeat Salem. He'd have to become that wizard.

 _Great. And now I sound like an over-imaginative child._

"Heads up," Echo said. "Our lady awakes."

The tent flap had been drawn back and Winter emerged, hair done up and all traces of sleep swept away. She looked around briefly until she saw them, then nodded once and came over. Delta pushed out a seat between him and Jaune, which she took with a murmured whisper of thanks.

"Egg and bacon," Jaune said, pushing a plate over and stealing Echo's lines. "No toast I'm afraid."

"I thought not with the limited space in here," Winter said with a cute little yawn. "Wholesale farming would be out of the question. How long have you been awake?"

"Only ten minutes before you."

"You could have woken me up."

"You looked too peaceful," he teased. "I couldn't bring myself to do it."

Winter shot him a stern scowl which soon morphed into a pleased blush as she saw his sincerity. Muttering under her breath, she looked away, digging into her scrambled egg and ignoring Echo and Delta's not-so-quiet laughter.

"I was just telling them how we're done here," he explained. "Unless there was anything else you wanted from Vault?"

"No. I think we have all we need – though less than we would have liked."

Jaune shrugged. "That's always the way of things. I'm actually thinking of going back to that place I found in Vale."

"The temple?"

"Yes." The last time, he'd taken the book and left in a hurry, troubled by that vision. After, their run in with Tyrian and then Amber kept him distracted to the point that he'd failed to really think of photographing the murals there. The tome was a fantastic find, but still punishingly indecipherable. "I think I missed a few things. I'd like to take another look, this time without having to worry about Emerald."

"Will you need me?"

"No. I should be fine. There's someone in Vale I was thinking of calling along."

"I see." She didn't look bothered by that. If it had been Pyrrha, he had a feeling she'd have been upset at being excluded. Perhaps Winter was just more confident in herself, or better at hiding it.

"You're welcome to come if you like," he said. "I definitely wouldn't say no…"

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm needed here. Thank you, though. Don't forget you promised to visit a factory and the Board with father and I, however."

"Thanks for reminding me…"

"It's a waste of time, I know, but the SDC is important to them and we have to go through the motions." Winter touched his hand with hers. "And remember, any investment we put in now will be repaid in time."

In terms of resources of manpower. They didn't _need_ the SDC per se, but it was hard to not see the advantages in having one of the richest companies on Remnant at your back. They'd need everything they could get hold of to beat Salem and money opened doors. That was worth remembering whenever Jacques became too annoying.

"As long as you don't feel like I'm using you…"

"Please Jaune," Winter chuckled. "If anything, it's the two of us using father. We are working together in this."

"That's true. To a boring day, then." He raised his glass.

Winter clicked her own against it.

/-/

Yang stared at her reflection in the mirror as the elevator made its way up toward the headmaster's office. Despite knowing – or being fairly sure, anyway – that it wasn't _her_ who was in trouble, she couldn't help but lick her hand and flatten down some unruly locks of hair. _Still can't believe I'm team leader. I'm not leadership material. What was Ozpin smoking when he put me in charge?_

Probably, he'd been smoking pure common sense, since not having her in the leader position meant putting Emerald, Jaune or Sun there. It'd definitely be Sun in the runner up position if it came down to it. He, at least, was a good guy for looking out for everyone's moods. He just hadn't shown anything that made him seem like a good strategist. Which, to be fair, she hadn't either – but however the teachers chose the position was a mystery to her anyway.

The elevator door clicked open and Yang was entirely unsurprised to see Emerald and Jaune sat in a pair of chairs before the desk. What was more surprising was the taller figure in a chair to the left, along with an angry adult she didn't recognise stood to the side, looming over the whole scene with an angry snarl directed at Em.

Summer wasn't there. Yang thanked Ozpin for small mercies.

"Miss Xiao-Long," Ozpin said, drawing all eyes to her. "Thank you for coming."

"Yeah." Yang looked back, wondering if it was too late to run. The way the elevator doors closed and went down told her it might just be. "You called, sir?"

"I did." He smiled for her. "Come take a seat."

"What's the point of this, Ozpin?" the unknown man demanded. He was at least as old as her parents with thick eyebrows and reddish-brown hair. "If anything, her parents should be here. Not some random girl."

"Miss Xiao-Long is Miss Ashari's team leader."

"That doesn't change a thing! Where are her parents?"

"Her parent," the headmaster stressed the word, "Is currently in Atlas and unavailable."

Well, that was a bad sign if Yang had ever heard one. The only time you wanted your parents called into school was if you were starring in the school play or something. Otherwise, it was nothing but bad news. Yang spared a glance for Emerald and found her utterly unconcerned. That was kinda expected. Jaune was far easier to read and obviously nervous. The other, Cardin, sported a black eye, split lip and what was possibly a broken and then re-set nose.

Somehow, Yang doubted _Jaune_ had been the one responsible.

"Atlas?" the older man spat. "No matter. This is a clear-cut case as I see it and you can act as a responsible guardian if you must, Ozpin. This girl." He pointed to Emerald. "Assaulted and injured my son. I want her out of Beacon."

 _Yep,_ Yang thought. _Called it._

"Come now, Mr Winchester, injuries are to be expected in a combat school."

"If it were a training accident I wouldn't be here, would I? She _attacked_ my son."

"Cardin was being a bully!" Jaune tried.

"YOU DARE-"

"Mr Arc," Ozpin said. "Please be silent. Mr Winchester, I will warn you _once_ not to raise your voice toward my students or I _shall_ escort you from Beacon myself. I hope that I am understood." The headmaster waited for both Jaune and the man who must have been Cardin's father to nod. "Good. Once Mr Ashari returns, I shall naturally call him here to talk about his daughter's behaviour, but I warn you now that no expulsions will be made today, or likely then."

Yang breathed a sigh of relief. Emerald's fingers twitched at the mention of her dad being told but she otherwise showed no reaction, even as the older man glared at her.

"She's going to get away without punishment then…"

"Not at all. Miss Xiao-Long," Ozpin turned to her. "That is where you come in."

"Me…?"

"Yes. I could give young Emerald detentions until the day she leaves Beacon, ask Miss Goodwitch to lecture her until her ears drop off or have Doctor Oobleck assign her homework that would tax her mind to exhaustion. Ultimately, I don't believe any of this would bother her."

That… well, that wasn't too far off, really. Emerald wasn't just resilient; she was impervious. Given her past, Yang knew why – though that certainly wasn't the business of anyone else here. The only thing that'd actually wring an apology out of Emerald was if her father asked her to. Anything else and she wouldn't give a shit.

 _Mom might be able to make her feel bad as well but Em only listens to the people she trusts. Right now, that's probably just me and maybe Ruby._ With Ruby uninvolved in team dynamics, it was her.

"You want _me_ to handle her punishment?"

Cardin's father was on the edge of an explosion.

"No," Ozpin said, calming them both. "Miss Ashari _will_ be punished for her actions. She will have detention with either myself or Glynda for the rest of the week. Her father will also be informed on his return to the city and may see fit to add punishment if he so wishes."

"That's not fair!" Jaune complained. "Cardin insulted her father!"

"Mr Arc. Did I not ask you to be quiet? Insult does not warrant such damage as your partner caused. A huntsman must know when and how to use the power we teach them to wield. It's not enough to know _how_ to wield your Semblance and aura, but _when_. It is never acceptable to use your gifts to punish those who would anger you. A brawl, I might accept-"

"It was a brawl," Jaune said. "Cardin just didn't stand a chance."

Yang hid her snort in a cough.

Emerald's lips quirked up.

No one else was quite so pleased. Ozpin sighed and said, "That will be one detention for you as well, Mr Arc. I told you to be quiet two times now. Cardin will not have a detention, but only because I believe he has suffered enough. I do not believe he is as innocent in this as he would suggest-"

"You have no proof!" Cardin's father snapped.

"I have reports from faculty and staff that suggest Mr Winchester has been making disparaging remarks as to the faunus within Beacon. He also had conflict with Miss Ashari during initiation, which would not make it difficult to believe there was motivation for him to target her."

"You're taking their side then…"

"I'm taking no one's side, seeing as how I am punishing all parties in one way or another." Ozpin maintained his position, refusing to rise to the provocation. Probably what Em should have done to be honest, but Yang knew she wouldn't let anyone insult her dad. "On that note, I shall take the time to point out that racism is not humoured within my school. Mr Winchester _will_ be punished if I or any other teacher hear of such sentiments."

The elder Winchester gritted his teeth. "Fine. I take it that's all that will be happening here? If so, I would like to speak with my son and escort him back to the infirmary."

"That is all, yes. Mr Arc, you may leave as well. Miss Ashari and Xiao-Long should stay."

The three men left, Jaune stuck in the middle and looking more than a little awkward about it all. He'd be fine. It wasn't like Cardin was in a position to do much and the older version wasn't going to take his anger out on someone not involved. Left with just the two of them before the headmaster, Yang couldn't help but shift uncomfortably. It wasn't even her in trouble, yet she felt nervous.

"Emerald," Ozpin began. "You cannot attack someone for insulting your father."

"Why not?" she asked, jutting her chin out. "He called dad a coward – said the only reason he fights like he does is because he's too afraid to fight his enemies head on."

Yang winced. It was bad, but no one else would have reacted as negatively as Em had.

"And is that true?" Ozpin asked.

"No!"

"Then why react to it?"

Emerald had no answer.

"If it's not true – and it's not, you and I both know that for a fact – then why did it bother you so? Would you attack me if I said this mug was red?" The mug he was holding was blue. "If you're going to lash out at everyone who makes an incorrect statement, you'll find yourself a very busy woman."

"I wouldn't do that…" Emerald muttered.

"I see. Only when it's your father who is insulted, then?" They all knew that was the case, even if Emerald remained silent. "Do you think he needs you to defend him? Do you believe he would have been hurt by the words of Mr Winchester if you hadn't stepped in? Personally, I think he would not care a jot for the words of some random young man, but you know him better than I. Would Jaune have smote Mr Winchester down for calling him a coward?"

"No…"

"Then why did you?"

Emerald was staring at the floor. Like every student ever confronted with a difficult question by a teacher, she shrugged her shoulders. It wasn't the `I don't know` kind of thing, but the `I know but don't want to say it because I know I'm wrong – can we just skip to the part where you tell me off` kind of shrug. Yang wasn't a stranger to it.

Apparently, Ozpin knew that as well. Maybe it was a language between students and teachers.

"As I said, you will have detention with me or Glynda for the rest of the week. Jaune will also be informed and may have words for you. You will also be put on probation." He held a hand up when Yang opened her mouth. "Nothing too bad, I assure you. It's simply a way of saying you're on thin ice and should avoid injuring anyone else."

"And me?" Yang asked.

"Are not in any trouble. Unless there's something you'd like to tell me," Ozpin added, almost teasing. "It's simply that as team leader you should know when situations like this occur. You're free to try and enact discipline however you please. Within reason, of course."

Easier said than done. As bad as Emerald probably felt now that Ozpin pulled the `Jaune might be disappointed in you card`, that wouldn't stop him forever being an easy way to needle her.

 _Em's never had someone before him. Uncle Jaune is her entire world. It's not fair that Cardin gets away with talking shit about him._

Then again, that didn't make it better. She'd started a few scraps when people insulted Ruby, but those had always been minor things. Most of the time, she'd threaten someone and rough them up – never go far enough to actually hurt them, and it depended on what they said. If someone insulted Ruby, they'd get told to back off and that Yang wasn't going to let it happen. No one ever tried to _hurt_ her, but then, Cardin hadn't tried that with Uncle Jaune either.

 _As if he could._

Em's response hadn't been unreasonable – getting angry, that was – it was the amount of force used that needed tweaking. Maybe that was what she needed to do. Teach Em that you didn't always have to get someone back by snapping them in two.

"Does mom know?"

"Summer has not been informed, but it's all but impossible that she won't learn of the detentions." Ozpin saw her concern and added, "I'll be sure to tell her your inclusion was as team leader only and nothing more."

"Thank you, sir."

"Not at all." Ozpin nodded to them both. "Dismissed."

/-/

"I heard an interesting rumour today."

Vernal raised her head without much hope. Laid out flat on her bed with both hands hooked under her head, she was bored. Coco and Velvet were off wasting their time not fighting and no one wanted to spar with her. She'd have ordered Cinder spar – it was her right as team leader to do so – but Cinder had already fought her today. It had been close, though still in her favour.

"Why should I give a shit about rumours?"

"Why would I bring it up if I didn't think it would interest you?" Cinder countered.

Tch. She had her there. Cinder was a bitch sometimes – way too interested in gossip, rumours and information – but she could fight and that earned her some small respect. Cinder was the only one on Team VCVC that could give her a challenge.

"Fine," she growled, "What is it?"

"I heard that little Emerald was drawn up to the headmaster's office for fighting in the halls." Cinder chuckled. "Though _fighting_ might be saying too much based on what I was told. More like she chose to brutalise someone."

"So? If the fucker was so weak as to be beaten by her, they deserved it. What's your point?"

"My point, Vernal, is that Mr Ashari might not be best pleased with her for it."

Vernal tried her hardest not to look interested. Cinder had her number, though, or her entire fucking manual. _Too smart for her own good, she is._ No matter how casual she tried to act, Cinder was offering her that knowing smirk.

She'd had her fair share of fights in Beacon too – not all in sanctioned lessons. The difference was that she made sure anyone who might complain knew better than to. Cinder did the same, defending their team's reputation with a maliciousness Vernal could admire, if not respect. _Jaune never had to be called in to deal with my messes,_ she thought proudly. _Ha. Suck on that, Emerald._

"If she's stupid enough to get caught, she deserves it. I'm not getting involved to help her."

"I didn't think you would." Cinder watched Vernal with a strange glint in her eye. "There was one thing, though. Something I thought might… catch your attention."

"And that is?"

"The one who little Emerald mauled. The boy."

"What about him?"

"Apparently, what he said to get Emerald so worked up was rather interesting. And aimed at Jaune himself."

Vernal sat up. "What?"

"Hm, let me see if I remember what those words were." Cinder tapped her chin for exactly two seconds. That was all it took for her to realise she'd pushed too far and that Vernal was half a second away from strangling the answers out of her. "He called Mr Ashari a coward. A `fucking coward who can't fight for himself` if I heard correctly."

"Huh." Vernal stared at the wall. Something pounded in her head. "That… That's a brave fucker. What was his name again?"

"Winchester. Cardin Winchester."

"Cardin. Right." Vernal let out a long and heavy breath. "I think I should have a word with him."

"You might want to make sure my sources were correct first, and I know just the person you can speak to…"

"No games, Cinder. You know I don't play them."

"No games." Cinder held her hands out, smiling as always. "Just trying to make sure you don't jump the gun and upset Mr Ashari. He's my teacher too, after all. Only my teacher," she added quickly, noticing Vernal's sudden anger. "That's all he is to me and all he'll ever be."

Exactly. Jaune was a teacher to many students, but that was all he was.

 _She_ was his first. That made her special.

"This source can also tell you where to find Winchester if you want to speak with him," Cinder said. "I hardly know the room of a first-year team."

"Fine. Who is this source? I'll rough 'em down myself."

"No need for that, I'm sure. And it's quite the interesting young man. His name is Jaune."

Vernal shot her a glare.

"Not _your_ Jaune. A different one… albeit… he's quite similar from what I'm told. Why, I've heard rumours that they may even be related by blood. Little Emerald appears to think her father was cast out of the family." Cinder paused for effect. "Or abandoned." Vernal's teeth ground together. "You may want to look into that as well."

"Tch. Guess I will."

/-/

Jaune and Winter arrived back at the Schnee manor in time for a six course dinner that would have cost more for his meal than the average man earned in a week. It was too fine for his tastes and the ominous quiet of the waiters, maids and butlers taking their food and plates away gave the conversation between the three of them an unnatural air.

It didn't help that it was so distant. Jacques asked him about the ASH Gym and how it was doing financially – making a healthy profit, thank you – and Jaune asked about the SDC in turn and had to sit through fifteen minutes of Jacques' regaling him with his finest negotiation victories, some of which involved deals so complex they made his head spin.

Winter stayed quiet and out of it. At first, he'd thought that was because her opinion didn't matter to Jacques, but he quickly realised she was just letting him hang himself. Neither of them really wanted to talk business and if he was going to throw himself in front of Jacques for her, she was going to take it.

So cruel.

"Perhaps we can retire to the reading room for drinks and I shall tell you some more stories," Jacques said once the coffee course was over.

"Ah. Well…"

"Father." Winter interrupted at last. "Jaune will be going back to Vale in a few days. I realise it's childish of me, but could I not ask for a little alone time with my fiancé?"

Far from annoyed, Jacques looked delighted. Anything that spoke well of their union, he supposed. "Of course, Winter. I'll leave the two of you to it. Don't forget our itinerary on Monday, however. We shall need to be at the factory for nine and the board wishes to dine with us in a restaurant nearby at one."

"We've not forgotten, father. Jaune already has a suit picked out."

He did?

"Perfect." Jacques stood. There was already a butler waiting with a pipe, tobacco and bottle of sherry. He stood perfectly still as Jacques took the pipe and used the man as a table to prepare it. "The board will be pleased," he said to them, "They've been requesting a meeting for some time."

"Anything we should be concerned about?" Jaune asked.

"Nothing all too much. One or two might be jealous – I did have a few marriage offers for Winter's hand, typically with regards to their sons, but I always made it clear I had no interest in indulging such. They have enough power on the board without marrying into the family." Or to translate, Jacques' greed didn't extend past his ability to stay in control. "They may seek to poke holes in the two of you but stand firm and they will look fools for it. Others will flock to your defence if just to win favour."

Ugh. It sounded pathetic and political. The kind of thing he hated.

 _It's for a good cause ultimately,_ he reminded himself. The SDC could be their biggest enemy or their greatest ally. A day's discomfort was a small price to pay to make sure it didn't become what it had in the previous lifetime.

"Do we actually need a board of directors?" Jaune asked Winter once they were alone. "Couldn't we just take control? Or you," he said. "Since I've no idea how to run a business."

"I'm hardly any better seeing as how I studied under you. The board is selected by our biggest shareholders and investors. Technically speaking, the Schnee family only owns fifty per cent of the SDC. If the board were to turn wholly against us, we could lose control."

"Jacques allows that?"

"Of course not. He has some stern allies on the board and they'll never turn, but the point remains that we can't just get rid of them. We'd have to buy all their shares out and that would cost billions. Even then, we'd only have to replace them with internal directors to make decisions on our behalf. They'd want to meet with us just as often."

"We're stuck then?"

"Effectively. Don't worry, it'll just be the one meeting. They want to get a feel for us, but father is still the one in control. Once this is over, I doubt they'll care about us again until father retires."

"How likely is that to be soon?"

"Not very. He likes being in power too much to give it up." Seeing his relief, Winter smiled. "We needn't worry about being thrust into leadership just yet." Her smile fell. "I'm more concerned about Vault or what we learned there. Or what we didn't learn. It's a miracle, that's for sure, but I don't think it's benefited us any to see it for ourselves." She sighed. "I feel like I've wasted your time."

"You didn't. It wouldn't be wasted if it was just the two of us, but I think we learned more than you realise."

Winter raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Do tell."

"It's not just the fact magic exists," Jaune said. "We knew that already. Vault existing in the first place isn't what has me so excited. It's the fact it _still_ exists today. That means the magic used has lasted - and that means that the magic, or its source, is still alive and well. Ozpin and Salem can still use theirs as well, so it's more that people now don't know how to use the magic, not that it was taken away as we first thought."

The legend Ozpin told said the God of Darkness took it away, but that just didn't hold true. Ozpin still had it, Salem had it and Semblances were pretty much a remnant of that same magic. By their very definition, a God couldn't _fail_ to do something that intended to. If the God of Dark had wanted to remove magic, it would have been removed. That was it. It wasn't gone. It existed in Vault and other locations. Therefore, the God of Dark _couldn't_ have chosen to remove the magic. Either Ozpin's telling was incorrect or, more likely, he'd been evasive out of a desire to keep magic falling into the wrong hands.

"If it's still out there, I can learn it. Maybe you can as well, though I don't know for sure." It might be locked to his Ashari blood. His entire body, built and created in the likeness of Salem herself, the so-called Queen of the Ashari. "Vault proves we're not wasting our time chasing shadows. It proves there's magic out there to be found, tamed and used."

"I understand." Winter's smile had returned, full of renewed hope. "That's good news, then. I shall have the scouts continue to search for more. You should do the same in Vale and we'll ask Raven to look in Mistral." Winter checked her scroll. "We still have some time left for today. Let's not spend it talking about work or saving the world. I'd like an afternoon of just the two of us if possible."

"A romantic evening?" Jaune smiled. "Sure. What did you have in mind?"

"How about we spend it beating one another to submission in the training grounds?"

He laughed. "That sounds like a plan. Let's do it. Romantically, of course."

"Of course." Winter gripped her sabre. "I'm the height of romance after all, and I've been longing to show you how much I've improved."

In the end, it was always the familiar things that connected them.

* * *

 **Here we go. Sheesh, I feel tired. Going to go sleep in front of the heater for a bit. Or at least until my dogs wake me up demanding food or play. I was supposed to go help my mother with things today – the floods are causing havoc on the animals and several need to be moved around – but I can't go now because she's a cancer survivor with various low immune complications as a result and I can't go near her when I'm sick. Blargh.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 23** **rd** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	84. Chapter 84

**Here we go. Had a bit of a busy day today since it's the weekend after my Birthday and family wanted to take me out to dinner. Didn't really want to, but it's hard to say no to that kind of thing when it's only once a year. The excuse of "but I have fanfiction…" never really works.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 84**

* * *

Landing back in Vale was both a pleasant and exhausting experience. It was good to be home but Jaune found himself surprised at how much he regretted leaving Winter behind. Their factory visit and board meeting had been as gruelling as expected – filled with fake compliments, disinterested chatter and rich folk posturing to impress them – but their time together after had been much more relaxed; the two of them chatting quietly, laughing and sparring where they could. It wasn't what the average person would have called a romantic relationship, but it worked for him and he liked to think it did for her as well.

 _I'll have to find some excuse to invite her over when she's free. Come see how Weiss and Whitley are doing._ He'd have to think up something suitable for the two of them to do as well, something to help her relax from all her work in Atlas. He'd only been there a few days and had already come to hate it. How bad was it for her? He didn't dare imagine.

Stepping off the aircraft and bypassing the carousel, Jaune stepped through customs and into the arrivals section of the airport, quickly spotting a familiar ass with a white sign that read, "IDIOT" in big, bold letters. A few other families were giving him odd looks.

"Funny, Qrow. Funny."

"I thought so." Qrow tossed the sign in a bin and held out a fist.

Jaune bumped it. "You realise I don't need someone to welcome me back when I live here."

"Not my idea."

"Summer?"

"Yep." Qrow laughed. "Said it `wouldn't be right` to not welcome you back, then realised she couldn't leave to do so because of work at Beacon. Tai has Signal obviously, so I was roped in as the last sucker available."

"Well I feel very welcomed. Thank you."

"No probs. So…" He grinned. "How was meeting the wife?"

"Fiancée. And it was… It was fun." Jaune smiled. "I enjoyed myself a lot more than I expected to, even if there were bits I hated. Those weren't Winter, though. More her old man."

"Fathers. The bane of every boyfriend in existence."

"What would _you_ know of that?"

"Harsh, man. Harsh."

Qrow punched his arm hard enough to shatter bones and Jaune laughed and slugged him back, each blow enough to send a civilian flying. They sauntered out the airport together, naturally drawing gazes thanks to their volume and the sheer outlandishness of their outfits. Huntsmen always stood out – that sort of being the point, allowing people to identify them in panic situations.

"How have things been over here? Any news on Summer settling into her job?"

"She's doing well far as I can tell. Works in Beacon but commutes. Whining about the grading and she's not even close to exam time yet. Tai gives her the biggest smug-ass face whenever she does, mostly because whenever _he_ used to complain about it, she'd say it didn't look that bad and he was exaggerating."

"Finally getting his revenge."

"Yep. I think she enjoys it though, work aside. Lets her keep an eye on Ruby and Yang while keeping in with her skills and not risking her life." Qrow's voice dipped. "Much as neither of them wants to say anything about it, they're both still shaken by what happened in Vacuo. Guess I am as well. You don't just ignore something like that."

"I know. I'm glad I was there for her."

"Me too, man. Me too. I can't even imagine what things would be like without her."

Qrow didn't have to, and that was what mattered. "How are the kids doing?" he asked, changing the subject before it could become any more maudlin.

"Oh, shit."

"Shit? That doesn't sound good."

"No. I was meant to tell you something and forgot." Qrow sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Ozpin needs you to come into Beacon. Nothing work-related," he assured him. "It's about Emerald – and no, she's fine. No attacks from Tyrian or the like. It's discipline related."

It took Jaune a few seconds to process that. "Emerald's in trouble? Academically, I mean?"

"Pretty much. Why? That such a big surprise?"

No. Yes. No. Well… He honestly wasn't sure. Of all the things he'd expected coming back to Vale, this hadn't been on the list and it was much more mundane than the things he _had_ been worried about, like Hazel, Tyrian or Cinder. Being called in to meet the headmaster over an issue with Em's education was downright pedestrian. It was… normal.

 _I am her father,_ he reminded himself. _Things like this will happen sometimes. It's not all going to be magic, time travel and big battles. Guess I forgot that._ Apart from this, there'd be the dreaded parent-teacher evenings, field trip approval forms to sign and school holidays to manage. Jaune was surprised how excited he was for those tasks. The simple things in life.

"Does he need me right now?"

"No. He needs to call someone else and arrange for them to be there – from what Summer told me, she got into a fight with someone. Pretty bad one. You'll be meeting their parents."

Jaune winced. Meeting Ozpin was one thing but dealing with over-protective parents was another. There'd been enough of those with the Gym, mostly civilian parents bringing their lazy couch potato down and then being horrified when a Gym training people to _fight_ expected their students to… well, fight.

"Sounds like fun..."

"Yeah. She isn't being expelled but _is_ being punished. I think Ozpin should fill you in on the rest, but I reckon he just wants you to lay down the law. I'll let him know you're back and he or Goodwitch give you a call later to arrange."

"Alright. Thanks for letting me know."

"Don't envy you," Qrow said. "And not just on the parents. How do you tell your kid off like that? I tried once with Ruby when she tried playing with my weapon and she just burst out crying." He groaned at the memory. "I had to stuff her full of sweets to make her stop and read, like, ten fairy tales to her."

 _Somehow, it doesn't surprise me you'd be that easy._ Jaune laughed and didn't put word to his thoughts as the two of them headed down into Vale. How, though? He couldn't say he really knew for sure. Emerald never needed disciplining, certainly not to the point of an actual telling off or punishment. There'd been the one time she'd gotten into a fight with Yang in Atlas, but that was worked out the second Summer saw him. Now, they were best friends.

It wasn't much use thinking how mom dealt with him before. He'd been a mommy's boy who always did as he was asked. If Jaune Arc had ever gotten into a fight at school, he'd probably have knocked himself out long before his opponent got a chance to.

Emerald wouldn't cry, but it would still be hard to deal with her. Qrow was right.

"Guess I'll have to figure something out…"

/-/

"You there!"

Jaune Arc paused in the hallway, as did most of the other people there at the sharp command barked out from someone behind him. Everyone looked back, several people paling as a short-haired girl in the school uniform with her skirt ripped, shirt untucked and no jacket in sight stalked down the corridor. He looked around to see who she might be calling to.

Everyone backed away slowly, especially those in the year above him. Jaune brought a hand up to his chest. "Me?"

"Yes, you," she growled, eyes glinting at everyone else. "What are you all you fuckers looking at? You want to start something? Training rings aren't far away. I'll take you all on at once if you want a go. Anyone?" No one answered. "I thought not. Fucking pussies." The girl's fingers wound into his shirt, hauling him forward. "You and I need words, brat."

The girl dragged him away without giving him a chance to respond, down the corridor and into a room of sorts. It looked like a storage cupboard for cleaning supplies. There wasn't much time to ponder that before he was tossed back so he slammed into a wall. Dragged into a closet by a girl in the middle of the day. His mind could only jump to one thing.

"I didn't do anything! Please don't hurt me!"

The alternative just wasn't likely.

"Tch. I don't hurt weaklings."

The insult sparked something in his gut, but he pushed past it, resisting the urge to tell her he wasn't since she'd all but said she _would_ hurt him in that case. And hey, technically speaking, she'd implied she wouldn't be doing so now. Silence was the better option, so he sealed his lips shut and waited.

"You're Jaune. Is that right? Don't lie to me…"

"I am. I… um… I don't know you."

"Vernal. And you won't know me unless you get good enough to fight me." Her hand touched his chest and pinned him to the wall. "I'm not here to make pleasantries. I have questions and you have answers. That's all that matters."

"O-Okay. Go on."

"Do you know an Emerald Ashari?"

Team loyalty said he shouldn't answer that if it might mean putting Emerald in trouble. Sure, she hated him, but she was even more likely to hate him if he sicced this woman on her. "I… I don't think I should say."

"Brat! I know the stupid twit so there's no use hiding it. We study at the same gym!"

"I know her. She's my partner."

"Good." The girl's lips peeled into a smile. "Then I heard from a certain someone that she got into trouble recently. That also true?"

Jaune nodded.

"Interesting. You there for it?"

He nodded again.

"I was told," Vernal began, "That she smacked someone for talking shit about a certain someone." Her hand tightened on him. "I want you to think very carefully what those exact words that set her off were. I want to hear them. Word for word."

 _Is she trying to get Emerald expelled? Is she going to use them?_ If so, he shouldn't say anything – but at the same time, she was going to force them out. He could always tell her and then just go to Emerald and warn her. She wouldn't react if she knew it was a trap. He wracked his mind. He could remember everything Ozpin said to him and exactly how Emerald broke that guy, but remembering _his_ words was harder.

"I… I think he said her dad was a coward." His face scrunched up as he tried to recall. "And that he taught everyone else to cheat in fights because he was too scared to face his opponents properly. That's the best I can remember."

"Fucker…"

Jaune winced but the girl didn't shake or hit him. He peeked out and saw her looking above his head at the wall. Did she mean someone else? That was promising. At least until she looked down again, staring at him intently.

"And what do _you_ think Jaune Arc?" The emphasis she put on his name was unnerving. "Do you think it's cowardly to use underhanded tactics to win a fight?"

"No."

Her eyebrows rose. "Really now?"

"Fighting is fighting," he said, recalling Raven's lectures. Also, his dad's. Raven would scoff at anyone claiming a fight wasn't fair, while his father had strong words for those who thought honour meant more than coming home to your loved ones. "Those who show off die. A fight is nothing more than a means to an end. The better, faster and more efficient you finish it, the more you can fight. Tricks just mean you're trying harder."

"Well, well…" Vernal chuckled. "I think you might just be growing on me, brat. You're not as bad as I thought you'd be."

So, she'd known about him before and had an idea? That… If someone asked him before, he'd have said a girl wanting to find out about him was great. That one dragging him into a dark closet was even better. Not so much now.

"Tell me. Are you strong?"

"I like to think so…"

Vernal's face glowed. "Want to test it?"

 _I need an adult…_

"Come on." Vernal pushed the door open and dragged him out. "You deserve a reward for answering my questions. Not every day some runt like you gets taught by the strongest warrior in the ASH Gym and Branwen Tribe combined."

His ears perked up. "Wait, did you say Branwen?"

"Yeah." Vernal stopped to watch him. "Why? Got a problem?"

"N-No. It's just… I was _taught_ by Raven Branwen. Black hair, red eyes, turns into a bird and opens portals – kind of a bitch but please don't tell her I ever said that or she'll open a portal to my bedroom and drop me in a volcano-" He was cut off by Vernal's hand over his mouth.

Her face was _very_ close to his.

"You," she hissed, "were trained by Raven…?"

Unable to speak, he could only nod.

"Why? Raven never trained anyone, not even me." Vernal muttered quietly, speaking to herself instead of him. "I… I feel like I should hate you for that. Why don't I?" Her eyes narrowed. "Because I got to train with _him_ instead? Maybe. It's better. _He_ could probably beat Raven."

"Um. Who are you talking about?" While he felt some small desire to defend Raven's honour, his instincts were telling him Vernal might be dangerous. "And are you a fairy as well?"

"What…?"

"Raven's a fairy. Are you a fairy…?"

Vernal stared long and hard at him. "I don't know I'm supposed to answer that."

"I-"

"Don't ask me again." Her hand tightened on his neck. "Don't even _mention_ it again."

"Instructions received!" he yelped. Maybe they wanted to stay hidden. "C-Can I go now? I answered your questions as best I could. And Raven would probably be upset if you tried to kill me." It hurt that he could only say probably. "I need to get back to my team. I'm supposed to spar with Yang tonigh-"

"Spar?" Vernal's attention snapped to him. "Did you say spar?"

"Uh. Yeah…?"

Her teeth glinted as she smiled, pulling him up close to her face.

"You. Me. Training ground. Now!"

/-/

Ozpin met him long before Emerald got a chance to. They explained some small pleasantries and news about his trip to Atlas, leaving Vault out, before they made their way to his office. "What will you be doing after this?" Ozpin asked. "I understand the ASH Gym will still be shut down until the start of next month."

"I'm visiting a friend in a village outside the city," Jaune replied. Amber, the Fall Maiden, had already agreed to meet with him, though she'd asked if it could involve her not coming into Vale. Given Ozpin's presence there, he could assume why. "I won't be gone long. Two or three days at most. After that, it'll be back to keeping the ASH Gym running."

"Glad to hear it. I take it Qrow has filled you in on Emerald?"

"Only the basics. He said I should get it from you."

"I'll keep it short," Ozpin said. "Alabaster Winchester is waiting in my office for us already."

Winchester…?

"To put it simply, your daughter assaulted another student outside of sparring time and caused considerable injuries. Not enough to cripple him, or you can rest assured she would have been expelled, but enough to put him out of training for a few weeks."

He sucked in a breath. His training could be used to hurt – well, any training could, but he knew he'd trained his students to be particularly good at it. How they'd use the things they learned wasn't something he'd ever really planned out. He just assumed they wouldn't misuse it. _Certainly not Emerald of all people. Judging from the name, she must have gone for Cardin._

"Do you know why? I don't want to try and excuse her, but she wouldn't do this randomly."

"To hear from her partner and her, Mr Winchester insulted you." Ozpin sighed. "Not overly harshly or even very creatively, but it was enough to push Emerald over the edge. I shouldn't need to tell you we can't allow this, Jaune. Whatever the reasons, force must be reasonable. Even Miss Vernal understands that and ensures her… creative social interactions are kept to agreed-upon spars. Though I'm sure she gets up to more I'm not aware of. That partner of hers is rather good at cleaning up after her."

Cinder…? Well, that was only a little worrying.

"What's been done so far?"

"I've punished her with detention and left a further team punishment to her team leader, Miss Xiao-Long. And I've brought you in to talk to her of course." He regarded Jaune with a softer gaze. "I know of her background and how that might make things more difficult for her. The last thing I want is to punish her for something she might not fully understand. I've dealt with many troubled students over the years – including Qrow and Raven. A heavy-handed approach is not always the best method."

"No, it's not." Jaune sighed. "I appreciate you calling me in, Oz. Let's get this meeting with Alabaster over with."

Alabaster Winchester rose up when Jaune entered the office with Ozpin at his side. The man's eyes roamed over his figure, narrowing as a sneer spread over his face. Not five seconds in and it was clear already that the man hated him. So much for any hope of working this one out diplomatically.

"So," he spat. "This is Jaune Ashari. I've heard of you…"

Ozpin spared him a sympathetic smile, telling him without words that he couldn't intervene without being seen to show favouritism. He took a seat behind his desk and began to pour out coffee for each of them.

"I am. And you must be Alabaster." Even if he knew it wouldn't be welcome, he held out a hand. "Nice to meet you. I understand our children had something of a tussle."

"Is that what you call it when your brat savagely attacks my son and heir?"

So, that was how it was going to be. "My _daughter_ ," he stressed, "is currently enrolled in an academy teaching her and others to solve their problems – namely the Grimm – through violence. It's unfortunate her discipline slipped but I'm sure Ozpin will suitably punish her for that."

If the sudden change from genial to well-spoken surprised Alabaster, he hid it well. The older man glared at him, shifting in his chair to make himself seem taller. It was a lost effort with Jaune standing and wouldn't have made much difference otherwise. He'd always been lanky. Taking a seat, he crossed one leg over the other, channelling his most Winter-like smile.

"Detention," Alabaster spat, "Is not a suitable punishment for the damage she did – and this was no accident caused in a spar."

"Detention isn't her only punishment. I've been called in to talk with her."

"The girl should be expelled!"

"If that's true then anyone else who starts a fight must also be expelled. Do you want to apply those rules to your son and have us ask the student body if he's been causing trouble? I'm sure they'd have some interesting stories." It was a guess, but Cardin was Cardin.

"It is not my son whose actions are being called into question."

"Nor is it my daughter's. We already know she broke the rules; she won't be doing it again. Isn't that enough here? I'm sure you have more to do than listen to me talk to her."

"I'm here to make sure _something_ happens at all," he said. "Beacon flaunts its own rules whenever it wants to. Discipline can only exist if people are held accountable for what they do. Ozpin is too lax, not just on his students but on the kind of people he allows into Beacon."

"Alabaster," Ozpin warned.

"The kind of people?" Jaune asked, jumping on it. "I'd ask if wild and temperamental is what you mean, but I happened to see initiation and know that fits your son to a tee."

"I'm referring to those animals."

"Alabaster!" Ozpin stood this time, barking out the name. Though he showed no sign of it, he did _something_ because Jaune's hand burned in his glove. "You will _not_ speak of the faunus like this before me. I have warned you not once, not twice but three times now. Your bigotry has no place here and no bearing on this discussion."

"I see the apple doesn't fall far from the tree…"

"Excuse me?" Alabaster stared at him. "Are you referring to my son there? If so, I shall take it as a compliment. Cardin is a proud scion of the Winchester line, which has stood far longer than this `Ashari` name of yours."

"I doubt that," he heard Ozpin mutter.

 _You'd know, Ozpin._

"Your name stands because men finished inside women," Jaune said. "That's the only reason it does, and you don't get to claim any superiority for that. You have a problem with me, Alabaster Winchester. It's obviously more than just my daughter harming your son. I'm a busy man so let's not waste time."

"I've no idea what you mean."

Bullshit. The conversation had strayed so far from Emerald and Cardin that they might as well not be involved at all. That he felt the need to hide that… well, he clearly wasn't supposed to have figured that out. "I don't remember ever dealing with your family. Or Emerald knocking you out of any tournaments. Don't tell me it's Schnee related! What, did you have a family member with eyes on Winter or something? If so, they should have approached her themselves."

"I don't care about the blasted Schnee!"

"What, then?" Jaune waved Ozpin back when he made to interrupt. There wasn't much point pushing this away if the man was going to make himself an issue. If there was one lesson he'd learned, it was that you dealt with your enemies as and when they appeared. Leave one behind and they'd do nothing but harry and distract you. "Speak your mind, Alabaster. I'm listening."

"Your family has wronged the Winchester family, both in actions here and in imperilling my heir when he took his initiation. The theft of a relic that was by rights his."

"Really, Alabaster," Ozpin sighed. "That's so foolish. It was a competition to secure them."

"I demand reparations. Otherwise, I shall be forced to take these matters to a public case."

"You want to sue…?"

"You'd drag my students before a court?" Ozpin barked. "Never. I will not allow it. I am the law here, Alabaster, and what I say on punishments goes. You would have to go through me first and have me removed from Beacon."

Alabaster, irritated at the interruption, waved a hand. "I'm sure that won't be necessary, Ozpin. This can be settled right here and now without the inconvenience of such things. A financial settlement to deal with this out of court. My son's hospital bills for one, including specialist treatment from Atlas to help him heal faster and a little extra for pain and suffering." He removed an envelope from his coat. "All in all, I'd say that comes to a little under one and a half million lien, which should be achievable given Mr Ashari's connections."

Money. That was it? The Winchester wanted money from him – or more specifically from the Schnee family, since they probably didn't think he had enough. It was brutish and beneath them, but more understandable than he'd expected.

"Alabaster. That is an unreasonable-"

"Fine. One point five million."

Ozpin balked. "Jaune-"

"No. It's fine. One point five and he signs right now to say the matter is dealt with and over." Jaune drew out his scroll. "I can wire the transfer to your funds right now."

"A-Already?" Alabaster said. "Do you not need to consult the Schnee?"

"They won't be the ones paying this. I will." He fixed the man with an arrogant smile. "That kind of money is well within my budget, don't worry. I could probably buy your family home several times over and not be put out of pocket."

Alabaster glared hatefully at him. Greed. That was all this was.

"Of course, it doesn't hurt to help those less fortunate every now and then." He let the man simmer. "Ozpin, can you write something up that Mr Winchester here can sign? Something to make it clear this matter ends here. We don't want anyone getting _ideas_ later down the line."

Ozpin wanted to argue, or to ask questions, but faced with so clear a request couldn't do so. He sighed and brought up his terminal. "I shall have something printed off. And I'm _pleased_ this could all be dealt with without involving the students." His tone made it clear he wasn't pleased at all. "I hope this proves the end of the matter, Alabaster."

"So long as the girl doesn't act like a savage again, it will be."

"She won't," Jaune said. "Trust me on that. I'll be talking to her after this."

/-/

"This feels like a funeral. Is she going to die?"

"Sun!" Yang hissed. "Read the mood a little. Em's spooked as it is."

Emerald sat on her bed, one knee up and face against it, waiting with in silence. The knowledge of what was to come dug a hole in her stomach that continued to open, making her feel like she was waiting for a dentist appointment to have every tooth removed in one go. It was the waiting that was hardest. Or so she thought.

"It's just being told off by her old man," he went on. "How bad can it be? I mean, I never even knew my Pa, but Ashari seems like an alright guy. I can't imagine him smacking her."

"Uncle Jaune wouldn't do that."

Yang wasn't wrong. Dad would never hurt her like that. Or never had before outside of training, which didn't count because it had defined rules and was for her betterment. He could have done all kinds of things to her when they first met, but he never had. At the time, she remembered her mounting terror as she wondered _what_ he was waiting for. It felt like that had returned. This new ground, this new territory… it was terrifying. She'd never been punished before.

Never needed to be. His word was law – and even when he'd finally convinced her it _wasn't_ law, she loved him too much to ever want to go against him. There had been little moments where he taught her how to clean dishes and would gently remind her it was her turn, but the only times he raised his voice was when he either needed to shout to be heard over something. Like when she had music on too loud or they were training and her heart was pounding too loud in her ears to hear what he was saying.

 _I never tested my boundaries because I didn't want to. And now I'm here. Stupid Cardin. I should have broken every bone in his body!_

When the knock at the door came and Yang opened it to reveal her dad stood there, Emerald realised the waiting hadn't been so bad after all. It was preferably to the ice that gripped her heart. It was here. It was now. There was no more waiting to keep her from it.

"U-Uncle Jaune." Yang tried to smile despite the mood. "Hey. How was Atlas?"

"Hello Yang." He smiled back, but it was tired. "Good. And thank you for asking."

 _He_ was tired.

Just back from Atlas and already being dragged out because she'd done something. _Because I let him down._ Emerald hunched up further, drawing her knees to her chest. She wished a hole would open in the floor to swallow her.

"I can talk to you more later. And hello Sun as well." He waved briefly. "I'm here to talk with Emerald. I'm sure you all know why."

"Y-Yeah." Yang looked back with a grimace. "Um. We can be quiet if you want to talk here."

Emerald felt a rush of affection and relief. Yang was trying to shield her by keeping her and Sun in the room, meaning her dad would have to moderate what he said for their presence unless he wanted to be yelling at them as well. Not that he'd ever really yelled at her. In fact, she wasn't sure he'd _ever_ told her off.

It was new ground. It was unsettling like that. How bad would it be? She'd heard stories of parents beating children and while that didn't sound like something he'd do, she found herself hoping it would be that instead of something like him saying how disappointed he was.

That… That would hurt. Shouting she could handle, even hitting, but not his disappointment.

"No. I'll take Emerald somewhere alone we can talk."

Yang winced.

Emerald hid her face from view.

"We won't be long," he promised. "Come on, Emerald. Summer has offered to let us talk in her office since she doesn't sleep in Beacon."

Emerald didn't move.

His voice dropped to a low warning. "Emerald Ashari…"

Her bed creaked as she stood up and came over, slowly moving past Yang, half hoping her best friend would say something – anything. She didn't. There was nothing to say. Jaune placed a hand on her opposite shoulder to keep her close against his side. Not firm at all. He let his hand fall to her upper back and guided her out the room.

In the back of her head, she couldn't help but think that Ozpin had probably been right when he said the only real way to punish her was call her father. Not a word had passed between them and she already wanted to curl into a ball and die.

/-/

"That was intense…"

"Em makes everything intense," Yang said, looking upset with herself for not being able to do more. "Honestly, I bet they'll talk a bit and she'll come back fine. I mean, I'm like, ninety per cent sure that's what happens. It's just… I worry, you know. Her past…"

He cut her off.

"I'm no innocent waif, Yang. I grew up a pickpocket on the streets as well. I know what it's like."

"Yeah." Yang grimaced. "I guess you do. Man, makes me realise that I'm literally the only one here who _has_ a father. Or started with one. I know what it's like to muck up and get told off. It's not _that_ big a deal."

"But it is for Em," he said. "Yeah, I get it. At least Jaune is normal. Wherever he is."

"Probably training. He does that a lot." Yang looked at her bed and then away. "I can't sleep like this. I'm gonna take a walk, go check in on Ruby and then come back to see how it all worked out with Em. Give her an ear to listen to if she comes back?"

"You know I will. Tell your sis `hi` for me."

"Will do." Yang opened the door and waved back. "Don't do anything weird while you're on your own, buster. I'll know if you go through my underwear drawer."

He snorted. "What do you take me for?"

"A cheeky money." Yang laughed and slammed the door.

Puffing out his cheeks, Sun stared at her chest of drawers. "You know, I'm half tempted to drape her underwear all across the room now just to get her back for that." He sighed. "Lucky for her I'm too much of a gentleman."

The door opened again, and Sun looked up, expecting Yang. There was no one there, or so he thought initially. The pitiful groan had him standing up and looking down in time to see Jaune crawl through the door on hands and knees. He was battered and bruised, covered in sweat and looking like death warmed over.

"What the hell happened to you? Don't tell me Em did this."

"N-Not Emerald," Jaune whimpered, closing the door with his foot and dragging his sorry carcass to his bed. "I… I think I made a new friend." He pulled himself up onto the bed with one hand, then rolled over and collapsed flat on his back. "Yay for me."

"Bro…" Sun sighed. "First Em and now this. Do you need help with this first impressions thing…?"

Jaune didn't answer. He was fast asleep.

* * *

 **Young Jaune struggling to make friends as usual. It's harsh, but while him being involved with Raven has helped make him stronger, it wouldn't do much to make Vernal, Emerald or Yang like him – especially the latter. Though with Summer still alive, Yang would obviously be a lot less upset about Raven's abandonment. Doesn't matter to her when she already has a kickass mom, thanks.**

 **Obviously no, Jaune isn't going to hit Emerald. It _is_ a big deal for her, though. Jaune is her everything.**

 **To an almost unhealthy degree.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 30** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	85. Chapter 85

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 85**

* * *

Summer's office had already been turned into a little slice of her home. The desk was messy and chaotic in a manner similar to Ruby in the past timeline, and there were two framed photos on it – one of her, Taiyang and Ruby and Yang hugging happily, and the second of Team STRQ in their younger years. A penholder was knocked over with writing implements spilled everywhere and a book titled `Teaching for Dummies` took centre place, heavily thumbed through and with at least six bookmarks at various places.

Jaune pushed those aside and tidied her desk absentmindedly, sitting down behind it and motioning for Emerald to take the one in front. The image of a student being scolded wasn't lost on him. It was fitting, he supposed.

Emerald placed her hands on her lap and looked down between her knees. It was obvious she wasn't going to be the first to speak, so he took the responsibility.

"I can't say I expected to be asked to come down and talk to you so soon." He started slow, keeping his words even and voice calm. "I thought it would be for a parent-teacher conference. You've always been so calm before that I forgot how much of a temper you can have. Would you care to explain what happened?"

Her shoulder rose and fell.

"Use your words, Emerald. You're not Neo."

"He called you a coward…"

Jaune waited for more, but it was becoming increasingly clear there wasn't. "Is that it?"

Emerald stiffened. "He said you use underhanded tricks because you can't fight properly! He said you're afraid to fight people honourably."

"And do you think I am?"

"No!" Her head rose. "You're not!"

"Then what's the big issue if he thinks it?"

"I… but…"

"Do you like him?"

"No!"

"Are you interested in dating him?"

"NO!"

"Is he a member of our family? Is he a part of the ASH Gym? Is his word important to you in some way?"

To all of those, Emerald shook her head. "No…"

"Then what does it matter what nonsense comes out of his mouth?" Jaune asked. "If you don't care for his opinion, why did you let it bother you so much? I thought I'd taught you better than that." He saw her wince. "Not just in terms of controlling your temper, but those same tricks you mentioned. Baiting someone into getting angry is just as useful as laying traps. And you walked right into it."

Watching her sink into her seat, he knew she wasn't in a position to respond and so kept talking, "The matter is dealt with now. They wanted to try and blackmail me over the damage done, likely with the threat of going public with the information and either damaging the reputation of the ASH Gym, or just threatening to damage the Schnee family's reputation so Jacques would step in and pay them off. I did that myself. One and a half million was enough to have the matter set to bed."

Emerald whispered something under her breath.

"Hm? What was that?"

"I'm sorry," she said just a little louder. "I'm sorry…"

Sorry didn't fix it. Sorry didn't make up for the fact she'd cost him that much – but if he was being honest, the money wasn't all that important anyway. Sorry would have to do, so long as she understood _why_ she should be sorry. Sorry because she cost him money wasn't the right thing. That implied she'd do the same again if she wanted to, but just hide the evidence better.

"They money isn't a big deal. Honestly, the only reason I gave in so quickly is because the Winchesters aren't worth the effort." He paused for thought and then chuckled. "Maybe that's the attitude _you_ should have taken with Cardin. Let him think what he wants about me. His opinion doesn't matter to me and it certainly shouldn't to you."

"It does when he insults you…"

Jaune hesitated. "Does it?"

"Y-Yes. He's wrong. I wanted to prove it."

The temptation to just say she shouldn't have was there – and it would be such a _parent answer_. One of those things your mom or dad said that didn't help address the issue at all. Sort of a "do as I say but not as I do" answer.

If Emerald was genuinely telling him she'd been upset and hurt by those words, then who was he to tell her to just toughen up and stop being emotional? He _preferred_ her more open with her thoughts and feelings. _It'd be easier to just tell her off, but I want to be a better father than that._

"Alright," he said, "So if hearing that hurt you, why did you think beating Cardin up would change it?"

"E-Eh?"

"Let's use another example. You know what I think about racism, don't you?"

Emerald nodded. It was common knowledge in the ASH Gym that abusing someone based on their heritage – be that faunus, skin colour or anything else – was a one-way journey out of the gym. He gave chances and told people it wasn't acceptable, but those that kept it up believing in "freedom of speech" soon learned that freedom to say what you want didn't equate to freedom from consequences, or that everyone else had to put up with your shit.

It was something he'd pushed even harder of late, after finding out that some faunus genuinely _did_ expect him to be racist given his negative experiences with the White Fang. He couldn't fault them.

"I hate it when people act like that," he said. "It's just so stupid – not only on a moral level, but logically as well. There's literally no evidence of lacking intellect or skills from faunus, and we know for a _fact_ there's no animal crossbreeding in their past. This has been disproved a hundred times by scientists. And hearing people say it's because of the White Fang is even more bullshit since the faunus were discriminated against _before_ the White Fang turned bad as well."

"So, when I hear some asshole shopkeeper start to talk shit about faunus and refuse to serve them – or worse, hurl out abuse – do you know what I do?"

Emerald stayed silent.

"I try and help the faunus. I also resolve to never use that shop again and warn other people against it. I might even share a few choice words with the bastard involved to let them know in no uncertain terms how I think – but the main thing is looking after the victim." He let that sink in for a few seconds before asking, "Do you know what I _don't_ do?"

"…"

"I don't assault the person who shared those views, smash up their shop or burn it down. I don't lower myself to the level of a petty thug to make myself feel better."

Emerald winced.

"Do you know why I don't do that, Emerald? There are a few reasons. One, it doesn't help anyone. It's going to shock the victim, make their life harder and reinforce the idea in the racist's mind that _they're_ the victim here. Secondly, it's criminal behaviour and I like to think I'm better than that. Thirdly, and most importantly, it's selfish. Do you think an abused faunus is going to magically feel better because you destroyed the business that scorned them? Well, Emerald. Do you?"

"No…"

"Of course not. And the shopkeeper isn't going to be feeling good after I act like a thug and destroy their livelihood. The only one who comes away satisfied is me – and that's not something to be proud of. If I really wanted to help, I'd be helping change minds through action on a big scale. Not making myself feel better by lashing out at some one guy." Jaune crossed his arms. "It's thuggish behaviour and that's all. You're not helping anything or anyone."

The analogy wasn't lost on Emerald. Her shoulders hunched up and she stared doggedly at the floor, refusing to so much as look above Summer's desk at him.

"So tell me," he said, unwilling to let it go, "Did you think _battering_ Cardin to the point of breaking bones would change his mind about _me_? Or were you just doing it because hearing him in pain made _you_ feel better?"

"…"

"Answer me, Emerald."

"It…" Her eyes scrunched up. "It made me feel better…"

"And does it now?"

"No…"

"Why?"

Her hands balled into fists. "Because I acted like a thug…"

"You did," he said, without any real anger. "Cardin isn't going to change his mind over thinking I'm a coward – he's just going to tack onto that the fact you're a psycho. Other people will, too. Not those that matter like Yang or Weiss, but others will look at you different now. Force _is_ a way of achieving things – I've taught you that – but you need to think carefully about where you apply it. Think about what you want to achieve with it and only rely on it when it helps with that goal. Here, it didn't help at all. Cardin hasn't changed his mind."

"And you're a million and a half poorer…"

"The money isn't what's important to me, Emerald. You are."

Her head fell further.

 _I really don't know what I'm doing. Does she understand? Is this enough? I don't want to keep making her feel bad, but she has to understand. Where's Summer when I need her?_

"I don't want to keep harping on about this," he said. "if you understand what you did wrong, that's fine. Just remember that the next time someone says something to piss you off, punching their lights out won't always be the correct response." He laughed. "Especially not if it's in Beacon."

The joke didn't do much to cheer her up. Emerald still wouldn't meet his eyes and looked like she was shrivelling up before him. _Come on, Em. It's not that bad._ Sighing, he stood and pushed his chair back, stepping around to sit on Summer's desk next to his daughter. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not upset with you, Emerald. There's no need for the long face."

Her fists shook. "Why not?"

"Hm?"

"Why aren't you angry? I… I acted like a thug. I attacked Cardin just to satisfy my own anger. I cost you one and a half million lien…"

"I told you the money isn't that big a deal."

"It – It should be! Or me dragging the name of the ASH Gym into the dirt!"

"I doubt that'll happen." He tried to meet her eyes, but she jerked her head away. "Do you _want_ me to be angry with you?"

"No. I… I don't know. You should be."

"I should be," he acknowledged, "But people make mistakes. I made enough at your age – some of them worse than this." If he'd stood up to Cardin, that would still have been better than betraying his team like he had. "As long as you learn from this, I'll be happy."

"I still made a mistake," she whispered. "Aren't you disappointed in me?"

 _She's being so strange. What's the matter?_

"I don't think it works like that, Emerald. You're my daughter and I'm the one who raised you. If anything, I'm more disappointed in myself for not-"

Her fist struck his chest. It wasn't a solid blow or even enough to knock him back, but it did shock him to silence. Emerald was up a second later, standing with a pained snarl, eyes red-rimmed like she was honestly about to cry.

"I-It's _my_ mistake!" she yelled. "I'm the one who did it. I'm the one who wanted to make him hurt. Why are you blaming yourself for things I do?"

"Well… it's my responsibility…"

"It isn't! It's my life. My choices. My fault!"

"Emerald-"

"Yell at me," she demanded. "Tell me off. Tell me how disappointed you are!""

"I'm not."

"S-Shout at me. Just get it over with! I was wrong and I'm sorry, so g-ground me or punish me or-"

He caught her by her shoulder, felt her stiffen and go silent under his hand, then dragged her into his chest. There was no fight in her and she collapsed against him, burying her face in his collar. She didn't cry. At least, he didn't think so. It was more than she heaved and panted against him, shaking in his hold with her fingers digging into his shirt.

"I'm not going anywhere, Emerald, and I'm not disappointed in you. Quite the opposite. I'd be more worried if you didn't make the occasional mistake, and at least this one didn't end so badly. It should get Cardin off your back if nothing else."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"I know you are." He ran a hand through her hair. "You're forgiven. I _would_ ask you to say sorry for Cardin as well." He felt her freeze. "Not for getting angry, but for taking it so far." He laughed. "You're welcome to threaten him if he ever talks shit again – like I said, if what he says bothers you, there are ways to make him stop. I'm not saying you _shouldn't_ be hurt by things that hurt you, only that you measure your responses. Asshole or not, he's still an ally and a fellow student. Challenge him to a proper spar instead and kick his ass in Glynda's class."

Her head rubbed up against his chest as she nodded. "M'kay."

"Good girl." He rubbed her head again. "You'll be fine. You're my daughter, so you'll make it through." Her hands held onto him tighter. Knowing she couldn't speak, he took the chance to fill her in on other things. Changing the subject a little. "I didn't only come here to deal with this. I wanted to let you know I'll be out of the city for a bit – just checking out that temple you and I did before. The one with the spiders."

"With the book?" she sniffled.

"Yeah. I want to look around and see if there's anything else there. Don't worry, I won't be running into any trouble and you'll be alright here. I just wanted to let you know and drop in to give you a hug before I went off again."

She nodded, hugging him tightly. "Mmbl you," she mumbled.

It wasn't the first time. She always mumbled those words or whispered them so quietly he could barely hear. He might have been hurt if it wasn't so cute. Jaune laughed and ran his fingers through her hair, pulling her tight against him.

"I love you too."

/-/

Yang looked up as Emerald returned. She took in every detail quickly, from the dryness of Emerald's eyes to the colour of her skin, the mussed-up nature of her hair and the way she held herself. Already half-standing and not sure when that had begun, she crossed the distance between them, taking Emerald by her shoulders and drawing her aside.

Jaune was out cold and Sun turned up the volume on his music, letting them hear it through the headphones and making it clear they could talk without worrying about him. He was awesome like that and Yang shot him a grin as thanks before turning back to Emerald.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Mmm." Emerald nodded, which meant nothing in itself – she lied with the best of them – but Yang thought she could see through that and was sure she'd be able to tell if her best friend wasn't okay. "I made a mistake. I shouldn't have attacked Cardin…"

"Yeah, you probably shouldn't have. I mean, it's against the rules…"

"No. I don't care about the rules."

"Uh…"

"I shouldn't have attacked him because it was pointless. I didn't make him change his mind or stop insulting dad. It would have been okay to get detention if I did, but he's going to act the same so all I did was get in trouble for nothing." She sighed. "I acted like a thug…"

Yang paled. "Uncle Jaune called you that!?"

"Not directly."

Implied, then. That was still harsh. "Ouch… I… I don't think he meant it so literally."

"It's fine." Emerald smiled lopsidedly. "I think I agree with him. I used to steal food when I was younger, and that was okay because I had to or I didn't get to eat, but there were some bigger boys who would beat up and steal food from the other kids, sometimes when they didn't even need it. They'd trade it for drugs or shiny things. I hated them because they thought that just cuz they were bigger and stronger, they could do whatever they wanted. That's kind of what I did…"

"No, Em, it's nothing alike…"

"Not as bad, I know, but I still hurt Cardin bad for saying those things, and it's not like me beating him up helped stop it." Emerald sighed. "I need your help."

"With what?"

"Dad wants me to apologise to Cardin."

Yang winced. As far as punishments went, that was a fair one. Her own parents always told her to say sorry to someone she'd hurt, whether it was intentional or accidental, so Uncle Jaune demanding the dame of Emerald wasn't exactly a big surprise. The problem was the execution. No wonder Emerald wanted her help on this.

"Ah. That… That's not going to be easy."

"There's something else dad said that I didn't understand."

"He wasn't clear?"

"No, he was, but…" Emerald frowned. "He said I only have to apologise to Cardin, but that if he chooses not accept my apology, that's his problem. I shouldn't feel like I have to earn it and I'm not to dance to his tune."

"Uncle Jaune's?"

"No. Cardin's."

"Huh. Weird." Yang balanced her chin upon her hand, elbow on her other arm. "Sounds like he's saying not to sweat it if Cardin acts like a prick and won't accept your apology."

"That's what I thought," she said, "But what about the earning it part?"

"No idea." For once, it wasn't Emerald being oblivious about something painfully obvious. _You could stand to be a little clearer, Uncle Jaune. Sheesh._ "Well, I wouldn't worry about it. You need to apologise, right? I think you and I should handle that together. Maybe corner him and his team before breakfast and get it out the way. If we try do it in the cafeteria, he'll be an ass and make it a public grovelling or something. Maybe that's what Uncle meant."

Emerald hummed. "Maybe. I need to make Cardin stop, too."

"Stop what?"

"He insulted dad." Emerald's eyes hardened. "It was wrong of me to beat him up for that, but I still don't like what he said. It… It makes me angry. Right in here." She tapped her stomach. "Even thinking about it now makes me want to punch him."

"Um. Maybe let's _not_ get into this again? You know Ozpin told me to keep a handle on you, Em. Don't get me in trouble by starting another fight."

"I won't. Dad said that wouldn't do anything to change Cardin's mind."

"Okay, good-"

"Instead, I need to find another way."

Yang paled. "Oh no…"

"A more within-the-rules way."

"Oh thank God…"

Emerald tapped her chin. "Dad said I could threaten him if I liked. Do you think that would work?"

 _Uncle Jaune, what the hell is up with your advice?_ Yang laughed nervously, wondering what Summer would have said if she'd heard that advice. _Mom would probably beat him over the head with an ironing board. These two are so dysfunctional…_

"He said you could do that?"

"Yeah. As long as I think about what goal I want and make sure my actions lead toward that goal, and as long as I'm happy with the results. I want Cardin to stop talking about dad like that. I don't think I can change his mind and make him _like_ dad…"

"Not after you snapped him over your knee like a twig, no. I think the SS Jaune x Cardin has sunk."

"Good. Dad has enough people after him…"

"Still not approving of Winter?"

"She's the lesser of the evils," Emerald grumbled. "I'll put up with her…"

"Sure." Yang rolled her eyes. "And what woman _would_ be suitable to marry him. Other than my mom, I mean, who is very much happy with my dad."

Emerald pondered. "You?"

Yang balked.

"I mean, it wouldn't be a bad idea," Emerald said. "I'd rather it be you than Winter."

"No. No. No, no, no." Yang waved her hands, face bright red. Uncle Jaune wasn't ugly or anything – he was actually kinda handsome – but he was _Uncle Jaune_ at this point. She couldn't think that way about him any more than she could Uncle Qrow. "Oh man, I need brain bleach. No. Not happening. And ew, now I'm imagining you calling me mom."

Emerald's lips tugged up. "I love you, mommy."

"No! Stop it! Argh!"

It was a good sign Emerald felt happy enough to tease at all, but Yang still shuddered. "Away from that. Back to Cardin. I think threatening won't work. He's one of those idiots who thinks he's an alpha. I bet even if you had an Atlas battleship cannon aimed at him, his stupid _machismo_ will force him to square his shoulders and take it. Any other ideas?"

"Dad said I could beat him up in class…"

"You two are so messed up," Yang groaned, face in her hands. "How about – and hear me out here, because this is going to sound crazy – you and Cardin _talk it out_." Yang made air quote marks in the air with her fingers for emphasis, "And try to come to an understanding as adults."

Emerald stared at her.

 _Stared at her_!

As if she'd _never_ heard so crazy a suggestion.

"Do you think that'll work…?"

"I realise that communication is an avenue you've never before in your life used, but it has to be worth a shot. You've already got to apologise anyway…" Yang sighed. "Unless you were thinking of sending him a gift basket."

"Would that work?"

"From you? I think he'd assume it was poisoned."

Emerald tilted her head. "Would _that_ work?"

"No. Emerald, no…" To her credit, she saw her friend smirking again. "Idiot. You had me going for a second there." Yang punched her shoulder. "You feeling better, then? Happier now it's all dealt with and Uncle Jaune isn't angry at you?"

"Yes. I think I am, even if I messed up. Speaking of…" Emerald looked over Yang's shoulder. "What happened to him?"

Yang looked back to Jaune, sleeping fitfully. "Jaune? He met Vernal."

"Ah." Emerald understood. It was hard not to. "Do you think she hunted him down because he looks like dad? Vernal has a pretty big crush on him."

"Yeah. I take it she's the `greater of all evils` you mentioned before."

Emerald nodded.

"Don't blame you on that one." Yang sighed. "Hypothetically, if Vernal _was_ interested in our squishy little teammate who happens to look like your dad, would that be a good thing or a bad thing? For us, I mean. It's obviously a bad thing for the poor bastard himself. It _might_ get her off your dad's back."

"And onto ours," Emerald pointed out. "He sleeps here."

"Good point. I'd rather make it through Beacon without making eye contact with her if I can help it. Come on," Yang dragged Emerald over to her bed. "Let's plan this apology to Cardin."

"And how to stop him talking crap about dad again?"

Yang sighed. "That too."

/-/

"Your parenting is rather unique…"

Jaune wasn't too surprised when Ozpin stepped into Summer's office after Emerald ran off. He'd been expecting it since showing his willingness to pay Alabaster Winchester. What he hadn't expected was for Ozpin to be listening in, even if he knew the old wizard couldn't have heard everything. They'd not been loud enough.

"That's a good thing, I hope."

"I only caught the tail end of the conversation," Ozpin said, "But it sounds like you conveyed some wisdom. I'm not sure it's what I'd call conventional wisdom…" He sighed. "You all but gave her permission to find some _other way_ of silencing Mr Winchester."

"I did."

"Most would have told her to leave it be."

"I hate that kind of advice…"

Ozpin smiled. "Oh?"

"It's so easy to just tell people what they should and shouldn't feel like that'll change everything. Don't take what Cardin says to heart," he parroted. "Don't rise to the bait. Don't get angry. Don't let the words of a bully hurt you." Jaune scoffed. "Problem is, if they hurt you – they hurt you. And no amount of a parent saying `don't let it` is going to change that. I might as well tell her off for crying out if she gets stabbed."

"Experience with bullying, Jaune? I must admit, I can hardly believe it with you…"

"I wasn't always the man I am now, Ozpin. And yes, I was bullied."

"Did you fight back as your daughter did?"

"No. I rolled over like a coward and let my bully rule my life, making my and my friends' lives miserable, all because I was afraid of the consequences of standing up to him." He laughed, letting Ozpin know it wasn't an issue anymore. "Took me a while to pull my head out my ass on that one."

"But you did in time."

"I did. Still, if someone had just told me `don't listen to him` back then, it wouldn't have made a difference. I was afraid. He had blackmail on me – silly school stuff, but still, it was a big deal at the time. That kind of advice would have been useless."

"Sadly, the best advice often is." Ozpin came into the room and shook his head sadly. "I've tried myself to impart the same on everyone here, often regarding the faunus, but also other things. It's so easy to tell people what they _should_ and _shouldn't_ do, but impossibly difficult to make them understand _why_."

"The same went for the White Fang," Jaune said. "I can't blame them being angry about the mistreatment, and in the long run I can see a way to invoke change through violence – but the bloodshed it would have required was too much."

"In an ideal world, they and Atlas could have sat down and talked things through."

"The world isn't idea, Ozpin."

"Is that why you will allow young Emerald to act as she sees fit?"

"As long as she both understands and accepts the consequences of her actions, yes." He held the headmaster's gaze. "Rules are all well and good – so are laws – but they're not always fit for purpose. I personally don't think she should get upset when someone insults me but telling her that won't change the fact she does."

"There are some who would say that attitude is destructive. Rules exist to keep society safe."

"That's their purpose, but the actuality all too often doesn't match it. The corrupt use laws to keep themselves out of trouble and those too weak to do the same suffer. Laws are used to shield the wealthy and the powerful."

"Are you saying that should change?"

"No. I don't think so." He knew the answer surprised Ozpin because of the way his eyes widened. "They're imperfect, but I don't think there _is_ a perfect solution. Vale is a fairly free country, and I prefer that to the rigidness of Atlas and Mistral. Besides it's not the fault of the laws that unscrupulous people like Alabaster twist them to their benefit."

Ozpin relaxed. "I'm glad to hear that. Our way of life isn't perfect, but I wouldn't want the upheaval of trying to change it. Vale can ill-afford such conflict. That said, you've pretty much told your daughter to do whatever she wishes, so long as it's within the rules."

"I guess I have."

Ozpin sighed. "More trouble for me, I suppose. Delightful. You're not much one for the _word_ of the law, are you?"

"More of a spirit man," he agreed.

"That said, I can't help but think your words to Emerald don't match your own."

"Oh?"

"You implied to her that she shouldn't act in an untoward manner, but also shouldn't let Mr Winchester walk all over her either, even if he tries to use the rules of the school to do so. And yet faced with Alabaster, you caved in almost immediately, paying an eye-watering sum for his silence. Don't those philosophies contradict one another?"

Jaune laughed.

"You know, there's a funny thing about laws…"

"And that is?"

"Laws only exist if there if the balance is power is even or greater in favour of the authority. A person only pays taxes because they're afraid of the consequences of not paying them. That's why the powerful often evade them, because they know they can fight any court case coming their way. Once you have more power than the government enforcing the issue, you're essentially above the law. You can do what you want."

"That is a cynical view."

"Also a correct one. Take Jacques Schnee and his treatment of faunus, or any film star sexually abusing fans – all the way to politicians doing dirty deals or embezzling funds. They'll get away with it because the law can't stop them, whereas someone accidentally speeding will be pulled over the second a police officer sees them. It's all about the balance of power."

"I dread to ask this," Ozpin said, "But are you implying that _you_ are above the law?"

"Hm? Oh, not at all. I thought we were just talking philosophy."

Ozpin didn't buy it. "No. We were talking about why you so casually gave in and granted Mr Winchester his unjust demands when you could have fought against them."

"Why not? If I fought, then it's just like I told Emerald – he'll fight back. The battle will go on for ages, and even if I eventually win, I don't come out better for it, do I? It's my money, so I don't _gain_ anything, and stand to lose days, weeks or _months_ in court preparation and battle. The consequences of choosing to fight him would have cost me time and money."

"And so, giving up was the easier choice?"

"In this case, yes." Jaune sighed. "I guess he wins this round…"

/-/

Roman leaned back in his comfortable kingpin seat and puffed on one of the most expensive cigars in Remnant. A solid gold case of cigars stood open on his rich wooden desk, along with a stack of cash, several gemstones and the day's newspaper.

Life was good. Life was profitable.

And if the latest text from his benefactor was to be believed, it was about to get even more so. To the tune of a crisp one point five million lien. The message from Jaune came with information, details on where the mark lived and a set of clear instructions.

" _Take exactly one point five million. No more. No less. No blood, no violence, no damage. Keep money as payment – I want a message sent."_

A message, huh. Roman snorted and typed a response.

"What did he do?"

The message came back soon enough.

" _Threatened my daughter."_

"Ooh." Roman hissed. "That was a mistake." With a laugh, he tossed the scroll down, snuffed out the cigar in his gilded ashtray and stood, flipping his bowler hat off the rack nearby and pushing it down over his hair. "Been a while since I had an old-fashioned night on the town. Let's see if I'm out of practice."

* * *

 **Dealing with assholes or such is always a tough thing, but I suppose the point Jaune was making to Emerald this chapter is that you become the asshole yourself if you resort to violence. The same for racism or people being discriminatory in real life. It may make** _ **you**_ **feel better to punch them in the face, but does it improve anything? Not really. You're not making the world a better place; you're just satisfying your own thirst for that person to suffer for their views.**

 **To be fair, I feel the same way myself sometimes. You hear about someone racially abusing people on a train or such and I think, "God, I'd love to just punch that bastard's face in…" but it's definitely not the right action to take. I always cringe at it in RWBY fanfic especially, since it often happens in that "Cardin pulling Velvet's ear scene" with the OC (or crossover element) rushing in to just** _ **slaughter**_ **Cardin in a display of violence, and then be cheered for it as a hero.**

 **Ironically, out of my stories I think White Sheep Jaune handled it best, putting himself between Cardin and Velvet,** _ **shocking**_ **Cardin into stopping and then making Cardin look like an idiot both to ostracise him and to draw all the ire away from Velvet and onto Jaune himself. It both pointed out the silly holes in Cardin's worldview** _ **and**_ **helped keep Velvet safe and free from reprisal.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 7** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	86. Chapter 86

**There will be a week for Christmas with no updates from me. It will be from the 23** **rd** **– 29** **th** **of December (inclusive of those dates), which is pretty much just the week in which Christmas day itself stands.**

 **Dates at bottom of chapters will remain accurate.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 86**

* * *

He spotted Amber in the corner of the small inn, her brown hood drew up but her distinctive riding boots and weapon giving her away. Making his way over, he ordered a quick drink from the bar and stood for a few seconds within her sight so she wouldn't be surprised. She nodded and pushed the chair opposite her out with one foot, letting him sit.

Meeting the Fall Maiden in a bar should have been ridiculous. It wasn't. Amber didn't know that he knew, and he had no reason to change that. As far as she was concerned, they were strangers who had met on the road once and whimsically decided to keep in touch.

"You're late."

"I got confused about the place," he admitted. "I was looking outside for your horse and thought I had the wrong bar when I didn't see it." He sipped and watched her smile. "Nothing happened to her, did it?"

"No. I didn't think she'd appreciate carrying two and thought it would be rude to make you walk while I ride. I rented her a stable and a paddock in a village nearby. It's where she stays when I absolutely _must_ enter the city. It's not exactly horse-friendly."

"Heh. I can imagine. You don't like city-life, then?"

Amber shrugged one shoulder. "Let's just say it's not for me."

Something to do with Ozpin. He'd never asked in this life or the last, but there had to be a reason Amber had been alone and isolated in the first place and he doubted it was because Ozpin wanted it that way. For Qrow to _conveniently_ arrive at the exact moment Amber needed him was nothing short of suspicious. Ozpin obviously had Amber watched.

 _I wonder if he does now._ His eyes scanned the nearby tables in search of a scruffy birdbrain. _If he finds out I'm meeting with her, he might be a little suspicious. Well, there's not much I can do about that now._

"Thanks for thinking of my feet," he said. "And for coming. I have to admit I'm a little surprised you'd up and agree to travel with a stranger like that."

"It gets boring travelling sometimes. And we're not entirely strangers. Speaking of, no adorable ankle biter following you around?"

He had to laugh at the face Emerald would pull if she heard that nickname. "Studying at Beacon. She wanted to become a huntress. I wasn't keen myself, but her friends are there and I think she wanted to settle down. Quite moving around so much."

"Seventeen already? They grow up so fast."

"Tell me about it. I feel old now."

"You don't look it," Amber teased. "And I notice a certain something on your hand."

Jaune glanced down, saw Winter's ring and almost jumped. He'd honestly forgotten all about it. Embarrassed, he scratched his cheek. "Ah, yeah. That happened."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks…"

"So…" Amber leaned forward. "You mentioned we'd be going out east, somewhere near where we first bumped into one another. Mind telling me what exactly we're looking for?"

"It's not looking for something new so much as catching up on a place I've been to before." He explained the temple to her, leaving out how they'd found it and the Ashari references within. "A friend of mine is really into ancient civilisations and wants me to take records of any markings or signs of language. Things he can use to write a history book."

"Not something I'd normally be interested in, but it sounds exciting. Are there Grimm?"

"Yes. I can handle them on my own, but it's always safer to travel in company."

"Agreed." Amber finished her drink and put the mug down. "The roads have become more and more dangerous of late. I've heard rumours of attacks – and not just by Grimm. Bandits, killers and other never-do-wells."

Having no idea if that had been common in the past, he couldn't decide if that was bad or not. The two of them would be fine. In fact, Amber should probably have been attacked and wounded by now. He didn't have an exact date, but it always felt like it happened before their first year at Beacon, though not too much so. Cinder had come to Beacon to get Amber, after all.

That Cinder was in Beacon now obviously prevented her making a move on Amber. He still wasn't sure what to think about that. On the one hand, she hadn't done anything to make herself seem like she was working for Salem. On the other hand, it was Cinder. He'd believe she was good only when he was attending her funeral surrounded by well-wishers talking about how she was a pillar of the community, and even then he'd want to check the casket.

There just wasn't any good reason as far as he could see for Cinder to _not_ be working for Salem. Blake joining the White Fang made sense and was his fuck-up, but he hadn't met Cinder before Haven and surely just beating her in a tournament wouldn't change anything.

 _Cinder was strong. The kind of strong that comes from years of training under someone, not just a few months. The original Cinder must have been loyal to Salem for years. Maybe even since she was young._

He'd always wondered if she was a survivor from Mountain Glenn or some other disaster, turned against humanity because of a perceived failure on its part. Ozpin never told, however, and Cinder certainly didn't. Honestly, he wasn't sure even Ozpin knew who Cinder was, let alone her motives. She'd just been an ambitious psychopath to them.

Either way, _something_ had changed because Amber was here laughing with him and not locked in a tube waiting for Ozpin to transfer her aura to Pyrrha.

Could it be his interactions with Salem that changed things?

Maybe Salem had called off the attack on Amber temporarily because of something he did. If Tyrian had been sent to capture Emerald to get to him, it could just be that they'd decided he was the priority target. No point splitting your attention between two or more, and the Fall Maiden could be captured now or several years from now with no real impact on Salem's plans.

"We should get moving," Amber decided, pushing her chair back. "If we're fast, we'll be able to make it before nightfall and set up camp inside this temple of yours. We'll be safe from the elements there.

Eager. She must have been lonely out on her own.

"Sure." He stood as well, reaching for the travelling pack he'd left by the table. "Might as well get going while the sun is up."

/-/

"Stop staring at him," Yang hissed. "You're going to make people think you like him or something."

Emerald tore her eyes away from Cardin and back to the lesson at hand, leaning her chin on one hand as Professor Port went on and on about something no one was listening to. Almost everyone was whispering or writing notes to one another. "I'm checking his injuries."

"That's even creepier!"

"Not really. I want to see when he's healed."

"You realise that makes you sound like a nutcase, right? Like you're waiting for him to be better so you can break him again. I don't think that's what Uncle Jaune meant when he said not lashing out at people."

"I'm not going to break anything. I'm not a thug."

Not anymore. Dad wanted her to think things through, and that meant being able to look for alternative ways to do things. If she just kept beating up Cardin, he'd hate her more than he already did. He already knew the best way to get under her skin, aka insulting Jaune. As such, attacking him not only made no sense, but _ensured_ Cardin would keep bothering her.

 _Dad was right. I didn't change anything for the better. I just made myself feel better._

"I have to cut the source out at the root."

"Please tell me you're not going to slit his throat or rip his tongue out so he can't speak…"

"Yang. That's far too bloodthirsty."

"I wasn't saying to do it!" she snapped.

"Miss Xiao-Long," Port called. The class went silent. "Ho ho, I appreciate your enthusiasm in my little tale, but I _had_ to do it! You see, the Mighty Morphing Grimm Ranger was threatening the village and as a true huntsman, I had no option but to-"

Emerald tuned out. Yang rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going to maim Cardin," she whispered. "I'm not going to break the school rules at all."

"None of them…?"

"Not one."

Actions had consequences; that was what she had to remember. Breaking the school rules was fine if she was happy to deal with those, but having dad brought in again to tell her off wasn't an outcome she wanted, so – just as he'd said – she had to find another way to her goal. Ideally, she wanted Cardin grovelling and begging for forgiveness at her feet, but that was unlikely if she didn't want to get tossed in detention.

Maybe she needed to adjust her expectations. Cardin never coming near her again sounded okay. In fact, it sounded a lot better than dealing with his begging.

"Why does that make me more nervous?" Yang asked. "Why does you saying you're not going to break any rules not make me feel even the slightest bit better about all this?"

"You're probably paranoid."

"What!?"

"Miss Xiao-Long!" Port boomed.

Yang winced. "Sorry sir…"

"My dear, if you're having trouble hearing my wonderful tale, why not come sit on the front row and get a better spot? I can assure you, it's not a story to be missed. Ho ho. Though if you wish it, you can always come find me during lunch and I'll tell you all about my adventures."

"That's fine, sir, I can hear just fine." Yang looked visibly ill at the thought of a private rendition. She shot Emerald a betrayed glare.

Em smiled back. It wasn't her fault Yang kept being loud.

Either way, Yang didn't really matter for this. Dealing with Cardin was her responsibility and she didn't want her best friend in trouble. Holding a finger over her lips, she signalled for them to stay quiet for the rest of class. There would be time to enact her grand plan afterwards.

`I'm watching you`, Yang mouthed, pointing to her eyes and then Emerald. `Watching you`.

The rest of class went in a blur. A rambling and inconsistent blur. Her ears were ringing by the end of it and she, like so many others, stumbled out Port's class feeling years older and no wiser. The poor bastards who actually tried to make something of the lesson had notes filled with plot holes and impossible feats that even the most adventurous child would call complete bull.

Jaune – the idiot version – and Sun - not quite an idiot but still holding a pathological inability to button up his uniform – tried to catch her attention by suggesting they spar outside. She'd have normally been up for it, but she waved them on with an "Later. How about after dinner?" and made her way over toward Team CRDL.

Yang swore behind her and chased after, determined to restrain her.

"Cardin," Emerald yelled.

The boy flinched. Cruel as it was, she liked that. He hid it a second later and stood as tall as he could, sneering her way like he didn't give a damn. Might have looked good if it wasn't for his arm being in a cast and his face a mass of purple bruises.

Her smile faltered as she heard people around whisper how _she'd_ done that to him. They didn't say anything bad within her hearing, but she knew they would outside it. More consequences she hadn't even bothered to think of when she let her temper take hold. Sure, she'd shut Cardin up for a bit, but she'd dragged her and her team's reputation through the mud.

 _And maybe Dad and the ASH Gym's, too. I represent it as an Ashari. Every move I make reflects on dad and the family name._ Mistakes had been made. She only prayed she had enough time to fix those and move on. It wasn't like she cared if people liked her or not, but if _everyone_ started talking about her dad behind her back, she'd be furious.

"Emerald," Cardin grunted, using her first name but clipped and tense. "There something I can help you with?" He tried to shrug and winced. Far from making her feel better, it made her feel pathetic. "If you're looking for a sparring partner, I can't fit that right now. Someone made sure of that."

Despite it being a free period and them standing in the corridor outside Port's classroom, no one was moving on. People dallied about with lockers, opening and closing them quietly while pretending not to listen in. Others didn't even try and act and just watched with naked interest. Off to the side, she spotted Port in the doorway to his room, unnaturally quiet.

 _He's watching to make sure I don't start a fight,_ she realised. _The teachers all know about it and think I might do it again._ Port was ready to step in if things got bad, and dull or not, he was a huntsman. He could pin her down if he had to. _Everyone thinks I'm going to attack him._

It was worse than she'd thought.

"I don't want to spar."

"Right." He leaned back on his locker. "Then?"

"I want to…" Her eyes crossed. "I want to apologise to you."

Cardin raised an eyebrow. Someone in the crowd gasped. Emerald wanted to glare at them. It wasn't _that_ crazy to imagine she'd apologise, was it? She kept her eyes on Cardin instead, awaiting his response.

"Because your old man told you to? Because you're being made to?"

"No." It wouldn't real if it was. "Dad talked to me about my actions, but the apology is mine. You insulted dad and I got angry." She looked away for a second, gritting her teeth. "But you're free to have your opinion even if it upsets me and I shouldn't have acted like I did." Emerald kicked at the floor and huffed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I turned violent and injured you. I won't do it again."

Cardin watched her angrily. There was something simmering behind his eyes and it sure as hell wasn't the desire to embrace her and call her friend. He looked left and right, seeing everyone watching.

"Alright. Apology accepted."

Really? That was easy.

"Just don't expect this to make us friends."

"We're not," she said. "I just wanted to apologise and say this won't happen again."

The spectators, finally realising a show wasn't on the menu, filtered away. The chatter in the corridor returned to a more normal level and Cardin and his team hurried away, leaving her alone. That… hadn't been as hard as she'd thought it would be. Apologising to her father had been tougher.

A hand fell on her shoulder. It wasn't Yang's.

"Bravo," Port said. "Bravo, Miss Ashari. It takes a strong mind to recognising the wrong we do, and a stronger one to apologise for it."

She shrugged. "I had to."

"Hmm. Well, I'm sure your father would be proud of the way you handled it."

Despite her best efforts, a pleased blush crept up her face. He would be, wouldn't he? She had to resist the urge to giddily hop up and down, instead layering a bored frown over the beginnings of her smile. The way Port laughed said he'd seen it. Crap.

He petted her shoulder again and excused himself, strolling away without looking back. That he felt confident enough to leave her now was good. With any luck, he'd tell the other teachers she didn't need to be watched like a psycho about to go on a killing spree.

"You did good," Yang said, appearing at her side. "I'm impressed."

"I expected it to be harder. I thought Cardin would hold on or refuse to accept it."

"He couldn't," Sun said. "You cornered him when he was surrounded by people, so he'd have looked a douche if he turned you down." He snorted. "I bet Cardin isn't thrilled about that. I reckon he wanted to put you through the wringer before he accepted."

She hadn't thought of that, but it sounded like she'd dodged a bullet.

"Does this mean you're at peace now?" Jaune asked nervously.

"No."

"I had a feeling you'd say that…"

"If Cardin doesn't insult dad again, we'll be fine. If he does, I'll make him stop – but I'll find a way to do it that doesn't end up making _him_ look like the victim. It's his choice now. He can stop this thing right here if he just keeps his mouth shut."

"Cardin keeping his mouth shut," Sun laughed. "Sounds unlikely."

"As unlikely as you keeping _this_ shut," Emerald growled, turning and gripping his shirt. She pulled it closed and started to button it up. "Do you have to keep it open all the time? I feel cold just looking at you."

Sun stared at her, shocked, but quickly recovered with a laugh, standing still as she dressed him. "I'm used to Vacuo. You want as much air on your skin as you can get there, and not just because of the heat. Sand gets everywhere if you wear tight shirts."

"Is that it?" she asked.

"No."

Meeting his eyes, Emerald spotted the… not the fragility of his smile, but the extra effort put into it. Another reason to get used to wearing your clothing open was because it didn't fit. A common problem if you lived on the streets and could only wear whatever you found. Easy for her when she was little and everything might as well be a coat, but Sun was broad. It wasn't hard to imagine him holding onto a shirt several sizes too small.

"Things are different now," Emerald said. "Better."

"Yeah. I can't help but agree." Sun stepped back once she'd buttoned him up, then, in his usual style, completely killed the mood. "Heh. I can't wait to tell Whitley what happened here. You think I can make him so jealous his hair turns green?"

Emerald swatted his head. "Idiot."

"Domestic abuse! Yang, I'm being beaten! Help!"

"Jaune." Yang turned to the final member of the team desperately. "Please tell me you're normal and not raised by some kind of nutcase."

Jaune smiled. "I'm normal."

"That's a relief."

"My fairy godmother did a good job teaching me."

"…" Yang stared at the floor. "What did I do to deserve this?"

/-/

"Emerald apologised?"

"Indeed," Port laughed. "I saw it myself. I was keeping an eye in case things went bad."

"Thank you, Peter," Ozpin said, nodding his way. "I'm glad you were there to make sure nothing untoward happened. Well." He clapped his hands together. "That's good news to start the day with, isn't it?"

Summer agreed with a pleased hum. "Jaune must have gotten through to her. I'm relieved."

"The way you say that makes it sound like you doubted him," Ozpin said.

"I didn't…"

Oobleck chuckled from the paperwork he was looking over. "And the way you said _that_ makes you sound even more like you do."

Attacked from all sides, Summer folded like a house of cards. "It's not doubt," she complained. "I know Jaune and Emerald love each other. "He's a great father to her. If something happened to me and Tai, I'd feel happy leaving Yang and Ruby to him."

She really hoped Qrow didn't hear that or get the wrong idea. Qrow was great too, but he travelled so much with work and didn't hold down a well-paying job. He was a wonderful uncle and babysitter who she trusted with her life, but he wasn't settling down material, as evidenced by his bachelor status.

"But?" Ozpin asked, amused. "I am sensing the `but` here."

"But…" Summer glared as he laughed. "I don't know, they're just so intense. Everyone about them. Emerald loves Jaune, but she _loves_ him. To the point I was actually really nervous for a bit." It was better now Winter entered the picture as she did, and the fact Emerald accepted her finally let her relax, but she had for a while wondered if Emerald's affections went deeper than they should.

Luckily, she knew for a fact Jaune wasn't that way.

"I guess I was worried she'd overreact to even a little telling off. Take it too personally."

"A fair concern given her past," Ozpin allowed. "It's why I wanted to let him handle her punishment. The matter was much too delicate for me to apply the usual rules on. All in all, it sounds like it's ended well."

"You were there for his advice," Oobleck remarked. "Wouldn't you have known?"

"Jaune's advice is… about as unusual as his fighting style."

Everyone winced. Even those who hadn't fought him had witnessed his students becoming their own. It was easy to spot an ASH Gym fighter once the sparring began. The typical application of smoke bombs, explosives, traps and dirty fighting had shocked the student body for the first week or two. As long as it took for the others to wise up, get competitive and then start adapting such techniques into their own arsenals.

It was good for Beacon. The overall quality of the students had improved. Not drastically, but easily fifteen to twenty per cent for their age – and that would serve them well later in life and Beacon well later in the year when the Vytal Festival rolled around.

Picking up the pieces of such spars was more a problem. Not in terms of injuries or blood, but shrapnel, canisters, broken weapons and whatever other `inventive solutions` the students employed. To say nothing of the ones who occasionally went too far and might have badly injured their opponents, or themselves, were Glynda any slower on the draw.

"An unconventional parenting style for an unconventional child," Port said, for once speaking wisely. "You cannot apply traditional parenting to someone who has not once lived as a child. That's why it's so hard to rehabilitate foster children, I wager. The system treats them like children, when their life experience has made them so much more mature than that."

"Wise words, Peter. Whatever I may think, it seems to have done the trick and Miss Ashari clearly still adores her father. All's well that ends well."

Summer nodded happily. It was good for it to be wrapped up and dealt with.

"Ozpin!" Glynda burst through the door and into the staffroom. Her eyes were wide and filled with panic. "There's been an attack!"

Ozpin stood. "Where? On which students?"

"Not the students. Vale!"

/-/

Roman watched the stately home burn. The fire crews and police were already out in force, forming a human wall to keep startled onlookers back. They were too distracted to note him, or to care if they did. And he hadn't committed a crime just yet.

Hadn't been given the chance.

The Winchester home was on fire, and _he_ had nothing to do with it. More than that, he knew Junior and the rest of his crew hadn't been involved either.

"The hell happened here…?"

An ambulance siren wailed as it pushed through the barricade, coming to a stop by the ranks of officers. The back door opened, and paramedics poured out, surrounding some figures he couldn't make out over the crowd and hauling them into the back of the vehicle on stretchers, aided by the police. There were more officers he could see off to the side, standing next to two body bags that didn't look empty. The black bags were zipped up tight.

Someone had hit Alabaster Winchester before he could – and for more than money.

It wasn't hard to figure out whom. On the wall of the manor, fires burned in the shape of a sigil – oil merrily burning in a circle with a wolf's head in the centre, snarling, with three lines of fire vertically burning through it.

The White Fang.

"Boss isn't gonna be happy about this…"

/-/

"There it is."

The temple stood as abandoned and hidden away as it always had, engulfed by thick growths and trees and covered in creeping vines. From a distance, it was all but invisible, and the fact the canopy had closed overhead only made it better hidden.

You could, and people likely had, walked by not fifty metres away and never seen it. Once upon a time, it was likely a taller and more impressive structure, but with the spires and upper floors gone, it had become more a tomb. Back in the day, the forest would have been cut down around it too, making it stand out in the centre.

"Incredible." Amber was a strong hiker and had more energy remaining than him. She hopped up onto a fallen piece of masonry and leant on her staff. "To think things like this continue to exist in the world, undiscovered. Who knows what mysteries it holds?"

Less now that he and Emerald had purloined the tone from within, but he knew what she meant. There had to be more. He'd been in a rush the last time, then Tyrian's attack after made it worse.

"I didn't think to ask before, but are you normally this blasé accompanying strange men into the wilderness?"

The question threw her off. "What do you mean?"

"You said before that we could travel together, but I'm surprised you're _this_ okay with it."

"Worried for my safety?" Amber laughed. "Let's just say I can take care of myself and leave it at that."

The Maiden's powers. It was almost arrogant to be that confident in them, but thinking back to their fights with Cinder, he couldn't blame her entirely. Even so, it was one thing to be a little more reckless when you were that strong, but another to drop everything to accompany a guy you'd met once into the middle of nowhere and then down into a ruined temple.

"What's with that look?" she asked, pushing her hood back. Her tanned face was bright against the sky as she stared down at him. "It's not that strange for me to respond to you. You did call me, after all. Why would you if you didn't think I'd be interested?"

"I guess you're right." At the end of the day, he had no idea what kind of life Amber lived. If she really did isolate herself from people because of her power, then who was he to judge if she decided to trust easily. "There were Grimm inside the last time we came." He nodded back to the temple. "I imagine they're still in there." Jaune looked up toward the reddish sky. It was getting late. "If we want to set up a camp inside, we'll need to find a room with a single chokepoint, or better yet, one we can block off the entrance to."

"Sure." Amber hopped down and rummaged in her pack, coming out with a dust-powered torch that also had a crank handle to be used when out of dust. Flicking it on, she directed the beam at the closest entrance, highlighting spider webs coated with dust. "Looks welcoming."

 _Well, at least we know no one is waiting in ambush inside._

Amber used the butt of her staff to push the webs away. Spiders, the small and slightly more terrifying kind, scuttled in every direction. Amber shuddered. "I'll admit, my enthusiasm is waning."

"Think of the secrets inside."

"I'm thinking of the spiders and all the secret places they can hide."

Vale wasn't home to any venomous arachnids. Only the scary, fast-paced variety that hunted large insects and left people screaming atop chairs. It wasn't so bad in the city but come outside and well… things weren't quite so hot. It was all unclaimed and wild land, after all.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." He pointed his own torch into the tunnel and watched more shapes scuttle out of the light. "They're more afraid of us than we are of them."

"You sure? I'm pretty creeped out."

Him too, but he liked to pretend otherwise. Taking the first step in, he let the torch scan left and right, highlighting the plain walls where wind and rain streaming in had worn away any hope of murals. The real treasures would be further inside where only dust and time could work its magic.

Amber followed behind despite her protests, making sure her torch cut the opposite direction to his, piercing ahead in case of Grimm. Those, too, had to be deeper inside the temple. Unlike animals, Grimm didn't need to come and go to eat, rest or relieve themselves, and so could stay in dark places indefinitely like the Deathstalker he and Pyrrha found had. The unbroken webs on the entrance told of none coming and going – likely not sensing humans nearby – so they were all inside.

Their boots echoed and clicked softly on the stone floor as they descended a short flight of stairs and left the faint sunlight from the world outside behind. The tunnel opened up into a larger antechamber which cut off in two directions.

 _If I remember correctly, Emerald and I went left when we found the tome._ That room would be good to check out but opening the door on it with the use of his crest might spook Amber. She wasn't working alongside Ozpin, but that didn't mean she wouldn't tell him what she saw. _I can always make an excuse to split up tomorrow and check that on my own._

"Let's go right," he said instead. "More cobwebs this way."

"Is that supposed to be a good thing?"

"It is if it means less Grimm. We can deal with those in the morning, but we should find a place to call camp first."

Amber sighed. "As long as you're the one in front."

"Shouldn't be a problem." Jaune pulled some webs aside using his sword and stepped through the gap. The sound of breathing and scrabbling up ahead grew louder, too loud to be the two-inch long spiders. "Looks like we've found our Grimm friends."

"Typical." Amber's eyes flickered gold, flames appearing at the edges. "Let's deal with them quickly."

* * *

 **Not much to say here. Off Christmas shopping now.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	87. Chapter 87

**No updates from 23** **rd** **December – 29** **th** **December inclusive. I'll be spending the time resting and doing family obligation stuff like Christmas parties. Okay, that makes me sound like a grinch, but I mean the** _ **boring kind**_ **of party where you don't drink anything, play monopoly with seven-year-old nephews and are forced to watch horrific Christmas movies with your family. And no, not Die Hard. Polar Express and other cutesy-wutesy movies.**

 **Blergh.**

 **Last year I brought Cards Against Humanity and got told off. Excuse me for trying to liven things up xD**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 87**

* * *

The spiderlike Grimm managed to push past his guard and catch his cheek with the tip of one leg. The move cost it, opening its stomach to Crocea Mors, which pierced through its carapace all too easily. The thing gurgled and expired, weighing the sword down but not enough that he couldn't bat away another Grimm before it got close.

A little further back down the tunnel, Amber was finishing up the last of her own. That they'd been attacked from both ends smacked of strategy but was more likely coincidence. The Grimm could only come from two angles, and there were surely some they'd left behind by not taking their corridors, and they might have been attracted to the noise. If someone had been controlling them, there were better places for an ambush.

Fire and wind howled behind, throwing the final Grimm away as Amber finished hers in record time with the use of her powers. He took a little longer, taking it slow and steady to minimise the risk. The corridor was narrow enough to allow it, even as he split his attention between them and his companion.

"Need a hand?" she called.

"No. I'm alright."

The last two attacked in unison. One was sliced in two while the other chittered by and lunged, trying to bury its mandibles in his leg. He brought his foot up, tilting back to catch its attack on the metal heel, then shoved it away. Once the first was dead and gone, it was a matter of a flick and a stab to have the final one dying.

"They're persistent," he said, sliding the decomposing body off, "But not a big problem."

"For us. I imagine any poor wanderer getting this far wouldn't stand a chance."

That went without saying, but it was a reckless soul indeed who decided to investigate an abandoned and Grimm-infested ruin in the middle of already Grimm-infested wilderness.

"You got tagged."

Jaune rubbed his cheek, brushing away the faintest amount of blood. The cut was small enough to not even bleed properly, more a graze than anything. He'd instinctively leaned back to lessen it. "Lucky hit," he said.

"Your aura didn't block it?"

"Guess my concentration slipped."

"It _is_ getting late," she said. "Should we make camp?"

"I'd rather push on as much as we can." Suiting actions to words, he strode ahead, sheathing his weapon and switching the torch from his left hand to the right again. That was one downside of fighting like this; he couldn't use his shield. _I should really invest in a chest-mounted torch._

Amber sighed and followed. She'd been doing that for a while now, suggesting they break camp and rest. It might have been hunger or fatigue – he had no idea how long it had been since her last rest.

"We'll make camp once we find somewhere defensible. No point doing it now."

"Alright. Alright."

/-/

"The White Fang!" Weiss yelled, pacing in her dorm with wide eyes. "They're back? They can't be – my sister destroyed them!"

Nora and Ren shared a look as they often did, but for once it was Ren who spoke. "It might not be the same ones. There could be remnants of the organisation left over, or maybe it's a new set of people trying to bring it back. Even if they do return, it'll be at a fraction of their former strength and resources."

His simple reasoning stopped her frantic pacing. Taking a deep breath, she counted to five in her head and let it go. She wasn't calm by any means, but perhaps a little better able to control herself. Best to fix that before Whitley saw and commented.

Then again, her brother was no doubt just as concerned. They were targets, and if Winter caught a whiff of this – and really, there was little hope she'd miss it – there was a good chance she'd swoop down and kidnap them herself, dragging them back to Atlas for their own safety.

"I'm calm," she whispered. "I'm calm. Perfectly calm."

"Uh. You're no-"

Ren gagged Nora with one hand over her mouth. Weiss shot him a grateful smile.

She would just have to stay in Beacon until this blew over, or at least until they knew what they were dealing with. The White Fang didn't have the strength before to challenge Beacon, so she doubted that would change now. There was no need to leave the school, so she would stay and focus on lessons and training, and ensure Whitley did the same.

 _Mr Jaune is involved with both Winter and the White Fang. I can ask Emerald to find out what he knows._ Emerald would do it, she was sure. Protective did not even begin to describe her attitude toward her, Yang and Whitley. More like possessively protective of her friends. _If anyone can find out what's going on here, it's Mr Jaune._

He was still that, despite being her sister's fiancé. It just felt _odd_ to think of him as a brother-in-law.

"What will you do?" Ren asked.

"What can I do? Nothing. I'll stay here and focus on work. Wait until they're dealt with."

"That's probably for the best."

"We can do any shopping you need for you!" Nora offered. "Just let us know what you want, and we'll get it."

"Thank you-"

"And I won't use your card to buy myself loads of stuff either."

"I… hadn't been about to suggest that." Her eyes narrowed on the innocent looking girl. "But now I'm concerned."

Nora giggled, more intent on distracting her than proving her innocence. It was working, Weiss finally able to smile and let go of the tension in her shoulders. White Fang or not, it was no business of hers. They didn't even fully know what happened at the Winchester manor. It could easily have been unrelated people _blaming_ the action on the White Fang.

There was just no knowing yet.

"Hm?" Ren looked around suddenly. "Where's Blake?"

/-/

"It wasn't me!"

" _I never said it was. I only asked-"_

"You were thinking it," Blake hissed into her scroll, sequestered away in as quiet an alcove as could be found. Her face was red, burning with anger. "You wouldn't have called me if you didn't. And I thought I told you not to call me at all?"

" _Your mother worries about you."_

"Then _she_ can call me! Kali has a scroll and I've nothing against talking with her." They had done numerous times already. With Ghira gone, they were closer than ever. The closeness with a parent you only experienced once you realised just how mortal they truly were. A desperate desire not to lose another without spending every possible hour with them. Blake shook her head and snapped, "My problems are only you."

" _Blake…"_ Adam's voice had that hint of longing she'd known for so long. Before, it lit a fire in her. Now, it burned away to ash. _"I did what I had to. The White Fang was becoming something abhorrent. They would have thrown away everything. I know you don't accept that now, especially after what happened to your father, but I did what I did because I cared about you. I still do."_

She glanced around but no one was close enough to hear him say those damning words. Keeping her own voice quiet, she fired back, "Maybe you should have tried to change them, traitor."

He drew a sharp breath. _"Blake…"_

"I don't want to hear it. You want to know if I'm behind what happened in Vale. Well I'm not! You can ask the headmaster – I'm sure you have him monitoring me. I've not been out of Beacon since I arrived. Why would I? Every single person in Vale would instantly be suspicious of me! I'd have Ashari killing me in my sleep before I could blink!"

" _If it's not you, they may still seek you. Either to join them or to make an example of…"_

Because of her connection to him, the arch-traitor who turned on the White Fang and allowed their downfall. As if that wasn't bad enough, he'd now taken her father's spot in Menagerie, ruling over it alongside her mother as Chieftain.

He wasn't her chieftain, though. Nor was he her lover. Not anymore.

" _It might be best if you came home."_

"No."

" _Blake…"_

"Don't `Blake` me, Adam," she swore. "Menagerie isn't home so long as you're there, and the whole point of coming here was to get away from you! I'm not leaving now just because you're afraid."

" _And if they contact you? What will you do?"_

Her eyes burned. "I thought you said you didn't suspect me."

" _I don't."_

"Then why would it matter if they did contact me? Shouldn't you trust me to make the right choice?"

Adam was silent on the other end, as he deserved to be. He didn't trust her anymore than she did him – and while the memory of what they'd once been hurt, she couldn't say he didn't deserve all the mistrust for what he'd done. There were so many of her brothers and sisters in arms dead or imprisoned in Atlas thanks to him. That he'd saved her that fate didn't make it any better. It just told her he'd struck a deal with the devil. Both of them. Jaune Ashari and Winter Schnee.

"Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk with you."

" _If this new White Fang continues to make its presence known, I'll be forced to come to Vale myself and deal with them. We can't let them imperil the peace process."_

"Vale is a big place. You can come and still stay far away from me."

She listened to the draw and release of his breath. It was measured, too measured, like he was doing his best to control it. Hers was no better, ragged and shaky and on the verge of an explosion. Into what, she wasn't sure. It could be tears, but it could just as easily be rage. Adam could tempt it, but she knew he wouldn't. Knew he didn't dare. In a strange way, that disappointed her.

" _I hope you're enjoying Beacon, Blake. Despite everything, I still love you."_

Blake's eyes closed angrily.

"Tell mom I love her."

" _I'll tell her."_ Adam didn't miss what she hadn't said. On the screen, he looked deflated. Defeated. _"Please, Blake, look after yourse-"_

Blake cut the call and slammed her fist into the wall. "Idiot," she hissed, tears pricking at her eyes. "I hate you. I hate you." Her forehead pressed into the wall as she fought back the tears. "I hate all of this."

/-/

To Jaune's surprise, they came upon a large chamber without crossing a single one of the doors locked by the magic of Salem's sigil. The tunnel ahead simply spread out suddenly, the light from the torch showing a change in the flooring and the absence of close walls. "We've found something."

"Finally," Amber said, brushing past him and shining her torch left and right. The room was big enough that the torchlight _almost_ faded by the time it reached the walls. "There's only the one entrance," she said happily. "This can be our camp for the night."

"It looks like a good pick. We'll have to check it out to make sure there aren't any surprises."

"What do you suppose it's for?"

"Gathering or storage?"

There was nothing immediately obvious that made it stand out as special in any way, and it made sense the temple would have more than just treasure locked within it. Spaces for people to gather, food to be stored or just rooms for whatever purpose. He let the torch scan over the nearby walls and found himself disappointed at how weathered they were. If there had been murals once, they'd long since been worn away.

"Damn it. Guess this isn't the one…"

"Whoah!" Amber yelled. "I've found something!"

Jaune's torch shone for her voice, finding her and then joining her own beam of light to find the target. Toward the centre of the room, she'd found a raised platform or dais. Three steps led up and he followed them with the torch, shucking his backpack and making his way over. The light flooded up the steps, up a pedestal of solid stone atop it, and to the object resting on that, untouched by time.

Another book.

It sat upon the pedestal without movement of fanfare, still and silent with a rich green cover. There were four pillars spread toward the corner of the room, and four plinths closer to the pedestal, each with a copper basin resting atop, old and tarnished but still reflecting the light from their torches. Jaune tipped one over with his hand as he approached, catching a glimmer of the black chunks within. The charcoal had lasted.

"Braziers," he said. "You got a light?"

Amber offered her hand, a small fire burning in it.

"Semblance?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

"Something like that." She brought her hand above the basin and upturned it, letting the embers fall within. They caught the charcoal and burned merrily and bright, illuminating the room.

The walls and floor and ceiling were all of the same material, but the floor was smoother and segmented into perfectly square tiles at least half a metre across and likely weighing a lot. The wall was more a solid hunk of rock, though that might have been mortar or plastering of some kind. He doubted anyone could have built it all from a single piece of stone.

Amber casually lit the second plinth nearby but didn't bother with the other two. It wasn't necessary. Switching off his torch, Jaune pocketed it and stepped up onto the dais. Three small steps leading up and then he was before the platform and looking down on a thick wooden-bound book that, by some miracle, hadn't accumulated dust or rot.

 _The same magic as Vault? It would make sense if they wanted this kept hidden._

The question was, why had the other one been hidden behind a door sealed by his sigil, while this one stood open and available to anyone who came by? The answer became apparent a second later. It was obvious.

They wanted this book to be found but not the other.

 _Cautionary tales? Instructions? Safer material?_ He reached out for it. _Guess I won't find out unless I take it home and study it._

His left hand flared when he reached for it, pale light glowing out from the glove. Well, that answered the question of whether it was magical or not. More Ashari artefacts reacting to him. At least the journey wouldn't be a waste.

Amber's boots crunched on the steps as she came up onto the dais behind him.

Directly behind him.

Jaune twisted left.

The knife pierced through his white coat but struck his flank rather than his kidney. It sparked off aura pushed to his back and slid right. His hand snapped down, catching her wrist even as he drove his other elbow back. Amber ducked that, but it had only been a distraction, he twisted her wrist up and used his thumb to flick the hilt of her knife up, breaking her grip.

Catching the dagger before it could fall, he spun and slashed at her without pause, catching her wide eyes and the hand she brought up to block the hit. The knife _grated_ across her palm, spitting green aura and making her leap back with a cry.

Jaune hurled the dagger aside and drew Crocea Mors, standing atop the dais with a wary but not entirely shocked scowl.

Amber couldn't mistake it for anything else.

"You knew."

Knowing was too strong a term. Had he known, he wouldn't have walked into this like an idiot. If he'd known, he would have lured her into an ambush and killed her just like Cinder had. Ironic to think of doing her work for her, but it was better than letting a Maiden exist under Salem's sway. But no, he hadn't known.

"I suspected," he said carefully. "I had a suspicion."

"And you threw yourself into danger to confirm that?"

"No. I gave you the chance to prove me wrong." He stepped back further, putting distance between them. A Maiden was so much stronger than any other being, but they weren't invincible. Amber hadn't been against Cinder, and in the end even Cinder had died. It was just harder. Much harder. "But that didn't mean I let my guard down. I had my aura up the entire time, and always pushed in your direction."

"The spider Grimm cut you," she realised, staring at the line of blood on my cheek. "Your concentration didn't slip at all. Even when we were fighting them, you kept your aura focused on your back to protect against me…"

"Guilty."

"How?" she demanded. "How did you know?"

Because the _real Amber_ should have been dead by now. Because _he_ hadn't done enough to change the timeline to make it so Salem couldn't have orchestrated her death if she really wanted to. Because the first time they met, after his ambush by Tyrian outside this very temple, Amber had implied she'd been attacked by someone – but showed no wounds.

If Salem really wanted her dead, Tyrian wouldn't have wasted time attacking him. Between them, Tyrian and Hazel could easily have killed Amber. The only reason they wouldn't have, and the only reason Tyrian would have been free to waste time going after him, was if a fight hadn't occurred.

None of that could be said, however.

"You tried too hard. You trusted me too quickly, pushed yourself into my life too readily and agreed to accompany me here without a second thought. Loneliness is one thing, but for someone who is being hunted and knows it, it doesn't make sense for you to trust your life to a stranger."

It didn't help her cause that she'd all too willingly shown off her maiden power as well, which he knew she wouldn't have done unless she was confident he already knew. Since he shouldn't have by the limited knowledge she had, it made sense she'd found out from someone else. He brought his sword up toward her.

"Unless you know for a fact who they are and what they're capable of. Plus, a maiden fought against Raven recently in Mistral, so I already knew Salem had one on side." He raised a brow. "Let me guess. Join or die. That sound about right?"

"If you know that, then you know why I accepted."

"Ozpin could protect you."

"Ozpin wants to control me!"

"Is that any different to Salem?"

Amber's lips peeled back and her eyes began to glow. The fire within burned at the edges, eating away at the soft colour once shown, replacing it with a harsh and jagged gold that burned like fire from a forge. Any sense of humanity was washed away as she rose off the floor. The wind inside the chamber picked up, whirling and biting at his skin.

"It's not too late to pull back," he shouted. "Come with me back to Vale and I'll keep you safe."

"You are but one man," she howled, voice lost in the gale. "They are legion and supported by an army of Grimm. I'll take my chances, Ashari. They've told me all your tricks."

"Not all of them."

The flashbang went off with a crack, bathing the chamber in white. Dashing left, Jaune ducked behind a plinth as a veritable hurricane swept through the room. Spots danced in his vision as he cracked one eye open and looked around the corner, seeing Amber floating up near the ceiling, an arm over her face.

The chamber was large, but not _that_ large. Maybe seven feet off the floor, she couldn't get completely out of his reach, and while she could summon and create storms from just about nothing, the fact they were inside made it unpredictable. The hurricane-force winds struck the back wall and flowed left and right in visible streams of white.

Drawing out his handgun, he aimed and shot three times, a simple _crack, crack, crack_ that shattered against her aura, driving her back. As expected, she swept a hand in his direction, blasting the plinth and snuffing out the brazier he'd lit atop it. With his own torch clicked off, half the chamber was bathed in darkness. The temple was so deeply buried underground that no natural light filtered from above.

"Fighting in the dark?" she howled. "You're no faunus. This harms you just as much as – argh!" She lurched in the air as a dust round exploded on her back, spitting fire dust over her body. A sudden gale shot in the direction it had come from but hit nothing.

"I don't need special eyes to see you, Amber."

His voice came from behind and she whirled again, hurling a bolt of lightning that lit the room in a flash. The thunderclap lasted but a second, jarringly shining white over the various plinths and pillars.

It impacted the back wall and dissipated without hitting anything.

"Yours do a good enough job of shining through the dark," he said. Another bolt struck a plinth and cascaded the pedestal in the centre with sparks of electricity. His laughter echoed in the claustrophobic chamber, making him impossible to pinpoint. "Or did you forget that they're literally on fire?"

A silhouette of a hand came up over one of her eyes and she cursed loudly. The golden burning flames that continued to lick were brighter than any torch could be, enough so that her nose and cheeks could be seen clearly, even in the blackness. While he was invisible, she stood out like a beacon.

"You could let go of the power," he suggested. "Fight me like a human."

Die like one. Amber had been a huntress once-upon-a-time, but like so many with powerful Semblances, had no doubt come to rely on her maiden powers. Even if she hadn't, he was a huntsman on or beyond Qrow's level, who himself was one of the strongest in Vale. If Amber hadn't been confident beating Tyrian and Hazel while using her power, she sure as hell wouldn't be able to take him on without it.

With a snarl, Amber hurled another bolt of lightning at the ceiling, bathing the room in white. As that happened, she aimed and sent fire roaring down toward the brazier, lighting it again and illuminating a good half of the chamber. Her burning eyes scanned ahead of her but saw nothing.

Crocea Mors stabbed into her back.

Aura grated and sparked, chunks shaved off as she screamed and lurched in the air. He caught her ankle with his free hand, twisted and _slammed_ her down into the flagstones. Experience with Cinder had him jumping away and letting go – not a moment too soon as a cyclone kicked up around her with force that would have sent him flying. Getting close to Cinder had always been the problem. It was what stopped Neo taking her vengeance for Roman.

Instead of chance it, he dashed back to the brazier while she struggled up, using his blade to tip the copper tub contained the charcoal off its pedestal. It fell to the ground with an almighty clang, spreading sparks over the stones. The light fluttered and died until only the glowing embers remained. Even then, he ran on, sure she'd burn the spot they'd been to the ground.

Sure enough, lightning rained down on it, causing the charcoal to explode and a good foot of rock and stone to be churned up. Wind followed, kicking up the remains into a shotgun blast of rock that would have ripped a man to shreds.

 _She has more mastery over her power than Cinder ever did._

More experience and time to learn it. On the other hand, while her control was impressive, her combat sense wasn't. Cinder was the better fighter – the _smarter fighter_ who would have never allowed herself to be drawn into a trap like this, and who would have fled to find a better battleground once she realised he had the advantage.

More than that, Cinder fought better _without_ the power, and often only used it when she felt she had to. If it was her, he knew she'd cut the maiden act altogether, summon her weapons and hunt him in the dark. Take her chances on an even battlefield and take advantage of her bow to keep him pinned. In absolute silence, she could have tracked his footsteps and shot at him.

Amber was making too much noise. Growling, swearing and brushing pebbles off her hood that pitter-pattered on the floor. Through it all, her eyes burned bright and inviting, acting as a convenient target centred on her face.

Her head snapped back when the bullet struck. She staggered and fell.

Jaune moved, ditching the clip and loading another, Crocea Mors clutched under his arm, pinned against his side by his elbow. The noise of the clip clicking into place and the chamber being drawn echoed and could have been taken advantage of if Amber wasn't swearing loudly. He hunkered down behind the next plinth, holding one hand on the cool stone.

 _Getting the odd hit in is easy, but how am I going to finish this? It's too dangerous to get close._

In the dark, it would be too dangerous to try and retreat. The second she figured out what he was doing, she would have a narrow tunnel to throw her lightning down, cutting off any hope he had of dodging. To say nothing of tripping or becoming ensnared in the dark. They were both trapped, though Amber could, if she realised, fly back through the tunnels and seal him inside.

 _Let's hope she doesn't think of that. Or that Salem wants me confirmed captured or dead._ There was always a chance this temple had other exits, and then there was Raven. Patching a signal out of here wouldn't be easy, but she might choose to open a portal and investigate on her own if she started wondering why he was sat in one place for so long.

Salem knew about Raven's portals, which meant Amber knew. She couldn't take that risk.

 _I wouldn't say no to Raven popping up now to be honest. It'd be nice to have a maiden of my own to help out._

No such luck. Amber rose up again and began throwing fire around the room, trying to either hit or illuminate him, or just to create enough residual fire to offer some light in the chamber. It was only a matter of time until she found some patch of fungus, webs or another brazier that would be flammable enough to keep burning.

Or if she had the brains to realise stripping down and using her clothing as kindling would work out. It wasn't something the average person would think of, especially in the heat of battle, but it would have proved a problem.

With all the fire she was tossing around, it was easy to see the general area around her, which both made his approach impossible and gave him a chance to take stock. Amber was floating above the pedestal in the centre of the room, the singular slab of rock behind her like a coffin but not. The second tome lay upon it, sparingly saved from her fire for now, but likely not forever.

Jaune swore under his breath. That book was too important to lose.

Jumping out from cover, he squeezed off six shots in her general direction, trading accuracy for speed. Four hit. Two didn't. The two pinged off the ceiling and drew her attention. Wind mixed with lightning hurtled his way, forcing him to roll to the right and into the dark again. Casting off his gun, he sent it skidding loudly across the stone floor behind him.

Amber followed the sound with her attack, slamming her howling gale into his weapon and cracking it against the wall. Had her attacks been quieter or had she waited, she might have heard his footsteps, but wind and lightning were by their very nature loud attacks. His footsteps went unnoticed, coming in closer in the dark.

It was the reflection of light on his sword that clued her in. The brief glimmer he couldn't avoid. Her hand shifted to face him, energy swirling around it. He cut down toward it, aiming if not to sever her fingers, then at least deflect the attack away. At the same time, he shifted right, ready to abandon the assault and get out the way of whatever came.

Lightning. Shit. Aura or not, however many volts entering your system could still be an impediment, if not fatal. Twisting on his heel, he pivoted just enough to get out the way. His skin burned from the stream of lightning pulsing only a few inches by. Electricity jumped, his tired mind warned, but whether it was that this was _controlled_ or just a facet of her power, it didn't cross the tiny gap to strike him.

His sword hit her wrist clumsily, all power gone now that his footing was shot. It didn't even knock her hand aside, let alone cut flesh. Amber slashed her arm across, wielding the lightning like a sword to cut him in two.

With his sword out of position, he did the only thing he could and blocked her wrist with the palm of his other hand, stopping her from slicing through. Pushing it up, he ducked in a way Yang had taught him, slipping under the attack and surging up inside her guard. Too close to swing his sword. Too close to even wield a knife. Instead, he brought his fist up under her jaw and felt the satisfying _crack_ of her teeth striking together.

Her attack cut off with a wink of light. Her eyes closed, but the wisps of fire were still visible from between her lashes and he chased those down, landing with a knee on her stomach, blowing the air out of her. Gripping Crocea Mors by the blade with both hands, he brought it up and down on her chest.

"No!"

Amber set off a blast of wind between them. The force of it lifted him up and slammed him into the ceiling. At the same time, launched so close, it blasted _her_ down into the floor, driving her into uncompromising stone.

Jaune landed beside her, sword sent skittering away. Winded, he still had the presence of mind to drag out a knife and roll on top of her, but the attack had harmed her less and she was able to lock her hand under his, holding it at bay. Her other came around, fire burning around it, but he slapped it aside with his left arm, burning himself but forcing it back.

He pushed that hand down over her face, trying to block her vision or snap her head back or just distract her so he could slip his knife around and under.

What he didn't expect was for his hand to glow blue, or for the sigil on the back to flare.

Amber gasped. Her eyes snapped open, body lurching as what looked like a ghostly spectre of herself slipped free of her body, drawn and connected to his hand as it drew back. It was as though there were two version of her face, one her natural one, eyes wide and struggling to breathe, and the other a pale blue outline that was being sucked out her body and into his hand.

The very air around them was freezing. Icicles crystallised on his face.

Her other hand came back around, planting against his chest and hurling him away with an explosion of wind. This time, he was less prepared and landed awkwardly, cursing as he rolled back up and onto his feet. The frost was crackling over his face and arm, originating from his still glowing, but slowly fading, hand.

Curiously, he curled and worked his fingers, marvelling at how _different_ they felt. Not bad, no painful, but different.

"Impossible," Amber rasped, standing. "Only a woman can inherit this power. It's not possible!"

Jaune glanced down at the dagger still in his hand. The light reflected off the flat of the blade as he brought it up and tilted it to mirror his face. Though hazy, the flames that burned in and around his eyes, flickering blue, were unmistakeable. A Maiden's fire.

"Well," he said. "That changes things."

* * *

 **Congrats, Jaune. The first male-Maiden. Now all you need is a Sailor Fuku and you can complete that hilarious crackfic Sailor Moon x RWBY crossover that College Fool and I once proposed. One where Jaune, Oobleck, Port and other characters end up with Sailor transformations and Ruby is Tuxedo Mask, crushing on the slightly manly, but still cool Sailor Moon (Jaune).**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 21st December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	88. Chapter 88

**So, the maiden power steal thing got some raised eyebrows, as expected. I'll just point out that a character in the canon show has** _ **already**_ **shown the ability to steal a maiden's power, and via the application of a hand toward the face.**

 **At least before Qrow appeared to interrupt Cinder doing so.**

 **And hey, if you go back and watch that scene, you may see that Cinder's hand had a strange marking on the back. Hint. Hint. Sigil. Hint. Basically, I took this from canon and we** _ **see**_ **the maiden's power being sapped out of her. You can literally watch the end of the Amber x Cinder fight and see it's the same, even with Cinder's eyes lighting up with maiden fire.**

 **The only reason I'm literally pointing that out here and not in the story is because Jaune never saw that fight (he only knows Cinder** _ **did**_ **ambush Amber last time, not how it went down) so he wouldn't be able to refer to it for the reader. As such, and with some people being confused and or upset about how this "breaks the lore" of the show, I felt the need to point out it doesn't. Well, at least it doesn't in my opinion. Sure, Jaune isn't a woman, but Cinder obviously wasn't stealing Amber's powers through the natural route, so why would the usual rules apply? They were already being broken right there.**

 **I'm kinda surprised no one called out the sigil before. Maybe they did and I missed it, but it's literally** _ **exactly**_ **what Cinder has on the back of** _ **her**_ **hand.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 88**

* * *

His eyes burned blue and wisps of smoke rose from his hand, the sigil burning hot and bright on the back. What felt like fire in the shape of electricity shot through his body, setting his nerve ends tingling. Something bubbled beneath the surface, a well of power he'd never experienced before, and given what just happened, it wasn't hard to figure out where that came from.

 _Does this make me a maiden?_

That was going to be awkward to explain to Raven and Winter.

Jaune and Amber stared at one another over the scant distance between them, a moment of shock tearing through their combat. The pause gave him a moment to ponder, though not to find any answers. He couldn't be the Fall Maiden. For one, he wasn't a woman, but even beyond that Amber was still alive, which meant he hadn't _inherited_ the power at all. You couldn't inherit from someone still in possession, and her eyes glowed with maiden fire.

This was no inheritance. It was theft.

Or was it…?

Ozpin had made the maidens. No one knew how and he hadn't told, only to say it was a decision he sometimes regretted and leave it at that. Another of his mistakes that came back to bite him. The act of making them had left him diminished, which implied he'd split his power among them. Granted it to them. Raw power of a, for lack of a batter term, magical type.

"That which was given can be taken away…"

"What…?" Amber tensed. He hadn't meant it as a threat to her, more an epiphany of sorts, but it did its job regardless. She stooped to pick up her staff and took a far more guarded stance. "You can't have it. The Maiden's power can only pass down to another woman. That rule is absolute."

That was true, but it wasn't _passing down_ , was it? In any normal situation, it would go to whomever she last thought of as she died, which might well have been Cinder or another of Salem's lieutenants, making killing her a risky proposition. But if there was a way to circumnavigate the rule of it being passed down, then why not the rule of being female as well?

 _Cinder became the Fall Maiden when she killed Pyrrha, but if Pyrrha knew it went to the last person she thought of, I bet she'd have thought of Nora or Ruby before she died._ Even at the end, he knew she'd have had the strength to do that and deny Cinder.

And yet it hadn't denied her. Cinder _took_ the power. Stole it.

Just like he had now. Or a fraction of it.

The question was, could he use it? His eyes were on fire and he felt… energised for lack of a better term. Tingly. Throwing a hand out yielded no explosion of wind or lightning, however. Then again, it hadn't for Pyrrha. Did he need to learn how to use it? _Could_ he use it? Even if he stole the Maiden's Power, it might still require a woman to _utilise_ it.

Amber lunged forward, unprepared to give him the time to figure it out.

"You can't have it!"

Her staff crashed into his sword and knocked him back a step. Spinning, she released with one hand and swept toward him, lightning crackling through the air. On a curious whim, he blocked it with his hand, the same one that had stolen her power.

His scream tore through the chamber, hand smoking as he staggered back with gritted teeth.

That hadn't worked. Shit. Stealing attacks out the air was a no-go. _Damn it. I should have practiced that with Emerald, not in combat. Idiot._ No ability to counter her powers or turn them against her. That could only mean one thing…

"You can't use it!" Amber roared victoriously, lashing out with another attack that he dodged away from, having learned his lesson. "You can steal it, but you can't use it! That power is useless to you!"

It was too early to tell if it was _completely_ useless, but right now it certainly was. Cutting left, he slammed one foot down, pivoted and sliced in toward her wrist, bending at the waist to let more lightning crackle by above, so close his hair stood on end. Crocea Mors caught her hand as she drew back, knocking her off balance.

Darting in, he lunged not with his sword, but his free hand – catching her exposed stomach with his fingertips.

"Ahhh!"

Another _pulling_ sensation. Another tug. Thin trails of pale golden light linked his fingers to her skin like sticky strands of syrup. His hand felt like it was on fire, like he'd had raw sugar pumped into his veins.

It only lasted a second before she pulled back and clutched her side, and there was no visible wound, but the proof was in the light glowing around his hand, the way the sigil – Salem's sigil – flared on the back.

He could absorb power.

Maiden power.

He'd shaken hands with huntsmen before, including Ozpin, without problems, so he couldn't steal Semblances or aura. It was keyed directly into the maidens – and maybe into Ozpin now that he thought about it. The sigil shone when he shook hands with him. _No power stealing. I'd be in trouble if that were the case._

Unless Ozpin's power was so diminished there was none left to take. It would make sense, especially since the power Amber threw around now technically _was_ Ozpin's. It also explained why Ozpin didn't just make more maidens or give Ruby the same power since he knew she could be trusted. There was none left to give.

"It may be useless to me," he admitted, "But it's not to you, is it? For someone whose relied on that power to solve all her problems, your skills as a huntress have waned." To be fair, the very nature of the power meant she had to inherit it early. Ren had once told him it should be seen as a boon that he'd not unlocked his own Semblance early, because the lack of it forced him to train and become well-rounded, whereas some people relied too heavily on their natural advantages. "Even if I'm not getting any stronger, you're getting weaker."

"What are you? Are you even human?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure anymore. I used to be." He stepped forward, sword in one hand, other outstretched. "But after she remade me, I'm not sure if I still count as that."

"Get back!"

Lightning exploded out, followed by howling gales that spread in every direction. Her panic made her reckless, but the maiden's power was still just that and he was hurled from his feet regardless. Slamming down, he slid back to the closest wall, holding an arm over his eyes to shield them from the hurricane force winds.

"It's mine!" Amber roared over it, lashing out in every direction. "My power. My responsibility. My burden!" Her voice cracked. "I didn't ask for this; I never asked for this. You won't kill me. I won't let you, Tyrian _or_ Salem kill me!"

And so, she joined with them. Damn it. It was just like Leonardo and even Raven the first time.

Pushing up, he steadied himself with one foot pushed back, straining to peer through the sharp wind so he could see any further attacks coming. Amber wasn't aiming now; she was throwing her power out everywhere just to keep him and his hands away. With the space confined, the wind bounced off the walls, streaming left and right and mingling, mixing and twisting into a confusing storm of varying currents.

His sword arm wavered, buffeted left and right. Even if he had his gun, there was no aiming through this. He couldn't even see her – he just knew where she was by judging where the wind came from. The eye of the tornado.

 _Amber isn't thinking straight. She's scared; lashing out in every direction._ Having her so-called power taken away must have left her feeling vulnerable in a way she hadn't for years. Without Cinder to show her just how much that was possible, she'd grown complacent.

Or maybe this was how she'd always been. He had to keep in mind he'd never truly known her and likely didn't now. Losing to Cinder the first time when Cinder didn't have the maiden's power must have also been due to complacency on Amber's part. Bow or not, she should have been able to buffet any arrows away with her power.

Crocea Mors clattered away, discarded and rattling across the floor, clanging into the back wall and sticking there as the wind took it. Holding his right hand over his face to shield his eyes, and with his left held forward to block the wind, Jaune trudged into the storm. His white coat billowed and whipped behind him, until he discarded that as well, tearing it off and letting it flutter away.

Once-upon-a-time she might have been an ally.

Not this time. People changed. They were shaped by their experiences, their past and the conflict they went through. Some might come out relatively similar; Yang, Nora and Ren. Others changed; Blake, Ruby and Emerald.

Maybe he'd been wrong entirely. Amber had only ever been a victim to him and Pyrrha. Some poor girl trapped in a tube, damaged and later killed by Cinder. He'd never known her, only pieced together a theory based on assumptions. There was a reason Amber walked around outside the Kingdoms and got ambushed in the first place. For all he knew, she might always have been like this.

He had to stop making foolish assumptions. Roman, Emerald and Raven were his greatest allies now, each of them a former enemy. Times changed. Life changed.

Fighting through the storm, Jaune pushed past the final barrier and into Amber's guard. Her eyes were wild, wide and afraid. Seeing him, she brought both hands down and summoned a crackling ball of lightning.

 _I came back to change the future._

The lightning shot forth.

 _But I guess her fate is going to be the same either way._

Roaring her name, he took the attack head-on, surging through as electricity crackled and sparked all over his body. Aura tanked, pouring off him in steam as it fought the lightning. Memorising her last position, he clenched his eyes shut and fought past the locking of his muscles. He charged up the steps, knowing she had no room to float up or away. Pushing off the last step, he vaulted onto the pedestal with the book, then jumped higher still.

They collided in the air, Amber unable to escape in the confined space. He bore her down, the two of them landing hard on the top step, her back cracking against it and then sliding down with him on top. Her mouth opened in a frantic gasp, only to be covered by his hand, gripping the left side of her face, sigil glowing on the back.

Jaune's eyes burned with blue fire.

"No!" Amber cried, struggling. "NO!"

He batted her hand away with his other, planted a knee between her legs and bore his weight down on her, making them slide down the steps to the floor. Up close and fully holding her face, the flow of power felt faster. More fluid. It _poured_ out of her like a bath with the plug pulled, ripping into him in a way that left him… full? Satiated? It was impossible to explain. He had been empty but now he wasn't, like a car having its dust reserve filled.

At the expense of hers. Amber's struggles became fitful, more than just maiden power drawn out. Her blows became weak, the wind she summoned a mere gale. It made his hair flap about but lacked the strength for anything more.

"Please," she begged, tears pouring from her eyes. "I don't want to die."

For joining Salem, she deserved death.

"I won't kill you," he grunted, pushing down harder. "I'll take this from you – you can't be trusted with it – but once that's gone, I'll let you slink away." He needed someone to deliver his message to Salem. It might as well be her.

"No," she wept, kicking frantically. "You're killing me! Stop, please!"

He pushed down onto her. "Stay still."

"No. No, no, no!" Amber's back arched, eyes opening wide.

Her face glowed golden – not just her eyes, but her skin and even her hair. It all glowed, becoming nothing more than an indistinct golden shape of a human being. A ragged howl escaped her, a scream that tapered off.

Amber, the Fall Maiden, turned to dust under him.

 _What…?_

Jaune fell through, onto the floor, eyes wide. He sat on all fours, no longer atop his opponent and with motes of golden light flittering helplessly past his face. Like embers. Embers on the wind. A tear ran down his cheek, over his open mouth and dripped onto the floor.

It was just as Ruby described it so long ago.

"Pyrrha…"

This was how Pyrrha died. How Cinder killed her. Not with an arrow through her chest, but by turning her to dust with the touch of her hand. Looking away, he scrunched his eyes shut as angry tears leaked forth. He'd thought he'd buried all that far away, but seeing it happen now. No. It happened to Amber, which meant it would never, could never, happen to the Pyrrha of this time.

Standing, he wiped his arm over his eyes, whispered a silent apology for the woman he'd killed, and made his way to the pedestal. The thick tome lay upon it, as untouched by the winds and the violence as anything within the community of Vault. His hands slammed down on either side of it.

"You'd better be worth all this."

/-/

If he were Tyrian, he'd be waiting outside to ambush him.

It was a fair bet assuming Amber had been filling Salem in on his location – and since he'd planned in advance to come with her, she may well have. Tyrian and Hazel waiting up top to either kill him when he came out tired, or enter once they were sure he was asleep, would be an easy way to deal with him. Taking one of them on was possible, but not both.

Rather than risk it, he waited in the chamber, sat on the pedestal, while his portable signal boosting kit worked its magic. It was a small civilian variant of the CCT, more often used for people travelling in the wild. There were mid-tier ones between this and the CCT used for villages on the outskirts. It took time, and dust, but it would eventually boost his signal to reach outward.

The braziers were lit once more. The room was empty, walls blown clean of dust by Amber's magic – and of the woman herself, naught but her armour and her staff remained. Even her clothes had disappeared with her, though he had no idea why.

"Magic. Don't question it…"

The book lay unopened. He didn't have the energy for it. Amber's death had been something that probably had to happen if she'd joined Cinder, but it hadn't been intentional. If he'd stabbed her or cut her head off, he would have been able to handle it better than this. Better than watching Pyrrha's death happen before his eyes.

It really was just as Ruby described it. Back then, he'd wondered if she made up the golden dust thing to soften the blow and save him having to hear a more painful fate. Not so, it seemed. Pyrrha, like Amber, had been turned to dust and blown away.

Why? How? What did it mean?

They'd never asked Ozpin. To be fair, there were so many other more immediate problems they'd had. Tyrian, Qrow, Atlas, Ironwood, Salem. Relics. Too much to think on.

He brought his hand up and stared at it. The sigil on the back was no longer glowing, nor was his hand itself. Turning it over, he cupped his fingers and tried to summon fire. When that failed, he imagined wind – then tried to _will_ it and final even sighed and said, "I cast fireball."

Nothing.

The power was there – he could feel it tingling away – but it didn't do anything. He couldn't even direct it around his body like he could aura. It refused to obey his commands, leaving him sat there with a scowl.

"I guess it really can only be used by a woman. That or Ozpin put some trick into it." That didn't seem likely though. Cinder had been able to use the power almost straight away, and while Ozpin said it was clumsy at first, she'd still been able to float almost straight after killing Amber. "Is it something Ozpin did to the power? Did he rewrite it so only a woman could use it?"

If so, it was useless to him. Or not useless – he could still hoard it and prevent it falling to Salem – but he couldn't wield it.

"Could I give it back to Ozpin?"

A more capable Ozpin in his ascendancy sounded promising.

His scroll beeped.

Pulling away from his thoughts, Jaune typed in a message and waited. There was no response, but then she probably wouldn't see the point. A few minutes later, a red tear opened in the air before him, rimmed with black. Raven didn't step through.

Jaune did, collecting his pack, his booster and the tome before gingerly stepping through the portal and into what he assumed was Mistral. More specifically, Raven's tent in the middle of her tribe somewhere in the ass-end of Mistral.

"I didn't realise I was playing chauffer today."

Raven was in the corner, stood with her sword drawn. Seeing he was through, she cut it through the portal and dismissed it, then sheathed the weapon, unclipped it from her belt and tossed it onto her bed. She was dressed in her combat gear, he noticed, which was odd given how late it was.

"Expecting trouble?"

"No. I have… work to do tonight."

"You're not raiding a village, are you?"

"I'm not." Raven rolled her eyes. "The tribe has supplies aplenty after the Schnee bribe for doing their work for them and not calling them out on it."

Winter had called it a reward for justice done against the White Fang, but Raven referred to it as a bribe, arguing that the money wasn't just for killing Sienna, but also to stay quiet and let the SDC take the praise. She wasn't wrong, but then she wouldn't have accepted it the other way anyway, so he didn't know what she was complaining about.

"It's nothing to concern yourself over," she continued. "Just someone who won't stop being a pain in my ass. It's easier I deal with them." Changing the subject, she said, "You say you killed the Fall Maiden. That was a bad idea. We'll have to find where her power went now…"

"Not quite."

Jaune tried to show it off. He managed to grit his teeth and clench his muscles, but his eyes wouldn't light up.

Raven cocked an eyebrow. "Do you need to take a shit or something?"

Giving up, he sighed and explained, "I stole the maiden's power."

"Impossible. You're a man." Her eyes slid down jokingly. "I think."

"You and your daughter are more alike than you think with that sense of humour." He saw her amusement die a grisly death. Her eyes narrowed. "Moving on." Bad topic, obviously. "It's something to do with this." He showed her the sigil. "I was able to draw out Amber's power when we were fighting. At the time, my eyes glowed with the same fire as hers. It… it ended up killing her. She turned to dust and floated away."

Raven hummed, no doubt thinking back over memories that weren't hers. "Like your girlfriend."

"Yeah." He swallowed and looked away. "I'm not sure how that works but I definitely stole it. It didn't pass onto someone else; I can still feel it inside me, but I can't use it. How do _you_ use it? Is there some trick to it?"

"Not really. The power is always struggling to burst free. I just direct it and push it out."

Not the same for him, then. There went his hopes of actually being able to fight like a maiden.

"What I don't understand is how this never came up before," she said. "You've touched me with that hand and there wasn't any effect on my power. I'm sure you must have shaken her hand before as well. What changed?"

"I don't know." He reached out for Raven and she hopped back. "I'll only do it for a second."

"You think I'm going to let you turn me to fairy dust?"

"Fairy…?"

Raven's face burned bright red. Tearing her eyes away, she grimaced and held out her hand. "Forget I said that. Don't ever comment on it. Just… do the thing. But if you kill me, I swear on my tribe, I'll be coming back to haunt you."

With Amber, it had been a gradual process so he was sure that wouldn't happen. If it started, he could pull away. Reaching out, he gingerly touched the fingers of his left hand to Raven's. They were warm and callused, hard from years of combat and with the nails filed low. They definitely weren't soft or feminine.

"Well?" she snapped. "I don't feel anything."

"That's because it's not happening." He held her hand a little more firmly. Still nothing. "Maybe it only comes on in combat, or maybe it's intent or emotion based. Whatever I did to Hazel happened when I was angry. I see you as an ally, so I guess it doesn't work."

"That's a good thing. You don't want to be absorbing people whenever you touch them."

He let go of her. "True."

"Then now what? You have the maiden power but it's useless to you. Are you going to act as a safe?" She shrugged. "It might work, but Salem is already determined to find you, so I don't think it'll change her plans any. You might be able to open the Relic doors, though."

He hadn't considered that. Sadly, the Fall Maiden was worthless for that because Ozpin hadn't kept the Relic sealed away. Neither did Ironwood, using it to keep Atlas floating. So much for the hiding Relics behind maiden-sealed Vaults thing. That obviously didn't last.

"Or," Raven said, "Are you going to choose the next Maiden?"

"Choose?"

"You took the power away. You're basically the Wizard in that old tale now, except you can't use it for shit since it only works for women. So, are you going to do as Ozpin did and put that on someone? And if so, who?"

Pick, or create, the next Fall Maiden?

He hadn't considered that. Could he? Maybe. There'd be no knowing without trying and he obviously couldn't ask Ozpin. _If I could remove it, it would make sense for me to be able to put it back as well. I could pick the Fall Maiden. Make sure it's someone on our side._

In doing so, he'd become even more like Ozpin, especially if he tried to make sure it was someone loyal to him. Emerald, for instance. There was no one of age and gender he could trust more than her, but did she want this kind of responsibility?

If he asked, she'd say yes – but only because he asked.

"I… I don't know."

So many names flashed through his head. Ruby, Yang, Pyrrha, Weiss, Winter, Vernal, Nora – Ozpin already assumed she was a maiden, so why not make it so? Any of them could be trusted to stay on their side. Blake would be the wildcard and someone not safe to put it on.

But if he gave them that power, they'd become targets.

Emerald was already a target anyway by association with him. Did that nullify the risk? Not really. It just meant Salem could get a two-for-one if she sent Tyrian out after her again. Wouldn't it be better for the maiden to be someone hidden?

They had to be able to defend themselves, though…

"I wish Summer was younger…"

Raven snorted. "That would be the easy answer, wouldn't it? There's always Winter. She knows the truth, is of age and would be loyal to you. Of course, she's also a public figure so a single slip of her power would have the world asking questions."

Yeah. Winter wasn't a good pick.

"Think on it," she said. "There's no need to make that choice now. Be careful not to become Ozpin, though. He entrusted it to human spirit and goodness – typical of him – and you saw how that turned out. It must be someone strong. Someone who can protect herself."

"Or someone we can protect."

"Or that, but such a person would not grow up to be strong."

"Raven, is now the time for your silly philosophy?"

"Now is the _exact_ time, Jaune. Unless you want someone walking along and _murdering_ whoever you pick, then you'll put some thought into how strong they can be. Power alone isn't everything. Will, technique, skill, versatility. Cinder, Emerald and Mercury were able to kill Amber. Tyrian, Watts and Hazel would have little difficulty killing Emerald, Ruby or Yang if they caught them alone." Raven stabbed her finger into his chest. "Choose wisely."

"You sound like you have a suggestion…"

"I do. Vernal. She is strong, willing to improve and refuses to let anyone stop her getting stronger. She's also in Beacon, so safe for now, and more importantly, I have a bond to her. I could sense and open a portal to her if she were in danger."

The portal was a good point – especially if Raven picked him up en route. They could reinforce the maiden were she ever under attack. And find her if she decided to pull an Amber and go AWOL. That said, Vernal wasn't the only candidate who Raven could open a portal to.

"I'll consider it. Do you mind if I borrow a tent for tonight?"

"There's a sleeping bag in the corner. Take some cushions and make yourself a bed. Touch mine and we'll be having words." Raven walked to her own and picked up her sword once more. He didn't question being allowed to sleep in her tent. He knew she didn't care about things like that. "I'll be taking care of my other business. You stay here. If nothing else, you'll be a convenient waypoint back."

"I'll try reading this thing." He hefted the tome. "Got any food?"

"Yes." Raven opened a portal and smirked. "In my stomach. Raid my stuff and die."

Stepping through, Raven closed the portal behind her. Jaune counted to ten, stood and immediately started raiding her food supply. Her fault for taking her eyes off him. _I wonder where she's going in such a rush, though. I didn't think she had all that much a life outside the tribe._

/-/

"Jaune. Can I have a word with you?"

Jumping, Jaune looked nervously behind him, seeing Mrs Summer Rose, Yang's mom, standing in the corridor. It was late at night, the lights were all off and the training rooms were closed. By all accounts, he shouldn't be out. "Um. Am I in trouble?"

"Not at all." Her smile reminded him of Yang, and he relaxed a little. "Beacon doesn't enforce a curfew, so there's nothing wrong with being out after dark unless I find you doing something untoward. You weren't about to, were you?"

"No! Of course not. I was going to train." He hefted Crocea Mors.

"That's fine then. I actually wanted to talk to you a little about that." Mrs Rose looked about and, seeing they were alone, said, "We can talk here. No need to come to my office or anything. I just wanted to ask a little about you. I know you didn't study at a prep-school before Beacon, yet you're able to fight at the same level as your peers."

His team would say otherwise. He couldn't hold his own against any of them. The fact they were some of the strongest in the year didn't take away from that. He'd been taught that if someone was stronger than you, that meant you were weak. It didn't look like Mrs Rose wanted to hear that though, so he just nodded.

"Ozpin told me your father didn't have a hand in training you either."

"He did a little," Jaune said defensively. "He was busy on hunts."

"Oh, I didn't mean anything bad about it. It's just…" Mrs Rose trailed off. She looked a little nervous. "The way you fight. It reminds me of someone. Reminds me a lot of them. It's not perfect, but it's a distinctive style and you try and do the same things sometimes."

"Is it wrong?"

"No. No. It's just I was curious is all. Where did you learn it? Who taught you?"

"I'm… not supposed to say…" Raven had been explicit on that, making it especially clear that once he was at Beacon, he wasn't to even mention her.

" _It will only cause you trouble. We're done now, brat. I trained you. You're in Beacon. From now on, forget I ever existed and live your life however you want to."_ After saying which, she'd booted him through a portal into the middle of Beacon and disappeared from his life.

"You can't say?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs Rose." And he was. The look on her face was awful. "B-But the headmaster knows," he said. It was against the spirit of his instructions, but he couldn't leave Yang's mom looking like that. "You could ask him."

"He does?"

"Yes."

"Alright." Mrs Rose smiled and stepped back. It didn't quite reach her eyes – there was something there, something sharp as she looked at him. He'd almost have said she disliked him right there, but that didn't feel right. More like she was questioning why, or angry at someone else and directing it his way. "I won't keep you any longer, Jaune. Go and enjoy your training, but don't take it too hard or you'll pull a muscle. Glynda won't give you any mercy if you turn up to class exhausted."

"Yes Mrs Rose. Thank you, Mrs Rose."

Jaune fled the moment she let him, shaking off the guilty feeling inside. Mrs Rose was his favourite teacher, though that went without saying since she was _everyone's_ favourite. Recent enough a huntress to have incredible analogies and stories, friendly in a way Miss Goodwitch wasn't and understanding when it came to homework. It helped that her lessons were some of the more fun ones too, focusing on practical huntsman stuff like camping, mission briefings and team tactics. There was a lot less theory work than Oobleck's class and a lot less boredom than Port's.

 _I wonder if she knows Raven. Heh. I wonder if I have the guts to ask…_

Not right now. Jaune sprinted up the steps to the roof, pushed the door open and looked around.

His smile died a moment later. The rooftop was empty, cold and barren. He deflated, hands falling down at his side as all the air blew from his lungs in a heavy sigh. He'd really thought she'd come if he asked hard enough. He really thought she might-

"You look pathetic. Tch. As usual."

His heart leapt into his throat. He twisted around, taking her in at the corner of the roof. The words bubbled out before he could stop them. "You came!"

"I said I would, didn't I?" Raven scowled, arms crossed under her breasts. As annoyed as she ever was and with red eyes that pierced right through him. "And I'm only here because you're a whiny little shit who wouldn't stop bothering me. Wipe that smile off your face before I beat it off."

He couldn't, even if she knew she was deadly serious.

She was here! She'd come! Jaune rushed forward with his arms outstretched.

A fist caught him under his jaw, launching him back and up. He slammed down hard, dizzy and somehow still euphoric.

"Don't get any ideas!" Raven yelled. "I told you we were done. I told you once your training was over, there'd be nothing more. You're at Beacon. That's all I had in mind. You weren't supposed to stay in touch, let alone be a demanding little twat."

Despite the names, Jaune smiled, pushing himself up and looking at her. "My training isn't over!"

"What?"

"My training," he said, standing. "You said you'd be done with me once my training is over, but how can it be done if I can't even beat you? I have to get stronger, right? I have to be strong."

"Tch. Don't sweet talk me…"

"I'm getting stronger, but not strong enough." He drew his sword, seeing the light in her eyes as she did the same. As always, the promise of a fight had Raven interested. He'd known it would. And maybe his motives weren't quite as honest as he was saying.

He didn't care all that much about getting strong.

"Keep training me," he pleaded. "Help me become stronger."

"Whiny brat…" Raven mumbled something under her breath, more insults probably, but she didn't leave. She could have. A portal out and she'd be gone, or she could use her magic to summon wind and blow him off the roof. So many ways she could be rid of him if she really wanted to. "Alright," she growled. "But I'm not going easy on you!"

Yes! Yes, yes, yes!

"I won't ask you to. I'm strong."

"Yeah?" Raven aimed her sword at him. "You'd best be ready to back those words up, cuz I'm going to beat you until you can't type any more texts. And don't expect me to carry your carcass back to your dorm either. You pass out, you sleep up here."

Nodding, Jaune charged in.

* * *

 **So sadly no, Jaune isn't actually becoming a maiden. I joked about it in the end message but didn't expect people to take my "sailor moon crossover" comment as anything other than the jest it was. College Fool and I did talk about that, but it was more us throwing around cracky ideas for fun.**

 **One or two people in my PMs seemed to take that seriously – and had some very strong thoughts on me daring to "muddy Jaune's gender" whatever that's supposed to mean. I'll admit, after being told that I was almost tempted to about-face and absolutely make Jaune the Fall Maiden, just to annoy them.**

 **I stuck to my plan in the end. Jaune can "take" the power, but it's not his and thus not his to wield or use. Ozpin made it as a very specific tool, and Jaune lacks the knowledge, resources and more to toy with that. He is, at best, a battery. He can store it and transfer it.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 4** **th** **January (Two Weeks)**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	89. Chapter 89

**Happy new year and all that good stuff**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 89**

* * *

Raven flicked her sword to the side, shedding just a little blood that had started to pool on it from where the brat's aura failed him. He clutched his shoulder, favouring one arm with a face flushed red with exertion. Gasping for breath, he looked up at her not with anger or pain, but some desperate hope. Expectation. It was embarrassing to so much as look at, especially since she knew what he was waiting for. Praise. What did he think she was? His mother? She wasn't one to throw happy words about to make someone feel better.

Jaune stared harder. His lip wobbled.

"Better," she grunted, looking away and refusing to acknowledge the heat rising up her own face. Stupid brat. "You've improved, for a pathetic waste of my time." Sheathing her sword, she indicated the end of the spar and let him do the same. "You continued after your aura failed. Why?" Her eyes narrowed. "To impress me?"

"Because an enemy won't stop just because my aura drops. Better I learn to fight without it now, right?"

"Hmm." Raven nodded. "That's good thinking. Maybe you're not as much as an idiot as I first thought. Don't let that get to your head. They teach the baby kind of fighting here, the style that ends when aura enters the yellow." She spat to the side. "Pathetic. That said, act out too much and people will get suspicious."

"I've already had people ask about you," he admitted.

"I'm not surprised. Who?"

"There was Vernal…"

"Why am I not surprised?" Sighing, Raven cupped her face. It'd been a while since she'd seen the girl but that wasn't uncommon. The tribe didn't coddle its young and so long as she was alive and growing stronger, what did it matter if she never made an appearance. Such wasn't bad parenting or leadership. She was giving Vernal room to grow, and it spoke well of her that she didn't need the help. "And let me guess, you just admitted to being trained by me. I'm sure that went down well with her."

"I said it without thinking."

"And after I specifically told you to keep word of my involvement limited."

"I remembered later! Mrs Rose was also asking about you."

Raven flinched at the name and instinctively engaged her Semblance. Summer was close by, but not dangerously so – more `somewhere below and in the building`. The memory of their last meeting hadn't faded, or the slap she'd received. The ultimatum. What she'd left, she'd been removed from. Summer had taken more than just Taiyang; she'd stepped in and taken everything Raven left behind, and now there was no room for her. _That's fine. It's just how I wanted it._

"She seemed upset about it…"

"That's our business and none of yours, brat. Just remember to stay quiet on me."

"Do you know her?"

"What part of `our business` do you not understand? Being trained by me doesn't give you the right to poke your nose in my business. You're just like him…" His older self. The other Jaune that she found herself both amused and vexed by at times. Idiocy was a part of his blood, it seemed. As different as the two Jaunes may have been, they were both still morons. "Just leave it. Focus on your studies, get strong and don't take shit from no one."

"Alright. I-"

The doorway leading up to the roof clicked, the latch opening. Jaune turned to look with curiosity, not at all concerned about being found on the roof. The same couldn't be said for her. Cursing, Raven looked left and right, one hand on the hilt of her weapon as she made to open a portal and escape. That would take time, however. Time, she didn't have.

 _Fuck. Not like this…_

/-/

Yang pushed up and out onto the roof, looking around as the cold air buffeted her hair and made her shiver. It was late and chilly, but not quite as horrible as she'd have imagined on the rooftop. It didn't take long to spot her missing teammate. He was sagging slightly, exhausted and covered with sweat after what looked like an extreme workout. That wasn't the most curious thing about him, however.

He had a little bird on his shoulder.

"Hey Yang." Despite how tired he looked, he still managed a friendly smile and a greeting. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask the same of you but I've a feeling I'd know. Training?" When he nodded, she made her way over and crossed her arms, fixing him with a glare that was more teasing than upset. "You know, you can ask for help when you want to train. Or a spar. You don't need to come up here alone and work yourself to the bone."

"Hah. Sorry."

"Although, I was sure I heard you talking before I came up…"

"I was talking to…" He looked to the bird on his shoulder, which stared back at him. "M-My bird," he finished. "Miss Raven."

"Miss Raven?" Yang snorted. "Original naming there. And hello to you, Miss Raven. How are you today?" Miss Raven reared up, the feathers on his chest puffing out angrily. "She doesn't look all that friendly."

"Oh, she is," he said, ignoring the way the bird's head whipped to him. "She tries to make it seem otherwise and tries to be surly and nasty, but I know she has a heart of gold deep inside. Even when she's being mean, I know she really does care about – OH GOD, SHE'S GOT MY EAR! OW! OW! SHARP BEAK! SHARP BEAK!"

Jaune fell to his knees and started trying to pull the tiny thing off, which only stretched his ear further. He wept hysterically, pulling and tugging until Yang took pity on him – or the bird – and knelt to gently pry it off. He clutched his ear and glared balefully at the ruffled bundle of feathers Yang now held to her chest. The thing huffed and prodded her fingers with its beak but didn't bite her as it did Jaune.

"I think you offended her," she teased. "A proud woman like this isn't going to take that kind of mockery. You should know better." Rubbing her hand over the thing's head, she was careful not to squeeze too hard. "I didn't hunt you halfway across Beacon to talk about birds, though."

"You were looking for me?"

"No. I just spontaneously checked every rooftop for fun." Yang rolled her eyes and almost felt like Miss Raven was doing the same thing. "Of course I was looking for you. I thought we should talk. Have a little discussion."

He leaned away. "Are you going to ask where I got my training?"

"Uh. No. I don't really care about that."

"Oh." He relaxed. "Then fire away. What's up?"

"I wanted to talk about Emerald."

"I haven't done anything to annoy her. I promise."

Oh, Em. Yang sighed in her head and hooped an arm around the skittish boy's shoulder before he could pull away. Two blondes on a rooftop sharing skin might have gotten the gossips back in Signal excited, but she'd always been touchy, and it was nothing compared to what she was like with Emerald. Speaking of. Ugh. She'd known the way her best friend treated him was unfair, but this was ridiculous.

"You've not done anything wrong. I wanted to apologise for her, then figured that wouldn't mean much if it's not her doing it. Instead, I thought I might explain a little. You know, help you understand why she's doing what she's doing and how it's not your fault."

Jaune sighed and looked the other way. "I'd rather wait to hear it from her. No offence."

"Yeah, see, that's a nice thought, but this is Emerald we're talking about." Yang poked his shoulder, the wounded one, making him wince. "You'd be waiting til the day you die, and she wouldn't even be withholding it because she means to. That's just how she is. Unless you make something abundantly clear to her, she's not going to catch on."

"You make her sound like an idiot."

"Ehhh…" She made a so-so gesture with one hand. "I'm not saying she is, but let's just say I'm not saying she isn't. Em is many things, my best friend among them, but a `people person` she is not. You're not going to get anything from her unless you confront her."

"Should I?"

"You could, or you could let the incredibly gorgeous woman next to you explain." Yang poked her face into his and watched as he looked away. "Is that a blush? I think it isss! Oh, you _can_ smile. How adorable." He grumbled something and pushed her away, face a bright shade of red. "So, which will it be, hero? Brave the socially inept Emerald Ashari or listen to me?"

"As long as it's nothing that gets me in trouble. I don't want to know anything I shouldn't."

Yang rolled her eyes again. It was a nice thought and sweet of him, but she was Emerald's best friend. Did he really think she was going to start revealing secrets he wasn't meant to know about? "No worries there. So, you know a little about her past. How she was adopted."

"Yeah. I was filled in."

"Well, it turns out that you just happen to share a lot of physical similarities with her adoptive father."

He'd heard. "Including a name, I hear. Kind of a big coincidence."

"Ha ha. Not just a name. A jaw, a nose, lips, face, forehead and hair." Yang poked over his face, watching it scrunch up as he tried in futile to escape her. The bird that had been doing the same was still now, either resigned or use to her hold. "I'm not kidding when I say the two of you could be cousins. Or brothers."

"Really?" He turned to her, surprised. "It's that close?"

Fishing out her scroll, she showed him an image of Jaune Ashari. It was one where he was posed with her, Summer, Ruby and Emerald on a shopping trip. He had three bags in hand, shopping for all of them he'd agreed to carry. Emerald was paying no attention to the camera, eagerly munching on candy floss. Either way, it gave a good enough picture of the older man's face.

"Imagine him without the beard and with shorter hair-"

"He looks just like dad!"

From their point of view, they'd have said he looked just like Jaune, but maybe it wasn't easy for him to say that. People often said she looked like Raven, but since the closest she'd ever seen was a single image of her with Team STRQ, Yang couldn't see it. You didn't get to see your own face in the same detail everyone else did after all. In the end, it didn't matter. It wasn't like they were saying Jaune and Jaune were the same person.

"Similar enough to be related, right? Well, it's not my story to tell but `Ashari` is a name he took – not the one he was born with. As far as Emerald knows, Jaune Ashari was forced to abandon his first name."

Jaune's mouth fell open. "You think it might be Arc!?"

"Is that crazy…?"

"I… well… no." He took her scroll after waiting for permission and zoomed in further. "He really does look just like dad. The beard is different and so is the hair, and a scar here and there, but if I saw them from a distance, I might mistake them. I don't know of any other family we have though."

"He's about thirty-five, I think. He'd be before your time."

"Dad never mentioned having a brother – but I've never met my grandparents either. In fact, Dad never says anything about his family before us. Whenever me or one of my sisters would ask, he'd just say something about how they `weren't around` anymore. I always assumed that meant they died."

To be fair, it probably did. "Distant family, then. You may not even know about him and maybe your father doesn't either. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that Em doesn't know what to make of you because she's trying to figure stuff out."

"Does she think I'm related to her?"

"Not so much. More that she thinks her old man might have been cast out the family."

Jaune winced. "Ah. And then I have the same name as him. I can see why that might be an issue. It's not, though. Dad would never kick someone out the family. He's always going on about how it's family first, everyone else second."

"It's cool." Taking her scroll back, she stashed it away. "I didn't think it was you that was the problem anyway. I'm just explaining why Em has been acting weird around you. It's not fair, I know, but she's not the best at handling this kind of thing. I don't think she hates you – she's just unsure of how to handle you and her default setting is bitchy." He snickered and Yang smiled, pleased she'd defused the tension. "I think she's already warming up to you."

"Really? She's been worse than ever the last few days."

"Exactly. Em's warming up to you and that annoys her because she thinks she's supposed to not be, so she's over-compensating by being worse." It was such an Em thing to do, just like when the two of them would fight tooth and nail over the silliest stuff. "You're on the right path. I just wanted to let you know."

Jaune looked relieved. "Thanks."

"In the meantime, I thought I'd offer my own apology."

"What for?"

"For leaving you high and dry when I should have stepped in. I know Sun did – he's awesome like that – but I should have tried to make things right. Sorry. New to this whole leader thing and it's easier to not rock the boat sometimes, you know?"

"Yeah." He relaxed further, shooting her a shy smile. "I know. Happens with my sisters all the time."

"Yeah. So. Sorry…"

"Apology accepted."

"Cool." Yang held out the bird for him to take and stood up once he had, dusting her legs down. "I'll leave you be, then. Just wanted to sort things out and not feel so guilty about it. If you ever want to talk, I'm free. I really do want the team to work out."

He nodded.

"And if you want a sparring partner, hit me up," she said. "No need to come up here alone when I'd be happy to knock your block around for a few."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Yang. For everything. You're a good team leader."

Ha. Smooth talker. With a parting wave, Yang made her way to the staircase and down, sparing one final look for the bird on his shoulder, which continued to watch her with piercing red eyes. Cute little thing, but vicious and just a little creepy. She wondered why Jaune never had it in class or introduced it before.

/-/

The portal opened once again in Raven's tent. Jaune looked up from the food and drink he'd purloined and laid out on a fold-out table he'd found in the back of her tent. Raven stumbled through, a little sweatier but none the worse for wear. At least physically. She took one look at him and the supplies he'd stolen from her, stalked forward, picked up a flask of booze and downed it in one long swig.

"Busy?" he asked.

"I don't want to talk about it. Also, I thought I told you not to raid my stuff."

"You did." He munched purposefully on some beef jerky.

"Bastard," she hissed, flopping down opposite him. Her sword was unclipped and laid beside her, her red and black outfit fanning out as she pushed her legs under the table and sagged back onto the bed behind her, resting her head and shoulders on it. "I don't know why I do this."

"Act a bitch?"

"Fuck you. Why I bother helping people, I mean."

"Since when do you help people?"

"Fuck you a second time." Downing her drink, she slammed the bottle down. "Maiden. Who are you giving it to?"

"I told you I'm not sure."

"Winter or Vernal. Easy choice."

"Winter isn't so easy when you think how public she is. It's not just Salem finding out – Winter is already a target for her – it's Ozpin. One lapse of control on public television and Winter is exposed. Do you think Ozpin would ignore that?"

"Vernal, then. She's strong."

"And under Cinder's eye. It would be too easy to kill her."

"Assuming Cinder is with Salem this time," Raven pointed out. "You don't know that she is."

"I don't know that she isn't. It's too much risk. I want it to be someone we can trust completely, but someone who will be strong enough to defend themselves. I'm still considering Emerald, but if that happens then I might as well paint a target on my chest." He sighed. "Maybe Yang? She's loyal, skilled and I can keep an eye on her."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so," Raven snarled. "You will not be putting that power on my daughter."

"Last I checked, she wasn't your daughter."

"You know what I mean!" Raven _smashed_ the bottle down, shattering it on the table's edge. Shards flew in every direction, several past her blazing eyes that promised an escalation far beyond broken glass.

Jaune picked his words carefully. "I didn't think you'd be bothered…"

"You thought wrong." Leaning back, she tossed the neck of the bottle away, letting it smash in a corner of the tent. "Don't push me. Your brat, the Schnee or even the younger one if you want to. Or do you think Summer will sit by and let you place that burden on either of _her_ children?"

 _Summer isn't the only one willing to step in it seems._ Still, she wasn't wrong. While Yang could be a good maiden candidate, there was Summer to contend with. He looked away, conceding the point and raising his bottle in toast to acknowledge it. "Maybe this is a better discussion for another day," he said diplomatically. "Doesn't look like either of us is in the mood."

"You can't just ignore-" Raven bit off, scowled and then slammed her hand down. "Fuck it. You're right. Another day." Fishing out a new bottle, she held it out, clinking it against his. "The Fall Maiden is dead, and the power didn't go to Salem _or_ Ozpin. That's reason enough to celebrate in my books. No Tyrian or Hazel either."

Not that they saw. He was certain one or both of them had been waiting outside the temple to either reinforce Amber or finish the job if she failed. It would have been too easy an ambush not to take. Raven's Semblance really was too convenient at times. He wondered if they'd spend the whole night waiting or finally go inside to try and find him for themselves.

"I hope the spider Grimm eat them alive."

Raven cackled. "I'll drink to that. Cheers!"

/-/

Morning came with a hangover, a sore back and muttered complaints about being made to sleep on the floor when Raven had a bed easily big enough for two. "But Jaune," she mocked. "You're an engaged man. I could never do that."

Breakfast was brought by a camp attendant, who didn't look too surprised or bothered to see Raven wasn't alone. Crispy bacon, fried egg and hard bread that had just begin to turn stale. It wasn't the best he'd ever eaten, but the sheer fat content helped smother his headache and the water was fresh from a nearby river.

It was after breakfast that the common outside began. Shouting at first, then the sound of someone being thrown into a tent and numerous yells. Raven's eyes narrowed and she stalked to the entrance, waving for him to stay still as she looked outside. She drew back in a moment later, face pale. "Damn it. You need to hide."

"What? Who is-?"

"Qrow. And on Ozpin's orders no doubt." Raven pushed him up and looked about the tent, then cursed and nudged him to the bed. "Under the covers. Don't move and let me do the talking." Sliding him under, she pulled the blankets up and over his head, then sat on the mattress next to him, loosened her top somewhat and laid back with a satisfied smile.

Under the blanket, Jaune held his breath and tried not to move.

"Raven!" Qrow burst into the tent with tribesmen behind him shouting and weapons drawn.

"Enough!" Raven barked. "All of you back to your posts. If none of you can stop the traitor approaching at will, save yourself and me the effort by not bothering at all. Roland. Ensure we're not disturbed."

Most of the people left. Roland nodded. "Shall I bring food?"

"No. I'm sure Qrow would never accept fare from a bunch of killers and thieves like us." Her snort made her opinion clear. "Leave us." The tent flap closed again. Through the sheets, he could just make out Qrow's figure silhouetted against the light from outside. "What are you doing here, Qrow? I doubt you came all this way to exchange pleasantries."

Qrow shifted. "Not going to dismiss him?"

Raven chuckled. "He's tired." She reached back and petted the bundle, hitting his shoulder. "Not everyone can keep up with me and I'm not so cruel as to turf him out of bed. Good service should be rewarded. Don't you agree?"

"Spreading your legs for some random man…"

"Don't belittle me, Qrow. Who I choose to spend my time with is my decision and mine alone. Stop wasting my time and tell me why you're here, or family or not, I shall kick you out myself."

"Amber is dead."

Jaune swore under the blankets.

"Who?" Raven asked, feigning ignorance.

"Amber. The Fall Maiden. You know who she is."

"Ah. That one." Raven shrugged, leaning back over his body. "I know _of_ her, but I hardly knew her. I don't think we even met. Last I recall, I'd already left Ozpin's employ before she took the power." Scoffing, she added, "Or are you suggesting I'm the one who killed her?"

"No. We know you wouldn't have had a portal to her. She was killed sometime last night. Ozpin felt it."

 _He felt it...? How? Could he always do that?_ Jaune wished he could ask questions, but the only thing he could do was try not to make a sound and peer through the thin material. It was hard to make out details, but Qrow looked… haggard, he supposed. He must have been flying all over to try and find Amber. Without a body being left behind, he wasn't sure how they'd known at all. Let alone confirmed it so quickly. Magic on Ozpin's part no doubt.

"Then why come here?" Raven asked. "Did she die nearby?"

"In Vale."

"Even less reason for me to be involved."

"You're not under suspicion, Ray-"

"That's nice."

"But Salem is on the move. Amber's death is proof of that and we have no idea where the power has gone. Amber didn't keep many friends, especially not after earning the power. Things are coming to a head, Raven. You have to realise that."

"I'm not blind. I've fought them."

"I know." Qrow sounded… odd. Hopeful. "The boy and girl you brought back are fine by the way. They've settled into Beacon well from what Ozpin tells me. They've made a couple of friends and are on a team with-"

"Qrow. I really couldn't care less about them. I saved and brought them to you. They're not my responsibility anymore. Get to the point."

"That's just it, Ray. They were _never_ your responsibility. You went out your way to find and rescue them, then get the Spring Maiden to Beacon where she would be safe." He was still under the impression Nora was that. "You may say you're not involved in this war, but you involved yourself at a time when we needed you."

Raven hummed dangerously.

"Ozpin wants you back, Raven. He wants to talk."

"Tell Ozpin that if he wants to talk, he can reach me by bending over, sticking his head up his own arse and speaking in tongue!" She pushed off the bed and stormed forward, jabbing her finger into Qrow's chest. He didn't let her drive him back and they stood face to face, so close their chests touched. "You may be content being his pawn," she hissed, "But I am no one's tool. I am no mere piece on a board, and I won't be sacrificed because it benefits the bigger picture."

Qrow growled back, "He's not like that."

"You know nothing, Qrow. You have no idea just how much he will sacrifice for victory."

"And you do!?"

"Yes!" she roared, pushing away. "I know what he's capable of!"

 _My memories. Raven saw them thanks to Jinn. If she wasn't sure before, she is now._ Like him, she couldn't accept the degree to which Ozpin would go. _I couldn't accept losing my friends and she won't accept losing her own life._

Jaune wondered which of them came out the more selfish.

"What I do, I do for my own ends. Tell Ozpin that. I'm not his pawn, his bishop, his queen or anything else. I'm done with all of that."

"And if Salem should march on us? We've already had a White Fang attack in Vale this week."

 _What? Impossible. They're destroyed and Adam is in Menagerie._

"If she marches on you, it's because you've fucked something up." Raven sat on the bed again, slamming a hand down into his kidney without realising it. Jaune huffed and curled up painfully. "And I already did your dirty business helping take _them_ out, so if they're back and causing problems, that's not mine to deal with. I'll fight, Qrow. I live in this world, so I'm screwed as well if it comes to an end, but I'll fight for me. Not you, and certainly not Ozpin."

"I know that. You're no idiot. Fight with us, Ray. Let Team STRQ mean something once more…"

Raven punched the bed again. Or him. He groaned. "Damn it, Qrow! No means no!"

"Ray…"

"Fuck off!" She grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him. "I don't know anything about the Fall Maiden, and I don't want to. If she died in Vale, look a little closer to home. You know those who work for Salem just as much as I do. Get the fuck out my tent and hunt them down."

"We're trying. Tyrian was witnesses in a nearby village to Amber's last known location."

 _I knew it. They were preparing an ambush._

"Then you have your killer," she said, "And your lead. Go deal with them and leave me in peace."

Qrow turned away with a heavy sigh, hesitating by the entrance as though he wanted to say more. In the end, he didn't. With a final shake of his head, he pushed out and away. The sound of a bird cawing as it flew into the morning sky reached their ears.

Raven leaning back and cursing one final time, punching down on the bed – on him – again.

"Ow. Do you mind?"

"Oh, don't be a baby." Hauling the covers away, she used one foot to force him off her bed. "You've caused me more than enough trouble to deserve it. If it's not bad enough being a target of my own, I now have Ozpin paying attention."

Jaune rolled onto his feet and away, cracking his neck. "You said no."

"I preferred it back when they'd given up on me. Ozpin doesn't take `no` for an answer. Qrow will be back." Her lips dragged down. "And he might not be alone next time." Growling, she pinched the bridge of her nose, sinking her head down into her hand. "Fuck."

Ozpin was becoming desperate. Jaune hadn't expected Amber's death to reach him so quickly and killing her obviously hadn't been the plan. Qrow's appearance also put a damper on his plan to get a portal back to Vale. Everyone it might be to was either in Ozpin's pocket or sure to react negatively to his and Raven's sudden appearance. Vernal might be witnessed by Cinder. Jaune by Yang or Summer. Ruby and Yang were out, and Ozpin, Qrow, Taiyang and Summer were as well.

 _Considering Qrow was just here, I can't appear in Vale by one of her portals or they'll know something is up._

"Guess I'm taking the long way home."

"Hm." Raven agreed with a nod. "Make it official and have records showing you flew or sailed from Mistral. It'll keep Ozpin from suspecting anything. We're not too far from Mistral. Maybe a day out from Haven at most."

Haven, huh? Well, it was worth a quick visit if he had to pass by it anyway. There wasn't much he had to do in the area but popping up under mysterious circumstances straight after Amber's death wasn't a good idea. It'd only take a day or two and there was no rush to be home. More time to think on the maiden's power and who might be the best fit.

"I'll head out soon. Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Raven said. He wasn't sure he believed her. "I'll feel if Taiyang or Summer approach, and I'm not above flying away if I have to."

"Or you could talk to them. Work things out…"

"It's none of your business."

"No. I suppose it's not."

/-/

"I'm a huntress now. This was supposed to stop."

"It was," Helena agreed. "And I thought it would. We both know what your father is like, however."

"I won't do it."

"Pyrrha…"

"No." Rounding on her sister, Pyrrha swept a hand in front of her. "You promised me this would be the end of it. You promised that if I joined Haven, I wouldn't have to compete anymore unless I wanted to."

"I did promise that, and you know I hate this as much as you do. He assured me you'd be left to your own devices." Shaking her head, she sighed. "He's stubborn about this. One bout, he says. It's being arranged by someone of some importance or another to the family. I don't know the details, but they're insistent on seeing you fight."

Pyrrha looked away. Of course they were. There were people clamouring to see the Invincible Girl compete again after months off the scene. Some wanted the chance to challenge her and she respected that, but many more just wanted to recapture that moment of glory, the point at which Mistral dominated international competition on her shoulders. Alexander Nikos was among that number, though more for the glory of the Nikos family than the Kingdom itself.

Helena was not, and she was grateful for that, but like herself, Helena was powerless against the demands their father places upon them. The family was bigger than them, bigger than any of them. Or so they were commonly reminded.

"If I do this, will it be the last time?"

"I don't know." Helena smiled sadly. "He says it will be, but he says a lot of things…"

Pyrrha felt sick. "I should have gone to Beacon."

It had been a point of contention between them, a point of all-out rage from her father, shouting, yelling, accusations and threats thrown left and right. Dishonour cropped up a lot in that. She'd stayed resolute through it all, determined to leave Mistral and make her own way, but for one person who managed to convince her to stay. Her sister. And using a promise from their father that she wouldn't have to compete anymore. A promise he was already breaking.

"I'm sorry," Helena said. "I did what I thought was best."

"It's not your fault…" Sighing, she looked away. "Tell him I'll be there – but I want it clear that this is the last time. I've enough with Headmaster Lionheart trying to convince me to compete without the family stepping in."

"I'll tell him." Helena stepped back. "The match will be held in a few days' time at the central amphitheatre. Your team is welcome."

"I'll ask Neptune."

"He's better, then?"

"I spoke to him," she admitted. "Once he understood my point of view, he promised to treat me normally. Things are… They're better, yes. I think we can become good friends."

Helena smiled. "Glad to hear it. I told you, sometimes boys are dense, and you need to lay it out clear and concise. It's how I got into bed with… well." She coughed and flushed a little. "Let's not talk about that."

Pyrrha laughed. Her sister had become much cruder since her time in Atlas, not just in behaviour but how she talked. Never around their family, but always around her. More casual. Relaxed. A lot rougher, but in a good way. A confident way of speaking. Apparently, it wasn't uncommon among the military. Sometimes, she had the feeling Helena would have been happier if she didn't return to the family. If she hadn't made a sacrifice for Pyrrha's sake.

"Your advice helped," she said. "They're not bad people. They were just…"

"Starstruck?"

"Yes." Pyrrha smiled. "And you were right, they calmed down once the shock wore off."

"See." Helena looped an arm around her. "I told you there'd be no trouble making friends. Beacon wouldn't have been any different, you know. Your name isn't so unknown that it doesn't travel, and you wouldn't have had me to help. One tournament," she promised. "Four or five bouts and then you're done. I'll make it clear. Make sure the family knows it's over. We'll even market it as your retirement tournament so they can't backtrack without looking foolish."

"Retirement?" Pyrrha considered that and then nodded. "That could work. Well, at least until the Vytal Festival. Do you think the family will accept it?"

"Who says I'm giving them a choice?" Helena chuckled. "I'll tell them you agreed – then put the news out it's your retirement without telling them. By the time they find out, it'll be too late to do anything."

"You'll get in trouble."

"Leave worrying about that to me." Helena squeezed her tight. "You focus on enjoying yourself at Haven and don't worry about this little thing. I don't know where these benefactors of father's came from, but they're a reclusive lot, so I doubt this will be a crowded affair."

"Do you know who they are?"

"No. Only that they want a tournament and that the rules are specific. And weird. Women only, and no one above the age of thirty. It's open to anyone who wants to apply, but they requested _you_ by name."

"Odd…"

* * *

 **A wild Pyrrha appears.**

 **Obviously, a little (a fragment) of Pyrrha's real family situation was shown in the show, but it was long after I decided her place in this story, so details will be different. I based mine off the World of Remnant video where we saw the lore about Mistral (after S3, I think) in which it said Mistral was basically controlled by numerous powerful families who often had criminal connections. I don't think we ever saw any of those in the show, but it sounded interesting to me and I** _ **assumed**_ **we would (why else show it on the WoR?) and so I assumed Pyrrha, as one of the few Mistral characters in the show, would have a connection to that. And maybe she does, and it'll be a thing later in the series. I don't think more was seen than a statue and a mother or older sister, so anything is possible.**

 **Either way. Pyrrha is showing up. Will she claim her mid-thirties husbando?**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 11** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	90. Chapter 90

**I did make a small error on Jaune's age last chapter. I think I put him at mid-thirties, when he's actually more around thirty itself. Or his late twenties. The exact specifics aren't entirely important but my bad regardless.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 90**

* * *

Sliding through customs and into Mistral, Jaune couldn't help but imagine how much panic was taking place in Vale. Hopefully with this, he'd be immune to some of that. All he needed now were to take some photos of himself by some monuments and show them off to Summer or Qrow, and Ozpin would be convinced he couldn't have anything to do with Amber because he hadn't been on the same continent.

Assuming Ozpin couldn't sense the maiden powers stuck within him.

 _I really should offload them on someone. Even Winter is better than just holding onto them._ Sadly, Winter was busy in Atlas and he couldn't head straight there.

"Welcome to Mistral," the man at the gates said without much enthusiasm. "Please enjoy your stay. If you need a tourist's brochure, please visit the tourism office."

Jaune thanked him and headed deeper into the city, pausing to buy breakfast from a fast-food stall and eat it as he walked. Mistral's CCT was at Haven, much like Beacon's, but the signal boosting worked from several places within the city. It wouldn't make much sense otherwise as anyone wanting to make an international call would have to brave Grimm-infested forests to reach either tower.

Slipping into one of the CCT-Terminal buildings – squat and modern-looking offices with various booths for private and personal calls – Jaune found a secluded corner and closed the door behind him, pulling on the headphones and inserting his card to pay the charge. His scroll clicked into a slot to let him access it and his caller list.

 _Emerald will still be in lessons. I'll just send her a message._

He kept anything too specific out of it, just assuring her he was well and enjoying his time in Mistral. She wouldn't know _why_ he was in Mistral, but she'd play along and tell anyone who asked it had been intended from the start. He finished by wishing her well and promising they'd spend some time together when he got back. There was no immediate response, which he counted as a good thing. Em was paying attention in class.

Winter, he was able to reach directly.

" _Jaune._ _Good to hear from you. The caller ID, though. It says you're in Mistral?"_

"I took a little detour via Raven airways. Something came up." Vague, but Winter could piece together what he meant.

" _Are you in danger?"_

"Not anymore. Something came up, though. I'm going to send some details through to you via encryption. It's a little too sensitive to say out loud." Given that he was speaking to Winter Schnee, anyone listening wouldn't have reason to think that unusual. It was a given that the Schnee family would have their secrets. "Look over them later if you can and give me your thoughts." Hinting, he added, "I'm thinking of _you_ for the recipient."

" _Recipient? I assume I'll understand what that means if I read through this?"_

"You will. Let's just say `Fall` has passed on.""

Winter's face registered shock, but she controlled it well. _"Very well. If you think it best, it probably is. Do you need me there?"_

"Maybe." He let his fingers drum on the table as he thought. "No, I know you've got lots to do over there. There's something I heard. About a White Fang attack?" He watched her face darken. "Tell me it's not real."

" _It's not legitimate. I've spoken to Adam and he's just as troubled. As for being real, well, there's no denying it happened. There are at least ten groups claiming responsibility online, but we can't lend those much credence. There are a number of `New White Fang` forums where people are trying to whip up support. No criminal action, however. Just anti-human sentiment and aggrandization of Sienna Khan and her work."_

"It's just the one attack, then?" he asked. It almost had to be if no one had claimed responsibility.

" _So far, yes. We obviously can't rule out the possibility it was some other criminal activity and that the White Fang logo was just a red herring. I've got people looking into it, but it's in Vale and you know how politics can be. I was hoping you might be able to…"_

"I'll give it my best," he promised. "How is Adam handling it?"

" _Menagerie is troubled, understandably. There are still some who support the Fang. He wants to come to Vale himself to deal with it, but I convinced him that the last thing people need is to figure out his involvement in the old brand."_

Jaune nodded. There would be some who would notice the similarities and that'd explode in a way they didn't need. He had a feeling Adam's desire to come was more about Blake than the White Fang anyway.

" _There's something more,"_ Winter said. _"Something taking place in Mistral. I was going to have Delta check in on it, but since you're there…"_

"Go on."

" _There's a tournament taking place. Rather odd rules with regards to it. Women only, between the ages of sixteen and thirty. The disparity in skill levels is ridiculous, meaning any degree of `fair competition` is a farce, but the age and gender is curious enough to draw my attention."_

His too. Jaune leaned in to whisper, "That doesn't make sense. Spring is accounted for. Summer is in Vacuo. Winter is in Atlas, isn't she?"

" _Yes."_

"And Fall only just ended," he hissed. "Ozpin is good, but he's not good enough to retroactively arrange something like this. He's no oracle." And if he believed Amber would live on – which Jaune knew Ozpin had – then there was no need.

Even if there was, holding a tournament to pick a maiden candidate was just stupid. You were drawing attention to the winner and _then_ putting the power in them. Might as well broadcast to Salem who the next maiden would be.

Ozpin wasn't involved. Jaune was sure of it.

" _A business associate wanted to invite you and I down to watch it,"_ Winter said. _"They know of your past in tournaments and obviously thought it would be a good way to have an `in` with us. I told them I couldn't make it, but I can contact and say you can if you wish."_

"What would I have to do?"

" _Talk to them. Be friendly. They know you're not the decision maker, so they'll just be trying to win your favour, not your business. We've already offered them a contract. This is just a social event on their part. Mostly, they'll be trying to impress you. Act like you are."_

"Is that normal?"

" _In business, yes. Suppliers will vie to attract big contracts, and that's as often by schmoozing and wowing those in charge as it is offering a good price and service. People are more likely to do business with those they like and trust after all, even if they're not the cheapest. It's why father does so many charity events."_

He could see how that worked. It was a way in if nothing else. "Alright. Let them know I'll be free and send me some details through. I'll check this thing out and see what it's all about. I don't expect much, though."

Ozpin couldn't have planned it because he didn't know Amber would be dying. Salem probably couldn't have either, unless they'd fully expected Amber to die and for him to steal her power – which was possibly since Salem knew he had such power, but then if they knew that, why bother sending Amber at him in the first place? If she was already loyal to them, why toss that away?

It didn't add up.

" _You'll need to dress accordingly."_

/-/

The Schnee family had contracts with tailors in every Kingdom, it turned out. Getting him in for a no-appointment measuring and fitting was as easy as a call, and the cost was handled by the SDC, put down as a business expense to be claimed against tax later. Since he was technically doing business, it was legitimate for once. Jaune found himself leaving in a black suit with a charcoal grey shirt and black tie. A single gold wristwatch – necessary, he was assured – completed the ensemble, though his sword did not.

Luckily, they provided a long, thin case of black velvet for him to store it in. Turned out that the SDC even had ways to deal with that. Important when you were a family that often needed bodyguards to protect them.

By the time he was done and on his way to the meeting, both Emerald and Winter had gotten back in touch with him via messages. Emerald saying she was fine, briefly mentioning schoolwork and saying she loved him. Winter commenting that the meeting was arranged and that she `accepted his nomination and would be available for transfer when needed`.

Good. He wanted rid of the maiden power as soon as possible. While it was a shame to lose Winter as the Winter Maiden, there was no guarantee that would happen now. James chose her because of her close ties to him and the military and those were gone. Better not to take the risk and instead let Winter become the Fall Maiden.

Poor name branding of a `Fall` maiden named `Winter` aside, it would work out.

Honestly, it had been ridiculous to have Winter be the Winter maiden and Cinder _Fall_ be the Fall Maiden. At that point, he wouldn't have been surprised if Summer Rose had been the Summer Maiden, except that he knew _she_ was in Vacuo.

 _Even if Ozpin realises Winter became a maiden, that's something we'll just have to deal with. The secrets won't last forever anyway._ Sooner or later, he'd figure out Nora wasn't and that the only other woman there who could have been was Raven. Then, things would get tricky. Especially if Qrow was already pushing for Raven to come back.

He pushed such thoughts away as he approached the fancy restaurant he'd been told he now had a reservation at. There were three people waiting outside; a married couple and their son, though in this case the son was at least twenty-five. The couple were much older, consisting of a man with grey hair and a black suit, and a woman in a silvery dress with hair much the same colour.

"Mr Ashari," the man welcomed. He came over with his hand held out and Jaune shook it. "Welcome. Welcome. I'm so glad you could make it. We were so upset when Miss Schnee said you couldn't, but to hear you found time. It means the world to us. I'm George Beachcomb. This is my wife Abigail and our son, Terrance."

"Charmed." Jaune shook their hands in turn. He knew next to nothing about them, what they did or why he should be interested, but that didn't matter. All he had to do was smile, chat and let them spoil him. It was what they wanted to do – show off and make a good impression. "Winter couldn't make it, but I happened to be in the area. I'm really more interested in tournaments than she is anyway."

"You've competed in a few yourself, haven't you?" Abigail asked. She was by all appearances a sweet and kindly old lady. "I think we saw your daughter on the TV. She's the one with green hair, isn't she?"

"Emerald, yes. Her name, I mean." He chuckled. "But it works for her hair too."

The family ushered him inside and sat him down at a large table. The restaurant was empty, entirely rented out for just them and a seven-course meal. Thankfully, the elderly duo did enough chatter for the lot of them. Their son, Terrance, remained quiet, smiling and talking where he needed to but looking a little stiff.

Not dangerous stiff as far as he could see. Just the stiffness of someone brought along on something they really weren't comfortable with, and who had decided his best action was to stay quiet and be unfalteringly polite. _Me too, man,_ Jaune thought. _Me too._

The food was good. It prevented him having to talk.

After, the Beachcomb couple spoke about their business – automated software that would enable various machines in a dust refining plant to operate independent of one another but transmit important data from one machine to another on a production line while also highlighting flashpoints for staff. It integrated well with vision detection systems, they assured him.

"That's good," he said, hoping it was. "The SDC is making a push toward increased automation."

"It's the way forward," George agreed. "Especially with wages rising and dust being so much more expensive to source in raw form nowadays. The materials handling equipment used to be too expensive before, but with all the development that's gone on recently, a fully robotic line is much more accessible."

"Of course," Abigail said, "There's also the reduction in human error. Machines don't make mistakes like people do, nor do they call off sick, trip, spill or get into arguments with one another. The problem is making all the machines work together, though. That's where our software really shines."

"It sounds impressive."

That wasn't entirely a lie. Stuff like this probably _was_ impressive to someone actually involved in factory work or dust refinement. They obviously assumed he was because of his engagement to Winter, and he wasn't rude enough to say otherwise.

"It is," George said. "And something to keep in mind is that automation isn't the death knell to workers as people like to claim it. You need staff to monitor, run and adjust the machines. There are plenty of jobs created – but they're different. No one's trying to force people out of a job here."

Jaune wasn't sure Jacques would have been all that upset if they were. You could get away with mistreating machines more than you could minorities. "That's good," he said. "And it wouldn't be your products causing that anyway, would it? You just make the software."

"Exactly. Still, there are a lot of people afraid of automation and what it represents."

"People don't like change," Jaune said. "Or being asked to learn new things."

"Oh, don't I know it." George laughed. "Let me tell you how things were when we first started!"

Jaune tried hard not to sag. "Please do…"

/-/

An hour and a half. That was all the time they'd spent at the restaurant, but he felt like he knew more about factory automation now than he'd ever wanted to in a lifetime. _People are passionate about different things,_ he reminded himself. Some people wanted to be huntsmen. Some wanted to be lawyers.

Being excited about integrated manufacturing lines was a thing apparently.

At least with that over and a good first impression apparently made, they were on their way to the arena. He'd seen the price tags on those tickets. This wasn't the kind of event joe public would be coming to. Too many zeros for that.

"It's a shame your daughter isn't competing," Abigail said. "There's quite the prize pool."

"Emerald is in school. We decided that was more important."

"That's the best way, really. A strong education is for the best. And Beacon _is_ one of the finest establishments on Remnant."

One of? In Vale it was considered the best, but that was probably part of living in Vale. All the academies probably saw themselves as the best and being `among the best` didn't really count for much when there were exactly _four academies_ on the planet. They were all about the same. Well, except for Haven, but that was more due to Lionheart's sabotage.

"We have our own box from which to watch the show," George explained. "But there's a communal waiting and drinks room. Would you care for a glass of brandy?"

Seeing his chance, Jaune agreed. "If you wouldn't mind."

George left for the bar and Jaune slid into the crowd, business suit easily mingling among all the others. It was the wealthy who had come out tonight, all dressed in their finery as though the event was some business conference and not a tournament. Few of them he recognised. There was Leonardo Lionheart off in one corner talking with some people. He'd have to be dealt with soon, but obviously not now.

No Tyrian, Watts or Hazel. It would have been too much for them to get from Vale to Mistral this fast, and Watts was the only one subtle enough to handle an event like this. _And he's supposed to be dead. He wouldn't show his face so easily._

That wasn't to say Salem didn't have other people he didn't know of. More mundane operatives. They might even be new additions she'd been forced to pick up after failing to stop him. If so, they didn't react to his presence there.

Someone did.

"You have some nerve showing your face here, Ashari."

Jaune turned, sighed and forced a smile. "Alexander Nikos. What a surprise to see you."

The large man wore a suit that only just fit him, stretched taut over a barrel chest. It was emblazoned with the crest of what he assumed was the Nikos family. Pyrrha never mentioned or wore anything like it, but then she'd never spoken of Mistral anyway. Only saying she preferred life in Beacon. Alexander could hardly contain his disdain, sneering down on Jaune.

"I don't see why it'd be a surprise," he spat. "My daughter is the finest fighter on Remnant. The Invincible Girl."

"Didn't she lose in Vale?"

"Trickery. That result should have been annulled. The only reason it wasn't is because the Schnee stepped in on your behalf – no doubt to protect their _investment_." He bared his teeth. "Marrying into that family. I suppose it only makes sense. Ashari isn't a name which means much."

 _You'd be surprised, Alexander. If it counts Ozpin and Salem among their number, it's the most powerful bloodline on Remnant._

"That's my fiancée you're insulting."

"Your fiancée can do better."

"Now it's me," he said. "I guess that's better. Are you expecting me to make a scene? Start something and let you have me thrown out? I'm bigger than that, Alexander. Bigger than you. And sorry to say, but I'm not here for you at all."

"Watch your words, Ashari. The Nikos family-"

"Is nothing compared to the Schnee family." While he'd not normally pull that kind of rank, it was the only thing this guy respected. He didn't want a feud with Pyrrha's family either way. There was enough on his plate. "So let's not cause any problems. This arena is big enough that we can avoid each other if we want to."

The larger man growled. "Is your child here?"

"No. I value her education more than I do her trophy cabinet."

"She-"

"I'll warn you. You can insult me because I don't care. You can insult Winter because she can look after herself and doesn't need me to do it for her. Insult Emerald, however, and I'll have you down in that arena with me." He was dead serious. "Don't test me, Alexander. Not where she's involved."

The man's mouth opened and closed. The challenge was set, but there was still time for him to back down. He could see that Alexander wanted to push, wanted to force him to concede, but Jaune held his gaze and made it clear that wouldn't happen.

He needed to have proof for Ozpin and the others that he was here. Knocking this man down to size would do that and probably wouldn't take long. Sure, Winter might not approve of him fighting in front of suppliers, but he could honestly say she'd been insulted, and he had to step in. Winter would roll her eyes, but the Beachcomb family would probably accept it.

"Stay out of my way," Alexander said, turning and storming away. "Today is Pyrrha's day."

"Good luck to her," Jaune said honestly, watching him go. In a lower voice, he mumbled, "Ass."

The moment of distraction cost him. Something hard pressed into his back.

"Don't move," a feminine voice instructed. "Act natural."

Jaune hummed and kept looking ahead, even going so far as to accept a snack from a passing waiter and bite into it. Someone pushed up against his back, a warm body used to hide the gun. He munched away, standing still.

"You let your guard down, Ashari."

"There are witnesses everywhere. You've chosen a poor time. Should have waited til I went to the restroom."

"Witnesses work both ways. Act out and they become hostages."

"Assuming I don't subdue you."

"It won't matter. The room is rigged to blow."

His eyes scanned the corners. "Bombs would be noticed."

"In the roof alcoves and pointed downward."

"Clever. That means it requires a signal, though. Something on you." He smiled when she didn't deny it. "Say I take you out quick enough, you won't have time to detonate it."

"Dead man's switch. My heartbeat stops, the bombs go off."

"Then I'll just have to knock you out."

"Cocky. What makes you think you could?"

"Well, I don't mean to brag but I'm pretty awesome." He listened to her scoff. "I'm Specialist trained. I was on a team with some of the best in Atlas. Well, _some_ of the best. There was this girl on the team, and she was pretty much useless. Always needed saving. She was a real damsel in distress type."

"Fuck you, I didn't."

Jaune laughed and turned. "Hello November. Or shall I call you Helena?"

Helena Nikos, or November as he'd once known her, grinned up at him, slipping her tiny handgun into the sleeve of her dress, a Mistralian number that covered one arm in cloth but left the other up to her shoulder bare. It was a rich green in colour, matching her now red hair. With the platinum blonde dye she wore in Atlas having washed out, she looked more like Pyrrha than he'd ever realised.

"Call me what you want as long as it's not Damsel. I hauled your ass out the fire enough times."

Laughing, he gave her a quick hug, her squeezing back before they each let go. Anymore and it might have gotten awkward, especially with him now engaged. He didn't know how to mention that or whether he should. In the end, he chose not to, stuffing his ring hand into his pocket. Not that she wouldn't have known already. His and Winter's engagement was common knowledge.

"Are you here for security?" he asked.

"Hm. More for Pyrrha, but you know I don't like to be unarmed."

Helena wasn't the only one. He wouldn't say working in the Specialists made them paranoid because it hadn't, but when you were constantly sent into the worst situations, it just felt natural to stay armed. While not every problem could be solved with force, you never wanted to be without that option when the problems that _could_ came along.

"And I'm keeping his arrogant-ness out of trouble."

"Me?"

"Since when have _you_ been arrogant? I mean my father."

"Ah." Jaune winced. "Would it be rude if I called him a dick?"

"Yes. You're offending male anatomy everywhere." Rolling her eyes, she balanced on one foot, arms crossed under her breasts. "He's a nightmare but he's still the head of the family so we have to play along."

"We?" he asked, playing dumb.

"My sister, Pyrrha. I promised her once she joined Haven, she wouldn't have to do this again." She nodded out the window and to the arena. "Father," she spat the word, "Decided otherwise and overrode me and my promise."

"Sounds like a thing he'd do."

"Hm. You here on business?"

"Sort of," he said. "But I can skip for a bit if you want to talk."

"I don't want to be a bother…"

"Please let me skip," he begged.

Helena laughed. "Oh. _That_ kind of business. Well, far be it for me to abandon a damsel in distress." Her hand found his, his left hand, and Jaune winced at the sudden flare of tingly energy. "Come," she said, not noticing. "I know somewhere we can talk."

/-/

The `place` was one of the competitor changing rooms. While Helena checked the rooms to make sure no one would interrupt them, Jaune massaged his hand and the sigil on it, feeling the tingling sensation drift away. It had been sudden. A rush of power so abrupt it was like sticking a hand in a power socket. Or so he assumed; Nora was the only person he knew to ever intentionally do that, and only when she needed a "pep-me-up" before Port's class.

 _What happened? It was like when I stole Amber's power, but Helena isn't a maiden._

He knew that for a fact.

"Looks like we're clear," she said, moving away from the door. "Not that we're not allowed here, but I dread to imagine the rumours if someone saw us sneaking off. Father would have my head and you… well…" Her eyes dipped to the ring on his left hand.

Jaune tried not to wince. "Yeah. I know."

"So…" Helena looked up doggedly and forced a smile. "Congratulations on that. I can't say I expected it, but… Winter. Yeah. She was always nice."

"Yeah…" He swallowed. "Helena, I-"

"How about we don't?" she said, as much a request as a suggestion. "It… It's just going to be awkward if we try and I don't want it to be like that. I'm _happy_ to see you again, I really am. What are you doing here anyway?"

Running away from the issue didn't feel like the right thing to do, but Jaune was happy to run with it. "It's really more an accident than anything. SDC suppliers wanted to meet with someone from the company and I happened to be in the area. They knew how I've been involved in tournaments, assumed this would be a good way to impress me and well, here we are." He paused for a second. "What is all this about? Don't you think this is all a little strange?"

"Arranging a tournament where professional huntresses with up to ten years' experience compete with my little sister who's still in her first year of Haven?" she asked pointedly. "No. I thought that was perfectly reasonable and not at all unfair. Why? Do you think it's odd?"

"Okay. Stupid question…"

"Just a little. I'm a Specialist, Jaune. I was taught to be curious just like you."

"Then what have you been able to find?"

"Precious little," she admitted. "Father got an invitation three days ago and pushed for this _hard_. There's a prize pool – quite a large one – but also a lot of the competitors were invited by name, and there's money just for showing up. Enough to attract people who really have no hope of winning."

"Like your sister."

"Like Pyrrha. Don't get me wrong, she's incredible for her age but there are people who are twenty-eight here. She doesn't have any chance against someone who's been out in the field for that long. And if she doesn't, then I dread to imagine how short the matches with other girls her age are going to be. This whole thing could be narrowed down to the ten most likely to win – and they're all professional huntresses - so why bother inviting and paying for everyone else?"

Why indeed. Even if you were looking for maiden candidates, this wasn't the way to do it. For starters, no maiden would show up to something like this given the danger. Secondly, if you wanted raw ability, you'd go for someone close to thirty. Ozpin chose Pyrrha because he was out of options and wanted it to be someone he could keep an eye on, protect and teach. That Pyrrha had been as powerful as she was must have been a nice bonus, but a powerful first-year student was still never going to be as strong as a mediocre huntress of six or seven years' experience.

"How is your sister?" he asked, trying to hide his naked curiosity. This was Pyrrha. His friend, his partner, his teacher and whom he liked to remember as his first love, even if they never had a chance. "How is she taking it?"

"Surprisingly well. I don't think she minds all that much losing. I've even helped by having this marketed as her retirement tournament. After this, she can be a huntress full time."

"Won't her father complain?"

"Almost certainly."

"Maybe she should consider transferring." Jaune tried to make it sound like an off-the-cuff idea. "He's got a lot of influence with Lionheart from what I remember and being so close to Haven probably means he can pressure Pyrrha constantly. Maybe she'd do better in one of the other academies."

Like Beacon. Let her go to Beacon.

"It's a little late for that, don't you think? Years have started. Teams have been formed."

"I'm close with Beacon's headmaster. I'm sure I could have words and get her in."

Ozpin would leap at the chance.

"I appreciate it, Jaune, but Pyrrha will be fine here." Helena either didn't notice or didn't comment on his visible disappointment. "She's making friends who see her for more than what she is, and she's starting to settle down with them and be happy."

Jealousy flared up inside him. Someone else was taking his place. But as long as Pyrrha was happy…

"That's good. No one wants to be put on a pedestal."

"I guess you'd know more about that than me," she said, turning away.

 _What's that supposed to mean?_ "Helena…"

"What? I thought we were asking about my sister."

He winced. "How are you?"

"Does it matter? I'm not Pyrrha, nor Winter."

Minefield. He was smart enough to recognise it, if not to have avoided wandering into it in the first place. Where was Summer when he needed her? In Beacon, teaching and living her life, not on call to be his rescue whenever he needed it.

"I thought we'd catch up after this," he said. "I was only asking about your sister to be polite."

"After?"

"Dinner. Catch up. You know, as friends. If you're free…"

"I might have time. Depends on how badly the family handles Pyrrha not being able to beat people she has no right being able to beat."

"I'll stay around for a few days if you need me to. I've missed you Helena. It can't be easy having to constantly act as a shield between your sister and your old man. Though I can't think of anyone else strong enough to manage it."

Helena sighed. "You're laying it on a bit thick there."

"Dial it back?"

She nodded. "Dial it back. I'm still angry, but I'll give you a chance to make it up."

"Appreciated."

"How is your girl?"

"Recently broke a boy's arm for insulting me."

"Huh. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree then."

"I never assaulted someone for being an idiot."

"Sure. And what you challenged my father to up there doesn't count."

His mouth worked silently for a few seconds. Suggesting he'd beat Alexander up for insulting Emerald was nothing like Emerald beating Cardin up for insulting him. Jaune paused, stared at the wall ahead and sighed.

Helena smirked. "See what I mean?"

"I'm an idiot."

"At times, yes, but I've come to expect-" Helena cut off suddenly as someone knocked on the door. Pressing a finger to his lips, she pulled back and away, creeping to the door and opening it slightly, being sure to keep him out of sight. Jaune slipped back, leaning against a wall and ready to step into the adjoining restroom if heeded to hide.

"-thought I heard you," a familiar voice said.

"What are you doing here?" Helena asked quietly.

"Too many questions. I wanted a break from them."

Pyrrha…? It was. Jaune found himself straining to see even as he told himself he shouldn't. Helena caught him looking and sighed, pulling the door open. Pyrrha stood there, dressed exactly as she had been back when they'd first met. Her bronze breast and leg plates and her brown leather skirt. Her red hair was done up in her long ponytail with her tiara in place.

When last he'd seen her, she'd been young and he could accept she was a different person. Here and now, it was the Pyrrha he'd always known. It felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

"You've met Mr Ashari before," Helena said, ushering her in and closing the door. "He's here to watch today."

Pyrrha smiled brightly. Politely. It hurt that she gave him the overly friendly and fake smile she had Weiss when they first met before initiation. The one she kept for those she knew she had to be polite to but didn't want to be around. "Hello Mr Ashari."

"Jaune," he grunted back. "And don't worry, I'm not here on business. I'm as dragged along as you and your sister are."

Pyrrha looked startled.

"He's a friend," Helena explained. "Don't worry. He won't tell anyone how you feel."

He could see Pyrrha wasn't entirely convinced. "Just because I run a gym doesn't mean I care much for tournaments. Emerald – you remember her? – she's in Beacon now. She knows she has to pick between being a huntress or a tournament fighter."

"You let her choose?"

"Of course. It's her life."

"He's not like father," Helena said. "Jaune was a Specialist with me, so expect a similar crude sense of humour."

"Is he the man you fell in l-"

" _Anyway_ ," Helena interrupted, giving Pyrrha a pointed look. "We were just catching up as _friends_ and wanted to talk away from prying eyes. The old man never really got over you losing that one final in Vale and is still convinced she cheated."

"Using a Semblance isn't cheating," Pyrrha said. "Though those things I saw…"

Curious, Jaune asked, "What did Emerald show you?"

"Blood and death."

"She grew up on the streets. It wasn't a good life before I adopted her."

Pyrrha's green eyes bore into his. "It wasn't before you took her in."

"Ah…" He looked away, unsure exactly what instance she might even be referring to. _I should have asked Emerald._ It could have been Atlas and the White Fang or anything before or after. Helena was looking curiously his way, but this was after he'd been a Specialist, so it wasn't impossible for her to assume it was during that. "I hope that didn't give you a bad impression of me," he said. "I'm a huntsman so a few fights are expected."

"Against people?"

The recrimination wouldn't have hurt from any other teenager.

"It happens," Helena said, coming to his defence. "You're naïve if you think being a huntress only ever means going after Grimm, Pyrrha. And I know you're not stupid. There'll be criminals and rogue huntsmen who want to use their power for ill. It's a wild world out there."

An electric bell began to sound in the distance.

"That's your signal," she said to Pyrrha. "Good luck out there."

"Thank you. I'll try my best."

"Good luck," Jaune echoed. "And try not to take it all too seriously. You're against people almost twice your age in some places. This whole tournament is a joke as far as I can see."

Pyrrha's smile was lopsided. "I don't mind losing here."

"I guess that'd be one way to show your father you're done with it all." Jaune offered his hand, wanting to at least end their meeting on a positive note. Even if she'd never come to Beacon or be a part of his life, she was still the one person he wanted to help the most. _I won't let your life this time end like the last,_ he thought, thinking back on her smiling face as Pyrrha's hand touched his.

Something tugged inside him. The world lurched. Something – something heady and big – was dragged out of his soul and away, fracturing. His hand _burned_ for a moment, but cold, as though he'd touched ice and scalded himself.

Pyrrha blinked once, twice and then a third time. Hearing the bell again, she shook her head, whispered a quick farewell and left, jogging away down the corridor. The door swung shut behind her, leaving Jaune to massage his hand.

"Something wrong?" Helena asked.

"Static shock," he lied, peeling the back of his glove up, taking a look at the sigil. It was still there, still carved into his skin, but it was no longer glowing as it had been faintly ever since he stole Amber's maiden power.

His eyes roamed to the door Pyrrha had left through.

* * *

 **Best laid plans and all that. The power of a maiden wasn't made to be controlled by a man, or so I assume from the show. Sorry, no Sailor Jaune here.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 18** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	91. Chapter 91

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 91**

* * *

Thanks to the rather exclusive nature of the tournament, the VIP let him avoid Alexander Nikos and Helena, who might have asked why he was suddenly being so cagey. Sat once more with the Beachcomb family and politely grunting and nodding along to any questions, Jaune supped of his alcoholic beverage and wished it was ten times stronger. Enough to knock him out. The jittery restlessness that had tingled through him ever since he took Amber's power was gone.

As was Amber's power.

The last person he wanted to give it to. Not because he didn't trust her but because he didn't want to put Pyrrha through that again. And because she was in Mistral for crying out loud. In Haven, no less. She was right in Leonardo's grasp, and the bastard was here at this very tournament. He'd thought he had time to deal with him, but if he got even the slightest inkling Pyrrha was the fall maiden… Well, he had to die. Instantly. That news couldn't reach Salem.

 _What happened? I touched Helena and she was young enough for it to work._ He'd felt it too, felt the strange rush that suggested it had been coming out, but since he'd only touched her for the briefest second it didn't stick. _I only shook Pyrrha's hand. How was that more?_

Physical contact was obviously necessary – but not everything. He'd embraced Helena. In the same way he could touch Amber and steal her power but touch Raven and not, there had to be some mental component to what he'd done here. Had it been thinking about Pyrrha? Had he reminisced for a moment of her being the fall maiden in the previous timeline, and that connected the dots in his head? Did magic work like that?

It was easy looking back to say he should have gone straight to Winter and given her the power. Hindsight was a bitch like that. Now, Pyrrha had it, though there was no telling if she knew or had awakened it. Cinder didn't walk around full maiden all the time, so there had to be some conscious decision to activate it.

There was a chance it'd stay hidden today – but not forever. Haven was a problem. Alexander was a problem. The last Pyrrha was the perfect candidate for Ozpin _because_ she'd cut ties with her past when she joined Beacon. This one hadn't, and he couldn't abduct and drag her to Vale because of what she was. Damn it.

Another huntress down in the ring fell, bringing victory to the remaining, who raised her hand and bowed to the crowd. Polite in victory, she helped her opponent up and away. They were both in their mid-twenties and professional huntresses, but not everyone competing here was. There had already been some punishingly unfair matchups. As one-sided as an adult against a baby. This had been one of the closer ones.

"Who is your money on, Jaune?" George asked. "Would you care for a friendly wager?"

Jaune pulled his eyes away from the competitor stand where Pyrrha sat with the others in view of them all. The distraction was welcome, frankly. "Depends what kind of stakes we're talking about. I don't think Winter would approve of anything too grandiose."

"Oh, I'm not one mix business and pleasure. How about ten thousand to decide the winner?"

"Seems fair." Jaune looked down the long list. "I'll take Samsara"

He didn't know her – had never heard of her in fact – but Qrow revealed how Lionheart had been intentionally feeding bad information to huntsmen in the area to thin their numbers, so it wasn't hard to imagine the woman had died to that. Or retired. The schedule had her aged at twenty-nine, which gave her the most experience of anyone here.

"Hmm. She does seem skilled. Very well. I'll place my fortunes on Julie Verdant." George tapped the schedule to show her. Twenty-seven, huntress. Bright green hair to match her name. "I saw her compete a few weeks ago and she won a local tourney."

Not a bad pick, then. Most professional huntsmen didn't bother with that kind of thing – and that might put them at a disadvantage. Fighting Grimm and another person was a whole different kettle of fish. Everything from how you fought to the techniques you used changed. Betting on someone still active in that scene wasn't a bad choice.

"Join us as well, Terrance," George said.

"I don't know…"

"I'll cover your wager, lad. Don't worry. It's just a little fun."

"Well, okay." The younger boy looked out the window. "I bet on Pyrrha Nikos. She _is_ the Invincible Girl."

He said it almost defensively. A fan, then. Jaune hid his smile, though George saw it and rolled his eyes. Terrance was a little old for her but there was no guarantee it wasn't anything more than hero worship. Pyrrha had been touted across Mistral and even had statues of her.

Apparently, she'd saved a town before entering Beacon – which was both impressive and depressing. For someone who wasn't even in an advanced academy to have to save a town in the first place implied that the local forces were either cripplingly weak or didn't care to help. It was an obvious bet to make. Pyrrha was the `tournament favourite` and anyone who'd seen her fight would know she was leagues above her competition.

That was the problem, though. It was based on her competition.

Pyrrha was incredible, Jaune would never hear anyone say otherwise, but she was incredible _for her age_. Put her against two, three or even four people her age and she'd defeat them all, as she'd proven time and time again with Team CRDL. They weren't weak; Pyrrha was just that skilled. She was not, however, going to be able to beat someone ten years older than her.

How could she? At seventeen, she had at best seven years training. At twenty-nine, Samsara would have _nineteen_ years training and with eight or nine of those in the field against the worst foes. It was an impossible match-up, but he didn't expect a young boy with little experience in fighting to know that. At least it was his father's money he was losing.

/-/

"Raven didn't know anything."

Ozpin hummed, watching the monitor as two new competitors entered the arena. Qrow came around to see what he was watching and raised an eyebrow.

"Tournament?"

"A curious one," he replied. "Women only. Between the ages of sixteen and thirty."

"Maiden candidates?"

"Yes. Except that I did not arrange it and all the maidens are – or were – accounted for." Amber's death was the one outlier, but they'd only discovered that yesterday when he felt the power move on. Poor Amber. Qrow hadn't even been able to locate her body. He hoped it was a swift and painless end.

"Why would someone arrange a thing like this?" Qrow asked.

"Why indeed. You might expect it if the current maiden was on her deathbed and wished to select a skilled successor, but there are better ways to do so. More than that, who would be seeking to offload theirs? We have the Spring Maiden here in Nora Valkyrie, and James still holds the Winter Maiden."

"Isn't she old?"

"Yes, but James would not do this. It's too obvious. And he would consult me first."

"Leaving only Summer and Fall," Qrow said. "Summer maiden is in Vacuo, and Amber just died. That means someone already had the power. Why host an event like this?"

"Perhaps the new maiden was crippled and they need a replacement for her." Ozpin tossed the idea out, and while it might have made sense, he doubted Salem would entrust such a power to a random individual. Or enlist one in so obvious a fashion. _Her greatest strength is in keeping us unaware of who is on her side. This would advertise the victor as a potential traitor._ It just didn't make sense. "I'll have to speak with Leonardo," he said. "Ask him why I was not made aware of this and what he is attempting."

"You think something is wrong there?"

"I couldn't say. This could always be a coincidence."

Qrow scoffed. "Pretty lucky one if that's the case. This screams maiden."

"It does, which is why I am keeping an eye on it." Ozpin nodded to the monitor, where another competitor was defeated. "I can't help but think this a distraction. Or perhaps a trap."

"A trap?"

"She would know I would have you investigate the winner."

"Ah. Lure me in and kill me." Qrow sighed. "Yeah, I can see that. Or maybe they thought this would spook you into acting."

"Or that," Ozpin acknowledged. "Draw me to Mistral and attack en route. With Amber dead, I might make a reckless decision if I thought it important. They could be banking on that. Or," he said, "It could be something more. Perhaps someone Leonardo knew inherited the maiden and he wishes someone to act as a red herring. Perhaps he plans to transfer from one person to another." He tapped his fingers on the desk.

"Have you asked him?"

"He has yet to respond to my messages."

Qrow didn't say anything about that. Didn't need to. Leonardo had better have a good explanation of they'd be having words. _There's no time for us to be playing our own games. Salem is making her move. She's already killed Amber._

"A war is coming, Qrow. It's time we gather all the forces we can. Give it a day or two and then try Raven again. Impress on her the importance of setting aside grudges."

"Fine." He gritted it out. "Don't expect her to give in easy though. What about Jaune?"

"I will have words with him. Measured words."

"You don't trust him?"

"I trust that he wants the best for his daughter and for his friends, which include you, Summer and Taiyang. I trust he is an enemy of Salem and that this may make him an ally to us. I trust that he will do what _he_ believes is right."

"But you don't trust him."

"There is too much on the line for me to do so. Far too much."

"Hmmm." Qrow refrained from arguing, and Ozpin appreciated that. This had to be bigger than friendship, no matter what he thought of the man. Qrow looked back to the monitor and nodded. "Looks like the Nikos girl is holding her own."

"She's skilled. I'd hoped she might attend Beacon. I know Jaune did as well."

"Guess not everything can work out that easily." Qrow looked to her competitor and sighed. "Samsara? Think I did a job with her once. That's not going to be a fight. Not even close. The girl is good, I admit, but she's what, Yang's age?"

"In her first year of Haven," Ozpin confirmed. "Whereas Miss Samsara graduated years ago. It's like pitting you against Miss Xiao-Long, except that the poor girl has the pressure on her to actually win."

"Mistral," Qrow snorted. "They love this shit."

Ozpin hummed, personally agreeing with the derision but choosing to focus on the bout instead. If nothing else, it might let him glean why Salem or her followers might host such a bizarre tournament in the first place.

/-/

Pyrrha was losing

Gasping for air, she deflected another probing strike from the bladed staff wielding woman opposite her. On the reverse swing, the shaft broke in two, becoming twin short staves that she wielded with extreme grace, keeping one back to defend and pushing Pyrrha away with the second. Her eyes caught an opening.

 _There!_

Ducking under an attack, her sword transformed into a rifle. There wasn't the time to aim but she was close enough to not need it – pushing the weapon into the woman's guard and firing. The shot was clean, but the bullet swerved, literally changing its path mid-air. Tendrils of wind spiralled around it as it did, like the bullet was trying and failing to dig through solid air.

A wind Semblance on top of everything else? Pyrrha sighed, even as the woman roundhouse kicked her away. There wouldn't have been the time to block anyway and she skidded across the floor like a pebble skimmed over a lake.

It was hopeless.

Defeatism wasn't something she was used to, but even she could see this was a lost battle. Samsara was quick, efficient and taking it easy on her to boot! The woman could have run in and ended her there, but she let Pyrrha stand. From anyone on the tournament scene, Pyrrha might have seen that as arrogance, but the huntress looked so uncomfortable that she knew it wasn't. The woman's tanned face was forever drawn into a grimace. There were ten chances to end the fight that she hadn't taken so far.

Her opponent felt guilty _,_ Pyrrha realised. The lump in her throat grew bigger still. _This isn't even a real fight to her and she feels awful._ The blow to her ego was minor. Why would it be a real fight? This woman was almost twice her age and more than twice her experience. From her point of view, she was an almost thirty-year-old woman picking on a schoolgirl. Samsara was even letting her get a few hits in, probably so she didn't crush Pyrrha's pride too much.

 _Normally I'd be offended, but I can't even blame her. Is this how my opponents felt against me?_

Doubtful. Her opponents at least had the benefit of being her age and having a chance. This… This was like being given a spoon and being told to dig a canal. Given her attacks had shaved off all of two per cent of the woman's aura, it was about as effective. A quick look at her own showed her hovering around forty-five per cent.

"You can surrender, you know," the woman said kindly.

"Sorry." Pyrrha readied herself. "I can't give up."

Samsara sighed. They clashed blades, exchanged blows and Pyrrha took the worst of the exchange yet again. She tried to kick, punch and swing her elbows – anything to get an edge – but the older woman had seen it all before. Knees were deflected. Elbows met forearm. Blades locked, twisted and were pushed aside, and even her subtle use of her Semblance did nothing. Samsara figured it out quickly, or had a vague idea, and now coated her weapons with wind to push through it.

"You're incredible," Samsara said, forcing her back. "I don't mean that lightly. I've met professional huntresses who can't move and fight as well as you do. You should be proud of your hard work."

"T-Thank you." Pyrrha ducked, gasped and blocked a punishing blow with her shield. It still rattled her arm and knocked her back.

"Don't thank me for stating the truth. You've earned it. Still, I hope you don't judge yourself too harshly for this. Or me," she added. "I don't like beating up on someone your age either, but I need the money for a deposit on a house."

So polite. Pyrrha laughed, barely avoiding having her teeth knocked out. Her counterattack was caught, and Samsara dragged her arm over her body, hurling Pyrrha away in a rather surprising display of martial arts. Pyrrha used her semblance on her greaves to drag her feet down and around for a landing. Anyone watching might marvel at how she'd gone from being upside down in the air to suddenly flipping onto her feet. Even then, it was a clumsy landing and she staggered back, woozy from the constant beating.

Samsara was trying to be kind, but she'd have appreciated being knocked out the competition already. Her entire body was on fire. _And here I wanted to lose, but not like this._ Pyrrha sighed. _I guess this is the difference between an experienced huntress and a student._

"I can't wait to see how good you are once you're my age," Samsara said. "Keep your training up, girl. You're going to put me to shame but I'll accept it."

Pyrrha smiled again. "Thank you."

"Are you going to surrender? Don't make me be the bitch and knock out someone in her first year of high school…"

"I'm sorry," she said, and she was. "It may be selfish of me, but I'd prefer to lose bravely if I must at all." She cracked a weak smile. "And my own opponents would be insulted if the one who beat them didn't go down swinging."

"Catch-22, huh? Damned if you do and damned if you don't…"

"Yes." Not to mention the media would tear her to shreds. Pyrrha Nikos, the _Coward Girl_ who backed out of a fight when things got tough. They wouldn't care that her opponent might as well be a teacher in Haven. They'd only judge what she did. "I'm sorry for asking it, but please take me seriously. Even if it means you destroy me."

The woman leant on her stave and cupped her forehead. "Aw. I'm going to look like a right cow."

"I'll know you're not. Please, Miss Samsara."

"Alright. Alright." The huntress lowered her weapon. Her eyes narrowed, every hole Pyrrha had been seeing tightening up and then vanishing. No longer was she a competitor in the arena, but a predator. A huntress. "For what it's worth, you're a brave one. Skilled, too. Don't let this knock your confidence."

Pyrrha laughed tiredly. "And people say _I'm_ too nice for my own good…"

/-/

"Oh my." George winced. "This is difficult to watch."

"It's a slaughter is what it is," Jaune replied, watching through his own fingers as his best friend and the first woman he'd really loved got torn to pieces. His body was so tense that his toes were curled up in his shoes, every aspect of him screaming to smash through the window, jump down there and defend her.

He couldn't. This was Pyrrha's moment. It was a tournament, a simulated fight, and her opponent knew that and was pulling her blows as any good huntsman would against a weaker person.

"It's not even all that fair. Samsara knows it too and is taking it easy on her."

"Has she-? Ah, you're a huntsman as well. One of those things we can't see, I take it?"

"You can tell from how this hasn't ended yet. She's even let Pyrrha get a few good hits in so it's not a hundred per cent aura win." Or a `perfect` as one of Ruby's old fighting games would cheerfully declare. He wasn't sure George of his wife could understand the analogy.

"Pyrrha will win," Terrance said with the confidence of a fan. "I believe in her. She's not out yet."

Did it make him a bad friend for not believing in her? He liked to think it didn't. Pyrrha had just as much brains as she did brawn, and she wasn't afraid to point out when it was better to go on the defensive. If she were here in her adult form, he knew she'd be making the same observations he was. The truth hurt, but it was just that.

And really, losing might be for the best.

 _Don't let it show. For the love of everything, please don't let that stupid power pop out now._

The cameras portraying the fight onto the big screens around the arena couldn't see Pyrrha's face perfectly, but it would have recognised the tell-tale burning eyes if she had them. Bright gold fire wasn't something easily missed. So far, she hadn't tapped into it. According to Ozpin, it took months for a maiden to learn to do anything. Even Cinder needed time to master it. Raven had years. Pyrrha shouldn't even be capable of recognising the difference.

Pyrrha fell to one knee, sword and shield down, shoulders rising and falling as she gasped for breath. Samsara readied her weapon, nodded once and rushed in.

 _It's over._

Pyrrha looked up, lips peeled back angrily.

Her eyes burned gold.

And then, it truly was over.

"She won!" Terrance cheered. "Pyrrha won!"

Jaune had only one word. "Fuck."

/-/

Ozpin's chair fell back as he stood.

Qrow was beside him instantly, hand on the desk. "Was that-?"

"Yes. We have found the inheritor of Amber's powers."

Pyrrha Nikos. A famous competition fighter. An almost random person for Amber to think of in the last, but not that unlikely. Why not someone well-known and famous? A person Amber may have seen on broadcasts or in magazines. Someone she may even have thought might be able to defend the power in her final moments.

His fingers flew to his scroll. "Glynda. Ready me a Bullhead. I need you to look after Beacon for a few days. I shall explain later!" he promised as Glynda tried to get a word in edgeways. "All will be explained in time, but I must leave." He hung up. "Qrow…?"

"I can be there in four hours. I'll defend her."

"Thank you. Make it so."

/-/

"Back away!" Alexander boomed. The whale of a man looked proud as pudding, his teeth glinting as people crowded around him, Pyrrha and Helena. Pyrrha was still out of it, slumped into her sister and exhausted. Her hair was damp with sweat. "This was always expected," Alexander shouted. "With the proud Nikos blood running through her veins, victory here was a foregone conclusion. Control yourselves."

Cameras flashed, the few journalists who had been allowed to attend barking out questions to the man, some of them downright predatory – asking after Pyrrha's Semblances and how it had been hidden all this time.

Not polarity.

"Pyrrha has never used her Semblance because she has never needed to!" Alexander boasted, answering for his daughter, and quite incorrectly. "A conscious decision on her part to give her opponents the benefit of a chance. Of course, defeating a huntress like Samsara required more!"

Helena looked furious. Jaune had an inkling why.

"That is why my daughter is the champion of Mistral, the Invincible Girl. The strongest huntress on Remnant!"

"Sir! We've heard rumours of retirement-"

"Nonsense!" he bellowed. "Lies spread by jealous foes. Pyrrha will face any challenger who comes her way. A Nikos fears nothing."

Jaune's eyes weren't on him. He watched Pyrrha. Watched as her hand gripped tightly onto her sister's dress. Pyrrha wouldn't say anything. She never would. Too polite. Too eager to please. Even when he'd given in to Cardin's bullying and acted like an asshole, she never said a word. Yang called her submissive. Sometimes, he'd thought she could be too much that. He'd always wondered if it was her family life behind it. Now, he knew.

"Isn't that _her_ decision to make?"

The crowd parted. Jaune wasn't entirely surprised to find it had been himself who spoke.

"What was that?" Alexander sought him out and snarled. "Ashari. Come to witness Pyrrha's victory over an opponent older than her? I can't blame you shouting out, wrought with jealousy as you are. Pyrrha has more trophies under her belt than your entire gym."

"Pyrrha has a voice," he said, silencing the laughter. "I just think it's strange for people to be asking _you_ whether she's going to keep competing when she's stood behind you. Does everyone here think she doesn't get a choice? Or are you not interested in hearing it?"

There was little way for Alexander to swing that without appearing demanding. He saw the tide turn against him and looked back to Helena and Pyrrha, pinning them under his gaze, along with the gazes of everyone else there.

Pyrrha stiffened. Helena squeezed her shoulder for support.

"Well, Pyrrha?" Alexander boomed. "What say you? These _rumours_ of your retirement. They are nonsense of course. Absolute nonsense. If Ashari won't believe it from my mouth, let him hear it from yours. Will you continue fighting? Will you uphold the Nikos honour?"

He knew she didn't want to. Anyone watching could probably tell. The look on her face, the pain in her eyes and the way her lips drew into a thin line. How _no one_ here could see it, he didn't know. Maybe it was just him. Maybe he knew her better than anyone here ever could, but he saw it. Saw it as her eyes met his and understanding was formed.

 _`Say it`,_ he mouthed, willing her his strength. _`Do what you want`._

Pyrrha's eyes wavered, then dipped down to the floor.

Jaune's gut wrenched.

"I'll fight," she whispered. "I'll uphold our honour."

Jaune turned and stormed away, chased out by the booming laughter from Alexander and several others who joined him in mocking the jealous foreigner. He ignored it, that and Helena's thinly veiled attempts to get him to stop and talk to her. Out the door, down the corridor and away, past Leonardo Lionheart, who was making his way toward the main room with a hungry expression. Jaune let him go, hand gripped tight to his side, ready to draw a sword not there and bury it in the traitor's chest. Stopping himself, he pulled out his scroll and dialled a number.

"Raven."

" _Calling so soon? Don't tell me you missed me."_

"We may have a problem."

* * *

 **Short chapter. Sorry. Busy weekend and need to go out now. There was only really going to be another 500 - 600 or so and I'll just tack that onto the start of next week's chapter. Either way, Pyrrha has become the fall maiden once more, and this time she didn't even get a choice over the matter. I guess this finally answers how I plan to keep Pyrrha relevant to the story while not being a student in Beacon.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 25** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


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